Add Android widgets: Helpful widgets for everyday life

Widgets can be used to make your Android smartphone more useful and practical. There are a large number of widgets that everyone can use.

Widgets for Android – what’s behind them

Widgets have been a popular feature on Android since 2009. But what does “widgets” actually mean and what are they good for?

• The term “widget” is a made-up word and is composed of “window” and “gadget”.
• Widgets are a built-in feature in various operating systems that allow a lot of useful content to be integrated into programmes or into the operating system itself.
• So you can use widgets to display certain information directly on your smartphone home screen or interact with functions without having to open an app.
• Widgets have been used in various forms for many years. Windows Vista and Windows 7 introduced the concept to many users for the first time. Android has had support for widgets since an early version.
• While Apple was comparatively late in introducing widgets on iPhones, they have been back in vogue since 2020 with the introduction of widgets for iOS. As a result, there are also new useful developments regarding widgets for Android.

Android widgets for everyday life

Since a large proportion of all Android apps offer widgets, the choice is very wide. The following widgets are useful for almost everyone.

• Weather: Almost every weather app for Android offers widgets. This means you always have an eye on what today’s weather will be like. Examples are Yahoo Weather and AccuWeather. The Google app can also display brief information about the weather. If you want to personalise the display, you can use the OverDrop app.
• Calendar: To quickly keep track of your appointments, you should use a calendar app that can display your appointments at a glance on your home screen. Apps such as Google Calendar, Outlook or Month are ideal companions for everyday life.
• Bahn: With the Deutsche Bahn app, you can save specific connections and thus always receive up-to-the-minute information about the next departure at your stop.
• Clock: A clock is pre-installed as a standard widget on almost every Android model. However, depending on your preference, you can also install additional widgets that you can personalise.
• Search: Whether a search for your mobile phone or for Google: with a matching widget you can search faster than with an app. The Google app, for example, already offers a matching widget for search.
• Messenger: Depending on which messenger you use, you will find useful widgets. WhatsApp, for example, offers a widget that displays the latest messages. This way you can see at a glance who has written to you without having to open the message. In doing so, you can read the content of the message without it being marked as “read”.
• Notes: If you want to quickly note down a piece of information, a corresponding app should be quickly accessible. With Google Keep or Samsung Notes, you can add your notes directly from the home screen.
• Shortcuts and switches: Many apps offer shortcuts that take you directly to a specific app function. For example, you can quickly switch your torch, open a specific WhatsApp chat, or start navigating to your work. You can see which widgets are available to you on your home screen if you want to add the one you want.
• Quick overview: There are also widgets for a lot of small information. For example, the MyMagenta app can show your current data volume, 17 Track can show the shipment status of many different parcel services and Stock Widget can show the current value of shares.

Add widgets: How to do it on Android

To add widgets, you only need to follow a few steps.

• Go to your home screen and hold your finger on an empty space for about one second.
• An overview opens with all available widgets. Swipe to display more.
• Press and hold the widget you want and slide it to the desired location on your home screen.
• As soon as you release the widget, it is placed and may need to be adjusted.
• Depending on the smartphone manufacturer and the launcher installed, these steps may vary.
• The selection of widgets displayed is limited to installed apps. To have more widgets available, you must first install the corresponding apps.