Google has announced that lock screen widgets will be making a return to Android smartphones later this year, marking a significant update with the release of Android 16.
The move which follows the introduction of lock screen widgets on the Pixel Tablet last year, aims to bring enhanced personalisation and quick access functionality to more devices.
The announcement, made via the Android Developers Blog, confirms that lock screen widgets will be integrated into the Android Open Source Project (AOSP) with the first quarterly update of Android 16, expected in late winter (Australia’s summer).
While the feature will be available to all manufacturers, it will be up to individual brands like Samsung, Oppo and Nothing to decide whether to implement them.
The addition of lock screen widgets will allow users to personalise their device’s lock screen with interactive tools such as weather updates, stock market data, timers and smart home controls.
Google said that while all widgets will support the lock screen by default, app developers will have the option to disable support if they prefer. Additionally, for security reasons, actions that launch an app from a widget will require user authentication via fingerprint, PIN or facial recognition.
Android expert Mishaal Rahman has already managed to activate the feature on a beta version of Android 16. Unlike the Pixel Tablet, which allows users to access lock screen widgets by swiping right from the home screen, the implementation for phones currently works through Android’s screensaver mode when the device is charging or docked. However, Google has clarified that OEMs will have the flexibility to customise the mechanism for triggering lock screen widgets, meaning we may see different approaches depending on the manufacturer.
Additionally, because smartphone screens are smaller than tablets, widgets will be displayed in a stacked, scrollable vertical list rather than the two-row grid seen on the Pixel Tablet. In the future, Google may introduce more flexible layouts, but this remains uncertain.
Lock screen widgets will officially launch with Android 16 QPR1, the first quarterly update of Android 16, which is expected to be released in September 2025. Google refers to this update internally as the 25Q3 release, and it will focus solely on new features rather than new APIs.
While Google’s Pixel phones are expected to be among the first to receive the update, other manufacturers will need to adopt the feature themselves once it becomes available in AOSP. Some brands like Samsung may choose to delay or modify the rollout based on their own software ecosystems.
Hardware manufacturers will also be able to pre-set and automatically display default widgets, ensuring a tailored experience for their devices. But initial customisation options for OEMs will be limited as all lock screen widgets will follow a standard interface across all devices.
For Australian Android users, the feature will likely start rolling out towards the end of 2025, depending on device manufacturers’ adoption rates.
