Just since you aren’t shopping for a brand new cellphone this yr doesn’t imply the one you’re utilizing has to look as outdated because the day to procure it. We’re not speaking a few new case or perhaps a deep cleansing—we’re speaking a few full digital makeover that makes your outdated cellphone feel and appear like a brand-new one.
For an excessive makeover
Download a brand new launcher
Your Android cellphone comes with a launcher put in—Pixel, One UI Home, OnePlus, and so on.—however the great thing about Android is you don’t need to hold it. You’ll discover quite a few launchers within the Play Store that open up your Android cellphone to almost limitless alternatives with themes, icons, options, and optimizations that you just received’t get out of the field.
There are heaps to select from, however our favourite is Nova Launcher, which gives each paid and free variations. Other glorious choices are Evie and Smart Launcher 5. You may even obtain launchers that mimic a Windows 10 PC or an iPhone 11 Pro in case you’re into that.
Once you obtain a brand new launcher, you may strive it out by setting it as your new default within the Home app tab inside Apps & notifications within the Settings app. You’ll immediately see a change to your property display screen, however that’s solely the tip of the iceberg. Inside the app you’ll discover oodles of choices for tweaking the house display screen, app drawer, folders, badges, and absolutely anything else you’d like to vary. And in case you ever tire of it, you may all the time return to the way in which issues have been.
To simply redecorate
Change your wallpaper
IDGEven in case you don’t need to decide to a full makeover of your Android cellphone, you may nonetheless change issues up in small methods. The quickest is to select a brand new wallpaper. Just long-press on the house display screen till the enhancing display screen comes up and choose the Wallpapers possibility. You can choose from those preinstalled by the producer (a few of that are animated) or choose one from your personal picture gallery. If nothing fits your fancy, you may go for photographs to rotate or just seek for one on-line and add it to your library. There are many websites devotes to cataloging wallpaper, so it received’t be exhausting to search out one which transforms your property display screen and lock display screen into simply the proper look.
Add some widgets
IDGWhile you’re altering your wallpaper, you too can swap out or add widgets to your property display screen. Widgets can be found for apps that you just’ve put in in addition to any inventory Google companies, and they are often extremely helpful. With the proper widgets, your property display screen received’t simply look totally different, it’ll even be a one-stop-shop for every part you frequently do: search, mail, messages, music, and so on. You can discover them by long-pressing on the house display screen and tapping the widgets button after which scrolling via what’s obtainable. Then you may place your icons till you’ve constructed an ideal house display screen.
Swap your keyboard
IDGThe inventory keyboard that got here along with your cellphone will get the job carried out, nevertheless it’s a bit of bland. It doesn’t have to remain that means. Whether you’ve a Pixel or a Galaxy cellphone, you may customise the colour, background, and structure and add a bit of spice to your typing. You’ll discover quite a few glorious choices within the Play Store, together with Google’s Gboard (in case you don’t have already got a Pixel), Swiftkey, and the extraordinarily widespread Go Keyboard, which helps you to customise the colour and keys to your coronary heart’s content material.
Change your view
Just like transferring furnishings round may give your bed room a full-on Feng shui tune-up, a slight shift of your property display screen can inject new life into your outdated cellphone. You don’t even must obtain something to do it—simply head over to show settings in your cellphone and take a look at the choices. Depending in your cellphone, you’ll be capable of regulate the scale of the grid, add or take away notification badges, cover apps, ditch the navigation bar, or convey again the old-school apps button. It’ll pale compared to a brand new launcher, however typically a brand new view is all you really want.
For a significant renovation
Turn on darkish mode
IDGIf you’ve a cellphone with Android 10, you’ve two choices for a way your apps look: darkish mode and lightweight mode. As their names recommend, darkish mode turns apps, menus, and accents black, whereas gentle mode retains them white. Dark mode is especially good on OLED telephones—and there are even some slight battery advantages—nevertheless it’s primarily a matter of choice. You can discover the choice inside your cellphone’s Display settings, and turning it on is as simple as flipping a swap. You may also select to have your cellphone routinely swap to darkish mode within the night on most telephones, or on a schedule of your selecting.
Change your icons
Because we’re watching icons all day lengthy, switching them out will go a good distance towards giving your outdated cellphone some new life. You’ll want a third-party launcher first, however as soon as you put in one, you’ll have entry to 1000’s of recent icon packs that may simply swap out the mail, Chrome, messages, and every other icon you select to maintain on your property display screen. Just seek for icons within the Play Store and you may browse the outcomes to search out one you want. Many are free (we’re massive followers of Whicons and Lines), some value a couple of bucks (try Inelectic and Mellow Dark), however regardless of which one you select, your cellphone will appear to be 1,000,000 bucks.
Pick a theme
IDGIf wallpaper, widgets, or darkish mode aren’t doing it for you, a brand new theme would possibly treatment what ails your outdated, stale cellphone. Depending on the mannequin of cellphone you’ve, you’ll be capable of regulate the fonts, colours, and icon shapes throughout the system software program to convey some pizzazz to your cellphone.
On Galaxy telephones you’ll be capable of take it even additional. The Galaxy Themes Store is full of methods to remodel your cellphone with packs that change the system and main apps (Phone, Messages, Settings, and so on.) to suit any theme you want. Some have sounds, many have cool animations, and all of them will give your cellphone a brand-new identification. Each one will value you a buck or two, nevertheless it’s value it.
With a launcher, you’ll get much more customization choices, as you’ll be capable of combine and match wallpapers with icons and kinds to significantly remodel your property display screen. All of the probabilities might be overwhelming, however fortunately Android Looks has collected the best ones for you. You can search by launcher or theme. When you discover one you want, merely obtain the APK to your cellphone. Then head over to your launcher’s settings and set up the brand new theme. It’s totally different for each launcher, however in case you’re utilizing Nova, head over to Icon type within the Look & really feel menu.
Tweak your lock display screen and always-on show
IDGWe spend extra time taking a look at our native screens and always-on shows than our precise house display screen, however they’re too typically uncared for. So whilst you’re altering up your property display screen, give your lock display screen a glance too. You can change the picture, select shortcuts, filter notifications, or add a message. You have choices for the ambient always-on show as properly. How a lot you are able to do will depend upon the producer, however many provide cool customizations, together with photographs, clock kinds, and widgets.