Google Is Looking Into Stackable Android Widgets

To round out the Widgets Spotlight Week, the Android team yesterday hosted a YouTube Q&A session. We learned about the status of stackable widgets and whether they are coming to Android XR.

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Acknowledging that they are available “on some Android manufacturers’ devices” and user/developer requests, stackable widgets are “something that we are looking into from AOSP,” though Google isn’t “committed to this yet.” 

With One UI, Samsung offers widget stacks that you can swipe left or right on. Any version that Google builds will presumably take the same approach as vertical scrolling on homescreens can bring up the app launcher or notifications. 

Google also shared their philosophy on how much functionality a widget should have: 

• “We don’t anticipate that widgets should be like a direct replica of what happens inside the app itself. We’re not trying to recreate the app UI on the user’s homescreen.”
• “…I think a good… rule of thumb is to think about [how] any one widget should focus on solving one critical user journey. …if you wanted to add multiple features, or you want more functionality on the user’s homescreen… consider multiple widgets that do one thing really well.”

Google was also asked about widgets on Android XR. The team does “see the value in having widgets in XR,” but don’t have any specific plans at the moment. 

One can imagine users placing floating widgets in their line of sight, like Google Home on the wall or music controls for quick actions. 

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