[GH-ISSUE #855] [Feature Request] Add an official Android home screen widget for instant access #707

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opened 2026-10-26 21:25:49 +00:00 by bsakaguchi · 2 comments

bsakaguchi commented

2026-10-26 21:25:49 +00:00

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Originally created by @rajit2004 on GitHub (Jun 10, 2026).
Original GitHub issue: https://github.com/deepseek-ai/DeepSeek-R1/issues/855

Problem

Currently, accessing DeepSeek on Android requires:

Unlocking the phone
Finding the DeepSeek app icon
Launching the app
Tapping the chat input

This takes 4+ steps just to start typing.

Proposed Solution

Add an official home screen widget (similar to Google Search or ChatGPT widgets) that provides:

1‑tap chat – opens directly to the composer
Voice input – tap microphone, speak, and query is auto‑submitted
Camera input – snap a photo and send for visual analysis directly from the widget

Community Implementation

A developer has already built an open‑source proof of concept that demonstrates this is feasible and well‑received:

🔗 DeepSeekWidget – https://github.com/rajit2004/DeepSeekWidget

Key metrics:

✅ Works reliably using Android's trampoline activity pattern
✅ Lightweight (~1 MB APK)
✅ Zero tracking or background services
✅ Already used by early adopters

Why This Matters

Reduces friction for daily users
Makes DeepSeek more competitive with other AI assistants that offer widgets (ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Perplexity)
Improves accessibility (fewer taps, especially beneficial for users with motor difficulties)

Additional Context

The widget could be built directly into the existing DeepSeek Android app as an AppWidgetProvider. The community implementation shows a clean, battery‑efficient approach that respects Android best practices (scoped storage, FileProvider, etc.).

Would you consider adding this feature in a future release? I'm happy to provide more technical details or testing support.

Thank you for your amazing work on DeepSeek!

Originally created by @rajit2004 on GitHub (Jun 10, 2026). Original GitHub issue: https://github.com/deepseek-ai/DeepSeek-R1/issues/855 ## Feature Request: Official Android Home Screen Widget ### Problem Currently, accessing DeepSeek on Android requires: 1. Unlocking the phone 2. Finding the DeepSeek app icon 3. Launching the app 4. Tapping the chat input This takes 4+ steps just to start typing. ### Proposed Solution Add an official home screen widget (similar to Google Search or ChatGPT widgets) that provides: - **1‑tap chat** – opens directly to the composer - **Voice input** – tap microphone, speak, and query is auto‑submitted - **Camera input** – snap a photo and send for visual analysis directly from the widget ### Community Implementation A developer has already built an open‑source proof of concept that demonstrates this is feasible and well‑received: 🔗 **DeepSeekWidget** – https://github.com/rajit2004/DeepSeekWidget Key metrics: - ✅ Works reliably using Android's trampoline activity pattern - ✅ Lightweight (~1 MB APK) - ✅ Zero tracking or background services - ✅ Already used by early adopters ### Why This Matters - Reduces friction for daily users - Makes DeepSeek more competitive with other AI assistants that offer widgets (ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Perplexity) - Improves accessibility (fewer taps, especially beneficial for users with motor difficulties) ### Additional Context The widget could be built directly into the existing DeepSeek Android app as an `AppWidgetProvider`. The community implementation shows a clean, battery‑efficient approach that respects Android best practices (scoped storage, FileProvider, etc.). Would you consider adding this feature in a future release? I'm happy to provide more technical details or testing support. Thank you for your amazing work on DeepSeek!

bsakaguchi

2026-10-26 21:25:49 +00:00

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bsakaguchi commented

2026-10-26 21:25:50 +00:00

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@github-actions[bot] commented on GitHub (Jul 11, 2026):

This issue has been automatically marked as stale because it has not had recent activity. It will be closed if no further activity occurs. If you believe this issue is still relevant, please leave a comment to keep it open. Thank you for your contributions!

@github-actions[bot] commented on GitHub (Jul 11, 2026): This issue has been automatically marked as stale because it has not had recent activity. It will be closed if no further activity occurs. If you believe this issue is still relevant, please leave a comment to keep it open. Thank you for your contributions!

bsakaguchi commented

2026-10-26 21:25:50 +00:00

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@github-actions[bot] commented on GitHub (Jul 25, 2026):

false

@github-actions[bot] commented on GitHub (Jul 25, 2026): false