In this guide
Widgets and shortcuts live outside your app, on the home screen, and the launcher decides much of how they look and behave. Test them on more than one launcher if you can. Each item below has a reason and a way to check.
Widgets
- Add and remove. Why: setup is where widgets often fail. Check: add the widget from the picker, confirm it shows content, remove it, add it again.
- Initial state. Why: the widget may appear before your app has ever run. Check: install fresh, add the widget without opening the app. It should show a sensible empty or sign-in state, not a blank box.
- Updates. Why: stale data is the most common widget complaint. Check: change data in the app, then see when the widget follows. Test after a reboot and after the device sat idle.
- Resize. Why: users stretch widgets. Check: resize to the smallest and largest allowed size; text and images should not overlap or vanish.
- Tap targets. Why: a tap must open the right screen. Check: tap every element; confirm it lands on the intended screen, also when the app is closed and when it is already open.
- Signed-out and no-network states. Check: log out, switch to airplane mode, look at the widget.
- Dark mode and font size. Check: switch both in system settings and re-check legibility.
- After an app update. Check: leave a widget on the home screen, update the app, confirm it still works.
App shortcuts
- Long-press menu. Check: long-press the app icon; are the shortcuts present, labeled and in a sensible order?
- Target screen. Check: each shortcut should open the right screen with the right back behavior.
- Signed-out behavior. Check: use a shortcut while logged out; it should lead to login, not crash.
- Pinned shortcuts. Check: pin one to the home screen, then delete the content it points to. What happens on tap?
- Language. Check: change the system language; labels should follow.
Across launchers
Behavior differs by launcher and Android version: widget sizing, how many shortcuts show, animations. Try at least two launchers, such as the one on a Pixel-style device and one from another manufacturer. Note which launcher and Android version each finding comes from.
Reporting
Add launcher name, Android version, widget size, and a screen recording if the issue involves timing.
Back to the Android app testing hub. Related: testing the upgrade path and clean install and reinstall.
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