Android widgets not updating? How to fix it on Samsung, Xiaomi, Oppo and Pixel
When a widget shows the wrong time, an old prayer or yesterday's weather, the widget itself is rarely broken. Many Android phones stop apps in the background to save battery, and an app that is stopped cannot update its widgets. These steps fix it in a minute.
Why widgets stop updating
A widget is drawn by its app. To move a clock to the next minute or a prayer widget to the next prayer, the app has to run for a moment in the background. Battery saving on many phones, especially Samsung, Xiaomi, Oppo and realme, puts apps to sleep after a while, and the widget freezes on the last thing it showed.
The fix is to tell your phone that this app may run in the background. Menu names differ a little between phone models and versions; the steps below are the usual ones.
Samsung Galaxy (One UI)
- Open Settings › Apps and choose the widget app, for example Wadiget.
- Tap Battery and select Unrestricted.
- Then open Settings › Battery (or Battery and device care) › Background usage limits, and make sure the app is not in Sleeping apps or Deep sleeping apps.
Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO (MIUI and HyperOS)
- Open Settings › Apps › Manage apps and choose the app.
- Tap Battery saver (or Battery) and choose No restrictions.
- On the same page, turn on Autostart.
You can also lock the app in the recent apps screen, so that clearing recent apps does not close it.
Oppo, realme and OnePlus (ColorOS, realme UI and OxygenOS)
- Open Settings › Apps › App management and choose the app.
- Tap Battery usage (or Battery).
- Turn on Allow background activity and, where it is shown, Allow auto launch.
Google Pixel and most other phones
- Open Settings › Apps and choose the app.
- Tap App battery usage (or Battery).
- Select Unrestricted.
Still not updating?
- Remove the widget and add it again after changing the settings.
- Turn off cleaner, booster or task killer apps: they close other apps on purpose.
- Check that Power saving mode is off. Most phones pause background work while it is on.
- Update the app from Google Play, then restart your phone once.
If you cannot find a setting, search for “battery” in your phone's Settings. The site dontkillmyapp.com keeps detailed steps for many more phone models.
Weather and live scores need a connection
Weather and football widgets also need an internet connection to refresh. In Wadiget, prayer times keep showing without a connection, and your notes and tasks stay on your phone.
Questions
Will this drain my battery?
Usually very little. A widget app runs only for a moment when what it shows needs to change; allowing background activity simply stops the phone from putting it to sleep.
Why does my clock widget show the right time again when I open the app?
Opening the app wakes it up, so it updates its widgets. If the widget then freezes again, the phone is putting the app to sleep in the background: follow the steps for your phone above.
Do I have to do this again after an update?
Usually not. Some phones reset these settings after a major system update, so check them again if your widgets stop updating after one.
