What is the difference between an app and a widget?

aubreymh99

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Why would I choose either? Which is better?
Sign me very confused.
 

Ollie

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Why would I choose either? Which is better?
Sign me very confused.

Widgets provide at a glance information without having to dive into an app. They live on your homescreens.

Apps are the meat and potatoes that the widgets pull data from unless a widget just happens to be a stand alone widget such as a 3G/4G/LTE toggler.
 
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aubreymh99

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Thanks. Now why would I choose a widget instead of an app, or vice versa?
 

Ollie

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I'm strictly an app user now that I have the Note Edge. The sidebar makes widgets redundant to me.

Some people use widgets to monitor things. Like their data usage, their Twitter accounts, their email.

Some people use widgets to make their homescreens cool looking through customizations.

I see most widgets like a window. You can look inside without having to open the door and walk in.
 

mountainbikermark

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Thanks. Now why would I choose a widget instead of an app, or vice versa?
I'll use a weather widget as an example. It will update the temperature, conditions, etc and show on the widget whereas to get that information on a weather app you have to open the app. Toggle widgets change a set setting on the phone without opening the settings app and finding the setting you want to change. If you want information or changes without opening an app widgets are what you want but many will use cpu (battery) while the phone sleeps, some will use data to update what you set to keep current while the phone sleeps as well. Some apps will give a choice of app icon or widget for different uses. Tapatalk has a widget that is useful for opening the app to a specific forum instead of Tapatalk in general .
The only widgets I use are toggle widgets . Everything else I prefer the app

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Deepaksethi

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Thanks for nice question,
Widget are basically light/mini programs as compare of Apps.
Generally widget are used on phone home screen like Digital clock,Temperature live and more.
On other hand Apps can be very multinational ,
Some apps include their own widgets to sit out on the phone’s home screen while grabbing information from that app — like a weather app that has a widget for showing the current conditions and any storm alerts in the area.
I will be happy if any body share with me some more differences.
I am excited to know about it.
 

Codete

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I'm really looking forward to a moment when the distiction between the two will be even more blurred. Imagine playing a simple game on a widget, it would be really cool!
 

JacobVR

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It is very simple to differentiate between them. Widget is a device that is very useful for a particular job and runs continuously performing that job. For example clock, calendar, whether forecast etc. It is quite obvious that because the widgets run continuously they consume your CPU memory and battery. You need not to click on the widgets to run them. On the other hand, an app is a software programme that runs on mobile devices or computers and which are usually a third party programmes. A simple example is of the 'WordWeb', which is available as an iPhone app. An app will run only when you want it to run and till then it won't consume your CPU memory and the battery.
 

FoxKat

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Just to add, widgets take two forms. The one described above that actually runs on the home screen and displays active data, and another which is simply a shortcut to a single function within either an app or phone, which performs that function when tapped. For instance, a widget can be placed on the screen that toggles WiFi on or off when tapped. Another example is an app that I have installed which refreshes the network connection by disconnecting and reconnecting from the mobile data network to fix connection issues.

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The app above can be triggered by the widget in the top left corner round widget below.

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Methew_Bond

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Widgets and app are both different part of programs that run on android pone. Widgets are self-contained mini programs that live and run on the phone’s home screen.they perform simple functions .

App is a programs that you tap open and run. it is like a program that lets you create and edit spreadsheets right on your phone.
 

martinsmith

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The difference between the Widget and App is : - Widget is a device that is very useful for particular job and it runs continuously to perform that job.Ex : Clock and Calendar.
App is a software program that runs on mobile or computer devices and which are usually third party programmes.
 

nixonsherrie

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A widget is a stand-alone application that can be embedded into third party sites by any user on a page where they have rights of authorship.
An App especially as downloaded by a user to a mobile device.
 

tylor turpin

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two different types which used in Androids for different purposes. Normally Widgets are self-contained mini programs that live and run on the phone’s home screen and perform simple functions. Apps are which we tap and used to run. and they are multi functional.
 

nixonsherrie

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Apps are program and Widgets are bookmarks on device.
 
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