Wish you could browse the latest scores, glance at your inbox, check the weather, or even identify a song directly from your Android phone’s lock screen, no passcode required?
Well, you can, actually, thanks to the new lock-screen “widgets” in the latest version of Android.
Adding a widget to the lock screen on your Android phone is a snap, and dozens of lock screen-friendly widgets are available depending on the apps you have installed.
You can add lock-screen widgets for weather, sports, news, your latest email, calendar events, and more.
Of course, you may want to think twice before making, say, your email inbox or your calendar visible from your Android phone’s lock screen. Personally, I’d rather keep my inbox and other personal info safely secured with a password, but the choice is yours.
Also, keep in mind that your phone must be running on version 4.2 or better of Android to add widgets to the lock screen.
Let’s get started!
- First, put your phone to sleep, then click the power button to light up the lock screen.
- Next, swipe from the left edge of the display to the right edge—and as you do, a secondary lock screen with a big “+” sign in the middle will slide into view.
- Tap the “+” sign to see a list of available lock-screen widgets. If your phone is protected by a passcode, you’ll need to enter it first before you can browse your available widgets.
- See a widget you like? Tap to add it to the lock screen. You can add up to five lock-screen widgets, with one widget per swipable screen.
- Want to get rid of a lock-screen widget? Tap and hold it, then drag it up to the “Remove” icon.
Bonus tip
You can boost your selection of lock-screen widgets by downloading more apps from the Google Play Store. ESPN’s ScoreCenter app, for example, comes with its own lock-screen widget, as does Google’s Sound Search app.
ComputerWorld has a handy list of 20 apps with lock-screen widgets right here.
Looking for more Android tips? Click here!