Plenty of us have downloaded apps with all the best intentions, only to end up using just one small feature. Sometimes their real value isn’t inside the app itself, but in the small, dynamic windows they put right on your home screen. Enter the humble widget.
Widgets aren’t just shortcuts; they’re like live dashboards that show you real-time information, give you quick controls, or let you get to a specific function without ever needing to open the full app. Instead of digging through an app to find what we need, the important info or function is already in the widget, ready with a quick glance or a tap. There are many apps I have downloaded just for the widget, and I recommend every single one.
Overdrop – Weather & Widgets has a great design and strong forecasting features on Android. While it’s a solid app on its own, I like to use its widgets because they look so good and are very handy. Overdrop has over 70 widgets that show you key weather info with some really cool designs. There are more than 50 different styles and even AMOLED-friendly themes. This is great because that means you can adjust the widget to better fit your background whenever you change it, but you will need a subscription to use the widgets.
This lets you put real-time weather and forecasts right on your home screen, making your device look great while giving you a quick look at the information you need. I don’t need to look at a weather app and see the UV unless I’m going to the beach. I like using this widget because I think it’s one of the best weather widget apps on Android.
TickTick: To Do List & Calendar
If you’ve ever felt like your brain is overflowing with tasks to do and random ideas, then you need TickTick: To Do List & Calendar. This app is not just a basic to-do list; it’s a full-on task manager that works everywhere from your phone to your computer, and even a web browser. I use it to keep track of everything from work projects to personal goals and even my daily habits.
For me, the best part is the widget on Android. I’m one of those people who needs a constant visual reminder; otherwise, a task out of sight becomes a task out of mind. TickTick has these widgets that put my to-do lists right on my home screen. It’s super helpful because I don’t have to constantly open the app to see what I have to do. I just glance at my phone, and there it is: a quick overview of everything, including tasks that are overdue or coming up.
Tilla – subscriptions manager
While subscription managers usually help you cut subscriptions, the Tilla – subscriptions manager app is pretty handy for keeping track of all your paid subscriptions. Honestly, it’s a great way to get a clear overview of all your expenses, which helps you stay on top of your monthly spending and not miss any payment dates.
It’s super easy to use, too. You can add subscriptions from a list of services they have or even create your own custom ones. If you are in charge of the budget and work, you should get this app because it’s saved me from forgotten bills and charges for late payments.
Spotify: Music and Podcasts
Spotify: Music and Podcasts are popular, with 100 million songs, 6 million podcasts, and 350,000 audiobooks. The app is also easy to navigate, but a big part of having a music player is to easily switch songs. Spotify’s widget is great to have on your phone because it works like an old MP3 player, but better than you’d think.
The widget isn’t just about play and pause anymore; it gives you quick access to up to five personalized recommendations right from your home screen. You can jump straight into a playlist, album, or podcast without even opening the main app.
Google Home
The Google Home app is meant to be the main control center for your whole smart home setup, from Nest to Chromecast and all those smart lights and cameras. The app is great, but it can be difficult to navigate and time-consuming to do simple things.
The Favorites widget is a lifesaver. It gives you a quick way to control your smart devices and see what’s going on at home right from your home screen. For example, on my Android, I can add a Routines widget and customize it with shortcuts and images for my automations. It’s so much easier and faster than opening the main app, especially when it’s acting up.
TripIt: Travel Planner app
My wife recently went to Mexico for immigration reasons, and so she had a lot to do. TripIt: Travel Planner organized all the booking confirmation emails and turned them into a single, easy-to-follow itinerary. What I liked was that it works on pretty much everything from the phone to the tablet, and even the web. I was able to keep up with her plans as well, which cut down on the worry.
The best part was the app’s widgets. The widget gave my wife and me an easy way to see all the important stuff, like my gate number or a flight time, without having to mess with the full app. So instead of dealing with the frustration of the main interface, I can just glance at my home screen and get the information I need.
The Quotes Widget is an app I’ve been using lately is all about displaying inspirational quotes right on my home screen. It’s designed to be super lightweight and easy on memory, which I love because I don’t want more apps cluttering up my home screen. It’s a really simple but effective way to get a little daily motivation without using up a ton of my phone’s resources.
Honestly, the best part of this app is its widget. You can really make it your own with a ton of customization options. You can even add your own quotes, edit them, and import custom collections as JSON files.
Todoist: Planner & Calendar
TickTick can be overwhelming if you don’t want everything at once, so Todoist is a good alternative widget for your home screen. What makes Todoist so great is how clean and simple it is. You can add a task, set a due date, and organize it into a project in just a few seconds. It’s really easy to create subtasks, prioritize things, or use labels and filters to keep everything in order.
What makes it great are the multiple widgets. I practically live on my home screen, so having a clear view of my to-do list right there is super helpful. Todoist has two different kinds of widgets: one for your task list and another for productivity stats. There’s even support for dynamic themes, better alignment, and the ability to shrink them down to smaller sizes.
Pinterest
Pinterest is a huge visual discovery platform and social network that’s available on Android. It’s designed to help you find inspiration, save ideas, and plan all sorts of projects. You basically interact with “Pins,” which are images and videos, and organize them into boards.
Pinterest has widgets for Androids that let you see Pins from your home feed, a specific board, or by interest directly on your home screen. For those of us who use a vision board, it’s exactly what’s needed to keep your mind on the prize at the end of the road.
Google Clock
The Google Clock app is a core Android application, and it’s packed with a bunch of useful time-management features. You don’t need to get an outside application when this app can set alarms, manage timers, use a stopwatch, and keep tabs on time around the world with the World Clock.
The widget itself gives you the core information, like the time zones, and you can set it up so it can be very small or large. It’s definitely one of the best widgets I can’t live without.
That home screen we all see dozens of times a day is now way more than just a place to launch apps. Sometimes, the most useful stuff can be shown through the Widgets. You set them up so they can give you everything you need at a glance.
Whether you’re just checking the weather, crossing off a to-do list, tracking a subscription, or controlling your smart home, the widget has become a powerful, user-friendly feature. It helps you avoid the clutter of a full app and gives you a direct path to the information and controls you need. Once you start downloading apps for the widgets, you’ll be surprised how little you need to go back to the app.