There has been a lot of talk about the possibility of lockscreen widgets coming back on certain devices running Android 15 The latest version of the beta, Android 15 QPR Beta 1, more or less confirms that it will happen soon Thanks to the introductions and hints that appear in the software

This was discovered by Mishaal Rahman of Android Authority, who speculates that the new introductory text may be a sign that Google is “polishing” the lock screen widget feature for general release If so, a beta version will be released within the next few months and may be available to the public in the near future

The screenshot in the text states that this feature will allow “quick access to your favorite app widgets without having to unlock your tablet,” as Rahman had previously claimed that this feature would not be available on Android phones, The tablet part is quite important At least, not as part of Android 15 Instead, it will be exclusive to Android tablets like Google's Pixel Tablet

The screen displays an “add widget icon” which, when pressed, opens the lock screen widget interface and displays a welcome dialog It includes a warning that in order to open an app using the widget, you must confirm that you are the person using the device, and that what is in the widget itself is viewable by all who have access to the tablet Even when locked

Rahman also warns against adding certain widgets whose disclaimers are not for the lock screen, noting that it may be “unsafe to add them here” There is a toggle that allows you to add any widget you want to the lock screen, but you add it at your own risk, especially if it is sensitive Sadly, it seems shortcuts are not allowed on the lock screen, at least as the feature now appears

Rahman had to manually enable this feature, so users of Android tablets running the Android 15 beta will not find it unless they sneak into the OS itself Still, it's nice to see the lockscreen widget finally making a comeback, nearly a decade after Google pulled the plug with the release of Android 5 Apple added lockscreen widget support to the iPhone with iOS 16, and many expected Google to catch up--especially since lockscreen widgets were present in the early days of Android Even if we have to wait for Android 16, let's hope this is the first step toward broader lockscreen widget deployment