How to change your Google Pixel 10's lock screen widgets

A Google Pixel 10 showing lock screen widgets, including a weather widget, music controls, screen time, and calendar events

Credit: Lucas Gouveia / Android Police

By Sanuj Bhatia Published 50 minutes ago Sanuj is a tech enthusiast with a passion for exploring smartphones, tablets, and smart wearables. He started his tech journey with a Lumia smartphone, diving into Windows Phone. Later, he switched to Android, enjoying tweaking and customizing ROMs. Sanuj has been active in the tech industry since 2018, most recently working as Managing Editor at Pocketnow before joining Android Police. Prior to his time at Pocketnow, he contributed to publications such as Pocket-Lint, MakeUseOf, and Android Central. When he's not doing tech, you'll find him chilling with chai, following football, and playing cricket. Feel free to reach out to him via Twitter DM or email at sanujb6 [at] gmail [dot] com. Sign in to your Android Police account Summary Generate a summary of this story follow Follow followed Followed Like Like Thread Log in Here is a fact-based summary of the story contents: Try something different: Show me the facts Explain it like I’m 5 Give me a lighthearted recap

The best feature of using an Android device has always been the customizability and personalization it offers.

However, as hard as it is to believe, iPhones have recently started offering more customization options.

iOS arguably offers better themed icons than Android, and I prefer Focus Mode on the iPhone more than on my Google Pixel 10 Pro.

Another feature Android devices don't currently offer, but is available on iPhone, is lock screen widgets.

Widgets used to be part of Android in the Android Jelly Bean days, but with the release of Android Lollipop in 2014, Google removed the feature.

Thankfully, that's no longer the case as lock screen widgets are making a comeback on Android with the Android 16 QPR2 release.

After you have the update on your Pixel 10, you'll be able to easily add and change widgets on your lock screen, and here's how.

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Requirements to use lock screen widgets on Pixel 10

Check the basics your phone needs before the widgets can appear

Before you add widgets to the lock screen of your Pixel 10, make sure you're running the correct software version to use the feature.

Lock screen widgets are not readily available on the Pixel 10 series, or any other Pixel device for that matter, except the Pixel Tablet. Lock screen widgets are returning to Android and Pixel phones with the Android 16 QPR2 update.

However, Android 16 QPR2 is still not available on the stable channel. Google is still testing the software, with the latest version being Android 16 QPR2 Beta 3.3.

So the only way to use lock screen widgets on your Pixel 10 is by installing the latest Android 16 QPR2 beta on your device, which is fairly stable and smooth for daily use, or waiting for the final stable release expected to arrive sometime in December 2025 with several new features in addition to lock screen widgets.

When you're on the correct software version, here's how to add and change lock screen widgets on your Pixel smartphone.

Android 16 QPR2 is now available to download, meaning you just need to install the latest software version on your device to use this feature. You no longer need to install the beta update to use lock screen widgets on your Pixel 10.

How to add lock screen widgets on your Pixel 10

A quick step-by-step guide to placing widgets on your lock screen

After you've ensured you're running Android 16 QPR2 (or above), you can easily add widgets to the lock screen of your Pixel 10.

However, it's worth noting that this is a two-step process where you must first enable the feature in the Settings app and then access it on the lock screen.

To enable lock screen widgets, follow these steps:

Open the Settings app.
Select Display & touch, then under the Lock display section, select Lock screen.
Enable the Widgets on lock screen toggle. Close

After you've enabled the feature, lock your device.

Now wake it up again, but don't unlock it, and follow these steps to access lock screen widgets:

On the lock screen, swipe left, and you'll see a new screen called Explore hub mode. Authenticate using your biometric login.
Tap Let's go. Close
On the pop-up that follows, tap Got it.

Google warns that some info from widgets will appear on the lock screen, so be mindful if any widget contains sensitive data.

By default, your Pixel will already have a few widgets enabled, including the Gemini widget, Weather, and others. To change these widgets, follow the steps below:

Add or remove widgets by tapping them, selecting Remove at the top, or resizing them just as you would on the home screen.
To add a new widget, tap an empty area and select Add widget from the upper-left corner. Close
You'll now see a list of lock screen widgets similar to the home screen.
You can pick from Featured widgets, search via the search bar, or browse all options under the Browse tab. Close
To add a widget, tap it and then tap the Add button below the widget. Close

And that's it. You can now add and resize widgets as you like, just as you do on the home screen. The more widgets you add, the more pages you'll see to the right of the main widget page.

However, there's currently no way to rearrange widgets directly on this screen. The only method is to remove and re-add them in the order you prefer. Still, it offers an easy way to access your favorite widget without unlocking your device.

I personally use lock screen widgets on my Pixel 10 to check the latest sports scores, access my VPN, and keep the unlock button for my home's smart lock handy.

It's great to see widgets make a comeback on the Pixel lock screen

All said, it's great to see widgets make a comeback on Android. Having used this feature for the past month or so, it makes me wonder why Google didn't add it back earlier, but now they're finally here.

I can quickly access the widgets I use most without unlocking my device, and the convenience of this feature, even though the UI still needs tweaking here and there, is pretty solid.

While you're here, you might also want to check out more Pixel UI tweaks that can make using your Pixel smartphone even better.

Credit: Google Google Pixel 10 SoC Google Tensor G5 RAM 12GB Storage 128GB / 256GB Battery 4970mAh Operating System Android 16 Front camera 10.5 MP Dual PD selfie camera
This striking-looking addition to the Pixel line offers a slew of Gemini features, an 5x telephoto lens, and seven years of updates, making this a smartphone that will last you a while.
$780 at Amazon Expand Collapse
Google Pixel 10 Pro SoC Google Tensor G5 RAM 16GB Storage 128 GB / 256 GB / 512 GB with Zoned UFS / 1 TB with Zoned UFS Battery 4870mAh Operating System Android 16 Front camera 42 MP Dual PD selfie camera
Google's latest Pro Pixel packs a faster yet efficient Tensor G5 chip, an upgraded ISP, and a brighter display. Plus, an array of new AI features that make it one of the best Android phones to launch in 2025.
$999 at Amazon $999 at Best Buy Expand Collapse

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