Let’s take a stroll down the memory lane, shall we? back with Android 4.2, Google introduced the ability to add lock screen widgets however in classic Google style, it removed it a couple of OS updates later in Android 5.0. And it has remained the same ever since, with the home screen being the only place where you could interact with these widgets. Then with iOS 16, Apple added the feature into its iOS and it was only a matter of time before the Silicon Valley giant made its next move.
And we did see that with the fourteenth iteration of the OS. Google added a little bit of flexibility by adding customizable lock screen shortcuts and clock styles. So the foundation is already laid and it was just a matter of time before we get hold of the news regarding the ability to finally interact with these widgets on the lock screen. Guess what, we might now see the same in the next OS upgrade!
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You might add and enable Lock Screen Widgets in Android 15
The likes of Nothing and Samsung already have this feature out of the box however, Pixel device owners were left out in the dark for ages. However, that is soon about to change. The popular developer Mishaal Rehman found a code in the Android 14 QPR2 Beta 3 build that pointed towards the fact that adding widgets to the lock screen might finally be a possibility.
Android Authority took this a step further and they were indeed able to enable this feature in its semi-stable start, with a few broken UI/UX, though there’s a high possibility that all these issues will be ironed out before the next OS release.
How to Add Lock Screen Widgets in Android 15
In the current findings, there seem to be two different ways through which you might be able to add and enable Lock Screen widgets in Android 15. Let’s have a sneak peek at both these approaches. Do note that the findings are at an early stage, so there might be numerous changes to it, or even worse, might end up in Google’s Graveyard. But let’s stay on the optimistic side of the fence and check out the functionality in its current state. Follow along.
Via Communal Space
The first of the two methods involves swiping inward from the right. Once you do so, a grey area will appear on the right side of the lock screen along with the edit icon on the top left of the screen. Tapping on this icon will open a widget selector that will allow you to add widgets from Google Calendar, Google Clock, and the Google App [these three all the only supported apps as of now, though this list will surely expand when the feature is in the stable stage].
Via At a Glance Widget
The second of the two methods involves making use of the lock screen At a Glance widget. For the unaware, this widget shows the date, day, temperature, and a slew of other information. However, this could also be used to shuffle between different widgets by swiping up/down or left/right on At a Glance.
All in all, the ability to add lock screen widgets on Android 15 [fingers crossed] will definitely be a welcome move and we could finally checkmark one more request from our long list AOSP feature request list. With that said, we will be keeping a close watch on all the latest developments surrounding this story, so stay tuned.
