Nowadays, when it comes to smartphones, most users are either on the popular Apple or Android team, however not all users are similar.

There are cautious users, who prefer to leave their Android smartphones untouched just like the day they unboxed it, or adventurous ones who simply love to customise their smartphone to make it more, well, theirs, reflecting their style and way of life.

So, if you like to customise your Android phone, we have some sweet ideas for you, hear us out.

Why customise an Android phone?

Different users have various reasons why they would want to customise their Android smartphone.

To begin with most Android phones come with bloatware, which in other words are those imposed apps residing on your phone, set there by the brand, like Samsung, and which users will find immediately once they switch on their smartphone for the first time, right out of the box. It is safe to say that the majority of Android users are not pleased with these, and get rid of them straight away (refer to our other article How to Remove Bloatware on your Android phone). So, there you go the very first customisation takes place.

However, apart from bloatware, users would like their phones to look clean and well-organised, so they undergo a declutter process to avoid having their homepage littered with apps and widgets, arranging it just the way they want it to appear.

Other users would customise just for the fun of it, in fact they tweak around quite frequently, keeping their phones looking fresh, different and unique every time.

Customisation Ideas

There are numerous ways how users can customise their Android phones. Keep reading as we go through and discover the most common five together.

1. Launchers

A launcher is an easy yet effective way to customise your phone, since it comes with various widgets, wallpapers, themes and more.

On the Google Play Store you can find several launchers to download, from a top one like Nova to the more eccentric ones, while other launchers like Microsoft (formerly known as Arrow Launcher) provides a more convenient integration between Windows desktop PCs and Android smartphones.

To download a launcher:

  • Go to your app drawer
  • Open the Play Store app
  • Search for the specific launcher you want, or simply input launcher and choose from the variety of launchers available on the Store
  • Download the launcher app
  • After installing it, open and set the launcher as your default one

2. Widgets

Widgets are everyone`s favourite short cuts to apps, be it weather, sports results, music, alarms or social media, etc.

They vary in design and style, depending on which ones you pick or with which launcher, but widgets make your home screen look neater, nicer and more organised.

They are easy to create and use:

  • Download any widget from Play Store, and it will be added with your existing widgets
  • Keep pressing on your phone`s display and options will pop up among which Widgets, click on it
  • Choose which widget you want on your phone`s main screen
  • Tap on it, keep holding and drag to where you want your widget to feature, and that`s it really

3. Wallpapers

It is a well-known fact that most smartphones come with drab wallpapers, so we simply change them to our taste.

There are various wallpapers on the Play Store, from custom ones, to vivid ones, 3D or live/animated, in other words moving, with the latter ones tending to slightly affect your battery though, so take that in your considerations.

Wallpapers beautify our phone`s home and even lock screens, if you want to apply it there too, or even have two different ones.

Using the same wallpaper for a long time can make you become fed up or bored with it, but that`s the beauty of customisation, simply change it again to whatever tickles your fancy.

To apply a wallpaper:

  • Open Play Store
  • Search for Wallpapers
  • Choose from a vast array
  • Apply for Home screen only, Lock screen only, or both

4. Icon packs

Want to match all your icons with the style of your current phone`s theme or launcher?

Well, icon packs come with such a variety that you won`t recognise the usual Facebook or Whatsapp icon at first, but then you`ll love it even more. There are some that are accompanied by wallpapers too.

Chrome, golden, neon and more, which pack to choose? We have two hot suggestions here, search and download Delta or Viral on Play Store, these will provide you with the list of launchers they support, which comes handy.

5. Keyboards

Maybe you will find the default keyboard which comes with your Android phone dull. If that`s the case, fret not, we can customise even the keyboard.

We list some excellent quality keyboard options to download, can`t go wrong with these:

  • 1C Big Keyboard
  • Microsoft SwiftKey
  • Chrooma Keyboard
  • Fleksy
  • OpenBoard

Get help from customisation apps!

If you are a busy person, or have any issues or difficulties to go around all of the above mentioned and other customisations, we have simpler automated solutions for you.

These programs, which are available on the Play Store, are some of the most popular ones, and will help you enhance the look and feel of your handset:

  • Energy Ring
  • SwiftKey
  • KWGT, KLWP, and KLCK
  • IFTTT
  • Volume Control Panel Pro
  • Tasker
  • Zedge

Final Reflections

There are many more ideas how to customise and organise your phone`s screen than simply changing wallpapers and dragging icons or widgets around. If you hold a fairly big smartphone, for example, you can set your most-utilised icons at the bottom for an easier reach.

One last top tip from us, is to check out Dark Theme on your phone. Some phones like Samsung have it available from the drop-down settings menu, you just need to switch it on. Apps backgrounds will go black, the colours will pop more and hey you get to spare some battery juice. You`re welcome!