Google has announced the return of lock screen widgets, which will soon be available for most Android smartphones and tablets with the launch of Android 16.
This feature was introduced in the early years of Android, but was eventually removed. Currently, lock screen widget support is only available on the Pixel tablet.
Currently, in the beta version of Android 16, widgets on the lock screen are not active for all devices, but they have already been tested by experts from Android Authority, who found that their activation will depend on the method and device on which they are launched.
For example, on a Pixel tablet, widgets are accessed by swiping right on the lock screen, while smartphones will require a screensaver mode that is activated while the device is charging.
The official release of Android 16 is expected in June this year. After its launch, Google will give developers the ability to add widgets to the lock screen and their own ways to integrate this feature.