Quick answer
To add an Android widget, long-press an empty part of the home screen, choose Widgets, find the app's widget and drag or select it onto a free space. Some launchers use different labels or require configuration after placement. If the widget refuses to fit, clear adjacent cells or choose a smaller size before changing system settings. A widget can be display-only rather than tappable.
Start from an empty part of the home screen
Unlock your phone and return to the home screen, not the app drawer. Press and hold a blank area until the home-screen options appear. Choose Widgets. Scroll or search for the app that provides the widget, open its group, then press and drag the widget onto a free area. Release it when the position looks right. Some phones use a tap rather than a drag; follow what the launcher shows.
If the long press opens wallpaper settings but no widget menu, look for an additional menu or swipe through the home customization tabs. On certain launchers, you can long-press an app icon and choose its widget shortcut instead.
Make space before you add one
Widgets normally occupy several cells of your launcher grid. A 2×2 widget needs more room than an app icon. Drag nearby icons elsewhere or choose another home page. If the widget is rejected, try a smaller version if the app offers one. The numbers are approximate grid cells, not fixed pixel dimensions.
A widget may ask for configuration after you drop it. For example, a calendar could ask which calendar to show. Read the prompt and permit only the data you actually want displayed.
Check that it worked
Return home and confirm the widget remains visible after leaving and returning. Tap it only if its design indicates a tap action; some widgets are display-only. If you cannot find the app in the picker, make sure the app is installed and supports a widget, then see our missing widget guide.
Google has official illustrated steps in Add apps, shortcuts and widgets. Menus vary between Samsung One UI, Pixel Launcher, Xiaomi launchers and third-party home apps.
If the widget picker looks different on your phone
The standard Android flow starts with a long press on an empty home-screen area, but launcher wording changes. Some phones put Widgets beside Wallpaper and Home settings. Others first show a personalization screen. If long-pressing an app icon offers a widget, that may be a second route to the same list. Do not follow instructions for a different launcher line by line when its controls are missing on your screen.
Before you start, make space. If every grid cell is occupied, the launcher may refuse to place a large widget or may move icons to another page. You can temporarily open an empty home-screen page to test without rearranging the main one.
A simple test when installation seems to fail
- Choose a familiar built-in widget, such as a clock or calendar, and try placing that first.
- If it places normally, open the picker again and look for your newly installed widget app.
- Check whether the app asks for an initial design, a Gallery selection or permission before it can display information.
- Start with a small, simple widget. Test resizing only after it appears on the home screen.
- If no third-party widgets place, inspect the launcher or its restrictions rather than clearing individual widget apps.
A widget that is missing from the picker is a different problem from one that appears but stays blank. Follow picker troubleshooting for the first case and blank widget troubleshooting for the second.
Know what can happen after placement
A launcher may ask you to configure a widget immediately after you drag it onto a home screen. You might need to choose a calendar, a photo or a saved layout. That configuration step belongs to the widget app. It does not mean the launcher failed to install the widget.
Once a widget is placed, long-pressing generally enters move or resize mode. A quick tap can open content only if the widget implements an action. Do not expect every decorative layer to act like a button. Read why a widget won't respond to taps if a documented action fails.
Google's Android home-screen help is a reliable starting point, but screenshots in that guide might not match the launcher shipped with your phone.