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Termux:Widget lets you place Android home screen widgets that run your shell scripts with a single tap. You write scripts, put them in the right directory, then add a widget to your home screen — no terminal session needed each time. It’s useful for quick tasks like checking your IP address, toggling a VPN, syncing files, or any command you run repeatedly.

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Widget types

Termux:Widget provides two widget types:
  • Shortcuts widget — Opens the Termux terminal and runs the script in a visible session. Output appears in the terminal.
  • Scripts widget (tasks) — Runs the script silently in the background without opening the terminal.
Scripts for the shortcuts widget go in ~/.shortcuts/. Scripts for the silent background widget go in ~/.shortcuts/tasks/.

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Setup

1

Install the Termux:Widget APK

Download and install the Termux:Widget APK from the same source as your Termux app (F-Droid or GitHub).
2

Create the shortcuts directory

In the Termux terminal:
mkdir -p ~/.shortcuts
mkdir -p ~/.shortcuts/tasks
3

Create a script

Write a script and make it executable:
cat > ~/.shortcuts/check-ip.sh << 'EOF'
#!/data/data/com.termux/files/usr/bin/bash
curl ifconfig.me
EOF
chmod +x ~/.shortcuts/check-ip.sh
4

Add the widget to your home screen

Long-press an empty area on your Android home screen, tap Widgets, scroll to find Termux, and drag the widget onto your home screen. The widget will display all scripts it finds in the shortcuts directory.

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Creating shortcuts

Scripts in ~/.shortcuts/ appear in the shortcuts widget and open a Termux terminal when tapped: 
mkdir -p ~/.shortcuts

# Check public IP address
cat > ~/.shortcuts/check-ip.sh << 'EOF'
#!/data/data/com.termux/files/usr/bin/bash
curl ifconfig.me
EOF
chmod +x ~/.shortcuts/check-ip.sh

# Sync files with rsync
cat > ~/.shortcuts/sync.sh << 'EOF'
#!/data/data/com.termux/files/usr/bin/bash
rsync -av ~/projects/ user@server:~/projects/
EOF
chmod +x ~/.shortcuts/sync.sh

​
Creating silent background tasks

Scripts in ~/.shortcuts/tasks/ run silently without opening the terminal. Use this for commands where you don’t need to see output: 
mkdir -p ~/.shortcuts/tasks

# Toggle Wi-Fi (requires root or ADB)
cat > ~/.shortcuts/tasks/toggle-vpn.sh << 'EOF'
#!/data/data/com.termux/files/usr/bin/bash
wg-quick up wg0
EOF
chmod +x ~/.shortcuts/tasks/toggle-vpn.sh
Script filenames are used as widget labels. Use descriptive names without underscores for cleaner display — for example, check-ip.sh appears as “check-ip” in the widget.

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Refreshing the widget

The widget reads the ~/.shortcuts/ directory each time it is added or updated. If you add new scripts and they don’t appear, remove the widget from your home screen and add it again.

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Other display plugins

Two additional plugins complement the Termux experience on the Android home screen and system UI:

Termux:Float

Opens a floating terminal window that overlays on top of any running app. Useful for quick commands without switching away from what you’re doing.

Termux:Styling

Adds a color scheme and font picker to Termux. Choose from a range of built-in themes and monospace fonts to customize the terminal’s appearance.

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Source code

The Termux:Widget source is available at github.com/termux/termux-widget.

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