Android is a fantastic mobile operating system that gives you lots of personalization options. Unlike the iPhone, which offers rather limited customization options, Android smartphones give you a very large amount of control over the operating system. So much so, that you can completely distinguish your Android smartphone experience from somebody else’s.
Today, we’re going to walk you through all the best Google Play Store apps that exist to help you do just that. These are all the best apps to customize Android, covering everything from your keyboard to your lock screen. Let’s begin.
How to customize Android OS
SwiftKey
SwiftKey is an excellent keyboard app for both Android and Apple’s iOS. Google’s own Gboard has since developed its own version of SwiftKey’s innovative drag to type function that allows you to drag your finger across the letters of a word rather than hitting them all individually. SwiftKey does, however, give you more pro-level customization options than you find with the Google offering. Furthermore, SwiftKey has a whole host of custom themes you can use for free. With your keyboard taking up so much space on your display, this is a great place to start.
KWGT
Another great Android feature that often goes unused due to poor execution is widgets. That is what makes KWGT such an excellent customization app for Android. KWGT gives you the ability to make your own widgets for all sorts of different things. You can create widgets for RSS feeds, weather displays, calendars, schedules, clocks and more. This is a really deep level of customization that goes well beyond merely changing your background or moving your apps from one place to another. This actually changes the capabilities of your Android OS, putting you in control of what it can do at any given moment
Nova Launcher and other Android Launcher apps
Another way to really get into the nitty gritty of your Android OS is to customize your launcher. Launchers take their names from the fact that they’re where you launch all your apps. That means they’re basically the way you interact with your OS. Everything underneath stays Android but everything else is different with Launchers not only looking different but also offering distinctive features between them.
Nova Launcher will offer you most amount of customization options while the premium Action Launcher, offers a truly innovative experience straight out the box. Check them out now.
Navbar Apps
Navbar Apps offers another level of Android customization that the iPhone simply can’t match. It allows you to get right into the OS’s core code and make changes to the Android navigation bar. Admittedly, this is only a small tweak but when added to the themes that come with the app the effect can be quite striking. What’s also great about Navbar Apps is that you can use most of the app’s features for free.
Custom Search Bar
Just because you have an Android phone doesn’t mean you always want to search on Google. We’re bringing this up because it is a Google search bar that normally sits on your home screen. Search doesn’t just have to be about Google though, which is exactly what the Custom Search bar Widget is about. The widget puts a search bar on your home screen that makes it possible to search on almost all search bars and even your installed apps and social media pages. Custom Search Bar is an incredibly useful app and you’ll wonder how you ever lived without it.
Tapet
On the surface, this might sound like a simple wallpaper app that automatically switches your device wallpaper but Tapet is so much more than that. If you want to have a completely unique Android experience that nobody else anywhere is having, then this is the app for you.
Basically, Tapet uses mathematical functions to automatically generate new wallpapers for you. There are a few base patterns that will be the same on everybody’s app but then after that, it is all about wallpaper generation. You can play around with certain functions and features but when you’re done, Tapet will use your phone’s internal processors to develop new wallpapers meaning nobody anywhere will have the same background as you do. You can also link Tapet to other Live Wallpaper apps for even more customization options.
DCikonZ
Another way you can customize your Android OS is to change the app icons. You can change them to anything you like but you’re going to need an app that has plenty of icon options for you to choose from. That is where DCikonZ comes in, which has an extensive catalog of well-designed icons that cover many different prominent Android styles. There are other icon packs available too, we just think this one has the most to offer.
The only catch with updating your icons, however, is that you’re going to need a Launcher Android app to be able to do it. You can’t do it with vanilla Android but if you have a program like Nova Launcher installed and running on your device, the process is fairly straightforward.
Tasker
The final app we’re featuring today offers the highest level of customization out of all the other apps on our list. The flip of this, however, is that it is also the most difficult app to use too. Tasker allows you to perform a lot of powerful tasks like automating certain functions, creating widgets, customizing your keyboards, and playing around with the system’s navigation tools.
Wrapping up
Android offers users a lot of customization options and we’ve shown today how pretty much every single element of your Android operating system is available for customization. All that is down to you is how much effort you’re willing to put in. With enough time and patience, you really could create something unique. The other good thing to note, however, is that there are plenty of ready-made customizations available too.
