Google is unveiling Android widget “quality tiers” to help developers fine-tune their widgets into polished, user-friendly experiences.
“Widgets can be a powerful tool for engaging users and increasing the visibility of your app. They can also help you to improve the user experience by providing users with a more convenient way to access your app’s content and features,” said the Android team.
As Android spans a growing and diverse ecosystem of device types and form factors, the need for visually cohesive and highly functional widgets has become paramount. The new quality tiers serve as a guiding framework for developers, offering benchmarks to elevate widget design and utility.
Widgets adhering to these guidelines will also gain increased visibility on the Google Play Store. A new search filter will highlight apps with tier-compliant widgets, making high-quality implementations more discoverable to users.
Exploring the quality tiers for Android widgets
The widget quality tiers are divided into three levels, each designed to reflect varying degrees of user experience quality.
Tier 1: Differentiated
Widgets in the Tier 1 category go above and beyond. Dubbed “hero experiences” by Google, these widgets are not only functional but enhance the user’s home screen. They are dynamic, personalised, and take full advantage of Android’s system-wide theming capabilities.
For instance, Tier 1 widgets seamlessly adapt to resizing and use Material Design 3’s dynamic colour system to deliver aesthetic cohesion.
“Use the system-provided corner radius, and don’t set a custom corner radius,” Google recommends for developers. By adhering to such details, widgets remain consistent with the platform’s visual harmony.
Moreover, Google advises developers to generate preview images dynamically so that users clearly visualise a widget’s appearance and adaptivity across devices.
Examples of Tier 1 widgets demonstrate precise content cropping, optimal use of layout bounds, properly sized headers and touch targets, as well as enhanced colour contrast. These elements collectively ensure widgets look sharp and feel intuitive to navigate.
Tier 2: Quality standard
Positioned as the baseline for usability, Tier 2 widgets meet fundamental design and system criteria. While functional and visually acceptable, these widgets don’t incorporate the advanced features and polish of Tier 1.
For example, a simple “to-do list” widget fulfilling core usability requirements is classified as Tier 2. It should feature appropriately scaled touch targets, clear content, logical layout choices, and a reliable user experience.
Despite their adequacy, Google suggests developers consider Tier 1 enhancements to elevate their widgets further. Personalisation, improved interactivity, and better system integration can take a widget from good to great.
Tier 3: Low quality
Widgets that fail to meet Android’s fundamental guidelines find themselves in Tier 3. These widgets often suffer from issues such as cropped content, poor layout scaling, low colour contrast, mismatched header dimensions, or undersized touch targets.
An example includes widgets that clip text or images at improper ratios, rendering them inaccessible or visually jarring. Similarly, widgets that override system styles or neglect Android’s theming options can act as an inconsistent element on a polished home screen.
By addressing these deficiencies, developers can significantly improve both the functionality and perception of their apps.
Building high-quality widgets for discoverability
With the launch of widget quality tiers, Google is making it increasingly appealing for developers to invest in high-quality widgets. The Play Store’s widget filter allows users to search specifically for apps with widgets, putting compliant creations front and centre.
Well-built widgets stand a better chance of attracting attention in a crowded marketplace. By adopting Canonical Widget layouts, following Material Design principles, and adhering to the guidelines outlined in the widget quality tiers, developers can ensure that their widgets not only look great but also serve a practical purpose for users.
By leveraging these new guidelines, app developers have an opportunity to enhance not only their widgets but also their app’s presence in the Android ecosystem.
(Image credit: Google)
See also: Google unveils free Gemini AI coding tools for developers
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