One of the best things about Android is how easy it is to customize, modify and otherwise set up your smartphone or tablet exactly as you want it. With a little know-how and the right apps, you can make your phone truly unique. If you're not sure where to start, our list of the best apps to customize Android will set you on the right path.
Below, we'll show you all the ways you can customize your Android phone. Some methods may require root permissions or a complex procedure suited to the more experienced user, but don't fret. Follow our advice and you'll discover a brand new Android device!
Install a launcher
This is the most obvious way to customize your Android, and it's the place you should start. What is a launcher exactly? It's simply the interface with which you launch your apps. If you change launchers, you'll have a new home screen, widgets and app drawer. Above all, launchers often offer customizations and themes that can simplify your life. If you like the style of what you see in the image just below, I can recommend Smart Launcher 3, as it's one of the best personalization apps on Android.
Switch up your icons
Do you find the app icons on your phone boring and ordinary? Change them! It's not difficult or complicated. You just have to install a launcher, as introduced in the section above, beforehand. Then, you just install an icon pack from the Play Store and activate it. There are heaps of them available, and we picked out our favorites in our best icon packs for Android article.
After you download your icon pack, instructions on how to activate it usually are provided and take just a few quick steps. And voila, you'll have a perfectly unique smartphone.
Add widgets to your lock screen
How many times per day do you unlock your phone? The answer is too many. Instead of having to waste time unlocking your phone to check the weather, WhatsApp, your calendar, etc, why not just put them on your lock screen as widgets? It's easy, practical and will save you time
Xposed Framework
If you want to go one step further than just modifying the appearance of your phone, the Xposed Framework allows you to select (and remove) any features or modules that come pre-installed on your phone that you never use.
While it might sound like you need root access, you don't - but you should make sure you have a recent backup of your phone stored somewhere else before you start, as the Xposed Framework does warn you that it can 'soft brick' devices by sending them into a boot loop.
However, if you're interested to tinker around with Android a little more than usual, Xposed Framework will certainly let you do that. There are different versions to install, depending on which build of Android you're running though, so make sure you get the right one. Many Oreo phones aren't supported at the moment either.
