Published on December 30, 2021, 10:01
Whether you're Team iPhone or Team Android, there's one argument that's hard to argue: Android devices have always been easier to customize than their fruit-emblazoned competitors.
While Apple Inc. has gradually opened up iOS to allow users to change parts of an iPhone's appearance, Alphabet Inc.'s mobile operating system.
Google has long offered users ways to adjust lock screens, app layouts, themes, and more. And Android 12, the update released in October, has new customization tools.
"We see the phone as your digital living room," said Trystan Upstill, vice president of engineering at Google's Android. “You assemble the furniture. You put things on the walls.
Android's flexibility and license to run on a wide assortment of phones has helped it become the most widely used mobile software in the world. Google tends to release the latest software and features on its Pixel phones, although models from Samsung and a few Chinese tech giants dominate the market.
Whether you have a new Pixel 6 or Samsung's Galaxy Z Flip 3 or just updated the software on your old phone, there are plenty of ways to make your device unique. You just need to know where to find them. Here are some tips to try:
Customize the colors
If your phone is running Android 12, you can find Material You, which changes your device's accent colors based on your wallpaper. See the article: Black Friday Amazon 2021: the top promotions a D-2 of Black Friday on Amazon. To access it, long-press an empty space on your home screen, tap "Wallpaper & Style," and scroll down to "Theme Icons." Then turn it on.
Once active, you'll see your keyboard, home screen icons, and other elements automatically change tone to match your background photo.
Tinker with default apps
On an iPhone, text messages will only go to the Messages app, even if you want them centralized in your Facebook Messenger app, for example. On the same subject: A new iPhone or iPad: the first 10 things to do. Android users, meanwhile, have long had the freedom to change which apps open automatically for text messages, web browsing, and phone calls and can swap out their default digital assistant, phone ID, and more. caller and home screen apps.
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By changing their default apps, Android users control which apps are launched to perform certain tasks, such as text messages and phone calls.
Alexa as your primary voice assistant or customize your call screen with a calling app like Drupe.
Change your launcher
One of the easiest ways to customize your Android is to change your launcher or home screen app, which changes how your phone looks and behaves. Read also: Association between Delta and Spotify: Free access to flights from iPhone or iPad.
There are various launch options in the Play Store, allowing you to set a smartphone home theme to suit your needs and personal style.
The Microsoft Launcher app, for example, revamps your home screen to emphasize productivity by adding your calendar, sticky notes, and to-do lists to a single page. Other launchers, like Nova Launcher, allow for creative effects and animations.
Search the Play Store for launchers, download options that seem to match what you're looking for, and set one as your default app.
Toggle lock screen
Android users can customize how they feel when their devices turn on.
The lock screen, where you typically enter a PIN or fingerprint to unlock your device, can be completely revamped with widgets, images, and new features.
Android smartphones have several unlock options, including apps to customize lock screens.
Downloading the LockScreen Calendar – Schedule app, for example, lets you manage lists and schedules from your lock screen. The DIY Locker allows Android users to add photos of friends or family to their pattern code.
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Use one hand
Smartphone screens are getting bigger, not smaller, and sometimes you need two hands for what seems like a one-handed task. Apple and Samsung have built in features that make it easier for you to reach items on the screen, and now Android 12 brings that ability to more phones.
When the mode is on, if you swipe down in an app, the usable screen area slides down closer to your thumb. You can swipe up to put things back where they were. To enable it, go to Settings > System > and enable One-handed mode.
Add guest users
Unlike iPhones and iPads, you can even add other users to your Android device, and they can also create their own custom spaces
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