Just a few hours before Apple releases iOS 16 to the public, Google has previewed its upcoming Lock Screen widgets for its iPhone apps, including the Google app, Gmail, Google Maps, Chrome, Google News, and Google Drive.
Google says the Lock Screen widgets will be available in the "coming weeks" as its iPhone apps are gradually updated on the App Store.
The widgets allow users to quickly launch into Google apps from the Lock Screen and provide real-time information at a glance:
Google: Initiate a search via text, voice, or the camera
Gmail: View the number of messages in your inbox
Chrome: Initiate a search, including by voice or in incognito mode
Google Drive: Quickly access starred files and folders
Google Maps: View real-time traffic updates and estimated travel times to frequently traveled places like home and work
Google News: View real-time headlines
Note that the Google search widget does not allow you to complete a search on the Lock Screen directly and simply opens the app.
A key new feature of iOS 16 is the ability to personalize the Lock Screen with widgets, multi-layered wallpapers, custom fonts for the date and time, and more. You can also select a set of photos to shuffle on the Lock Screen throughout the day.
The new Lock Screen gallery showcases a range of Lock Screen options, including a new Weather wallpaper with live weather conditions and an Astronomy wallpaper that provides views of the Earth, Moon, and Solar System. iOS 16 includes support for multiple Lock Screen designs, allowing you to switch between your favorites with a swipe.
Thursday January 15, 2026 10:56 am PST by Joe Rossignol
While the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are not expected to launch for another eight months, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices.
Below, we have recapped 12 features rumored for the iPhone 18 Pro models, as of January 2026:
The same overall design is expected, with 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch display sizes, and a "plateau" housing three rear cameras
Under-screen Face ID...
Friday January 16, 2026 7:07 pm PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple plans to upgrade the iPad mini, MacBook Pro, iPad Air, iMac, and MacBook Air with OLED displays between 2026 and 2028, according to DigiTimes.
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman previously reported that the iPad mini and MacBook Pro will receive an OLED display as early as this year, but he does not expect the MacBook Air to adopt the technology until 2028 at the earliest.
A new iPad Air is...
Sunday January 18, 2026 3:51 pm PST by Joe Rossignol
iOS 27 is still many months away, but there are already plenty of rumors about new features that will be included in the software update.
The first beta of iOS 27 will be released during WWDC 2026 in June, and the update should be released to all users with a compatible iPhone in September.
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that iOS 27 will be similar to Mac OS X Snow Leopard, in the sense...
Friday January 16, 2026 12:12 pm PST by Joe Rossignol
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Apple Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, and then use it to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps.
The feature is currently available in 13 U.S. states and Puerto Rico, and it is expected to launch in at least seven more in the future.
To set up the...
Sunday January 18, 2026 6:50 pm PST by Joe Rossignol
MacBook Pro availability is tightening on Apple's online store, with select configurations facing up to a two-month delivery timeframe in the United States.
A few 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro configurations with an M4 Pro chip are not facing any shipping delay, but estimated delivery dates for many configurations with an M4 Max chip range from February 6 to February 24 or even later. At...
I don't see the Google Widget that tracks how many advertisers my data was sold to.
Maybe they'll offer one after Apple releases a widget that tracks how many billions of dollars they get from Google each year to monetize Apple users' search data.
