What is the difference between widget and app

Mobile widget is similar to desktop widgets, but they are for mobile phones. They can minimize screen space and are useful for live data-rich applications. An app refers to a program for any hardware platform such as a mobile device like smartphones and tablets.

They are fast, small and easier to use. Furthermore, the apps for iPhones are available in App Store and the apps for Android phones are available on Play Store. The term app became popular due to the popularity of Apple apps but now Android and Windows programs are also called apps. The users can use the apps by downloading and installing them from an online app store.

Some apps are free while users should pay for others. Apps consume a minimum amount of resources. Most mobile apps are less expensive than PC applications as they do not provide much functionality. For example, a word processing application designed as an app has fewer features compared to word application in Windows.

Apps unlock the potential of smartphones by adding new capabilities while widgets make apps simplerto use. In combination, these programs make smartphones more like a part of their users than a generic machine by tailoring its features and functionality to their specific needs. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Notify me of new posts by email. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Advertise Contact Us. LOG IN. Log into your account. Recover your password. Mobile apps are miniature versions of the programs with similar offerings those accessed on computers. Widgets are also apps except they let you access the apps without opening them. Some applications replace icons for widgets to add an aesthetic appeal to the home screen. Widgets are icons that link to programs except you do not need to tap them to start the program. You can however tap the weather widget to access the full features of the app.

In simple terms, widget can be referred to as a self-contained piece of code that is mostly a shortcut to a larger application. Widgets are more than just icons; they can be buttons, scroll bars, pull-down menus, on-off toggle, progress indicators, and more.

Widgets also provide extension to an existing widget to describe how a particular widget behaves and responds to user actions. Apps are full-fledged programs that are developed to perform specific tasks and they can be categorized into mobile apps and desktop apps. Mobile apps are the programs developed for small devices such as mobile phones and tablets, whereas desktop apps are stand-alone programs that run locally on a computer.

Widgets, on the other hand, are self-contained mini apps that come in all shapes and sizes. Widgets are more like icons that link to programs. App is a full-featured program that you need to tap and open in order to enjoy the full services of the program. Apps can be multifunctional that let you do everything at once. Widgets are also apps except they always run in the background. Unlike apps, widgets are always active by default and you do not need to tap them to start the program.

Apps hibernate when the instance of that program is closed or terminated. Closing an app usually abandons its last state and it moves away from its interface. Opening it again will reload its executable code either completely or partially. In simple terms, close the app and it goes into hibernation. Widgets, on the contrary, always run in the background so they do not hibernate when you move away from the interface.

A widget runs in the background which makes it hypothetically invisible to the user. It works behind the scenes without having to load the instance of the program every time you tap the icon. Widgets are also programs, but they are designed as an extension of an app. Whereas an app is developed to help complete many tasks, a widget is more focused on accomplishing a single task from within the app.

Pretty much every Android smartphone, irrespective of the make and model, comes with a clock app which is accompanied by a clock widget. When you open the clock app, there are many things you can do. For example, you can view date and time, set multiple alarms, and use the timer or the stopwatch. So you can use a clock app to do a lot of different time-related tasks. A widget, on the other hand, will only do one task. I will need to tap on it once to open the Clock app, and then I can access the remaining features.

Here is a Google Keep widget. It acts as a shortcut to different functions of the note-taking app. I can add a text note, create a to-do list, make a voice note, draw or add an image; all the features right on the home screen within a tap away. Keep offers another widget which acts as a shortcut to one particular note. Like a daily grocery list note. Pretty handy, right?