Android 15's latest beta finally sees lockscreen widgets return — but there’s a pretty big catch
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There’s been a lot of talk about lockscreen widgets potentially making a comeback on certain devices running Android 15. The latest version of the beta, Android 15 QPR Beta 1, has more or less confirmed that it will be happening very soon. All thanks to introductory text and tips appearing in the software.
This was uncovered by Mishaal Rahman at Android Authority, who speculates that the new introductory text could be a sign Google is “polishing” the lock screen widgets feature for general release. If that’s the case we could see it arrive in beta within the next few months, and then release to the public at some point in the near future.
A screenshot of the text states that this feature lets you “get quick access to your favorite app widgets without unlocking your tablet”. The tablet part is pretty important, because Rahman has previously claimed that this feature won’t be coming to Android phones. At least, not as part of Android 15. Instead it’ll be exclusive to Android tablets like Google’s Pixel Tablet.
The tablet part is pretty important, because Rahman has previously claimed that this feature won’t be coming to Android phones.
The screen features an “Add widget icon”, and once pressed, the lock screen widget interface opens up with more welcome dialog. Including some that warns you that opening apps using the widgets will require you to verify that you’re the one using the device — and that anything in the widget itself will be viewable by everything who has access to the tablet. Even when it’s locked.
Rahman also notes that a disclaimer warns against adding certain widgets that aren’t meant for the lock screen and might be “unsafe to add here”. While there is a toggle that lets you add whatever widgets you like to the lock screen, anything particularly sensitive is added at your own risk. Sadly it seems shortcuts won’t be allowed on the lockscreen, at least not as the feature looks right now.
Rahman had to activate this feature manually, so any Android tablet users running the Android 15 beta won’t be able to find it unless they do some diving into the OS itself. Still it’s nice to see that lockscreen widgets are finally making a comeback, almost 10 years after Google pulled the plug with the release of Android 5.
Admittedly, the tablet-exclusive aspect isn’t ideal. Apple added lockscreen widget support to iPhones in iOS 16, and many people were hoping Google would catch up — especially since lockscreen widgets used to exist in the early days of Android. Let’s just hope that this is just the first step towards a wider lockscreen widget rollout, even if it means waiting for Android 16.
