Apple Music for Android update introduces home screen widget

AppleInsiderAppleInsider
Posted:
in iPod + iTunes + AppleTV edited March 2016
In continued efforts to improve its flagship Android app, Apple pushed out an update to Apple Music on Thursday that, among other improvements, builds in a home screen widget for playback control.




On Android, home screen widgets are bite-sized versions of standalone apps that provide easy access to commonly used operations. As Apple does not allow similar functionality on its own iOS operating system, building the feature into Apple Music for Android proves the company isn't shying away from exploiting that platform's strengths.

As noted by The Verge, Apple's new widget includes a thumbnail of the current album playing and boasts controls for pausing, skipping and revisiting the last played track. A familiar heart icon is also included for favoriting songs, which subsequently informs Apple's For You personalized playlists.

In addition to the new widget view, Apple Music for Android now accepts gift cards to renew memberships using iTunes credit, while a Radio tab upgrade lets users see what song is playing on Beats 1 prior to tuning in. The update also includes user interface tweaks for the Now Playing section and expanded Apple Music catalog charts.

Apple Music launched on Android last November as a beta service, offering users access to a vast music catalog powered by iTunes, Beats 1 radio streaming, the Connect social network and more.

Apple Music version 0.9.7 is a free update from the Google Play app store.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 10
    moreckmoreck Posts: 187member
    I wonder if this means that they're going to build proper widget support into iOS.
  • Reply 2 of 10
    JcheinamanJcheinaman Posts: 2member
    Lol. Don't get your hopes up. 
    cornchip
  • Reply 3 of 10
    staticx57staticx57 Posts: 405member
    I wish they would. I use them all the time on rMBP , but almost never on my iPad.
  • Reply 4 of 10
    igorskyigorsky Posts: 755member
    Why would we need this widget when we have playback control in Control Center and lockscreen?
    cornchip
  • Reply 5 of 10
    boopthesnootboopthesnoot Posts: 73member
    Anyone else feel bad for the Apple team that got put on Android app duty?
    matrix077
  • Reply 6 of 10
    matrix077matrix077 Posts: 868member
    moreck said:
    I wonder if this means that they're going to build proper widget support into iOS.
    What is the difference between that and the control in Control Center? I read and I thought it's just the same.

    Apple's new widget includes a thumbnail of the current album playing and boasts controls for pausing, skipping and revisiting the last played track. A familiar heart icon is also included for favoriting songs,




    Btw, what is that hideous thick black bar at the bottom?

    Btw 2, I just play a little with my friend's Samsung Galaxy phone and unbelievably just a few random taps I can access her banking app.. :O  Wonder was it because of Android "Widget"?


    edited March 2016
  • Reply 7 of 10
    singularitysingularity Posts: 1,328member
    matrix077 said:
    moreck said:
    I wonder if this means that they're going to build proper widget support into iOS.
    What is the difference between that and the control in Control Center? I read and I thought it's just the same.





    Btw, what is that hideous thick black bar at the bottom?

    Btw 2, I just play a little with my friend's Samsung Galaxy phone and unbelievably just a few random taps I can access her banking app.. :O  Wonder was it because of Android "Widget"?


    by access do you mean you can get into it and see her account or you can just open it but can't log in. If you can access it then it's the banks fault for writing a really bad app and you should tell her to stop using it and delete it.
  • Reply 8 of 10
    singularitysingularity Posts: 1,328member

    matrix077 said:
    moreck said:
    I wonder if this means that they're going to build proper widget support into iOS.
    What is the difference between that and the control in Control Center? I read and I thought it's just the same.





    Btw, what is that hideous thick black bar at the bottom?

    Btw 2, I just play a little with my friend's Samsung Galaxy phone and unbelievably just a few random taps I can access her banking app.. :O  Wonder was it because of Android "Widget"?


    The black bar is the soft keys from the phone they used to get the screenshot. 
  • Reply 9 of 10
    matrix077matrix077 Posts: 868member
    singularity said:
    matrix077 said:
    What is the difference between that and the control in Control Center? I read and I thought it's just the same.





    Btw, what is that hideous thick black bar at the bottom?

    Btw 2, I just play a little with my friend's Samsung Galaxy phone and unbelievably just a few random taps I can access her banking app.. :O  Wonder was it because of Android "Widget"?


    by access do you mean you can get into it and see her account or you can just open it but can't log in. If you can access it then it's the banks fault for writing a really bad app and you should tell her to stop using it and delete it.
    I can open it and see all her data in there. I handed the phone back to her immediately.
  • Reply 10 of 10
    singularitysingularity Posts: 1,328member
    matrix077 said:
    singularity said:
    by access do you mean you can get into it and see her account or you can just open it but can't log in. If you can access it then it's the banks fault for writing a really bad app and you should tell her to stop using it and delete it.
    I can open it and see all her data in there. I handed the phone back to her immediately.
    Jesus that's a bad app.
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