Google dropped the feature nearly 11 years ago, but Apple recently brought it back into the spotlight with its own version.

We got a preview on Pixel tablets last year, but lock screen widgets have otherwise been MIA on smartphones since Android 5.0 (Lollipop).

The first quarterly release of Android 16 will bring lock screen widgets to phones, and we have an early look at the feature!

Google has announced that lock screen widgets are coming to Android 16 phones later this year. Widgets have been available on the lock screen of the Pixel Tablet since last year, but Google is now bringing them to phones and more tablets.

Over on the Android Developers Blog, Product Manager Tyler Beneke and Software Engineer Luca Silva confirmed that lock screen widgets will be making a full comeback this summer. Specifically the feature will be coming to the Android Open Source Project (AOSP) on phones and tablets in “late summer 2025” after the release of Android 16.

Lock screen widgets will have different implementations depending on the smartphone manufacturer. Google announced that it's bringing lock screen

Google has confirmed that lock screen widgets are coming to AOSP for tablets and smartphones after Android 16 QPR1.

Google Gemini users can now access the AI chatbot directly from the iPhone's lock screen, thanks to an update released on Monday first spotted by