One of the Pixel tablet's best features may soon be coming to many Android devices: according to a new rumor for Android 15, the smartphone and tablet screen saver "Home Controls" will be available on Google Home-enabled devices. It will be available. This will allow users to manage their smart home gadgets from the device's home screen while charging.

The Home Controls screensaver makes sense given the return of lock screen widgets in Android. iOS supports lock screen widgets, but it has been almost a decade since widgets were removed from Android. According to Mishaal Rahman of Android Authority, the hidden Home Controls screensaver can be found in the newly released Android 15 beta. When the screensaver is activated, the Google Home device appears spread out as individual tiles on the board.

This is a step up from iOS's stand-by dock mode, which is limited to widgets that display basic information such as time and weather. Google's Tile Control Board is reminiscent of the Amazon Echo Hub's smart home widgets. This seamless layout puts all devices on one page. There is no need to waste time swiping through menus to turn on or adjust connected gadgets with a single tap.

Rahman warns that Home Controls appears to work only with Google Home devices during testing. The feature is also hidden in Google's beta builds, so it could expand to third-party devices in the coming months. More excitingly, the path that includes the screen saver code indicates that Home Controls may be coming to more devices in Android 15, not just the Google Pixel lineup.

It will be interesting to see what happens with Home Controls, especially with Apple dabbling in iPad-like displays for smart home management. Google's Pixel Tablet set the bar high with its 2-in-1 design that can be docked to a smart display. The addition of the charging-in-progress feature makes the tablet even more valuable as another control point for the smart home.

Android 15 is expected later this year. You can check out all the new features and upgrades in the available Android 15 beta and follow the latest news and rumors on the official Android 15 hub.