(Credit: Google)
If you enjoy using widgets on your Android phone, Google on Monday announced that it is adding three new features to improve widget discovery. These include a dedicated widget search filter, widget badges on app info pages, and a curated widgets editorial page.
"Historically, one of the challenges with investing in widget development has been discoverability and user understanding,” Google product manager Yinka Taiwo-Peters says in a blog post for developers. “You’ve asked for better ways for users to find and utilize your widgets, and we’re delivering.”
The “Widgets” filter will appear at the top of search results, allowing users to quickly identify apps offering widgets. As an alternate way to confirm widget availability, Google will also display a visual badge on an app’s detail page. Additionally, to educate users on the importance of widgets, Google is starting a curated section that “showcases collections of excellent widgets and promotes the apps that leverage them.”
Google hasn’t confirmed when the features will roll out. They “are coming soon to Google Play on Android phones, tablets, and foldables,” Taiwo-Peters says.
Alongside these updates for Android, Google slid in widget updates for iOS as well. The Gemini app for iOS now has lock-screen widgets for typing the prompt, using voice mode, opening the mic or camera, and sharing an image or file.