10 Ways to Trick Out Your Android Home Screen

One of the advantages of choosing a shiny newAndroid phoneover thoseApple handsetsis the extra scope for home concealment customization . If you ’re stuck for inspiration or marvel how to get started , here are 10 ways of play tricks out your habitation screen and other part of the Android OS .

1) Load up a live wallpaper

resilient wallpaper pitch and change over time , and while the Google Play Store is household to some rather amateurish attack at these graphics , there are a few gems too . Meterfrom Google is one of our favorite , and read showing fundamental phone stats on your home screen .

If you ’re after something that ’s more originative than operable , there are hatful of other option , fromraindropstowoodland . As with any wallpaper , long press on a blank part of the home projection screen , select Wallpapers , then break up out your new wallpaper from the list .

2) Choose a screen saver

When your Android phone detects it ’s been secure into a charger or a dock , you have the option of showing a screen saver . Pick Display and Screen saver from configurations to see the available options , which will vary calculate on the make and model of your French telephone .

Using the flood menu ( intercept the three buttons to the top right field ) , you’re able to preview the screen rescuer and adjudicate when it should start up . Some sieve savers , such as the Clock and Google Photos ones , add up with extra pick ( wiretap the small cog ikon to see them ) .

3) Put more information on the lock screen

Google and the various Android speech sound manufacturers have done a nice job of making the Android lock blind clean and intuitive , but there are alternative lock screens out there that tender something a little unlike , such as options to add young contraption and shortcut .

If that sounds like a customization you ’d be interested in then theNext Lock Screenfrom Microsoft is well worth investigating . It gives you detailed notifications , contact crosscut , quick access to the television camera and key preferences , weather condition and calendar whatsis , and more .

4) Make Android completely unrecognizable

For a really comprehensive home covert revamp , install an alternate launcher . These launchers jump into action when you urge on the home release , and can be superintend by opening options and take Apps , then the cog icon , then dwelling house from the menu .

Although it has n’t been update in a while , Themerremains one of the best and most straight way of making Android look wholly different . clean from one of the many gorgeous designs available and get a home projection screen that ’s truly eye - catching .

5) Get a home screen that works smarter

Another rocket launcher of note of hand isAviatefrom Yahoo , which works on the idea that you ask different apps and functions as you go through your day . That means traveling times as you ’re pose off for work and restaurant recommendation at lunch , for example .

It operates a bit like Google Now , but goes even further in the room it orchestrate your apps found on function and prison term of day ( you’re able to customize all this reflexive behavior if you need to ) . It comes with a spate of wondrous - look wallpapers too , which is a incentive .

6) Change the home screen icons

The ability to change the house covert icons is built into most of the Android launchers you ’ll follow across . First , pick a launcher , then you’re able to start browsing the app store for suited icon pack ( compatible with your choose launcher ) that will re - bark your icons .

There are a wealth of option out there to pick from ( and they ’re mostly paid - for ingroup ) , but to give you an thought of what ’s useable tick off out the mod - lookingClick UI , the vintage - lookingRetrorikaor the minimal approach ofVITas your substitute ikon .

7) Add more beautiful widgets

Widgets have been one of the mainstays of Android abode projection screen since ( almost ) the very beginning , and if you ’re not using any of them you may as well get an iPhone . Long mechanical press on a blank part of any of your home base screens and select Widgets to see what ’s usable .

euphony app widgets and widgets for Google ’s apps are in particular useful , but you could supply some extra pizzazz to the default contrivance by installingBeautiful whatsis . The focus is on time , date , and weather condition widgets , and there are a net ton of top lineament aim to pick from .

8) Change text styles and sizes

middling much any catapult you install will get with a server of tweak to play around with , and font sizing and manner registration is a unwashed one . In the impressiveHola Launcheryou can detect these options under the Appearance fare via the Hola options shortcut .

tapdance Icon and Label to adjust the size of the icon graphics and their labels , or Text Color to interchange from the default reflexive vividness to either sinister or white all the time . There are plenty of other changes you’re able to make , from hiding apps to customize home screen gestures .

9) Add more icons to the dock

One of the antic that several catapult have in their toolkit is the alternative to add extra icons to the dock , collapse you access to more of your favorite apps and cutoff , with no need to swipe or launch the app drawer , and leaving more room for gizmo above the dock .

As we ’ve aver it ’s in several launcher apps but here ’s how it works inNova . reach the Nova preferences app , then tap Dock and Dock icons . you’re able to have up to seven , and the other options on the Dock card lease you adjust ikon size of it and label ( with a Nova Prime upgrade ) .

10) Get rid of the Google search bar

Another style you could use a catapult app is to get free of the Google hunt barroom that ’s normally pin at the top of each nursing home screen . ZenUIfrom Asus uses a clean , minimalist approaching for your home screen . you could total a usage lookup taproom of your own or hide it totally .

TheCustom Search Bar Widgetis an app that goes even further , letting you tot dissimilar shortcuts to the lookup bar ( like Wikipedia and IMDB ) if you do n’t desire to campaign a Google search every clip , as well as providing options for tweaking the ginmill ’s color and contour .

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Image: Alex Cranz/Gizmodo