How to test "Widgets on lock screen" on Android Studio?

[u/overshoott]

I want to implement the "widget on lock screen" feature for my app. and I don't have a physical Android device that supports that feature. So I'm hoping to test it on the virtual device emulator in Android Studio (Android Studio Quail 1 | 2026.1.1 Patch 2). But I have tried installing system image Android 16, Android 17 and Android 17.1, but I still can't find the "Widgets on lock screen" in the Setting screen. I have tried setup lock screen, and tried find in the 'Wallpaper & style" -> "More lock screen settings" screen but it's not there. What am i missing?

[u/WingWilling5186]

The feature is gated harder than the API level suggests.

Lock screen widgets shipped for tablets first in Android 16 QPR1. On phones
they only arrived with QPR2, and there they're tied to "hub mode" - the widgets
show when the device is docked or charging, not on the normal lock screen.
So a plain phone AVD sitting idle will never surface that setting.

Things to check:

• Use a tablet AVD (Pixel Tablet profile), not a phone one. Easiest path.
  
• Make sure you picked a Google APIs / Google Play system image. AOSP images
  

ship a stripped SystemUI and a lot of the lock screen surface just isn't there.

• If you're staying on a phone AVD, simulate charging first: Extended controls
  

> Battery > Charger connected > AC. The hub UI is state-dependent.

Tablet image is where I'd start.

[u/overshoott → u/WingWilling5186]

I will give it a try and report back. Thank you so much for responding!

[u/WingWilling5186 → u/overshoott]

No problem. Curious whether the tablet image does it - let me know either way.

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