Google is bringing back lock screen widgets in Android 15. The feature disappeared nearly a decade ago, but it can be accessed from a hidden settings page in Android 15.
Improved lock screen widgets in Android 15 revealed
The stable version of Android 15 is almost ready. While Google would be the first to release Android 15 for its Pixel series of smartphones, other device makers too are finetuning the mobile OS for general deployment.
One of the most anticipated features in Android 15 is “Lock Screen Widgets”. As the name implies, this feature allows Android users to place widgets on the screen that request user authentication.
Google scaled back lock screen widgets about 10 years ago, but multiple reports as well as APK teardowns have indicated Google is reviving the feature. The first signs of lock screen widgets appeared a few months ago when Google released the beta version of Android 15.
Android 15 lock screen widgets feature is evolving, offering a glanceable hub for widgets on tablets.#Pixel9#Android15#OneUi7pic.twitter.com/JrriZkcXQV
— choqao (@choqao) August 7, 2024
Google has been making several improvements in the feature, reported Android Authority. The search giant is calling the feature “Glanceable Hub”, which is essentially a page that curates all the widgets that can be placed on a device’s lock screen.
Google has tweaked a few settings to ensure the lock screen widgets do not overlap. Additionally, the company seems to be trying to make widgets interactable.
In the latest version of the lock screen widgets in Android 15, users can add up to six widgets per page. Moreover, as the Glanceable Hub is horizontally scrollable, users can theoretically add many more widgets on multiple pages.
How to access the new feature using gestures in Android 15?
As reported earlier, users still can’t resize widgets. However, Google has added the ability to interact with them.
As evident from the video, the Glanceable Hub is accessible by swiping inward from the right edge of the lock screen. In other words, swiping left at the edge of a device would reveal the feature.
In the Glanceable Hub, users can add, remove, or rearrange widgets as desired. Once satisfied, users swipe back and forth between the lock screen and the glanceable hub.
Google has added a long, vertical pill on the right edge that serves as a visual indicator. Swiping left on the pill reveals the lock screen and Glanceable Hub. There’s a single button to change the current profile. The option to customize the Glanceable Hub becomes visible by long-pressing on an empty slot.