4mo ago

Android phones getting lockscreen widgets with Android 16 QPR1

Google’s widget week for developers continues with the announcement that they are coming to phone lockscreens with Android 16 QPR1.

13 comments

Didn't we have this 10 years ago?
- Yep, introduced in Android 4.2, disappeared with Android 5.
  
  Indeed, I remember playing with lockscreen widgets! I miss Icecream Sandwich and Jelly Bean.
- Google giveth and Google taketh away.
- Yeah, they were definitely removed at some point.
  
  How else could they inovate now if they didn't remove it back then?
By default, Google is making all widgets available on the lockscreen “to prioritize user choice and customization,” but an opt-out API is offered to developers.
That's nice.
- I'm wondering what reasons for opting-out could be
  
  Private information. I wrote an app that showed my bank balance in a widget. I'd rather not show that on the lock screen.
Kustom (KLCK) exists today, make your dream lockscreen right now
- Does it still interact funny with the phone screen lock? When it first came out, I vaguely remember something about disabling the phone lock, and using KLCK's built in phone "lock"? It was basically a skin over the home screen. This was years ago, so the details have been forgotten.
  Plus finger print is so fast I barely see the screen anyways. Although having improved notification info would be nice.
  I love KLWP, but the security implications of KWLC were concerning at the time.
  
  It displays over the actual lockscreen. Whatever function you set to unlock will close the Kustom lockscreen and show the pin or fingerprint prompt.

13 comments