Thursday, March 23, 2017

Android Theming: the ultimate guide

Life's too short for an ugly, cluttered home screen.

Android is a system with a singular opportunity to shape our launcher and home screen experience in almost countless ways into what we want. Want to cover your home screens in app icons and make it look like an iPhone? Knock yourself out! Want your desktop to party like it's 1999 with a home screen like Windows 98? Rock on! Just want to make your phone look presentable so you can find your apps without digging through pages and pages of nonsense? We're here to help you!

Whether you want to tweak everything down to the dirtiest details in your folder icon colors or you just want to find a better way to organize your home screen, we're here to help guide you through whatever you want to do with your launcher… or a new launcher.

Getting started with Android theming

What is a launcher? What is a widget? How do I use an icon pack? This is where we answer those questions and ease you into the wide, wide world of theming. The best place to start is at the beginning, after all, and this is definitely the beginning.

Getting started with Android theming

Home screen layouts and how to theme them

All themes are built around a layout: how you put your apps and widgets on your screen, how you balance blank space and shortcuts. There are layouts that leave a lot on the screen, there are layouts that hide everything away, and somewhere in between in a layout that's right for your life.

Home screen layouts and how to theme them

How to make the dock the most powerful part of your launcher

When theming your home screen, the most powerful piece of your layout isn't on your desktop, but rather below it. Your dock is like a Swiss Army Knife, letting you pull out your most used apps in the blink of an eye. It can also be expanded and multiply in space and power if you know how to use it properly.

How to make the dock the most powerful part of your launcher

How Android theming helped me find my inner artist

Home screen theming is, at its core, about making a phone your own. It's about taking something that looks just like everyone else's out of the box and making it into something that could only belong to you. Theming has helped me organize my phone, helped me expand my digital horizons, and helped me find my inner artist.

What will you find when you theme?

How Android theming helped me find my inner artist

No, you don't need root to theme your phone

Customizing your phone can take a lot of different methods and madnesses, but the myth that you need root access just to make your phone look good doesn't hold up today.

Once upon a time, customizing and theming your phone was something that relied on tweaks that could only be attained through root apps, but now, making your phone look awesome doesn't mean diving into the unknown with root.

No, you don't need root to theme your phone

Best launchers for theming

If you want to seriously dive into a launcher that'll give your themes — and your everyday launcher experience — a serious upgrade, you should consider our favorite launchers for theming. See why we only seriously suggest two launchers for theming and find out which one is best for you.

Best launchers for theming

Inside Action Launcher's Quicktheme

Action Launcher likes to claim it does everything quicker, and in no way is this as true as when it comes to theming. The key to this quick turnaround is in Quicktheme, which will tweak the colors of the whole launcher based on your set wallpaper. Here's how it works, what happens when it doesn't, and how to take advantage of it.

Inside Action Launcher's Quicktheme

First five settings to know when switching to Nova Launcher

Nova Launcher is one of the most popular launchers in the Android ecosystem, and this five-year dynasty has stuck around for a reason: it just works and does so fabulously. While Nova Launcher is easy to get the hang of, it never hurts to get a few pointers while you're finding your way around, and these tips will help you start off on the right foot.

First five settings to know when switching to Nova Launcher

Nova Settings Guide

Been around the block a time or two with Nova Launcher, but still find yourself wondering just what that setting you've always overlooked does? Our in-depth guide to Nova Launcher's settings will help you make the most of one of Android's most versatile launchers.

Nova Settings Guide

Using folders on your home screen and how to make the most of them

Folders are an awesome tool in the home screen themer's box. They can help keep your home screen clean while still giving you all your apps within quick reach. Organize your apps, compress them into a single space on your home screen, and make them blend into any theme — folders are the TARDISes of the theming world! Allons-y!

Using folders on your home screen and how to make the most of them

Best icon packs for Android

A good icon pack is like that hat that goes with every outfit, or that trusty leather jacket that you can wear no matter the occasion. But which icon packs rise to the top among a market filled with icon packs big and small, ornate and simple? These ones do!

Best icon packs for Android

How to make a custom icon for Android

What do you do when no icon pack will mesh with your theme? What do you do when a shortcut just needs that personal touch? When all else fails, making your own icons can help tie a theme together and add your own flair to your home screen. Here are some of the many ways to make your own icons.

How to make a custom icon for Android

What you need to know about dark themes and battery savings

Black themes can be more than slimming. With the right phone and the right elements, a black theme can be energy-efficient, but there's a bit more to it than slapping a dark wallpaper on your phone and calling it a day. Here's the real deal about dark themes and the battery savings they can sometimes maybe give you.

What you need to know about dark themes and battery savings

The best theming widgets for Android

Widgets are a piece of the home screen experience that most users don't use and that many don't understand. They can offer amazing convenience and utility without ever opening their main apps. These widgets work well and look good doing it, making them the perfect addition to your themes.

The best theming widgets for Android



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