Picture this: You’re scrolling through Google Play, hunting for a new app to spice up your Android home screen. You’ve got a vague idea of what you want—maybe something with a slick widget to check the weather, manage your to-do list, or even just look cool. But unless you already know the app’s name, finding one with a widget can feel like a scavenger hunt. Well, Google’s finally doing something about that. In a recent blog post, the tech giant announced some fresh changes coming to the Google Play Store that’ll make widget-friendly apps easier to spot—and honestly, it’s about time.

According to Yinka Taiwo-Peters, a product manager at Google, the company is rolling out a trio of updates aimed at boosting widget discoverability: a new search filter specifically for apps with widgets, little “widget badges” popping up on app detail pages, and even a curated editorial page showcasing the best widgets out there. It’s a move that’s got developers nodding in approval and users like us quietly cheering from the sidelines.

Widgets have been a staple of Android since the early days, offering a quick, glanceable way to interact with apps right from your home screen. Want to skip opening your music app to hit play? There’s a widget for that. Need to see your calendar without diving into the app? Widget’s got you covered. They’re one of those little Android perks that iPhone users have envied (at least until Apple caught up with its own take a few years back). But here’s the rub: despite their usefulness, widgets have always been a bit of an unsung hero. Unless an app screams “I HAVE A WIDGET!” in its description—or you stumble across a rave review mentioning it—you might not even know it’s there until after you’ve installed it.

Taiwo-Peters gets it. “Historically, one of the challenges with investing in widget development has been discoverability and user understanding,” she wrote in the blog post. She’s not wrong. For developers, building a widget isn’t just a fun side project—it’s real work. Designing something that looks good, functions smoothly, and doesn’t drain your battery takes effort. And if users don’t even know it exists, why bother? “You’ve asked for better ways for users to find and utilize your widgets, and we’re delivering,” she added, hinting at the feedback Google’s been getting from the developer community. It’s a classic chicken-and-egg problem: devs won’t prioritize widgets unless users adopt them, and users won’t adopt them if they can’t find them.

So, what’s Google bringing to the table? First up, there’s the new search filter. Soon, when you’re poking around Google Play, you’ll be able to tick a box (or whatever UI magic they cook up) to narrow your search to apps that come with widgets. Looking for a podcast player with a home screen controller? Filter it. Want a fitness app with a step-count widget? Filter it. It’s a small tweak, but it could save a lot of guesswork.

Then there’s the widget badge—a little label that’ll show up on an app’s detail page to let you know it’s got a widget in its toolkit. “It eliminates guesswork for users and highlights your widget offerings, encouraging them to explore and utilize this capability,” Taiwo-Peters explained. Think of it like a “4K Ultra HD” sticker on a TV box—it’s a quick signal that there’s something extra worth checking out. No more digging through screenshots or reviews to figure out if that note-taking app has a widget for quick scribbles.

And for those of us who love a good curated list, Google’s throwing in a dedicated editorial page to spotlight “collections of excellent widgets.” This one’s got me curious. Will it be a handpicked showcase of the sleekest, most useful widgets out there? Maybe a mix of fan favorites like Weather Underground’s forecast widget or Todoist’s minimalist task tracker? Whatever it ends up being, it sounds like a fun way to discover apps you might not have otherwise considered.

These changes might seem minor in the grand scheme of Google’s empire, but they’re a big deal for Android’s ecosystem. Widgets have always been one of Android’s secret weapons—a way to personalize your phone and make it work your way. Back in the Android 4.0 days, widgets were everywhere; then they took a backseat as live wallpapers and fancy launchers stole the spotlight. Lately, though, they’ve been making a quiet comeback, especially as phones get bigger and home screens become prime real estate again.

Google’s not blind to this. The company’s been nudging developers to invest in widgets for a while now—think updated design guidelines in Material You and better tools in Android Studio. But as Taiwo-Peters noted, “We understand that the effort required to build and maintain widgets needs to be justified by user adoption.” Translation: if users don’t use ‘em, devs won’t make ‘em. By shining a spotlight on widget-ready apps, Google’s hoping to kickstart a virtuous cycle—more visibility, more downloads, more incentive for developers to keep the widget train rolling.

The blog post didn’t pin down an exact launch date, just teasing that these updates are “coming soon.” Knowing Google, that could mean next week or next quarter—your guess is as good as mine. But whenever they land, I’m betting they’ll be a quiet game-changer for how we browse the Play Store. And who knows? Maybe this’ll spark a mini widget renaissance. Imagine a wave of creative new designs—think interactive game widgets, live sports score tickers, or even quirky little doodads that don’t do much but make you smile.