Android 4.2 comes with lock screen widget support. So, you now have multiple panels on your lock screen, similar to what you have on the home screen. When you swipe to the left on the main lock screen panel(which displays the clock) and tap the plus sign, a list of widgets are displayed. To add a widget, just select it from the list and to remove it, long press and fling it upwards to the Remove area. Pre-installed widgets include Calculator, Calendar, Email, Messaging, Sound Search and Torch.
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| List of available lock screen widgets |
DashClock Widget, however, unveils the true potential of lock screen widgets. Created by +Roman Nurik, this widget delivers a lot of information to the user without having to swipe left or right. DashClock Widget can be used as a replacement lock screen widget. It comes bundled with extensions which give access to:
- Your current local weather
- Missed calls and unread text messages
- Your next calendar appointment
- Unread Gmail inbox or priority box conversations
- Your next scheduled alarm
The best part of this widget is that it is open-source and extensible. So, developers can use the DashClock API and write their own extensions. And this is exactly what I have done.
I have written an extension for DashClock which enables users to display the device owner information on the lock screen. It shows:
- Owner Name
- Phone Number
- Email Address
- Company
- Custom one-line message
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| Settings screen |
Tapping the extension in the widget will send an email to the address specified. This is helpful if you lose your phone and a good Samaritan finds it. When the widget is minimized, only the name is displayed while in maximized state, all the details are visible.
You can download the extension APK from http://goo.gl/ErT1z
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| Maximized state |
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| Minimized state |
