How do I change the music widget on my lock screen Android?
Lock screen widgets are a convenient way to viewglanceable information on Android phones without unlocking them. By default, Android includes a music widget on the lock screen that displays the currently playing song and provides playback controls. While useful, some users may wish to replace the default music widget with a different one that offers additional functionality or visual customization.
The goal of this guide is to walk through how to change the default music widget on your Android lock screen to a different widget. We’ll cover viewing your current widgets, removing the default one, finding alternate music widgets, adding your new pick, customizing it, and troubleshooting any issues. With just a few steps, you can personalize your lock screen with a music widget that suits your needs and preferences.
Viewing Current Lock Screen Widgets
To view the widgets currently on your Android lock screen, first open the Settings app on your phone. From there, tap on “Lock screen” in the list of options.
In the Lock screen settings menu, look for the “Widgets” option and tap on it. This will show you a preview of your current lock screen with any widgets that are enabled.
For example, on many Samsung Galaxy phones, the default lock screen includes a music widget for controlling playback. It will look something like this:
To see your actual current lock screen with widgets, you can simply exit Settings and wake your phone or turn on the screen. The lock screen will display with the widgets you just previewed in the settings.
If you don’t see any widgets on your lock screen, then none are currently enabled. The next step will be adding a new music widget.
Removing the Default Music Widget
To start customizing your lock screen music widget, you’ll first need to remove the default widget. Here’s how to do it:
Open your lock screen settings by going to Settings > Lock Screen. On Samsung devices, go to Settings > Lock Screen > Widgets. You may need to enter your PIN, password or fingerprint to access the lock screen settings.
Once in the lock screen settings, long press on the default music widget. An options menu will appear. Select the “Remove” option.
The default music widget will now be removed from your lock screen. You should see a blank space where the widget used to be. This clears the way for adding a custom widget.
Source: https://www.wikihow.com/Remove-Widgets-on-Android
Finding New Music Widgets
Once you have removed the default music widget, the next step is to find a new music widget to use. The easiest way to find new widgets is to search the Google Play Store. Here are the steps:
Open the Play Store app on your Android device. You can find this by swiping up for the app drawer and searching for “Play Store”. Tap the Play Store icon to open it.
In the Play Store search bar, type “music widget”. This will show results for different music widgets you can download.
Some top options include:
- Music Lock Screen – A customizable music widget with many different themes and customizations.
- Musixmatch Lyrics – A popular lyrics app that includes a music widget.
Adding a New Music Widget
Once you have removed the default music widget, it’s time to add a new one. Here are the steps:
First, open your lock screen settings. On most Android devices, you can do this by long pressing on the lock screen and tapping on the settings icon. Alternatively, open the Settings app and go to Lock Screen or Display settings.
Next, tap on the empty widget area on your lock screen. This will open up the widget selection menu.
Now you can browse through the available widget options and select a music one. Some options may include the stock Android music widget, Spotify, YouTube Music, etc. Tap on the widget you want to add.
The widget will now be added to your lock screen. Feel free to drag it around to your preferred location.
That’s it! With just a few taps, you can easily replace the default music widget with one from a music app of your choice (source).
Customizing the Widget
Once you have added a music widget to your lock screen, you can customize how it looks and functions. Most music apps that offer lock screen widgets have settings where you can tweak the widget to your liking.
To access the widget settings, long-press on the widget on your lock screen, then tap the gear icon that appears. This will open the configuration menu for that widget.
Here are some of the common options you may see for customizing lock screen music widgets:
- Size – Make the widget smaller or larger on your lock screen.
- Background color – Choose a color to display behind the widget.
- Text color – Pick the color for song titles, artist names, etc.
- Album artwork – Toggle on/off whether to show the current track’s album cover.
- Media controls – Decide which playback buttons you want visible.
- Info shown – Select exactly which track details to display, like title, artist, album, etc.
For example, here are the customization options for the default Google Play Music widget on Pixel phones:
Take some time to play around with the different settings to get your music widget looking perfect on your lock screen.
Troubleshooting Issues
If you encounter problems with your music widget on the lock screen, here are some troubleshooting tips:
According to the Poweramp forum, if your music widget is not showing up on the lock screen, first open the app to make sure notifications are enabled in the settings. The lock screen widget gets its content from notifications, so if they are disabled, the widget may not appear.
If your music widget is not updating with new information or album artwork, try restarting your device as recommended by MakeUseOf. This resets all running apps and services and can get your widget back in sync.
Some widgets like music players can drain your battery quickly, especially if they are refreshing data often. Check the widget settings to see if you can reduce the refresh rate or switch to a simpler, less data-intensive widget to improve battery life.
If issues persist, removing and re-adding the widget, disabling battery optimizations for the app, or transferring the app to internal storage can also help troubleshoot problems as outlined in guides from MakeUseOf and JoyofAndroid.
Widget Placement
When adding a music widget to your Android lock screen, you have the option to place it in either the top or bottom widget slot.
To add your music widget to the top slot, simply select that placement option when prompted after selecting your desired widget. The widget will then display at the top of your lock screen above the clock.
Alternatively, you can opt to put your music widget in the bottom slot. Just choose this placement option when adding the widget, and it will appear at the bottom of the lock screen below notifications and other elements.
Both the top and bottom slots work equally well for music widgets on Android. It’s simply a matter of personal preference where you want the widget located on your lock screen. Some users like having quick access to music controls right at the top, while others prefer them tucked more discretely at the bottom.
So feel free to experiment with top versus bottom placement when adding a new music widget, and choose whichever layout you find most convenient on your device. The options are flexible, allowing you to customize the lock screen to suit your needs.
Additional Lock Screen Customization
There are a few other ways to customize the lock screen beyond just changing the music widget in Android 14. You can change the wallpaper, add shortcuts, and modify the clock style to further personalize your lock screen experience.
To change the wallpaper, open the Settings app and go to Wallpaper & style > Lock screen. Here you can select from preset wallpapers or choose an image from your Photos app. According to The Verge, you can also long press on the lock screen itself and tap “Change wallpaper” to access the same options.
Adding shortcuts to apps or actions on your lock screen is easy in Android 14. Simply long press on the lock screen, tap “Customize,” and then drag shortcuts from the bottom tray to wherever you want them on your lock screen. This lets you quickly open frequent apps without fully unlocking your phone.
The clock style and font on the lock screen can also be changed in Android 14. Go to Settings > Wallpaper & style > Clock style to pick from analog, digital, or variable styles. You can even customize the clock color and add a background effect like motion or breathing.
With all these customization options, you can truly make your Android 14 lock screen your own. Change up the wallpaper when you want a fresh look, add handy shortcuts, and pick your ideal clock style.
Conclusion
In summary, you can easily change the built-in music widget on your Android lock screen. First, go to your lock screen settings to view the current widgets and remove the default music one. Then browse the Play Store or your device’s widget menu to find a new music widget that suits your preferences. Download your chosen widget and add it to your lock screen like any other widget. You can resize and reposition the widget to fit your needs.
While we focused on music widgets here, you can also add other types of widgets to customize your lock screen further. For example, you could add widgets for weather, calendar events, notifications, or news. The process is the same – just browse for widgets you like, download them, and add them to your lock screen. With the ability to fully customize your lock screen widgets, you can tailor your Android device to match your style and preferences.