Widgets are probably one of the best things invented in the software field. They are small yet able to convey important information at a glance and also allow for conversation. Widgets began to receive mainstream attention in the mobile sphere after Google introduced widgets in the first Android version in 2008. Now, almost all mature OSes have widgets. With such widespread adoption, I’d like to see widgets on ChromeOS as well.
I’ve been an avid user of ChromeOS since it was introduced, and it still amazes me that Google hasn’t considered adding desktop widgets. This is all the more surprising since Chromebooks already have Android support through ARCVM (VM using Android Runtime Container). Of course, this would require the ChromeOS shell to support widget stacks the way Android handles widget overlays but it’s not entirely impossible.
There are two main reasons why I want widgets on ChromeOS – first, it would be nice to have interactive widgets on both the desktop and the lockscreen and second, Android widgets could come in handy just like they are extremely useful on smartphones.
Imagine having YouTube Music, Gmail, Focus Mode, or a calendar widget on your ChromeOS desktop. You can change the music, add events, Enable Focus ModeAnd check email immediately. Not to mention, the aesthetics combined with the material give you that chrome os Not so long ago, widgets would look aesthetically pleasing.
Some would argue that the ChromeOS taskbar already does a lot of what I mentioned above. It brings Calendar, Google Tasks, media player controls and quick settings. But widgets are better because they display viewable information that can make you productive by reminding you of things or providing the latest insights.
This isn’t something the taskbar can do unless you have taskbar widgets, but I would say the ChromeOS taskbar is already cluttered. Moving some elements from the taskbar to desktop widgets would make things even better.
Widgets on the lockscreen have obvious privacy issues, but some widgets may be supported. With the current trend of lockscreen widgets, ChromeOS would benefit from having these. Google brought lockscreen widgets to Pixel tablets after a long wait, and while we hope they bring them to smartphones, I’d prefer to see them on ChromeOS first.
Functionality wise, I wouldn’t say users will get much benefit from them because when you are using a PC, you are either using it extensively or not using it at all . However, Material U widgets will look great aesthetically.
Speaking of which, maybe Google could create an at-a-glance widget for ChromeOS. Similarly, a stock widget from the Google app. Finally, a battery widget for your Google account and all devices on the ecosystem would be great. the possibilities are endless. Anyhow, we’re getting ahead of ourselves here so let’s look at how Google could potentially implement widgets on ChromeOS.
Google could go about this in some other ways such as integrating the Android Widgets API into ChromeOS or starting with some native ChromeOS widgets. The latter would be considered a brand new feature but would take significant time and effort to develop the widget, which would be counter-intuitive. Android apps come with widgets and this will already be a great starting point.
If Google figures out how to render Android widgets on ChromeOS via a dedicated system API or implements something like Linux’s D-Bus layer between ChromeOS and ARCVM, it will be possible to have widgets on ChromeOS.
Or the giants could go further and create a dedicated ARCVM widget API that would allow containers to share widgets and data across the ChromeOS shell. It is important to consider the potential impacts to performance and battery life.
I love Apple’s implementation of widgets on macOS so why don’t I have both native ChromeOS and Android app widgets? Starting with macOS Sonoma, Apple announced the ability to add widgets to the macOS home screen, and the best part is that it also lets you add widgets from your iPhone as part of an integrated ecosystem. . Although I’m not sure Google could easily replicate this, I would love to see Google copy this feature.
As far as viewing widgets go, unlike macOS which changes styles between translucent/opaque depending on window focus, ChromeOS should stick to opaque widgets. I know I’m being a little specific here but a man can dream!
On the other hand, Microsoft’s widget implementation on Windows 11 is pretty useless. It’s largely an overlay with various widgets and I’d prefer to have widgets on my desktop instead. I hope the Windows team can give us at least one option.
Android or native ChromeOS widgets combined with widgets from apps will definitely put ChromeOS ahead of the competition. And those who don’t like widgets cluttering their desktop can choose to disable them in Settings.
Overall, I hope Google does some justice to the empty and boring ChromeOS desktop by bringing desktop widgets. The current Chrome desktop looks pretty bare, and while Google wants to keep it that way (plain, clean, and simple), it would definitely benefit from having widgets.
Well, there is a way to try widgets on ChromeOS via the Android app taskbarIt is an open-source app that enables desktop mode on Android. The app takes advantage of ARCVM on ChromeOS very well and I was able to add a few widgets. However, it’s not really optimized for ChromeOS and feels quite outdated with an ancient looking UI.
What are your thoughts on the idea of having widgets on ChromeOS? What challenges do you think users or developers will face due to this feature? Let us know in the comments.
