How to Add Widgets on Android

Reviewed by Luigi Oppido

Last Updated: February 19, 2026

This wikiHow teaches you how to add a widget to the Home screen of your Android phone. Widgets are extensions of apps that you have installed on your phone and can provide you with quick shortcuts or at-a-glance views of information on your desktop so you don't have to open the app.

Steps

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Swipe up from the bottom of the screen, or press the home button which is at bottom-center of display, to return to the home screen.
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Press and hold in an empty space on the Home screen. Doing so opens a menu of additional options for the Home screen.
- On some devices, you may need to tap the plus "＋" sign or Add to move to the next screen.
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It's the middle option of the popup with the icon of 3 straight squares and one tilted square. A list of available widgets will appear on the screen.
There are often multiple pages of widgets you can choose from. Swipe through the available widgets until you find one you want to place on your desktop.
Tap and hold on a widget to select it and then drag it to your Home screen. Keeping your finger on the screen, drag the widget to the area you want to place it in and then release your finger to place the widget.