Android Widgets Tutorials

A widget is a small gadget or control of your android application placed on the home screen. Android Widgets Tutorials can be very handy as they allow you to put your favourite applications on your home screen in order to quickly access them. You have probably seen some common widgets, such as music widget, weather widget, clock widget e.t.c

Android Widgets Tutorials could be of many types such as information widgets, collection widgets, control widgets and hybrid widgets. Android provides us a complete framework to develop our own widgets.

Widget - XML file

In order to create an application widget, first thing you need is Android Widgets Tutorials object, which you will define in a separate widget XML file. In order to do that, right click on your project and create a new folder called xml. Now right click on the newly created folder and create a new XML file. The resource type of the XML file should be set to Android Widgets Tutorials. In the xml file, define some properties which are as follows −

<appwidget-provider 
   xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android" 
   android:minWidth="146dp" 
   android:updatePeriodMillis="0" 
   android:minHeight="146dp" 
   android:initialLayout="@layout/activity_main">
</appwidget-provider>

Widget - Layout file

Now you have to define the layout of your widget in your default XML file. You can drag components to generate auto xml.

Widget - Java file

After defining layout, now create a new JAVA file or use existing one, and extend it with Android Widgets Tutorials class and override its update method as follows.

In the update method, you have to define the object of two classes which are PendingIntent and RemoteViews. Its syntax is −

PendingIntent pending = PendingIntent.getActivity(context, 0, intent, 0);
RemoteViews views = new RemoteViews(context.getPackageName(), R.layout.activity_main);

In the end you have to call an update method update Android Widgets Tutorials() of the Android Widgets Tutorials class. Its syntax is −

appWidgetManager.updateAppWidget(currentWidgetId,views);  

A part from the updateAppWidget method, there are other methods defined in this class to manipulate widgets. They are as follows −

Sr.No	Method & Description
1	onDeleted(Context context, int[] appWidgetIds) This is called when an instance of AppWidgetProvider is deleted.
2	onDisabled(Context context) This is called when the last instance of AppWidgetProvider is deleted
3	onEnabled(Context context) This is called when an instance of AppWidgetProvider is created.
4	onReceive(Context context, Intent intent) It is used to dispatch calls to the various methods of the class

Widget - Manifest file

You also have to declare the Android Widgets Tutorials class in your manifest file as follows:

<receiver android:name="ExampleAppWidgetProvider" >
   
   <intent-filter>
      <action android:name="android.appwidget.action.APPWIDGET_UPDATE" />
   </intent-filter>
   
   <meta-data android:name="android.appwidget.provider"
      android:resource="@xml/example_appwidget_info" />
</receiver>

Example

Here is an example demonstrating the use of application Widget. It creates a basic widget applications that will open this current website in the browser.

To experiment with this example, you need to run this on an actual device on which internet is running.

Steps	Description
1	You will use Android studio to create an Android application under a package com.example.sairamkrishna.myapplication.
2	Modify src/MainActivity.java file to add widget code.
3	Modify the res/layout/activity_main to add respective XML components
4	Create a new folder and xml file under res/xml/mywidget.xml to add respective XML components
5	Modify the AndroidManifest.xml to add the necessary permissions
6	Run the application and choose a running android device and install the application on it and verify the results.

Following is the content of the modified MainActivity.java.

package com.example.sairamkrishna.myapplication;

import android.app.PendingIntent;
import android.appwidget.AppWidgetManager;
import android.appwidget.AppWidgetProvider;
import android.content.Context;
import android.content.Intent;
import android.net.Uri;
import android.widget.RemoteViews;
import android.widget.Toast;

public class MainActivity extends AppWidgetProvider{
   public void onUpdate(Context context, AppWidgetManager appWidgetManager,int[] appWidgetIds) {
      for(int i=0; i<appWidgetIds.length; i++){
         int currentWidgetId = appWidgetIds[i];
         String url = "http://www.tutorialspoint.com";
         
         Intent intent = new Intent(Intent.ACTION_VIEW);
         intent.addFlags(Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_NEW_TASK);
         intent.setData(Uri.parse(url));
         
         PendingIntent pending = PendingIntent.getActivity(context, 0,intent, 0);
         RemoteViews views = new RemoteViews(context.getPackageName(),R.layout.activity_main);
         
         views.setOnClickPendingIntent(R.id.button, pending);
         appWidgetManager.updateAppWidget(currentWidgetId,views);
         Toast.makeText(context, "widget added", Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show();
      }
   }
}

Following is the modified content of the xml res/layout/activity_main.xml.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<RelativeLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
   xmlns:tools="http://schemas.android.com/tools" android:layout_width="match_parent"
   android:layout_height="match_parent" android:paddingLeft="@dimen/activity_horizontal_margin"
   android:paddingRight="@dimen/activity_horizontal_margin"
   android:paddingTop="@dimen/activity_vertical_margin"
   android:paddingBottom="@dimen/activity_vertical_margin"
   tools:context=".MainActivity"
   android:transitionGroup="true">
   
   <TextView
      android:layout_width="wrap_content"
      android:layout_height="wrap_content"
      android:text="Tutorials point"
      android:id="@+id/textView"
      android:layout_centerHorizontal="true"
      android:textColor="#ff3412ff"
      android:textSize="35dp" />
      
   <Button
      android:layout_width="wrap_content"
      android:layout_height="wrap_content"
      android:text="Widget"
      android:id="@+id/button"
      android:layout_centerHorizontal="true"
      android:layout_marginTop="61dp"
      android:layout_below="@+id/textView" />

</RelativeLayout>

Following is the content of the res/xml/mywidget.xml.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<appwidget-provider 
   xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android" 
   android:minWidth="146dp" 
   android:updatePeriodMillis="0" 
   android:minHeight="146dp" 
   android:initialLayout="@layout/activity_main">
</appwidget-provider>

Following is the content of the res/values/string.xml.

<resources>
   <string name="app_name">My Application</string>
</resources>

Following is the content of AndroidManifest.xml file.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<manifest xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
   package="com.example.sairamkrishna.myapplication" >
   
   <application
      android:allowBackup="true"
      android:icon="@mipmap/ic_launcher"
      android:label="@string/app_name"
      android:theme="@style/AppTheme" >
      <receiver android:name=".MainActivity">
      
      <intent-filter>
         <action android:name="android.appwidget.action.APPWIDGET_UPDATE"></action>
      </intent-filter>
      
      <meta-data android:name="android.appwidget.provider"
         android:resource="@xml/mywidget"></meta-data>
      
      </receiver>
   
   </application>
</manifest>

Let's try to run your application. I assume you have connected your actual Android Mobile device with your computer. To run the app from Android studio, open one of your project's activity files and click Run  icon from the tool bar. Before starting your application, Android studio will display following window to select an option where you want to run your Android application.

Select your mobile device as an option and then check your mobile device which will display your default screen −

Go to your widget section and add your created widget to the desktop or home screen. It would look something like this −

Now just tap on the widget button that appears, to launch the browser. But before that please make sure that you are connected to the internet. After pressing the button , the following screen would appear −

Note. By just changing the url in the java file, your widget will open your desired website in the browser.

A widget is a small gadget or control of your android application placed on the home screen. Android Widgets Tutorials can be very handy as they allow you to put your favourite applications on your home screen in order to quickly access them. You have probably seen some common widgets, such as music widget, weather widget, clock widget e.t.c

Android Widgets Tutorials could be of many types such as information widgets, collection widgets, control widgets and hybrid widgets. Android provides us a complete framework to develop our own widgets.

Widget - XML file

In order to create an application widget, first thing you need is Android Widgets Tutorials object, which you will define in a separate widget XML file. In order to do that, right click on your project and create a new folder called xml. Now right click on the newly created folder and create a new XML file. The resource type of the XML file should be set to Android Widgets Tutorials. In the xml file, define some properties which are as follows −

<appwidget-provider 
   xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android" 
   android:minWidth="146dp" 
   android:updatePeriodMillis="0" 
   android:minHeight="146dp" 
   android:initialLayout="@layout/activity_main">
</appwidget-provider>

Widget - Layout file

Now you have to define the layout of your widget in your default XML file. You can drag components to generate auto xml.

Widget - Java file

After defining layout, now create a new JAVA file or use existing one, and extend it with Android Widgets Tutorials class and override its update method as follows.

In the update method, you have to define the object of two classes which are PendingIntent and RemoteViews. Its syntax is −

PendingIntent pending = PendingIntent.getActivity(context, 0, intent, 0);
RemoteViews views = new RemoteViews(context.getPackageName(), R.layout.activity_main);

In the end you have to call an update method update Android Widgets Tutorials() of the Android Widgets Tutorials class. Its syntax is −

appWidgetManager.updateAppWidget(currentWidgetId,views);  

A part from the updateAppWidget method, there are other methods defined in this class to manipulate widgets. They are as follows −

Sr.No	Method & Description
1	onDeleted(Context context, int[] appWidgetIds) This is called when an instance of AppWidgetProvider is deleted.
2	onDisabled(Context context) This is called when the last instance of AppWidgetProvider is deleted
3	onEnabled(Context context) This is called when an instance of AppWidgetProvider is created.
4	onReceive(Context context, Intent intent) It is used to dispatch calls to the various methods of the class

Widget - Manifest file

You also have to declare the Android Widgets Tutorials class in your manifest file as follows:

<receiver android:name="ExampleAppWidgetProvider" >
   
   <intent-filter>
      <action android:name="android.appwidget.action.APPWIDGET_UPDATE" />
   </intent-filter>
   
   <meta-data android:name="android.appwidget.provider"
      android:resource="@xml/example_appwidget_info" />
</receiver>

Example

Here is an example demonstrating the use of application Widget. It creates a basic widget applications that will open this current website in the browser.

To experiment with this example, you need to run this on an actual device on which internet is running.

Steps	Description
1	You will use Android studio to create an Android application under a package com.example.sairamkrishna.myapplication.
2	Modify src/MainActivity.java file to add widget code.
3	Modify the res/layout/activity_main to add respective XML components
4	Create a new folder and xml file under res/xml/mywidget.xml to add respective XML components
5	Modify the AndroidManifest.xml to add the necessary permissions
6	Run the application and choose a running android device and install the application on it and verify the results.

Following is the content of the modified MainActivity.java.

package com.example.sairamkrishna.myapplication;

import android.app.PendingIntent;
import android.appwidget.AppWidgetManager;
import android.appwidget.AppWidgetProvider;
import android.content.Context;
import android.content.Intent;
import android.net.Uri;
import android.widget.RemoteViews;
import android.widget.Toast;

public class MainActivity extends AppWidgetProvider{
   public void onUpdate(Context context, AppWidgetManager appWidgetManager,int[] appWidgetIds) {
      for(int i=0; i<appWidgetIds.length; i++){
         int currentWidgetId = appWidgetIds[i];
         String url = "http://www.tutorialspoint.com";
         
         Intent intent = new Intent(Intent.ACTION_VIEW);
         intent.addFlags(Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_NEW_TASK);
         intent.setData(Uri.parse(url));
         
         PendingIntent pending = PendingIntent.getActivity(context, 0,intent, 0);
         RemoteViews views = new RemoteViews(context.getPackageName(),R.layout.activity_main);
         
         views.setOnClickPendingIntent(R.id.button, pending);
         appWidgetManager.updateAppWidget(currentWidgetId,views);
         Toast.makeText(context, "widget added", Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show();
      }
   }
}

Following is the modified content of the xml res/layout/activity_main.xml.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<RelativeLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
   xmlns:tools="http://schemas.android.com/tools" android:layout_width="match_parent"
   android:layout_height="match_parent" android:paddingLeft="@dimen/activity_horizontal_margin"
   android:paddingRight="@dimen/activity_horizontal_margin"
   android:paddingTop="@dimen/activity_vertical_margin"
   android:paddingBottom="@dimen/activity_vertical_margin"
   tools:context=".MainActivity"
   android:transitionGroup="true">
   
   <TextView
      android:layout_width="wrap_content"
      android:layout_height="wrap_content"
      android:text="Tutorials point"
      android:id="@+id/textView"
      android:layout_centerHorizontal="true"
      android:textColor="#ff3412ff"
      android:textSize="35dp" />
      
   <Button
      android:layout_width="wrap_content"
      android:layout_height="wrap_content"
      android:text="Widget"
      android:id="@+id/button"
      android:layout_centerHorizontal="true"
      android:layout_marginTop="61dp"
      android:layout_below="@+id/textView" />

</RelativeLayout>

Following is the content of the res/xml/mywidget.xml.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<appwidget-provider 
   xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android" 
   android:minWidth="146dp" 
   android:updatePeriodMillis="0" 
   android:minHeight="146dp" 
   android:initialLayout="@layout/activity_main">
</appwidget-provider>

Following is the content of the res/values/string.xml.

<resources>
   <string name="app_name">My Application</string>
</resources>

Following is the content of AndroidManifest.xml file.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<manifest xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
   package="com.example.sairamkrishna.myapplication" >
   
   <application
      android:allowBackup="true"
      android:icon="@mipmap/ic_launcher"
      android:label="@string/app_name"
      android:theme="@style/AppTheme" >
      <receiver android:name=".MainActivity">
      
      <intent-filter>
         <action android:name="android.appwidget.action.APPWIDGET_UPDATE"></action>
      </intent-filter>
      
      <meta-data android:name="android.appwidget.provider"
         android:resource="@xml/mywidget"></meta-data>
      
      </receiver>
   
   </application>
</manifest>

Let's try to run your application. I assume you have connected your actual Android Mobile device with your computer. To run the app from Android studio, open one of your project's activity files and click Run  icon from the tool bar. Before starting your application, Android studio will display following window to select an option where you want to run your Android application.

Select your mobile device as an option and then check your mobile device which will display your default screen −

Go to your widget section and add your created widget to the desktop or home screen. It would look something like this −

Now just tap on the widget button that appears, to launch the browser. But before that please make sure that you are connected to the internet. After pressing the button , the following screen would appear −

Note. By just changing the url in the java file, your widget will open your desired website in the browser.

Best Facebook Widgets For Android

10 Best Facebook Widgets For Android 2018 – How to Get Facebook Android Widget back?

Best Facebook Widgets For Android 2018 – How to Get Facebook Android Widget back?

These days, Social Networks are probably the most used websites on the Internet, and among them Facebook is the most popular social networking site which attract the users by its amazing features.To ease the use of facebook website some facebook widgets are developed which can help check your Facebook updates right from your Android home screen.You can check your Facebook feeds, notification, and messages using these Android Facebook widgets.These apps let you access various Facebook features right from your home screen of your mobile. Here is a list of the Best Facebook Widgets for Android.

1. Widget for Facebook

Widget for Facebook is a great Facebook Widget for Android.Widget for Facebook is just a standalone widget which lets you access Facebook feeds right from your homescreen. While you don’t get the scrollable feed, you can see one post at a time, and see the next or previous posts by tapping on the arrows.It is a scrollable Facebook feed widget. You can easily like or comment on a post by opening it.Posting a photo or status to Facebook is extremely easy as well.

It provides both dark and light themes for your widget; you can select one of them through the Settings section of the app as per your liking. The Widget for Facebook features to refresh the news feed automatically; you can set a proper time frame for updating your Facebook feed on the widget automatically. Or you may also be able to refresh your Facebook feed on the widget by tapping on the refresh button at the bottom left corner of the app.

Head on over the Play Store to grab Widget for Facebook free.

Pros and Cons:

Pros:

• It provides a scrollable transparent Facebook widget.
• You can adjust the transparency level of the widget.
• Option to refresh the Facebook NEWS feed automatically and manually.

Cons:

• The widget won’t help you like, comment, or share the Facebook post right on your home screen.
• The free version allows seeing only 5 Facebook post at once. (It will ask you to buy the full version for accessing more than 5 Facebook post, it will cost around $1.06)

2. Plume

–>For Download :- https://play.google.com/store/apps/details? id=com.levelup.touiteur

Plume is one of the most popular Twitter clients. But Plume can handle your Facebook account as well, and that’s exactly where the scrollable widget comes convenient. After adding your Facebook account to Plume, add the widget to your homescreen. Before the widget is added, you will be asked to select three timeline feeds. So, you can access your Twitter and Facebook both, right from one widget! Liking or Commenting on a Facebook post can be done by tapping on the post and then selecting View in Plume. Posting a status or Tweet can also be done from one place itself.

3. Socialife News

Socialife News is a News and Feeds aggregator app for Android which comes with 3 great widgets as well. You can add your Facebook, Twitter, YouTube accounts to Socialife and even add various News sources to it. The interface is sly and really intuitive. You can choose between the main widget, scrollable Timeline widget, or a status update widget. And, you can easily share to Facebook and Twitter directly from one place. The only drawback of these widget is that the number of posts shown in the widget are too few.

4.Swipe Widget for Facebook

Swipe Widget for Facebook is a standalone Android Facebook widget app that helps you to check all your Facebook notification and messages right on your home screen. It provides three different Facebook widgets: notification, messages and dual widget. The Facebook notification widget lets you check your all Facebook notifications. And the Message Widget allows you to see all your recent Facebook chats, while the dual widget supports for both notifications and messages.

Pros and Cons:

Pros:

• It has three free themes for the widget and many other pro themes.You can choose a default app for opening Facebook notifications and messages.

Cons:

• Swipe Widget for Facebook does not provide a widget for viewing your NEWS feed.

Only few amount of widgets are available for Facebook yet there are so many widgets for Android in the Google Play Store. And some of them does not work correctly. But, using the above Facebook Widgets for Android, you could check you Facebook NEWS feed, notifications, messages right from your home screen. Hope these Facebook Widgets for Android will help for those who wish to check their Facebook activities through an Android Facebook widget.

That’s it guys, this list of Best Facebook Widgets for Android is done with now.Hope it is helpful..!!

How to Get Facebook Android Widget Back

The Facebook Widget for Android is no longer available after certain updates. Many users are not pleased about this. You can bring it back by installing an older version of Facebook with these steps.

1.Go to “Settings” > “Apps” > “Facebook” and select “Uninstall” to remove the app.

2.Open a web browser on your Android, and go to the below link, and download version 63.0.0.37.81 beta of the Facebook app. If you receive a parsing file error, try a lower version like 62.0.0.42.77.

–>Link:https://www.apkmirror.com/apk/facebook-2/facebook/facebook-63-0-0-20-81-release/

3.When prompted, open the file. You may have to swipe down the notification area, tap the download, then choose “Open“.

–>Note: You may have to change a setting under “Settings” > “Security” > “Unknown sources” to install the file.

4.Walk through the install.

Now you should be able to add the Facebook widget back to the Home screen.

10 Best Facebook Widgets For Android 2018 – How to Get Facebook Android Widget back?

Best Facebook Widgets For Android 2018 – How to Get Facebook Android Widget back?

These days, Social Networks are probably the most used websites on the Internet, and among them Facebook is the most popular social networking site which attract the users by its amazing features.To ease the use of facebook website some facebook widgets are developed which can help check your Facebook updates right from your Android home screen.You can check your Facebook feeds, notification, and messages using these Android Facebook widgets.These apps let you access various Facebook features right from your home screen of your mobile. Here is a list of the Best Facebook Widgets for Android.

1. Widget for Facebook

Widget for Facebook is a great Facebook Widget for Android.Widget for Facebook is just a standalone widget which lets you access Facebook feeds right from your homescreen. While you don’t get the scrollable feed, you can see one post at a time, and see the next or previous posts by tapping on the arrows.It is a scrollable Facebook feed widget. You can easily like or comment on a post by opening it.Posting a photo or status to Facebook is extremely easy as well.

It provides both dark and light themes for your widget; you can select one of them through the Settings section of the app as per your liking. The Widget for Facebook features to refresh the news feed automatically; you can set a proper time frame for updating your Facebook feed on the widget automatically. Or you may also be able to refresh your Facebook feed on the widget by tapping on the refresh button at the bottom left corner of the app.

Head on over the Play Store to grab Widget for Facebook free.

Pros and Cons:

Pros:

• It provides a scrollable transparent Facebook widget.
• You can adjust the transparency level of the widget.
• Option to refresh the Facebook NEWS feed automatically and manually.

Cons:

• The widget won’t help you like, comment, or share the Facebook post right on your home screen.
• The free version allows seeing only 5 Facebook post at once. (It will ask you to buy the full version for accessing more than 5 Facebook post, it will cost around $1.06)

2. Plume

–>For Download :- https://play.google.com/store/apps/details? id=com.levelup.touiteur

Plume is one of the most popular Twitter clients. But Plume can handle your Facebook account as well, and that’s exactly where the scrollable widget comes convenient. After adding your Facebook account to Plume, add the widget to your homescreen. Before the widget is added, you will be asked to select three timeline feeds. So, you can access your Twitter and Facebook both, right from one widget! Liking or Commenting on a Facebook post can be done by tapping on the post and then selecting View in Plume. Posting a status or Tweet can also be done from one place itself.

3. Socialife News

Socialife News is a News and Feeds aggregator app for Android which comes with 3 great widgets as well. You can add your Facebook, Twitter, YouTube accounts to Socialife and even add various News sources to it. The interface is sly and really intuitive. You can choose between the main widget, scrollable Timeline widget, or a status update widget. And, you can easily share to Facebook and Twitter directly from one place. The only drawback of these widget is that the number of posts shown in the widget are too few.

4.Swipe Widget for Facebook

Swipe Widget for Facebook is a standalone Android Facebook widget app that helps you to check all your Facebook notification and messages right on your home screen. It provides three different Facebook widgets: notification, messages and dual widget. The Facebook notification widget lets you check your all Facebook notifications. And the Message Widget allows you to see all your recent Facebook chats, while the dual widget supports for both notifications and messages.

Pros and Cons:

Pros:

• It has three free themes for the widget and many other pro themes.You can choose a default app for opening Facebook notifications and messages.

Cons:

• Swipe Widget for Facebook does not provide a widget for viewing your NEWS feed.

Only few amount of widgets are available for Facebook yet there are so many widgets for Android in the Google Play Store. And some of them does not work correctly. But, using the above Facebook Widgets for Android, you could check you Facebook NEWS feed, notifications, messages right from your home screen. Hope these Facebook Widgets for Android will help for those who wish to check their Facebook activities through an Android Facebook widget.

That’s it guys, this list of Best Facebook Widgets for Android is done with now.Hope it is helpful..!!

How to Get Facebook Android Widget Back

The Facebook Widget for Android is no longer available after certain updates. Many users are not pleased about this. You can bring it back by installing an older version of Facebook with these steps.

1.Go to “Settings” > “Apps” > “Facebook” and select “Uninstall” to remove the app.

2.Open a web browser on your Android, and go to the below link, and download version 63.0.0.37.81 beta of the Facebook app. If you receive a parsing file error, try a lower version like 62.0.0.42.77.

–>Link:https://www.apkmirror.com/apk/facebook-2/facebook/facebook-63-0-0-20-81-release/

3.When prompted, open the file. You may have to swipe down the notification area, tap the download, then choose “Open“.

–>Note: You may have to change a setting under “Settings” > “Security” > “Unknown sources” to install the file.

4.Walk through the install.

Now you should be able to add the Facebook widget back to the Home screen.

Android lock screen with DashClock

Customize your Android lock screen with DashClock

One major advantage of Android is that nearly every element of the operating system, including the lock screen, is open to customization. You can choose specific lock screen widgets to access key information without needing to unlock your phone and get it from a specific app.

While there are several good choices in the Google Play Store, the best by far is DashClock. It shows a healthy list of useful information, such as your local weather, text messages, and missed calls. But its real power comes from a large number of extensions built by other developers, connecting DashClock to many popular services.

After downloading DashClock from Google Play, the next step is to add it as a lock screen widget. Be sure that “Enable Widgets” is turned on. To check this, go to Settings, Security, and then click the Enable widgets checkbox.

To add DashClock, swipe once to the right from the lock screen, and click the large plus sign (instructions may vary slightly depending on the launcher running on your device.) After pushing the plus sign, scroll through the lock screen widget choices and select DashClock.

Once DashClock has been placed, the settings page will launch. This displays all the content that can be shown on the screen. Reorder the list or tap the button on the top right to get additional extensions. This links off to the Google Play Store, providing a list of the different extensions that can be attached to DashClock.

In order for DashClock to be the first thing you see when powering on your phone, it must be selected as the main lock screen widget. To do this, tap and hold the DashClock widget and move it to the space furthest to the right. Other widgets can be deleted by swiping them away.

By default DashClock has useful services, but its real power comes through the many third-party extensions one can connect; there are hooks into FitBit, Hangouts, Snapchat, and other services. Developers can build their own extensions to DashClock by visiting the open source project page.

DashClock condenses the information when used as the main lock screen widget, as Android only allows it at the top half of the screen. However, by tapping and sliding down on DashClock, the full content comes into view. This can reveal specific Hangout conversation text or data from other appss

To be taken to a specific app that's displaying data in DashClock, just touch the related content and then unlock the device. This creates a very rapid and effective method for getting to relevant information quickly.

DashClock is what you make of it, so the best way to put it to use is to try out different extensions and see what works best. As DashClock has become the real benchmark app in this area, the odds are strong that a service you use will be represented.

Customize your Android lock screen with DashClock

One major advantage of Android is that nearly every element of the operating system, including the lock screen, is open to customization. You can choose specific lock screen widgets to access key information without needing to unlock your phone and get it from a specific app.

While there are several good choices in the Google Play Store, the best by far is DashClock. It shows a healthy list of useful information, such as your local weather, text messages, and missed calls. But its real power comes from a large number of extensions built by other developers, connecting DashClock to many popular services.

After downloading DashClock from Google Play, the next step is to add it as a lock screen widget. Be sure that “Enable Widgets” is turned on. To check this, go to Settings, Security, and then click the Enable widgets checkbox.

To add DashClock, swipe once to the right from the lock screen, and click the large plus sign (instructions may vary slightly depending on the launcher running on your device.) After pushing the plus sign, scroll through the lock screen widget choices and select DashClock.

Once DashClock has been placed, the settings page will launch. This displays all the content that can be shown on the screen. Reorder the list or tap the button on the top right to get additional extensions. This links off to the Google Play Store, providing a list of the different extensions that can be attached to DashClock.

In order for DashClock to be the first thing you see when powering on your phone, it must be selected as the main lock screen widget. To do this, tap and hold the DashClock widget and move it to the space furthest to the right. Other widgets can be deleted by swiping them away.

By default DashClock has useful services, but its real power comes through the many third-party extensions one can connect; there are hooks into FitBit, Hangouts, Snapchat, and other services. Developers can build their own extensions to DashClock by visiting the open source project page.

DashClock condenses the information when used as the main lock screen widget, as Android only allows it at the top half of the screen. However, by tapping and sliding down on DashClock, the full content comes into view. This can reveal specific Hangout conversation text or data from other appss

To be taken to a specific app that's displaying data in DashClock, just touch the related content and then unlock the device. This creates a very rapid and effective method for getting to relevant information quickly.

DashClock is what you make of it, so the best way to put it to use is to try out different extensions and see what works best. As DashClock has become the real benchmark app in this area, the odds are strong that a service you use will be represented.

Google Widgets That Help Your Site Get Traffic

4 Google Widgets That Help Your Site Get Traffic

Google Widgets these are the add-ons that are on the sidebars of blogs and websites. Things such as videos, weather forecasts, hit counters, and slide shows are just a couple of thousands of examples of Google Widgets that are commonly used. But while many of these are cool little add-ons that can help hold a visitors interest on your site, there are some Google Widgets that can actually help you generate traffic. Here are five Google Widgets to look into to help get your website or blog noticed.

1. My Blog Log

This one in itself is not a traffic generating widget so to speak. But if you have a blog and want to promote it this is one area you should look into. Adding their Google widget to your blog will allow your site to be connected to a rapidly expanding network of bloggers covering all topics.

2. Recent Post widget

Having a widget that can display previous or recent posts can benefit your site in two ways. One it displays an easy to find link to older posts so that viewers stay longer on your site checking out older posts. And two by adding content to your sidebar. You can use a site like widget box.com to quickly create a custom recent post widget. Using this type of Google widget others who visit your site can also copy and paste your widget onto their sites adding content for their site while providing valuable links back to yours.

3. Share This

If you don't have this widget get it now. This widget allows those who visit your site to tweet bookmark, and email your content all over the web, giving your site the potential to go viral. Share this Google Widgets are also excellent for sending your site links to Twitter since most shorten the URL address saving you space to advertise your tweet.

4. Alexa and Google Page Rank

Displaying your Google and Alexa rank in itself isn't going to boost your traffic. Alexa for example only displays a number based on users who visit your site using the Alexa toolbar. And Google page rank displays the popularity Google places on a particular site. However when it comes to gaining back links, or selling ad space then it plays a major part. Having these two clearly displayed gives your viewers a means to gauge how popular your site is.

If you're unfamiliar with Alexa and Google page rank they work like this. For Alexa the lower the number and closer to zero the better, and for Google page rank the closer to ten the better. Remember not to be obsessed with these numbers and focus on adding quality content.

4 Google Widgets That Help Your Site Get Traffic

Google Widgets these are the add-ons that are on the sidebars of blogs and websites. Things such as videos, weather forecasts, hit counters, and slide shows are just a couple of thousands of examples of Google Widgets that are commonly used. But while many of these are cool little add-ons that can help hold a visitors interest on your site, there are some Google Widgets that can actually help you generate traffic. Here are five Google Widgets to look into to help get your website or blog noticed.

1. My Blog Log

This one in itself is not a traffic generating widget so to speak. But if you have a blog and want to promote it this is one area you should look into. Adding their Google widget to your blog will allow your site to be connected to a rapidly expanding network of bloggers covering all topics.

2. Recent Post widget

Having a widget that can display previous or recent posts can benefit your site in two ways. One it displays an easy to find link to older posts so that viewers stay longer on your site checking out older posts. And two by adding content to your sidebar. You can use a site like widget box.com to quickly create a custom recent post widget. Using this type of Google widget others who visit your site can also copy and paste your widget onto their sites adding content for their site while providing valuable links back to yours.

3. Share This

If you don't have this widget get it now. This widget allows those who visit your site to tweet bookmark, and email your content all over the web, giving your site the potential to go viral. Share this Google Widgets are also excellent for sending your site links to Twitter since most shorten the URL address saving you space to advertise your tweet.

4. Alexa and Google Page Rank

Displaying your Google and Alexa rank in itself isn't going to boost your traffic. Alexa for example only displays a number based on users who visit your site using the Alexa toolbar. And Google page rank displays the popularity Google places on a particular site. However when it comes to gaining back links, or selling ad space then it plays a major part. Having these two clearly displayed gives your viewers a means to gauge how popular your site is.

If you're unfamiliar with Alexa and Google page rank they work like this. For Alexa the lower the number and closer to zero the better, and for Google page rank the closer to ten the better. Remember not to be obsessed with these numbers and focus on adding quality content.

Best Clock Widgets For Android

5 Best Clock Widgets For Android in 2018

Something as fundamental as a clock might not seem important to a lot of mobile users. That’s because no matter what, it’s always there. Be it on the lock screen or on the homescreen, any Android device will give you a glimpse of the clock on any screen unless you’re in an app. Most clock widgets offered by manufacturers are pretty generic and don’t offer much in terms of customizations.

This can be quite frustrating given that Android devices can be extensively customized, which is the beauty of the platform, really. However, customizing your Android clock widget is pretty easy and can be done in a couple of simple steps thanks to third party apps available on the Google Play Store. Unfortunately, there are too many clock widget apps available on the Play Store, making it quite difficult to get the best one meant for your liking.

We’re going to talk about five clock widgets meant for Android devices today, which will no doubt enhance your experience on mobile devices. Most of these apps are free to download, but you will be able to unlock some special features with the help of in-app purchases.

Chronus

This is a comprehensive widget for all the information you will need in a single day. This widget app combines news, weather, clock, calendar entries, stocks, and tasks. You can choose to use a comprehensive widget experience on your home screen, which offers all of the aforementioned details in a single glimpse, or pick and choose what you want on your device. The news section on the widget has a “read it later” function with the help of Pocket. There’s a Gmail extension available as well, which will help you go through your emails directly on your home screen.

For the kind of features that it offers, the Chronus clock widget is definitely worth a try. It features high up on our list of clock widgets that you need to try out for your Android device. The developers claim that by combining aspects like news, stocks etc with the clock, the CPU doesn’t have to bear the brunt of these tasks individually. This could have a bearing on your battery life, however, but that could be dependent on the kind of device you have. Chronus is free to download. You can unlock some features with an in-app purchase.

Clock Widget

This is a simplistic app that gives you exactly what you want without any of the unnecessary clutter. If a clock widget is what you want, then that’s what you will get here. You can choose custom designed clock styles, pick the colors and do a whole lot more. The widget is linked to the default clock app, and will launch the alarms menu with a single tap. It is important to add Clock Widget to the list of ignored apps if you have a Task Manager installed on your device. Failing to do this will keep the clock from updating the time.

It’s a pretty basic app and does what it’s supposed to. You won’t have much to complain about here given the simplicity it offers. The app is compatible with devices running Android 4.1 or above. It’s a free app, but you don’t have to worry about ads. There are in-app purchases here, though. The developers update the app frequently with a handful of new features. Make sure you have a very good look at the app from the Play Store. The app has a consistent 4 star rating among half a million downloads.

DashClock Widget

One of the most popular homescreen widget applications, DashClock comes with an exciting set of features on board. It is definitely one of the most advanced clock widgets available on the Play Store right now, thanks to the large community of fans and developers. Unfortunately, the app listing mentions that the app is no longer being maintained, so what you see right now is what you’ll get. The app, however, still has a lot of users, thanks for the kind of experience it offers by default.

You will have access to a wide array of styles here, including the ability to add your emails, weather and alarms to the list. DashClock also supports lockscreen widgets, although it’s only limited until Android 4.4. You can add more extensions to DashClock from their dedicated site, helping you get the best experience possible. Coming from developers Roman Nurik and Ian Lake, the app is immensely popular and has been around for quite some time. The app is offered for free, with no ads or in-app purchases on board. The developers are offering extensions for the widget as part of the open source project, so there’s no motive to monetize the app. Combined with Muzei wallpapers, the DashClock Widget will no doubt enhance your usage experience.

GO Clock Widget

This particular app offers a different take on clock widgets and comes with a slightly different set of features on board. There are a total of nine different themes, with both analog and digital clocks supported. It is easily one of the most versatile clock apps available out there, although some might find some of the styles are outdated, but that’s a subjective opinion. The widget supports 4×1, 4×2, and 2×2 sizes on your homescreen. If you intend to use the biggest widget possible, it’s imperative to make some space beforehand. The developers mention that the clock widget requires GO Launcher EX to work. This is a popular launcher app available on the Play Store right now, which is well worth a look as well. As for the GO Clock Widget, it’s completely free and can be downloaded from the Play Store right away.

ClockQ

A slightly more sophisticated option, ClockQ, is an advanced lock screen application, offering a versatile list of features compared to other apps here. Although Google has removed support for lockscreen clock widgets after Android 4.2, this can still be used on your homescreen. The app comes with 26 fonts to pick from, allowing you to customize your clock widget down to every detail. Premium users get access to 38 fonts, however. This is easily one of the most customizable clock widgets we can find right now, and well worth a look if you’re in the market for an app like this. The app also comes with a dedicated tablet widget, which is a nice touch. The app is free to download, but you will need to make an in-app purchase to unlock some of the pro features.

5 Best Clock Widgets For Android in 2018

Something as fundamental as a clock might not seem important to a lot of mobile users. That’s because no matter what, it’s always there. Be it on the lock screen or on the homescreen, any Android device will give you a glimpse of the clock on any screen unless you’re in an app. Most clock widgets offered by manufacturers are pretty generic and don’t offer much in terms of customizations.

This can be quite frustrating given that Android devices can be extensively customized, which is the beauty of the platform, really. However, customizing your Android clock widget is pretty easy and can be done in a couple of simple steps thanks to third party apps available on the Google Play Store. Unfortunately, there are too many clock widget apps available on the Play Store, making it quite difficult to get the best one meant for your liking.

We’re going to talk about five clock widgets meant for Android devices today, which will no doubt enhance your experience on mobile devices. Most of these apps are free to download, but you will be able to unlock some special features with the help of in-app purchases.

Chronus

This is a comprehensive widget for all the information you will need in a single day. This widget app combines news, weather, clock, calendar entries, stocks, and tasks. You can choose to use a comprehensive widget experience on your home screen, which offers all of the aforementioned details in a single glimpse, or pick and choose what you want on your device. The news section on the widget has a “read it later” function with the help of Pocket. There’s a Gmail extension available as well, which will help you go through your emails directly on your home screen.

For the kind of features that it offers, the Chronus clock widget is definitely worth a try. It features high up on our list of clock widgets that you need to try out for your Android device. The developers claim that by combining aspects like news, stocks etc with the clock, the CPU doesn’t have to bear the brunt of these tasks individually. This could have a bearing on your battery life, however, but that could be dependent on the kind of device you have. Chronus is free to download. You can unlock some features with an in-app purchase.

Clock Widget

This is a simplistic app that gives you exactly what you want without any of the unnecessary clutter. If a clock widget is what you want, then that’s what you will get here. You can choose custom designed clock styles, pick the colors and do a whole lot more. The widget is linked to the default clock app, and will launch the alarms menu with a single tap. It is important to add Clock Widget to the list of ignored apps if you have a Task Manager installed on your device. Failing to do this will keep the clock from updating the time.

It’s a pretty basic app and does what it’s supposed to. You won’t have much to complain about here given the simplicity it offers. The app is compatible with devices running Android 4.1 or above. It’s a free app, but you don’t have to worry about ads. There are in-app purchases here, though. The developers update the app frequently with a handful of new features. Make sure you have a very good look at the app from the Play Store. The app has a consistent 4 star rating among half a million downloads.

DashClock Widget

One of the most popular homescreen widget applications, DashClock comes with an exciting set of features on board. It is definitely one of the most advanced clock widgets available on the Play Store right now, thanks to the large community of fans and developers. Unfortunately, the app listing mentions that the app is no longer being maintained, so what you see right now is what you’ll get. The app, however, still has a lot of users, thanks for the kind of experience it offers by default.

You will have access to a wide array of styles here, including the ability to add your emails, weather and alarms to the list. DashClock also supports lockscreen widgets, although it’s only limited until Android 4.4. You can add more extensions to DashClock from their dedicated site, helping you get the best experience possible. Coming from developers Roman Nurik and Ian Lake, the app is immensely popular and has been around for quite some time. The app is offered for free, with no ads or in-app purchases on board. The developers are offering extensions for the widget as part of the open source project, so there’s no motive to monetize the app. Combined with Muzei wallpapers, the DashClock Widget will no doubt enhance your usage experience.

GO Clock Widget

This particular app offers a different take on clock widgets and comes with a slightly different set of features on board. There are a total of nine different themes, with both analog and digital clocks supported. It is easily one of the most versatile clock apps available out there, although some might find some of the styles are outdated, but that’s a subjective opinion. The widget supports 4×1, 4×2, and 2×2 sizes on your homescreen. If you intend to use the biggest widget possible, it’s imperative to make some space beforehand. The developers mention that the clock widget requires GO Launcher EX to work. This is a popular launcher app available on the Play Store right now, which is well worth a look as well. As for the GO Clock Widget, it’s completely free and can be downloaded from the Play Store right away.

ClockQ

A slightly more sophisticated option, ClockQ, is an advanced lock screen application, offering a versatile list of features compared to other apps here. Although Google has removed support for lockscreen clock widgets after Android 4.2, this can still be used on your homescreen. The app comes with 26 fonts to pick from, allowing you to customize your clock widget down to every detail. Premium users get access to 38 fonts, however. This is easily one of the most customizable clock widgets we can find right now, and well worth a look if you’re in the market for an app like this. The app also comes with a dedicated tablet widget, which is a nice touch. The app is free to download, but you will need to make an in-app purchase to unlock some of the pro features.