The best widget apps for your Android device

While iOS users have been happy about the integration of widgets in recent years, Android users can only smile wearily here. An Android operating system without widgets is almost unimaginable and belongs at least in the Google-Universe for the mandatory offer many apps. While some apps target specific needs, others enable us unlimited customization options to your own preferences and desires.

We present you these Widget apps for Android before:

• Sectograph: Android
• IFTTT: Android
• Chronos: Android
• KWGT: Android
• Notes: Android
• TimeUntil: Android
• Series Guide: Android

Sectograph

The Sectograph app offers us a whole special concept for daily planning. Sectograph uses a 12 or 24 hour clock pie chart, which should help us to organize our day better. In order to be able to use Sectograph, we have to set up the app once.

Sectograph uses the data from our own calendar, such as Google Calendar or a local variant, and then packs this data into the pie chart. In order to adapt this to our taste, we can then choose colors and annotations ourselves, for example. Once the app is set up, we can take advantage of the Sectograph widget.

Once placed on the home screen, we keep an eye on our entire daily schedule. Sectograph shows us the current date and time in the middle and points with the needle in the direction of the current or next event.

Sectograph is free for Android available.

IFTTT

While IFTTT has been sidelined somewhat over the years by somewhat quirky business decisions, the service and accompanying app still have a raison d’être. IFTTT acts as a connection between dozens of servicesthat can be linked in a variety of ways. Philips Hue, Strava, Google Calendar, but also SMS, telephone or Sonos can be connected via IFTTT.

Once we have set up the respective services in the app, we can depend on individual triggers automations invest. In addition, the simple IFTTT widget also allows us to control actions manually. For example, we can switch our Hue lamps on or off using a widget or activate certain scenes.

Several actions at the same time, for example mood lighting and music via the Sonos loudspeakers, can be started so easily. IFTTT’s widgets come in two forms. On the one hand, we can small button on the home screen, which is just there to press. There is also a long widget that provides information in addition to an action button.

IFTTT is free for Android available.

google notes

Google’s note app can safely be used as small extra brain be designated. The app that connects easily with our Sync Google Account allows us to create any notes. In addition to full text notes, you can also To-Do-Listen create, which we can tick or tick off as needed to keep track of completions and tasks.

In order to always keep an eye on all these tasks, Google Notes also has its own widgets. These can be placed in various sizes on our home screen. To-dos and texts can be ticked off or edited directly from there.

Google Keep is free for Android available.

Chronos

While most apps specialize in one subject area, Chronus focuses on breadth. The app specializes in providing widgets that users create individually compiled can become. Chronus has an extensive selection of content and connections ready for you, which allows you to put together personal widgets. In order to be able to create the right widget for us, we first have to dig through what Chronus has to offer.

For example, the app offers various options for displaying the time and date. If we want to keep an eye on the news, we can do a variety of things news sources directly into our widgets. The classic RSS feed, Reddit and, to date, Twitter are represented here. Also calendar and task lists from Microsoft, Google or Todoist can easily be displayed on Chronus.

Of course one is also represented weather component, which provides us with data from providers such as Weather Underground, AccuWeather, OpenWeatherMap or Tomorrow.io. If we have made one or more widgets according to our taste, they can be placed directly on the home screen. The size is defined here based on our specially chosen placement.

Chronus is free for Android available. A one-off payment of €1.49 or more is required for full functionality.

KWGT

If you want even more control when it comes to widgets, you’ve come to the right place at KWGT. KWGT (Kustom Widget Maker) is among the probably most extensive apps in this genre and gives us almost limitless possibilities when creating widgets. When you start KWGT for the first time, the app still seems a bit toothless.

Some ready-made widgets are included, but the applications don’t present much more. That only happens when we familiarize ourselves with the many additional packages Aha experience. KWGT offers us two options here. On the one hand, we can get ready-made widgets from the Play Store, which can then be loaded into KWGT and edited if desired. If we want to be creative ourselves, we can also create widgets from scratch. On a bare surface KWGT then offers us the opportunity to place all imaginable content.

There are hardly any limits to the imagination here. KWGT allows the placement of the most diverse shapes, images and text, which can be formatted and colored as needed. But data can also be collected from almost anywhere.

For example, I use KWGT to talk about a self-made weather station data via Tasker access it at regular intervals and then be able to see this data clearly on my home screen. KWGT’s “can’t-do-nothing” principle also makes these my absolute favorite apps when it comes to widgets. Although the learning curve for the editor is relatively steep, the possibilities it offers us are probably unmatched.

KWGT is free for Android available. The full version for EUR 4.99 is required for full use.

TimeUntil

Anticipation is usually the greatest joy. If one for us special event is coming up, sometimes you can hardly wait. In order not to lose sight of the days until the special event or even to have to count each day, there is the special app TimeUntil.

TimeUntil allows us to store events that are important to us. The skill birthdays, Parties or be travelling. In the app, we simply enter the date and the designation and save the whole thing. We can then freely place the stored events in different sizes on the home screen. The app or its widgets then show us the current data days, hours, minutes and seconds, until the event is coming up.

TimeUntil is free for Android available.

SeriesGuide

It is not only the daily schedule that needs to be kept in view, the evening and weekend program also needs to be planned thoroughly. In times of Netflix, Disney+ and co. the overview of the currently watched series is quickly lost. If the series is then only published weekly or even goes on break with a cliffhanger, the next episode can usually hardly be expected.

SeriesGuide is here to help and collect them all Term to our current favorite series in one place. Within the app we can always search for series and add them to our list. Series Guide then prepares this collection visually for us, so that we always have an overview of upcoming episodes.

With the SeriesGuide widget, we don’t even have to enter the app anymore. Placed on the home screen, the widget shows us the next upcoming episodes when exactly they are running and on which channel or streaming service they can be seen.

SeriesGuide is free for Android available.