There are widgets everywhere. Has there ever been an Android feature with such potential that Google neglected it for such a long time?
Alright, so perhaps there has been — well, quite a few times, to be exact. Nevertheless, the widget system on Android is a prime illustration of a remarkable benefit that Google essentially buried, abandoned, and placed on the verge of extinction until its long-overdue resuscitation in the Android 12 release in 2021. (By the way, that resurgence seemed to happen for no apparent cause at all. Just an entirely arbitrary, spontaneous change of heart following ten years of apathy. Riiiiiight.)
Although Google had given up on widgets for a time, the good news is that (a) they're back, baby, and (b) the Android developer community continued to innovate and find innovative ways to use widgets even when the platform was ignoring them. You may now improve your Android widget game and provide yourself some new and productive routes to maximize the capabilities of your phone's framework, regardless of the Android version that your preferred phone is running.
These, my love, are some amazing methods to transform the way you use your phone and get things done by utilizing your favorite Android widgets. (In addition, if you have a Chromebook, don't forget to check out this clever trick for integrating widgets into that environment.)
Android widget enhancement
1: The on-demand home screen pop-up
While widgets are a great method to engage with a variety of information without ever having to launch an app, an excessive number of widgets may soon result in an unmanageable and crowded home screen.
Here's a clever method to take advantage of a widget while still keeping your workspace tidy and uncluttered: With the help of a great software called Popup Widget 3, you can make an on-demand pop-up widget (get it?!) that appears on your home screen as a standard icon and loads any widget you want when you press it.
See?
You can even go far out and configure one icon to open numerous widgets simultaneously, like as your calendar and mailbox together:
Not too terrible, huh?
Popup Widget 3 is a $1.50 download that doesn't require any additional authorization or access methods. And setting it up is really easy and self-explanatory: The program will lead you through installing any pop-up widgets you like after you install and launch it. You may customize each one by selecting its name, icon, exact location on your screen, and how much the screen behind it should darken as it loads.
When that happens, the app will offer to add the shortcut straight to your home screen. Alternatively, you can use the app drawer to access all of your Pop-Up Widget creations by just touching and holding the main Pop-Up Widget icon.
And that's just our first winning widget possibility, my wallaby who loves widgets.
2: The on-demand universal pop-up
This next crazy widget option is perfect for you if you enjoy the notion of having a widget on demand but would rather to be able to call it from anyplace rather than just your home screen.
It originates from the amazing program Edge Gestures, which combines with Pop-Up Widget 3 to take the same idea and make it available to everyone. (It was crazy, I tell you!)
Upon first installation, Edge Gestures will ask you to allow it to function as a system accessibility service and to have the ability to overlay other apps. These permissions seem dangerous, and they should be, but for this particular utility, they are both completely suitable and essential to its operation. In order for this configuration to function properly, the former is the only method an app may generate a custom system-wide gesture, and the latter is how your widget can be shown above whatever else you are doing.
(If this worries you in the slightest: No additional system rights, such as internet access, are requested by Edge Gestures. That implies that even if it wanted to, it would be unable to transmit any data from your device to any potential enemies that could be hiding in the virtual shadows. However, it appears safe to assume that it doesn't. The app is reliable, has been out for a good amount of time, and has received a lot of really favorable ratings.)
In what location were we? Oh, yes, you can choose the precise gesture you want to use to bring up your widget once you're in the Edge Gestures setup page. I would carefully consider selecting something that will be easy to access without being a command you're likely to accidentally execute, and that won't conflict with anything else, such as the system-level Android gestures.
Therefore, you may make the motion, for example, a straightforward swipe along the left side of your screen. The "Left" tab of the app has a "Swipe down" option. To use it, find and pick the "Popup Widget" option. From there, you may build or choose any Popup Widget item you like. Additionally, keep in mind that you may choose between one and more widgets.
You're going to hear a lot of oohs and ahhs:
As you can see, this offers up a plethora of new opportunities for mobile multitasking. Really, though: How could you not adore that?
The last worthwhile action is to choose "Clear" for each of the remaining gesture choices located in the same settings page in order to remove Edge Gestures' default actions. Additionally, I would go into the side of the screen that you aren't using (left or right) and hit the toggle to completely off the motions for that side. In this manner, you may avoid accidentally initiating any motions that you don't truly require or desire.
Edge Gestures costs $1.49 to use.
3: The floating bubble
Here's another intriguing take on the same on-demand Android widget concept: An app called Overlays allows you to create a small floating bubble that you can position anywhere on your screen and then tap to bring up any widget when you want it. This works similarly to Android's often-forgotten Bubbles messaging system, which is ideal if you like the idea of always having a widget available but aren't so fond of the hidden gesture concept.
Check it out:
Overlays comes with a number of its own small widgets by default, but the true strength of Overlays lies in integrating widgets from the Android apps you really use. The "Triggers" tab at the bottom of the Overlays settings section must be tapped in order to accomplish that. Next, hit the red plus button located in the lower-right corner of the screen. After choosing "Manual," give your widget whatever name you like, then hit the icon to select your preferred icon.
After tapping "Save," choose "Widget" from the menu, and choose the desired widget. At that moment, a widget preview will appear. You may resize or move it as you choose, and to close that interface, click the arrow in the top-left corner of the screen. Finally, to set the status of your newly created widget to "Always on," touch its name on the screen that appears next.
Your gorgeous new widget ought should appear as soon as you exit the program and return to your home screen. To shrink it to a bubble, all you have to do is hit the small downward-facing arrow in its corner. From there, you can press and hold the bubble to transfer it to whatever location your widget-worshiping heart wishes.
Widgets that automatically display depending on context may also be made using overlays; for example, you might program something to appear each time you connect to a specific Bluetooth device or Wi-Fi network. Simply follow the previous instructions and choose "Event" rather than "Manual" when you get to the "Triggers" tab setup to investigate those alternatives.
With an extra $4 in-app purchase, users may unlock a few more complex functions and get rid of some advertisements from the settings tool. Overlays is available for free.
4: The voice-summoned widget wonder
Pay attention if you own a Google Pixel phone: In fact, you may invoke some of the most frequently used Android widgets at any moment by only speaking the relevant voice command.
Yes, indeedy: There's a really big secret to the highly developed Google Assistant on Pixels. Simply say "Hey Google," followed by a request to "Show me the Keep widget."
And by golly, wouldya look at that?!
Right now, it appears that the majority of the widgets used by the system come from Google-made Android apps, such as Keep, Calendar, Chrome, Clock, Maps, Google News, and YouTube Music. It's a really practical approach to view whatever widget you need without ever having to move from anyplace in your system. You now know, too.
5: The custom web widget
Not to be overlooked among our assortment of bizarre Android widget options is something I only recently learned about: the capability to design your own unique widget for almost any website you can think of.
The short explanation is that you can transform any website into a widget and view it on your home screen with an app called Widgetify. I've outlined all the methods in detail in this column. That way, whether the website in issue is a forum you frequently visit, a favorite news source, or even an important page from your own company's online presence, you can constantly keep an eye on it and have it at your fingertips.
Here you have it: five bizarre, amazing, and amazing methods to further enhance the wow factor of widgets. There are moments when you simply have to adore Android and the innovative ideas it inspires.