Personalization options on Android devices have always given users the freedom to choose. You can make your phone look and feel unique. You can subtly customize Android or root it for an absolute overhaul.
You will discover tons of cool stuff once you start customizing your Android device. Personalization includes custom keyboards, navigation bar, custom lock screen, widgets, and more.
Why customize Android?
There are several answers to why you should personalize your Android device. Personalization changes the look and feel of the device to your liking. You can add more functions or keep it as minimal as you want.
Moreover, customizations on Android are not only about looks but also ease of use. If you do it right, you will have a better Android experience. So here are the 5 best ways to personalize and personalize Android.
Top 5 Ways to Customize Android
Custom keyboards
Many Android phones use Google Gboard by default, and it's a great keyboard. While Gboard is great for most of us, there are other options.
If you are a seasoned Android user, you must have heard of Swiftkey. Microsoft's Swiftkey keyboard was once the unbeatable champion in text prediction. It's still a good keyboard and allows you to sync your dictionary between devices, using your Microsoft account.
Another on the list is the Grammatical keyboard. It provides spell checks, finds grammatical errors in sentences, suggests synonyms and more. If you press the "Grammar" button at the top left, it reads all the text and suggests corrections. It lacks a built-in GIF search and you can't customize it much. However, if you use your Android device for work, the Grammarly Keyboard is one of the best keyboards for you.
Android has come a long way from small screens and three-button navigation. It has been refined for one-handed use while also increasing the display size on Android phones. A personalized navigation bar on Android isn't all about flipping back and forth now. You can do a lot more with the right tools.
If you are a gesturing person, you should try the Swipe Back Navigation Gesture app. His available for free on the Google Play Store. The default Android gestures let you swipe up from the edges, go home, or view recent apps by swiping your finger up. Using the Swipe back navigation gesture, you can set custom gestures on all edges. For example, you can bring up the notification panel by dragging it diagonally down from the edges of the screen.
For people who want all three buttons, we have the S9 navigation bar. This app allows you to embed gestures in the navigation bar itself. You can set swipe up, long press, single press, and swipe left and right. With this app, you can keep your simple three-button navigation, but with additional features.
Home screen on Android
Different home screens have different layouts on Android. Some phones have a separate home screen and app drawer, others combine the two. There are many ways to customize the Android home screen.
You can start by choosing from wallpapers, icon packs, and widgets. I recommend the Walli or Pixurr app for wallpapers. Walli is a free app with beautiful wallpapers of 4K support. Pixurr Will cost you Rs 120 but it is frequently updated and has a wide variety of custom minimal wallpapers.
Speaking of icons, there are hundreds of icon packs to choose from on the Play Store. I recommend the Pixel pie icon pack for clean rounded icons. You can also consult the Foxbit Icon Pack for pencil icons. Foxbit is regularly updated and also brings a dynamic schedule that works with most launchers.
Finally, widgets! If you haven't tinkered with widgets on your Android device, you're missing out on a lot of time. Long press anywhere on the home screen brings up widgets and customization options. However, there is another app that offers a lot more customization.
KWGT Kustom Widget Maker does exactly what the name suggests. You can Buy it for free from the Play Store here. This app lets you choose from pre-built templates or create your own widgets from scratch. You can change the entire look of your home screen using these custom widgets.
Lock screen and notifications
While many people think of a lock screen as just a lock screen, it can be changed to make it super functional. You can use apps like Float to get an iOS-like lock screen. Again, there are other customization options like KLCK Kustom Lock Screen Maker. It lets you design your lock screen from scratch.
You can customize the notifications you see on the lock screen from these apps. Moreover, if you want an always-on display, you can download it as well. Always on AMOLED is available on the Google Play Store. Be careful, if you run the app on an LCD screen, it may affect the life of your battery.
Root access
Welcome to the dark side, so to speak. Rooting an Android device violates its warranty, but gives you access to a Pandora's box of tweaks, features and improvements.
Having root access means that you can remove the bloatware that is preloaded in some Android phones. It also opens the possibility of flashing a custom ROM. For the uninitiated, custom ROMs replace your current user interface / operating system. Simply put, you can run a Samsung Android phone using a custom ROM.
To go further, rooting your Android phone allows you to use services like Titanium Backup, which backs up every setting of your device. You can overclock or underclock the processor, maximize battery life, and do a lot more once you've rooted your phone.
Interested? Before you proceed with rooting your device, learn all about rooting and whether it is legal in your country to do so.
Bonus for Samsung users
Like all other Android skins, Samsung's OneUI also offers additional features over Android's own services. Samsung users can customize the look of their phone using just two apps.
The first is Good lock. It's a stack of apps to personalize your Samsung phone. Good Lock lets you customize the lock screen, quick panel, recent tasks, navigation bar, home screen, and notifications. It even lets you DIY the multi-window experience. You can get it from the Galaxy App Store.
The second application is One-handed operations +. It is developed by Samsung and can be downloaded from the Galaxy App Store. It's a tidy app that lets you set custom gestures just like the Swipe Back Navigation Gesture app above. I like this application and its interface is much more polished to customize.
The Top 5 post of Ways to Customize Android the Way You Want It appeared first on Fossbytes.