7 widgets I always add to the home screen of every Android phone

I’ve always felt that app widgets don’t get enough credit for the convenience they offer. They are great for checking important information at a glance and directly accessing specific app features. That’s why my home screen setup has never been about finding the perfect display. wallpaper u get obsessed with icon packs. For me, it’s all about choosing the right widgets.

Over the years, I’ve settled on a handful of widgets that I simply can’t live without. In fact, set up a new android phone I never really feel complete until everyone is in place.

Between wireless headphones, a smartwatch, and the occasional Bluetooth speaker, sometimes there are too many devices to keep track of. That’s why a battery widget is essential for me. It gives me a quick view of everything, so I can quickly see what’s running low before I head out.

Sure, I can also check the battery level from the Quick Settings panel, but it’s not as detailed. For example, it shows the battery level of the headphones, but not the case. For that, you would have to delve into the Bluetooth menu or open the Galaxy Buds Manager app.

With the battery widget, all that information is available right on your home screen at all times. I also like that it is completely resizable. This allows me to choose a size that covers all my devices without wasting space. This widget came integrated into my Galaxy S26but it is not exclusive to Samsung phones. Pixel phones and most other Android phones offer similar battery widgets.

After months of jumping between browsers, I finally decided on Brave.. And around the same time, I also added their widget to my home screen and it quickly became one of my favorites. For starters, it puts my bookmarks front and center, so I can go straight to the website I need instead of seeing my recent tabs first. And if I’m looking for something else, the built-in search bar is there.

The widget also includes a convenient shortcut to open a private tab. That means I don’t have to hold down the browser icon or search through menus every time I want to browse privately. So yes, it’s about reducing friction.

For better or worse, I have become much more dependent on Gemini than I ever expected. To that end, I replaced the search bar on my home screen with the Gemini widget. Yes, getting rid of the Google search bar is something you can do on a Galaxy phone; Sorry, Pixel users.

Jokes aside, the main benefit is that this simple widget puts all of Gemini’s shortcuts at your fingertips. I can start a conversation, write a message, start the camera and even start screen sharing. I probably use the Live and Video shortcuts the most, so I can start talking to Gemini or point my camera at whatever I’m looking at and ask questions about it. It’s very helpful when I come across something I don’t know.

I admit, most of my widgets are there to help me get things done faster. However, the Digital Wellbeing widget is not one of them. Instead, it’s there to remind me when I’ve spent too much time on my phone. I keep a compact 2×2 widget that tells me my screen time along with my three most used apps of the day.

Personally, app timers have never worked for me because I always end up ignoring them. The widget is much more effective. Keeps me aware of How much time have I already spent on my phone? every time I go back to the home screen. And the list of best apps tells me if that time was spent doing something productive or just doing horrible scrolling.

The Samsung Health widget earns its place on my home screen for the same reason as the Digital Wellbeing widget: visibility. I’ve found that I’m much more likely to stay on track with my goals when I can see my progress throughout the day.

I use the widget primarily to track my step count and make sure I hit my 6000 step goal (don’t judge). The widget also displays step counts from previous days, along with activity time and calories burned. If you don’t have a Galaxy phone, Google Fit offers a similar widget.

I don’t use Google Maps often enough to justify giving it a permanent place on my home screen, but I do rely on its location sharing feature almost every day. My wife and I share our locations through Google Maps, so I added the Location Sharing and Friend Location widgets to my secondary home screen. These are simple 1×1 shortcuts that allow me to jump to the Google Maps location sharing menu.

Most of the time, I use them to see when she comes home at night or to share my location when I’m out with friends. There are other ways to share location, but I like how Google Maps also shows the battery indicator. That way, if my phone is about to die, she’ll know not to worry if I suddenly go offline.

I have a terrible memory, so every time I come across something I want to remember, I create a note. It could be an idea for an article, a reminder to pay a bill, or a simple shopping list. I rely on Google Keep for everything, so having their widget is a no-brainer.

What I like most about it is its versatility. This simple widget allows me to create a text note, take a photo, record a voice memo, or create a checklist. Anything I need to save, there’s a shortcut that takes me there. Most popular note taking apps It offers similar widgets, so if you use Samsung Notes, Evernote, OneNote, or something else, you’ll probably find a widget like this.

Honestly, I’d love to have even more widgets on my home screen. But the thing about widgets is that it’s easy to go overboard. Add too many and your home screen is sure to look cluttered. I would say that even seven widgets are driving it, but luckily One UI allows me create widget stacks to keep everything under control.