My 7 favorite Android widgets to make your phone or tablet more useful

I will preface this piece by saying the selection of widgets is private, and what could be helpful to me won’t be helpful to you. Even so, there is a widget for everybody, and relying on the apps you have got put in in your Android device, you may greater than doubtless discover one or two on this article that assist make your day a bit extra environment friendly.

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So, what are widgets? Merely put, they’re additions to your Android home screen that enable fast entry to info from apps, the apps themselves, or providers you rely on. With the proper assortment of widgets, you would create an at-a-glance dwelling display screen that retains you updated with out opening a single app.

I’ve searched by means of the widgets for telephones and tablets, and I am sharing people who I believe will make your units extra helpful.

Earlier than we get to the listing, let’s discover how you can get began with widgets.

1. Google Calendar

Present the complete month or day

I exploit Google Calendar day by day and rely on it to maintain my busy life a bit much less chaotic. As a result of I examine my Google Calendar recurrently, I discover the widget very helpful.

You possibly can add a widget to point out the complete month or a day by day widget. From both widget, you’ll be able to view occasions and even faucet the + button so as to add an occasion to your calendar.

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One factor to bear in mind is that in the event you use a number of calendars on Gmail, you may have so as to add a widget for every. I want the day view as a result of it offers me an at-a-glance tackle my day, so I do know precisely what’s coming.

2. Gmail (or your e-mail app of selection)

I want Thunderbird

Including the widget to your default e-mail app (mine is Thunderbird) makes it straightforward to get a fast view of what is in your inbox and offers you quick access to the app’s e-mail compose window.

For the Thunderbird widget, faucet the pencil icon to routinely open the Thunderbird compose window, the place you’ll be able to write an e-mail. I like this widget as a result of I can extra simply hearth off a fast e-mail with out opening the e-mail app.

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If you happen to rely on e-mail to remain linked and updated, this widget ought to be thought of a should.

3. Hold Notes

Rapidly jot down information

I exploit Hold Notes day by day to rapidly jot down info, share buying lists, and rather more. I exploit a few of my notes in Google Hold all through my workday (some include collections of necessary hyperlinks).

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For fast entry to those hyperlinks, I’ve added the Hold Notes widget. You possibly can add two widgets: one which permits you to scroll by means of your notes and one that provides you fast entry to creating new notes (textual content, voice, and even photographs out of your digital camera).

For this widget, I like to recommend including the scroll-through widget on tablets and the quick-access buttons widget on telephones. I would take that route as a result of your telephone display screen is far smaller than a pill, and also you won’t wish to crowd it with too many bigger widgets.

4. Arc Search

Rapidly browse the web

Arc Search is a good way to look the web rapidly. Including Arc Search as a widget gives related performance to the usual Google search bar however routinely opens Arc Search as an alternative of Chrome.

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Since I switched to Arc Search as my default app on Android, I want utilizing the Arc Search widget. If you happen to’d want to maneuver away from Google’s search, I extremely advocate putting in Arc Search and including the widget to your house display screen.

5. Battery

Heads-up on cost ranges

Sure, there is a battery indicator on the high of your telephone’s show. Nonetheless, the indicator would not present any info on the cost ranges of linked units.

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I can add the battery widget to my dwelling display screen and get a fast heads-up on the cost ranges of my Pixel Watch, linked headphones, and extra. The Android Battery widget is a superb addition if you have to understand how a lot juice is left in your units.

6. Pixel Climate

For Pixel telephones solely

The Android at-a-glance function offers you the present temperature, and you may faucet it to open the climate app. Nonetheless, it isn’t all the time straightforward to make use of. It is usually a toss-up whether or not the Climate app or the Calendar app will open.

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To keep away from that little bit of confusion, I added the Pixel Climate widget. Sure, it is a Pixel-only function, but it surely’s significantly better than attempting to learn the tiny print of the at-a-glance climate possibility. When I haven’t got my glasses on, the Climate widget is all the time there to assist me.

7. Spotify

Entry your playlists

Spotify is my go-to music app on Android and the desktop. The Spotify widget offers me fast entry to what’s enjoying and my playlists.

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Earlier than a run, I can merely faucet my Runlist playlist from the Spotify widget to routinely open Spotify, load that playlist, and hit the street. Then, when one thing performs, I can management it from the widget.

I understand that your wants will dictate the widgets you add. Whether or not you employ any of the above widgets or not, I am assured you may discover a assortment of Android widgets to assist make your day a bit simpler.

Methods to add a widget to your Android machine

This half is simple. All you do is long-press a clean spot on your house display screen, faucet Widgets, search for the widget you wish to add within the ensuing window, and drag it to your house display screen. You possibly can then resize the widget and transfer it as wanted.