Somewhat surprisingly, the Google Search app on Android now offers a “Finance Watchlist” stocks widget.
Update 7/11: The widgets were pulled shortly after they first appeared, but Google did officially announce them as part of Android’s new features for summer 2023.
They are now back with Google app 14.28.6.29, which is still in beta. Mainly, the widgets feel a bit more stable now.
Original 5/31: Joining two Weather widgets (exclusive to Pixel devices), the Search bar, At a Glance, and Sound Search is a “Finance Watchlist.” It’s meant to let you “Follow stocks, indexes, and crypto on Google Search to build a watchlist.” The stocks here are sourced from google.com/finance, which got its last major update in September 2020.
In that regard, it makes sense why the Google Search app is being used to deliver it, as there’s no Finance app (just the website and some integration with Search). Google News would be the other candidate.
One stock gets featured at the top with a graph. Information includes the current price, symbol, and gain/loss with a corresponding arrow. Other stocks are displayed in a list or side-by-side if the widget is at full width.
Customization options let you set the “Featured investment.” You can pick the “Top mover” with the “biggest gain or loss” or select a specific stock to pin. “Sorting” lets you choose between name, symbol, or day % change, sorted by ascending or descending values.
Dynamic Color theming is used across the entire widget, including the background, while there’s a refresh button in the bottom-right corner.
We’re seeing this stocks widget with version 14.22.12.29 of the Google app, which is currently in beta. It’s somewhat buggy and might not be ready for prime time. There’s a chance it will be removed by a server-side update. However, for the moment, all the functionality is there.
This widget is rather tablet- and foldable-friendly, which reflects Google’s ongoing large screen push.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
Comments