The Android team this week is putting a “Spotlight” for developers on widgets, especially “high-quality” ones. Meanwhile, Android users will benefit from a new Play Store “Widgets” filter.
The Play Store is making these Android homescreen objects more discoverable with a new “Widgets” filter in search results. Meanwhile, app listings will add a new visual badge to “clearly indicate the presence of widgets,” so users don’t have to read the app listing or scroll through screenshots.
Finally, there will be a new Curated Widgets Editorial Page that “showcases collections of excellent widgets and promotes the apps that leverage them.” This is “coming soon” to Android phones, tablets and foldables.
Google notes how “one of the challenges with investing in widget development has been discoverability and user understanding.”
More broadly, this Spotlight Week on widgets has this to say about why people use widgets:
- Customization: Users like to personalize their home screens. Think about how your app’s content can help them do that.
- Efficiency: Widgets give users quick access to the features they use a lot, which saves them time and effort. If your app has features that users would find handy to access right from their home screen, think about putting them in a widget.
- Quick Info: Some widgets are great for giving users essential info at a glance. If users often open your app for quick updates, a glanceable widget.
If you’re an Android app developer and you’re looking to boost your app’s visibility, and engagement, you should definitely consider adding widgets. These small but mighty UI elements can have a significant impact on your app’s success.
Besides other resources coming this week, some high-level widget development tips include:
- Focus on Value: Make sure your widget does something useful for users without them having to open the app.
- Keep it Simple: Design widgets that are easy to use and understand.
- Make it Adaptable: Test your widgets on different Android devices (phones, tablets, foldables) to make sure they work well on all of them.
- Match the Look: Design widgets that fit in with the system’s overall look by using system colors, fonts, and corner shapes.
- Make it Easy to Find: Use the widget pinning API to encourage users to add your widget from within your app. Give them good previews and descriptions so they know what it’s all about.
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