Google Play enhances widget discovery to drive engagement with your app

Posted by Yinka Taiwo-Peters – Product Manager

Android developers, we've heard you. Historically, one of the challenges with investing in widget development has been discoverability and user understanding. You've asked for better ways for users to find and utilize your widgets, and we're delivering. Google Play now offers significant enhancements to widget discovery, creating a prime opportunity to re-engage with your users on a deeper level.

We understand that the effort required to build and maintain widgets needs to be justified by user adoption, that’s why we’ve designed these key improvements, which are coming soon to Google Play on Android phones, tablets and foldables:

    • Dedicated Widgets Search Filter: Users can now directly search for apps with widgets using a dedicated filter on Google Play. This means your apps/games with widgets will be easily identified, helping drive targeted downloads and engagement.
    • New Widget Badges on App Detail Pages: We’ve introduced a visual badge on your app’s detail pages to clearly indicate the presence of widgets. This eliminates guesswork for users and highlights your widget offerings, encouraging them to explore and utilize this capability.
    • Curated Widgets Editorial Page: We're actively educating users on the value of widgets through a new editorial page. This curated space showcases collections of excellent widgets and promotes the apps that leverage them. This provides an additional channel for your widgets to gain visibility and reach a wider audience.
Three side-by-side displays of using the widget filter in Google Play Store
click to enlarge

What this means for you:

    • Increased User Engagement: Enhanced discoverability may translate to more users finding and using your widgets, leading to increased app engagement and user retention.
    • New Opportunities for User Interaction: Widgets offer a unique way to provide value and interact with users on their home screens, fostering a deeper connection with your app.
    • Renewed Investment Justification: The improved discoverability features make widget development a more viable and rewarding investment.

We encourage you to revisit your app strategy and consider the potential of widgets. With these new discovery tools, Google Play is making it easier than ever for users to find and love your widgets. Now is the time to leverage the power of widgets and enhance your Android app experience.

This blog post is part of our series: Spotlight Week on Widgets, where we provide resources—blog posts, videos, sample code, and more—all designed to help you design and create widgets. You can read more in the overview of Spotlight Week: Widgets, which will be updated throughout the week.

Improving Google Calendar’s interoperability with Microsoft Outlook

What’s changing

We recently announced an improved syncing experience from Google Calendar to third-party calendars, like Microsoft Outlook, that allows event guests to enjoy a more reliable syncing experience with less calendar emails in their inbox. 


Building upon this, we’re excited to announce that Calendar now reliably processes calendaring emails sent using the Microsoft-specific format for rich text emails called Transport Neutral Encapsulation Format (TNEF). As a result, Calendar users and organizations that routinely collaborate with internal and external Outlook users will now benefit from a more reliable experience when receiving invitations and RSVPs from Outlook users. 


Getting started 

  • Admins and end users: There is no admin controls or end user setting for this feature. 

Rollout pace 


Availability 

  • Available to all Google Workspace customers, Workspace Individual Subscribers, and users with personal Google accounts 

Resources 

Google Workspace Updates Weekly Recap – February 28, 2025

4 New updates

Unless otherwise indicated, the features below are available to all Google Workspace customers, and are fully launched or in the process of rolling out. Rollouts should take no more than 15 business days to complete if launching to both Rapid and Scheduled Release at the same time. If not, each stage of rollout should take no more than 15 business days to complete.



Summaries in Google Chat home now available for direct messages and read conversations 
Last year, we introduced the ability for Gemini in Google Chat to help you catch up on unread conversations in the Chat home view with summaries. In addition to being available for group conversations, spaces, or threads from home, we’re excited to announce summaries in home are now available for: 
  • Direct messages 
  • Read conversations. Prior to today, you could only review summaries for unread conversations. Now, you can review summaries regardless of read state. 
Upon navigating to a conversation in home, click the “Summarize” button to see a bulleted synopsis of the message content. This enables you to review recent activity across all active conversations to determine where best to focus your time and attention. | Rollout to Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains is complete. | Available to Business Standard, Business Plus, Enterprise Standard and Enterprise Plus. | Visit the Help Center to learn more about summaries in home.


Adding real-time Markdown styling and code formatting support in Google Chat 
Users can change the appearance of their Google Chat messages using the format menu or markdown, and today we’re excited to introduce support for real-time markdown styling and code formatting. With this update, markdown will be converted in the compose bar to formatted text as a user types, rather than being converted only once the message is sent. In addition, we’re adding support for code and code block in the compose bar. | Rolling out now to Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains. | Available to Google Workspace customers, Google Workspace Individual subscribers, and users with personal Google accounts. | Visit the Help Center to learn more about using markdown formatting in Google Chat.

Markdown formatting as you type in the compose bar
Markdown formatting as you type in the compose bar




Extending file upload to Gemini app users
We’re excited to announce that users of the Gemini app can now upload a variety of files from Google Drive or locally from their device into the Gemini app: 
  • Document files: DOC, DOCX, PDF, RTF, DOT, DOTX, HWP, HWPX 
  • Documents created in Google Docs 
  • Plain text files: TXT 
  • Presentation files: PPTX 
  • Presentations created with Google Slides
Rollout to Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains is complete. | Available to all Google Workspace users 18+ accessing the Gemini app. | Visit the Help Center to learn more about uploading & analyzing files in Gemini Apps. 



Google Vids introduces new looping animations feature 
We’re introducing a feature that enables users to add looping animations to text, stickers, and other shapes in their videos. Looping animations play continuously between enter and exit animations, allowing users to add extra emphasis or style to callouts, supers, and other elements in their videos, which can help increase viewer engagement. | Rolling out now to Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains. | Available to Business Standard and Plus, Enterprise Standard and Plus, Essentials, Enterprise Essentials and Enterprise Essentials Plus and Education Plus. | Visit the Help Center to learn more about Google Vids.

looping animations in Vids



Previous announcements

The announcements below were published on the Workspace Updates blog earlier this week. Please refer to the original blog posts for complete details.


Enhancing video navigation and accessibility with Google Drive video transcripts 
Last year, we announced that users can automatically generate captions for any video uploaded to Google Drive, improving the accessibility of videos and saving users the effort of manually creating captions. To build upon this feature and make information discovery, referencing, and productivity with video content much more efficient, we’re excited to introduce video transcripts. | Learn more about video transcripts.

Google Voice now supports call delegation
Admins can assign delegates to handle other users' calls. When assigned, delegates can: 1) Answer calls on the delegator’s behalf, 2) Place calls on the delegator’s behalf, including transferring the call to the delegator once connected , 3) Transfer calls selectively to the delegator and 4) Listen to voicemail messages and view voicemail transcripts. | Learn more about call delegation.

Transferring your personal Google Voice number to a Google Workspace business account just got easier
We're pleased to introduce a significantly improved experience for transferring a personal Google Voice number to a Google Workspace account. | Learn more about transferring your personal number to a Workspace business account. 

New Google Drive Inventory Reporting enhancements provide even richer insights into file permissions
We've enhanced Drive Inventory Reporting to include more detailed permission information for files and folders in My Drive. | Learn more about Drive Inventory Reporting.

Expanding SIP Link for Google Voice to new countries
We've launched Voice to new countries by expanding SIP Link availability. | Learn more about SIP Link.

Integrating HubSpot with Google Chat
Many utilize HubSpot, an AI-powered customer platform, to perform marketing, sales, customer service, content management, operations, and commerce tasks. This week, we’re excited to introduce an integration with HubSpot that enables users to see notifications and updates from HubSpot directly in Chat. | Learn more about the HubSpot integration.

Google Vids is expanding its AI voiceovers with new options
Users can now choose from a wider range of AI voices for their videos with the introduction of new options. | Learn more about new AI voiceovers in Vids.


Completed rollouts

The features below completed their rollouts to Rapid Release domains, Scheduled Release domains, or both. Please refer to the original blog posts for additional details.


Rapid Release Domains: 
Scheduled Release Domains: 
Rapid and Scheduled Release Domains: 

    For a recap of announcements in the past six months, check out What’s new in Google Workspace (recent releases).