Apple released iOS 16 earlier today. One of the key highlights of the new OS is the customizable Lock Screen feature. Not only does the new software allow users to change the font style and color of the time, but it also lets users add widgets to the Lock Screen. Google has now shown off the iOS 16 Lock Screen widgets it will release for six of its major apps, including Drive, Maps, Mail, and more.
Gmail
Starting with Gmail, the Lock Screen widgets will allow you to know the number of new messages in your inbox. You can either set it to show the above timestamp or add a widget below it. Additionally, you can customize the widget to see which inbox categories contain new messages, such as Social or Updates.
Maps
For Google Maps, two sets of widgets are available. The “Frequent Trips widget” will allow users to receive real-time traffic updates, estimated travel times, and more on their Lock Screen. Tapping the Frequent Trips widget will directly start navigation to that place. The Search widget will allow users to find restaurants, shops, and other favorite spots right from their Lock Screen.
Search
Similar to Maps, two different sets of iOS 16 Lock Screen widgets are available for Google Search. The Search widget, as the name suggests, directly lets users launch Google Search. You can either start typing directly into Google Search or use voice/camera. There’s also a dedicated Google Lens widget that lets users translate, get homework help, or shop what they see.
Chrome
Using the Google Chrome Lock Screen widgets, you can quickly launch Chrome, conduct a voice search, launch incognito mode, or jump into the highly famous dino game.
Drive
With the Google Drive widget, you can automatically open files shared with you, as well as access starred files and folders with a single tap.
Google News
This one is for all the news fans out there. If you want the latest news delivered directly to your Lock Screen, then the Google News widget is the one for you. It shows real-time headlines on your Lock Screen. And if you find something catchy, you can simply tap to jump directly into the Google News app and read more information in there.
Google hasn’t announced an actual release date for these Lock Screen widgets. The company just says that the feature will be released for iPhone in the coming weeks. “In the meantime, get ready by installing your favorite Google apps on your iPhone. Once our widgets are available, just press and hold down your Lock Screen to start customizing,” adds Google.
Have you installed iOS 16 on your device yet? What are your thoughts on the new customizable Lock Screen feature? Which Google apps widget are you looking forward to the most? Let us know in the comments section below!
Source: Google
