Widgets have long been a useful part of the Android homescreen and, for many, they’ve solidified their spot and functionality for years. That’s why it’s pretty frustrating that, for some Google Pixel owners that have upgraded to Android 17, homescreen widgets haven’t just been removed from the homescreen, but they’re not even available to come back.
Through the Android 17 Beta program, some noticed that widgets could be removed from the homescreen and unavailable to put back in place. Reports date back as far as February, without a clear fix in place.
And it seems it snuck through into the stable release.
Pixel owners on Reddit have noticed since updating to the stable Android 17 update that dropped earlier this week that widgets have vanished from their homescreen and are not present in the widget picker. It seems to affect any widgets that were in place prior to the update.
What’s the cause? It does look like the Work Profile is involved, as quite a few affected users mention that disabling that profile brings everything back. Adding a new profile can bring the issue back, though.
