Google has now rolled out all of the promised Lock Screen widgets for its iPhone apps, including the Google app, Gmail, Google Maps, Chrome, Google News, and Google Drive.
The rollout was completed today with two Lock Screen widgets for Maps, following five widgets for the Google app that were released on Wednesday. In version 233.0 of the Google app, the widgets include the following descriptions, with two widget sizes for Search:
Search: Access Google Search from your Lock Screen
Voice Search: Ask a question, hum a song or search for content with your voice
Lens: Search with your camera or any image
Lens shortcuts: Easily access your favorite Lens feature. Translate, shop, or solve homework with your camera.
Version 6.40 of Google Maps adds widgets for Search and Frequent Trips, with the latter displaying the location, estimated time of arrival, and traffic conditions:
Frequent Trips: Get directions and an estimated time of arrival for your frequent trips.
Search: Search in Google Maps for restaurants, petrol stations, and more.
Equivalent widgets can be found in Google News, Gmail, Drive, and Chrome. Once the apps are updated on your device, launch the new versions first before trying to add the widgets, otherwise they won't appear in the Lock Screen editor.
Wednesday March 25, 2026 9:53 am PDT by Juli Clover
Apple has full access to Gemini to customize the model for Siri and other AI features, reports The Information. Google gave Apple "complete access" to the Gemini model in its own data centers, and Apple can use the access for distillation, or creating smaller models for specific tasks. Apple is able to design models that are built to run on Apple devices without the need to connect to the...
Wednesday March 25, 2026 10:00 am PDT by Juli Clover
Google today said that Android has set a new record for mobile web performance, making it the fastest mobile platform for web browsing.
The newest Android devices have set new records on web performance benchmarks like Speedometer and LoadLine, which Google attributes to "deep vertical integration across hardware, the Android OS, and the Chrome engine."
Speedometer simulates real-world...
Thursday March 26, 2026 3:58 pm PDT by Juli Clover
Google is adding a new memory import feature to Gemini, making it easier for customers to switch to Gemini AI from another AI service. Users can import memories, context, and chat history from other AI apps.
Importing memory will provide Gemini with an understanding of a user's preferences, relationships, and personal context. Google says that Gemini will understand the same key facts that...
I wish apple allocated more space to widgets . Since they hide notifications by default anyway,why not allow the widgets to get further to the bottom ?
I wish apple allocated more space to widgets . Since they hide notifications by default anyway,why not allow the widgets to get further to the bottom ?
Yeah, it would be nice to be able to use more widgets. If Apple wants to keep it to one row to make it the "clean" look, maybe at least let have pages for widgets (like the Home Screen) or stacks (like widgets on the home/today screen) that we can swipe through. Swiping would be done just in the widget area so we don't affect access to the camera or today screens.
Looks cool but I realized quickly that I do not spent much time on the Lockscreen and therefore I have deactivated all my widgets again. I guess it makes more sense on an iPhone 14 Pro with an Always On screen or if you do not have an Apple Watch.
If I did use them, I hope Apple will allow more customisations on iOS 17. Maybe a carusel to easily flip between MORE widgets? I also find the limited arrangement of the widgets somewhat ugly, especially when you only have one widget enabled. I wish it could be placed in the center.
I wish apple allocated more space to widgets . Since they hide notifications by default anyway,why not allow the widgets to get further to the bottom ?
Agreed. Since we have the option for stackable notifications at the bottom; Wish you could either toggle on more rows, or change grid size to allow larger widgets.
