REMINDERS · Widget
How to add a bill reminder widget on Android
Rent, internet, an installment - the due dates are known. The annoying part is opening the app just to see what is unpaid this week. A home screen bill widget puts Upcoming bills on the Android home screen.
If you already track rent or a phone installment in Smart Bill Reminder, you still have to open the app to check the unpaid list. A bill reminder widget on Android is the glanceable version of that list. You add it from the system widget picker, not from a button inside the app. It does not require an account to start.
Add Upcoming bills from the widget picker
- Long-press an empty spot on the Android home screen.
- Open Widgets.
- Find Smart Bill Reminder.
- Drag Upcoming bills onto the home screen.
That is the whole pin path. There is no Settings row and no in-app pin prompt. If you pick the other widget, Subscription countdown, you are on a separate tool - see the sibling note below.
Free lock vs Premium unpaid list
Anyone can pin the widget. What you see next depends on Premium:
- Free - a lock message. Tap it to open Premium in the app.
- Premium - up to 10 unpaid bills, overdue first. Each row shows the title, a due label (Overdue, Today, Tomorrow, or a date), and the amount in the currency from Settings.
An OCR-only unlock does not show the unpaid list. Current purchase is Premium: a plan or a one-time buy in the app. Compare Free and Premium on the pricing page.
What you can tap on the widget
On the Premium list:
- + opens Add bill.
- A row opens that bill so you can edit it in the app.
- The header opens the bills list.
You cannot mark a bill paid from the widget. Open the bill, then mark it paid there. The widget also does not pay, snooze, or cancel anything.
Limits and refresh
The list is on-device. It shows unpaid bills you already saved. It does not log into a bank and it does not invent dues from email.
- Maximum 10 rows. Overdue unpaid bills sit at the top.
- Refresh after you add, edit, or mark a bill paid, and about every six hours. It is not a live minute clock, so a day label can lag until the next refresh.
- There is no due-count badge on the card.
- Daily payments you already marked paid do not appear.
If the list is empty on Premium, add at least one unpaid bill first. A reminder before the due date still lives in notifications. The widget is the home-screen glance, not the alert.
A separate countdown widget
The app also has Subscription countdown. That is a second widget, not this how-to. It needs at least two groupable charges and opens the recurring audit. Keep Upcoming bills if you want rent, internet, and installments on the home screen.
Three short answers
How do I add the Upcoming bills widget?
Long-press an empty spot on the Android home screen, open Widgets, find Smart Bill Reminder, and drag Upcoming bills onto the home screen. There is no add-widget button inside the app.
Why does the widget show a lock instead of bills?
Free can pin the widget. The unpaid list is a Premium feature. OCR-only does not unlock it. Buy Premium in the app as a plan or a one-time purchase.
Does the widget update every minute?
No. It refreshes when you add, edit, or mark a bill paid, and about every six hours. It is not a live ticking clock.
Also see: how to get a bill reminder before the due date · Android bill reminder without an account · avoid late fees with before-due reminders.
Put upcoming bills on the home screen Unlock the unpaid list with Premium