Custom widgets based on graphical user interfaces of applications

A system, comprising:

• one or more computer processors;
• a memory containing a program which when executed by the processors performs an operation comprising:
• receiving input specifying a first portion of a graphical user interface (GUI) of a first application executing on a first computing device, wherein the GUI is outputted on a first display device of the system and wherein the specified first portion is less than the entire GUI;
• rendering the GUI of the first application on a first virtual display of the first computing device;
• removing, based on the rendering, the GUI of the first application from the first display device;
• and
• generating a first widget which displays the first portion of the GUI of the first application on the first display device, wherein the first widget includes one or more interactive elements that expose an underlying functionality of the first portion of the GUI.

A computer program product, comprising:

• a computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code embodied therewith, the computer-readable program code executable by one or more computer processors to perform an operation comprising:
• receiving input specifying a first portion of a graphical user interface (GUI) of a first application executing on a first computing device, wherein the GUI is outputted on a first display device and wherein the specified first portion is less than the entire GUI;
• rendering the GUI of the first application on a first virtual display of the first computing device;
• removing, based on the rendering, the GUI of the first application from the first display device;
• and
• generating a first widget which displays the first portion of the GUI of the first application on the first display device, wherein the first widget includes one or more interactive elements that expose an underlying functionality of the first portion of the GUI.