Why You Should Be Using Widgets

In the past, there were fair arguments for limiting widget use. Phones didn't have as much RAM and networks were slower, so using up precious resources was a big concern. Nowadays, with 2GB of RAM and LTE in every major phone, it's not that critical. Today, there are number of reasons to use widgets: They put information "in your face:" To-do list apps that you can't see at a glance are worthless. Some may disagree, but half the point of a to-do list is so it can remind you of things you'd otherwise forget. They can't do that very well if they're hidden behind an icon. Google Keep, as an example, has a widget that is nearly identical to the app itself. However, having the widget on a home screen makes sure you won't miss it. Weather widgets calendar widgets, and others are similarly useful—you get updated even if you aren't actively looking for that information, which is helpful. Widgets can save battery life: You heard me. A lot of widgets are designed to turn on and off certain features, like 4G, that may not be easily accessible from your phone's notification bar or settings. So, having easy access to things like that can save you some battery when you need it. Plus, other widgets mean you spend less time on your screen, which is the biggest battery drainer on your phone. Sure, from a strictly technical perspective, widgets must necessarily use more battery than a phone's background image, but they save you time. Using a widget like Dashclock to check for important emails, IMs, voicemails, text messages, calendar appointments, and battery status all in one glance can lead to using your display less, which will yield far bigger battery savings than the widget will drain. They use that giant screen you paid for: These days, anything less than 4.5" is just wimpy. With screen sizes trending upwards, it only makes sense to make use of all the extra screen real estate. This goes double for tablets. Unless you use upwards of 80 different apps every single day that you need quick access to, you'll have plenty of unused space that are prime spots for widgets. Widgets let you see everything at once: With the exception of Samsung's Multi-Window feature, you can't really use more than one app at the same time on Android. Widgets may not be full apps, but if you have a tablet and you want to see notes, emails, RSS feeds, your calendar, and a custom remote control all on one screen, widgets are the way to do it. Frankly, widgets are pretty underrated. With just a little effort you can turn a home screen into a dashboard for most of the important things you interact with on your Android device. Don't take my word for it, though. Here are just some of the ways you can use widgets to save time and be more productive. -Dashclock -Unified Remote -Slider Widget -Simple RSS Widget -Ultimate Custom Widget -Google Keep, Calendar, Gmail, Etc.