Google has announced plans to bring back lock screen widgets in Android 16, reviving a feature that was originally introduced in Android 4.2 Jelly Bean but removed in Android 5.0 Lollipop. The feature will be implemented as part of Android 16’s first quarterly update (QPR1) expected in late 2025. The revival comes as Google continues to enhance Android’s security and authentication capabilities, following the recent introduction of Identity Check, which strengthened biometric security measures for critical device settings.
Lock screen widgets were initially launched on the Pixel Tablet with Android 15 and will now expand to Pixel phones with the Android 16 update. The feature will function through Android’s screensaver mode, which activates when devices are charging or docked. Hardware manufacturers may implement varying widget interfaces based on their specific requirements, similar to their current customization of biometric authentication implementations.
On smartphones, the lock screen widgets will be arranged in a vertical stack, differing from the two-row grid layout seen on the Pixel Tablet. Due to limited screen space on phones, users will need to swipe through multiple screens to access all widgets. The feature is opt-in, allowing users to enable or disable it according to their preferences. Some widgets may require device authentication through fingerprint, PIN, or face unlock before becoming functional, building upon Google’s existing security framework for sensitive information access.
App developers will have the flexibility to disable the lock screen feature for their widgets if desired. The option allows for various implementation choices, ranging from fully functional widgets requiring authentication to basic widgets that can operate without unlocking. The approach matches Google’s recent efforts to enhance Android security, including the launch of SafetyCore and improved anti-scam features.
Google plans to integrate lock screen widgets into the Android Open Source Project (AOSP) during the summer, enabling other Android OEMs to incorporate the feature into their operating systems. The integration comes as Android device support periods are being extended, with some manufacturers now offering up to eight years of system and security updates. While developer preview builds and beta versions of Android 16 are already available, the complete implementation of lock screen widgets is expected to be unveiled at Google I/O 2025 in May.
Android expert Mishaal Rahman has demonstrated early access to the lock screen widgets feature by manually activating it in Android 16 Beta 2.1, providing preliminary insights into its smartphone implementation. The return of this feature represents Google’s ongoing efforts to balance user convenience with security, particularly as Android faces increasingly sophisticated security threats like the recently discovered PlayPraetor trojan.
Sources: Business Standard, NotebookCheck, Pocket-lint
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