If you’re a sports fan, it can be challenging to stay on top of scores when you’re away from the game. Depending on the situation, you might not be able to view a match on your mobile device or quickly open an app to check the score. This is wherewidgetscan come in handy, especially if you may only afford to glance at your display in between your other obligations. Now, Google wants to help you stay updated with a Sports widget of its own.
Code for the Sports widget was discovered by9to5Googlein the latest beta version of the Google app, and the publication was able to activate most of the functionality, indicating it may be nearing its debut. Although it’s still in development, it seems that the widget has single and double-column options — these columns include game scores from teams you follow. Additionally, you’ll remain informed of past and upcoming matches. By tapping on a specific game in the widget, you may pull up its Knowledge Graph card in Google Search for more data. Per usual, you can also resize the widget on your home screen to suit your preferences.
There doesn’t appear to be any functionality for hiding scores to avoid spoilers, so if you’re in the habit of recording your favorite team’s games to watch later, you’ll either need to unfollow that team on Google or make sure you’re not using this widget on your primary home screen.
While sports may not have been a top priority for Google, the development of widgets has not fallen by the wayside. For example, the companydebuted an updatefor its At a Glance widget back in September 2023. In beta, some users saw a redesigned version, as previously announced by Google. Although the functionality remained the same, it featured different outlining, as well as a small weather graphic. The option to choose a solid, transparent, or semi-transparent background also debuted, as well as the ability to select which reminders and events are prominently displayed.
Widgets have arguably become more valuable as developers have introduced better features. Samsung Galaxy phone owners notably gained the option to add widgets to theirlock screens and Always On Displaya few months back. However, it wasn’t without limitations — widgets could only occupy a small portion of the display, and in some instances, sized-down ones would appear cut off. Many are hoping for better widget options with future software updates.
Although widgets for the lock screen and always-on display have seen varying support over the years, home screen widgets have been a hallmark of Android since 1.5 Cupcake, the first public version. Regardless of the OS you have or apps you use, widgets can enhance your user experience and save you valuable time — even when you just want to check the score of a big game. For this reason, it’s not a stretch to assume Google will remain focused on improving them in the future.
