Here’s the funny thing about apps—sometimes its usefulness doesn’t actually come from the app itself, but by the functionality that its widget provides. Obviously, the core functionality still comes from the app. But in some use cases, some users might actually get more out of the widget than the app itself. If you love widgets and the shortcuts they provide, then the Google Android March 2025 update is worth taking a look at.
Widgets galore
Widgets have long been a feature of Android. However, sometimes, you might have a hard time finding out which apps support widgets. Google is making this change in the Android March 2025 update. The company has announced that as part of the update, the Play Store will now better show which apps have widgets.
This includes a feature in the form of a dedicated widget search filter. Users can use this filter to search for apps that have widgets instead of manually going through each app. Google is also changing the App Detail Pages, where apps that have widgets will show a Widget Badge. Lastly, Google is putting together a curated widgets editorial page.
According to Google, “We’re actively educating users on the value of widgets through a new editorial page. This curated space showcases collections of excellent widgets and promotes the apps that leverage them. This provides an additional channel for your widgets to gain visibility and reach a wider audience.”
Other Android March 2025 update changes
In addition to making apps with widgets more discoverable, here are some changes that are coming to the Play Store. Google is introducing new topic pages in Google Play, so gamers can explore game genres more easily and in greater depth. The company is also making it easier to install and open apps with a new install bar, which stays with the user even after they scroll down to the app details page.
Google is also introducing various updates to Android. For starters, under account management, Google says that this update will improve the login reliability for teens and children. There are also updates to Google Wallet, where Google is expanding on its availability to more countries.
