I made my dream Google widget with this highly effective Android app

My KWGT foo is somewhat too rusty for my style. After I was a daily Nova Launcher person, I might adorn my residence display screen with selfmade widgets to show the time, climate, and telephone vitals. One factor that I haven’t been capable of do, nonetheless, is substitute Google’s widgets. Though this was my preliminary objective, I shortly found that I couldn’t enhance a lot on what was already out there. However what about making a Google widget that doesn’t but exist?

To problem myself, I got down to create a distinctive widget that might enable me fast entry to the corporate’s core apps and providers.

As talked about within the intro, my preliminary temporary was to recreate and enhance the corporate’s current Android widgets with KWGT. After a couple of minutes, I spotted this is able to be a futile process. KWGT is highly effective, however my outcomes would by no means be as polished, feature-rich, and user-friendly as Google’s present widgets. So, I sought to do one thing totally different.

What Google doesn’t have in its locker is a widget that gives shortcuts to a broad checklist of its providers, instruments, and apps. Due to this fact, an “omniwidget” impressed by the Google Dwelling widget and housing all of the Google providers I take advantage of recurrently was one thing I might undoubtedly construct. The widget would readily current all of the choices whereas accessing every with a easy faucet. I might additionally customise it to go well with my tastes and desires whereas retaining Google’s pastel-based design language. Now that I’ve outlined my venture, let’s get into it.

As talked about, I used to dabble in KWGT, however I used to be by no means as proficient as I’d prefer to be. However, creating widgets utilizing the software is surprisingly simple.

Downloading KWGT and including the widget to your launcher

First, you’ll must obtain KWGT from the Play Retailer. You need to use the free model, however in case you just like the app and need the total vary of options, I counsel investing within the Professional unlock. That is the model I’m utilizing for this information.

Subsequent, you’ll wish to create a KWGT widget in your Android telephone’s residence web page. The method varies from launcher to launcher, however guarantee you choose the biggest 4×4 KWGT widget choice — this may provide essentially the most area to work with, and you may at all times shrink it later.

As soon as this widget area is created, faucet on it. It ought to lead you to a KWGT Library display screen. Subsequent, faucet Create on the high left. You’re now on what I name the creation display screen.

Creating your widget’s fundamental form

First, you’ll wish to create the widget’s base form.

1. Faucet on the + icon on the high proper of the creation display screen, then choose Form.
2. It’s best to now see the Form area underneath the Gadgets menu on the tab bar. Faucet on it.
3. Change the Form area to Rectangle, and regulate the Width and Top of this rectangle to satisfy the sting of the widget’s canvas.
4. To match Google’s aesthetic, you’ll additionally need rounded corners. I set the Corners slider to twenty, however you’ll be able to select no matter worth most accurately fits your style.

Creating your widget’s buttons

The widget’s useful half consists of 9 buttons of equal measurement. The size of those buttons will differ primarily based in your display screen’s density, however make sure you go away some margin between every button, across the edges, and somewhat extra on the high edge.

The widget construction, as soon as full, will embody these parts:

• Three Stack Teams. (Our columns).
• Three Overlap Teams inside every Stack Group. (The bottom for our buttons).
• Three rectangles (the buttons) inside every Overlap Group. Every of those rectangles consists of textual content (title of the motion), an icon (describing the motion), and an exercise/app/shortcut set off anchored to the rectangles.

Visualizing this isn’t simple, so see a thoughts map of the construction beneath. Thoughts maps are nice for visualizing your widget earlier than constructing it. KWGT’s UI can really feel significantly cramped and awkward at occasions, so it’s endorsed that you’ve got a fundamental thought of your construction earlier than you dig in.

Notice the separate “Textual content and Google icon” part. That is successfully headline textual content which you can add if you want. In my widget design, this shows the time, date, and present temperature.

Now, let’s create this construction:

1. Just be sure you’re within the Root folder. It’s best to see Root on the high left of the KWGT creation display screen. Because of this you’re on the very base of your widget.
2. Subsequent, faucet on the + icon on the high proper of the display screen. Choose Stack Group. It ought to now seem beneath the tab bar on the backside of the display screen. Faucet on it.
3. We’re now working throughout the Stack Group. Faucet on the + icon as soon as extra. This time, choose Overlap Group.
4. We’re now working throughout the Overlap Group. Subsequent, faucet on the + icon and add a Form. Faucet on it, and set it to rectangle.
5. Faucet on the + icon and choose Textual content. Faucet on it, and title the button accordingly.
6. Lastly, faucet on the + icon and choose Fonticon. Faucet on Icon to decide on your most well-liked icon, or change the Set.
7. When you’ve created a single Overlap Group with its contents, you can also make two copies and paste them into the Stack Group you’re engaged on.
8. As soon as the Stack Group is full, make copies and paste them into the Root folder. After this, area every Stacked Group out accordingly. This protects you from repeating the identical steps a number of occasions over.

You’ve now created the fundamental construction of the widget.

No widget is full with out visible thrives, however I’ll go away these particulars to you.

You need to use KWGT’s built-in features, as I’ve, or you’ll find particular person Google icons on-line. You’ll must do a little bit of digging, however you should utilize .png, .bmp, or .svg information to your widget.

Probably the most difficult a part of this course of was discovering a font and the opacity setting that greatest match Google’s aesthetic. Certain, I might use Google Sans, however the firm doesn’t allow its use past its personal apps. I settled on Noto Sans.

You possibly can select your personal colours, however be conscious that relying in your chosen coloration, you might have to regulate the opacity settings. I didn’t need my widget to look an excessive amount of like Google’s, so I took a couple of liberties with the hues whereas protecting the pastel aesthetic.

Including actions to your buttons

Now that your widget’s construction and aesthetics are full, it’s time to work on its performance. KWGT can open apps, set off actions, or set off shortcuts. We’ll use all three in our widget.

So as to add a contact motion to your buttons:

1. Navigate to the Root folder inside KWGT’s creation display screen.
2. On the backside of the display screen, navigate to Stack Teams > Overlap Group > Form.
3. Subsequent, faucet Contact alongside the tab bar.
4. Faucet the Motion area, and choose the kind of Motion you favor.
   • As talked about, you might have a selection of choices right here. Choose one which works greatest to your intentions.
5. Subsequent, relying on which motion you choose, a brand new area will seem beneath it. Faucet on it to pick the shortcut, app, or exercise.
6. As soon as full, hit the Save icon on the high proper of the display screen.
7. Navigate again to your launcher, and faucet on the widget button you’ve simply created an motion for.
8. If all is appropriate, it ought to now set off your required motion.

You’ll must observe these steps for every button on the widget. In case you want some inspiration for which actions to make use of, my decisions are:

• Gemini (Exercise)
• Gmail (App)
• Scan Doc through Google Drive (Shortcut)
• Google Pictures (App)
• Share Location through Google Maps (Shortcut)
• Track Search (Shortcut)
• Google Lens (App)
• Google Dwelling (App)
• Fitbit (App)

When you’ve added every motion, save the widget as soon as extra and provides it a reputation. Your widget is now prepared to make use of! The ultimate results of my widget is beneath.

Though I fairly like how this KWGT experiment turned out, I wouldn’t say no to an official Google widget that allowed customers to cut and alter out numerous shortcuts to its myriad apps and providers. In fact, there’s at all times an opportunity that bugs would mire such a widget — look no additional than the Dwelling widget for a sign — however I wish to see Google recurrently add useful new widgets to Android.

I don’t think about my omniwidget full. As many customers of this app know, there’s at all times room for enchancment. A nip right here and a tuck there, a wiser strategy to implement one thing, new icons and pictures, totally different fonts, and new shortcuts are all issues that meet this widget sooner or later. It was nice enjoyable getting again into widget creation, and it’s effectively well worth the effort in case you’re , too.