There are many widget apps for Android that you can download and install on your device. These apps offer everything from news tickers to calculators to photo frames. Widgets are not just for adding functionality to your device; they also serve as a way to personalize your phone by displaying information about topics that you find interesting.
What are Android Widgets?
Android widgets are small applications that can be placed on the home screen of an Android device. They are mainly used to show critical information to the user without them needing to open another application. Depending on the type of widget you are using, they display information like time, weather reports, directions, and many more. Widgets help improve the overall functionality of an app and save precious time from opening apps for small tasks like checking the weather forecast. Further, one can also customize their home screen setups with different types of widgets to uplift their home screen experience. They improve the overall experience of using a smartphone and have been one of the significant advantages of Android over iPhone.
How to use Android Widget Apps?
Before having a detailed look at the best Android widget apps available, let us first understand how you can use them.
Best Android Widget Apps
Now that we know what widgets are and how to use them, let’s look at the best widgets for Android, which can amplify your smartphone experience.
1. 1Weather – The Best Weather Widget
Want to take a glance at the weather forecast without opening the weather app? 1Weather has got you covered. The app gives you detailed weather information in the form of widgets without opening the app. You get multiple widgets options, out of which you can choose the one that matches your preferences. However, it contains ads, and you will need to upgrade to 1Weather Pro to get rid of the ads in the app. The app has over 50 million downloads on the Google Play Store, with an average rating of 4.5 stars. Download 1Weather
2. Google Keep – The Best Notes Widget
The next Android app widget on the list is Google Keep. This popular note-taking app has enabled the ability to add an app widget directly on the home screen. Using the Google Keep widget, you can quickly read your important notes directly on the home screen. Additionally, you can quickly scroll directly in the widget to view old notes. You also get quick shortcuts for adding a new note or editing a current note, though it will open the app to make these changes. Download Google Keep
3. Battery Widget Reborn – The Best Battery Widget
If you are looking for a battery widget, then battery widget reborn is one of the best out there. You can quickly add a battery percentage widget on the home screen; not only that, you can customize a bunch of the things while adding the widget to your home screen. You can customize the color information to be displayed in a circle, turn the charging indicator on or off, to name a few. Unfortunately, while the app is free to download and use, it comes bundled with ads. That said, you can pay $3.49 for an ad-free experience with the app. Download Battery Widget Reborn
4. TickTick – The Best Productivity Widget
Are you a firm believer in being productive and efficient at the same time? If yes, you must check out TickTick once. The app was on our list for the best android apps to download this year. If you are wondering, “This is a productivity app; you mentioned being efficient as well. How?” Well, the simple answer is TickTick widgets. The app allows you to add widgets directly on your home screen, using which you can quickly glance at all the essential tasks and commitments that are needed to be met. Further, this saves you from opening the app manually to check every tiny detail, helping you become more efficient. Download TickTick
5. IFTTT – The Best Automation Widget
IFTTT is one of the most popular widget apps on this list. The app allows you to set custom automated tasks which makes sending that next email ever so easy. Using IFTT widgets, you can add toggles for these automated actions directly on the home screen. So the next time you want to perform an automated action, toggle it on using the home screen widget. When adding a widget to the home screen, you get large and small widget sizes. You can choose one based on your preferences. Download IFTTT
6. Quotes Widget – The Best Quotes Widget
Quotes Widgets is an excellent app aimed at trying to keep you motivated at all times. The app has a vast collection of motivational quotes. Once you have added this beautiful widget to your home screen, it cycles among various quotes throughout the week. Plus, you can customize the widget like the colors, background transparency, and more. But, do you know what the best part is? The app is entirely free to use, and unlike other apps, there are no ads in the app. Download Quotes
7. Countdown Days and App widget
Have an important event in the upcoming days? Want to wish your best friend a happy birthday? Then you must check out the Countdown widget once. You can add events in the app and then add the widget to your home screen. Moreover, it displays the event with a countdown of the number of days left, making it more interesting. Download Countdown Widget
8. Owly for Twitter – The Best Twitter Widget
What if I told you that you could directly view tweets on your home screen? Sounds cool, right? That’s precisely what Owly does. Using the app is extremely easy. Just log in with your Twitter account in the app and add the widget to your home screen. You can add shortcuts for new tweets, search tweets, and more. But my favorite widget is the tweets widget. It displays all the latest tweets directly on the home screen without opening the app. You can scroll through tweets, refresh to update tweets, and more. In addition, you get a bunch of themes like Light, Dark, Bluish, and many more. Download Owly for Twitter
9. Chronus Information Widget – The Best All-in-one Widget
Chronus widget is close to an all-in-one widget. Want widget to show weather? You got it. Want it also to display important information while still displaying weather? It has you covered. Chronus is smartly designed to display all the essential information and weather in a single widget. In addition, you get a host of widget options to choose the one that matches your requirements. Moreover, the app also has a dark mode that displays the widgets in black instead of the traditional transparent way. That being said, you will need to buy a premium subscription to get rid of bundled ads. Download Chronus Information Widget
10. To-Do List – The Best To-Do Widget
The next widget app aims to help you in completing your daily tasks. After creating a list of tasks that need to be performed in the app, you can add a widget for it. But do you need to add it every time you change tasks? Definitely, no, you do not need to do that. It is smart enough to stay updated with changes in the app, so next time you make changes in the app, it will automatically reflect these changes on the home screen widget. Download To-Do List
11. Musicolet Music Player – The Best Music Widget
Some streaming services such as Spotify, Google Play Music, and others offer widgets that allow you to play music without opening the app. For users who prefer to listen to music stored on their phones and want a widget that enables them to control it, Musicolet is the ideal solution. Musicolet offers a selection of widgets for music players. This music widget includes the standard music controls and album art. In addition, there is a larger option that lets you browse your chosen playlist. Download Musicolet
12. Investing.com Stock Exchange – The Best Stocks Widget
This app is good for tracking stock prices. You can access the stocks widgets in Investing.com Stock Exchange app on your Android smartphone or tablet. You can search over 70 global exchanges with this widget that has ten different widgets to choose from. Simply by adding the stocks you want to track on the app, you will be able to see them on the widget as well. The best part is there is no limitation on the number of stocks you can track with this stock widget. Download Stock Exchange
The Ultimate Widget App – KWGT Kustom Widget Maker
If you are looking for an ultimate widget app to make your home screen setup look sick, look no ahead. KWGT is one of the most popular widget apps on the Google Play Store. However, to get started with KWGT, you first need to add a widget on your home screen and then click on it to start the setup. Once you click on the widget, you will be greeted with tons of widget options. It is a store of widgets to put it out in simple words. The app has everything you could ask, from a widget app from clock styles to news widgets. If you cannot tell by now, the app is feature-loaded. Let us have a look at some of these features below.
1. Create Custom Widgets
KWGT allows you to create your own custom widgets in the app. You can customize the items in the widget, change background color, add layers, shortcuts, and much more. Once created and saved, you can add the widget directly to your home screen.
2. KWGT Packs
The app has something called packs, which is similar to icon packs but for widgets. Once you open KWGT, you will see the pack options. You can slide through various packs available and download them easily from the Google Play Store. Once installed, just apply the widget on your home screen with the help of KWGT. Download KWGT
Widgets Android: Honorable Mentions
While the above mentions in our list are what we consider the best widgets apps for Android, few others deserve mention outside of the list in this article.
My Stocks Portfolio and Widget – Checking Stock prices and update directly on the home screen. Stuff – An excellent alternative to To-Do list. Event Flow Widget – A calendar widget for all important events. Ruff Writing – Quickly write a rough idea using the widget on the home screen.
Built-in Google Widget Apps
All certified Android devices available in the market come bundled with a specific set of Google apps. These apps offer Widget support so let us have a look at them.
Google Maps Widget- Get directions for the next destination directly on the home screen. Google Calendar Widget- Using this widget, you can add a calendar widget directly to your launcher without needing to install a third-party app. Google Search Widget- One of the most useful widgets to quickly browse the internet.
Other than these, you get Clock widgets (Analog clock widget, Digital clock widget), Chrome widget, Contact widget, Gmail widget, and more.
Elevate your smartphone experience with these best widgets for Android
So these were some of the best widget apps for Android you must check out in 2021. There are still a wide variety of widgets available on the Google Play Store, which you can try. Please let us know in the comments below if you find the widgets mentioned above helpful and if you are going to start using a few of them.
