Google Just Launched A Bunch Of Useful Lock Screen Widgets For Your iPhone

When Apple rolled out the stable version of iOS 16 back in September 2022, a major feature addition to the operating system was the wholly redesigned lock screen experience. With iOS 16, users could customize the typeface and the accent color on most lock screen elements. In addition, iOS 16 marked the first time iPhone users could add widgets to the lock screen. At launch, however, only a handful of lock screen widgets were available to users — most of them from Apple. Since then, however, there has been a steady stream of lock screen widgets from several developers.

Google was among the first companies to announce its lock screen widgets for iOS 16. The company confirmed the same in a blog post published shortly after Apple released iOS 16. In the post, Google gave everyone a sneak peek into its widget plans for devices running iOS 16. What Google did not reveal in that blog post was the exact date on which these widgets would be officially available. On October 19, however, Google finally announced that its iOS 16 lock screen widgets have been made available for download for all devices running iOS 16.

A key feature of Google's lock screen widgets for iOS 16 is the ability to set up separate lock screen profiles for work and play. For example, when a person is at work, they could switch to the work-oriented lock screen widgets that only showcase information relevant to their work. Once the user returns home, they could switch to a separate profile customized for leisure and other activities.

Unsurprisingly, these lock screen widgets cover almost all of Google's core apps, including Gmail, Drive Maps, Chrome, and YouTube. With the Gmail widget, users can keep track of all new emails without having to unlock their iPhones. In addition, the widget also displays which categories these new emails are in. The drive widget displays suggested files and allows users to open a starred file with a single tap.

The Google Maps widget will help users keep track of the traffic situation on their daily routes; they can also launch the navigation menu with a single tap. While visiting less familiar places, users can set the Maps widget to show nearby attractions, restaurants, and tourist hotspots. Google has also thrown in a Chrome widget that lets users quickly open the browser when needed. There are separate widgets for YouTube and YouTube Music, which let users search for a video or an audio track right from the home screen. In addition, Google has added a dedicated widget for launching the now-famous "Dino Game" in Chrome. For people wondering how to add and configure a lock screen widget on an iPhone, detailed steps are provided in a Google support document.