The basic way to add a widget
To add a widget to your Android home screen, long-press an empty area of your home screen until a menu appears at the bottom. Tap the plus icon or the word "Widgets" — the exact label depends on your phone's manufacturer. A list of available widgets will open. Find the widget you want, press and hold it, and drag it onto your home screen to the spot where you want it to sit.
The widget will appear when ready and start working. If you placed it in a spot that overlaps with an existing app icon, Android will shift your icons to make room. You can move the widget again at any time by long-pressing it and dragging it to a new location.
Key Takeaways
- Long-press an empty area of your home screen, then tap Widgets to see what your installed apps offer.
- Some widgets let you resize them after placing them — long-press the widget and look for resize handles at the edges.
- Widgets from apps you have not installed will not appear in the list, so read the app first if you want its widget.
- Removing a widget does not uninstall the app it came from — long-press the widget and tap Remove or Delete.
Finding widgets from specific apps
Not every app offers a widget. When you open the Widgets menu, you will only see options from apps that have them built in. If you want a widget from a particular app and do not see it listed, the app either does not have a widget or you have not installed the app yet.
To check whether an app has a widget before installing it, open the Google Play Store, search for the app, and scroll down to the "About this app" section. Look for a line that mentions widgets or home screen shortcuts. If it is not mentioned, the app likely does not offer one. Once you install an app that has a widget, that widget will appear in your Widgets list the next time you open it.
Resizing and repositioning widgets
Most widgets can be resized after you place them. Long-press the widget you want to adjust. If the widget supports resizing, small square handles will appear at the corners and edges. Drag these handles outward to make the widget larger or inward to make it smaller. Not all widgets can be resized — if no handles appear, that widget has a fixed size.
To move a widget to a different location, long-press it and drag it to the new spot. If you want to move it to a different home screen page, drag it to the edge of the screen and hold it there until the page scrolls, then release it on the new page. You can also remove a widget by long-pressing it and selecting Remove, Delete, or Uninstall Widget — the exact wording varies by phone.
Widgets that need setup or permissions
Some widgets ask for permission to work properly. For example, a weather widget needs permission to know your location, and a calendar widget needs access to your calendar app. When you add these widgets, a permission request will pop up. Tap Allow to grant the permission, or the widget may not display information correctly.
A few widgets also require you to sign in or configure settings before they work. A news widget might ask you to choose which topics to follow, or a banking widget might ask you to log in. Complete these steps when prompted, and the widget will start showing information on your home screen. If you change your mind about permissions later, you can revoke them in your phone's Settings under Apps or Permissions.
Widgets on the lock screen
On newer Android phones (Android 12 and later), you can add widgets directly to your lock screen. Long-press your lock screen instead of your home screen, and a Widgets option will appear. The available lock screen widgets are usually smaller and simpler than home screen widgets — they might show the time, weather, or upcoming calendar events without letting you interact with them.
Lock screen widgets work the same way as home screen widgets: long-press to move or remove them. Not all widgets support lock screen placement, so you may see fewer options in the lock screen Widgets menu than in the home screen menu. If a widget you want does not appear as an option for your lock screen, it can still be added to your home screen.
Troubleshooting widgets that do not work
If a widget appears on your home screen but shows no information — for example, a weather widget that stays blank — the app usually needs a permission you have not granted yet. Open your phone's Settings, go to Apps, find the app that owns the widget, and check Permissions. Grant any permissions the app is asking for, then return to your home screen. The widget should update within a few seconds.
If a widget keeps crashing or disappearing, try removing it and reinstalling it. Long-press the widget, select Remove, then open Widgets again and add it back. If the problem continues, the app itself may have a bug. Check the Google Play Store to see if an update is available for that app, or look at the app's reviews to see if other people are reporting the same issue. Uninstalling and reinstalling the app sometimes fixes widget problems that updates do not solve.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I add the same widget multiple times?
Yes. You can add the same widget to your home screen as many times as you want. For example, you could add two weather widgets showing different cities, or multiple clock widgets in different styles. Each copy works independently, so you can configure them differently if the widget allows customization.
What happens to my widgets if I restart my phone?
Your widgets stay in place and continue working after a restart. Android saves the position and settings of every widget on your home screen. If a widget stops showing information after a restart, it usually means the app needs a permission again or the app itself has a problem — try the troubleshooting steps in the section above.
Can I move widgets between home screen pages?
Yes. Long-press the widget, drag it to the edge of your screen, and hold it there until the page scrolls. Once the new page appears, release the widget to place it there. Some phones also let you drag a widget to the page indicator dots at the bottom of the screen to jump directly to a specific page.
Do widgets use more battery than regular apps?
Widgets that update constantly — like weather, news, or stock price widgets — do use more battery than widgets that stay static. If you notice your battery draining faster, try removing widgets that update frequently, or check the app's settings to see if you can reduce how often the widget refreshes.
Why do some apps not have widgets?
App developers choose whether to build a widget for their app. Some apps are designed only for the app itself and do not need a home screen shortcut. Others are older apps that were made before widgets became common. If you want a widget from an app that does not have one, you can contact the app's developer through the Google Play Store to request the feature.