The Ultimate Android Customization Guide

The Ultimate Android Customization Guide
Page content

Wallpapers and Backgrounds

One of the simplest ways to personalize your Android phone is to set a new background or wallpaper on your home screen. You can take and use your own photographs for the purpose and it’s nice to have a picture of a loved one popping up every time you use your phone. Alternatively you can dive into the rich sea of potential Android backgrounds and wallpapers that are available online and via applications. You can even find animated backdrops to add a little extra spice to your home screen.

Learn all about the best options in terms of apps and find out how easy the background switching process is with Android.

Ringtones and Sounds

After changing your background, the next most popular tweak that most users will want to make is to change their ringtone. Your Android phone is capable of handling multiple ringtones for different purposes or contacts and it also supports a wide array of alarm sounds. You can select from the audio files on the phone, you can choose your favorite music, and you can even record your own audio files to use as ringtones or alarms.

There are plenty of options and customizing the audio on your Android phone is a relatively simple task.

Themes, Launchers and ROMs

If you want to completely change the look of your home screen, your icons, or even your application launcher, then a launcher app or a custom ROM can help you to do it.

Launcher apps allow you to define exactly how you want your home screen to look. You can dig into the interface and specify how many of the elements will appear. You can also apply ready-made skins for your phone to give it a fresh new look. Alternatively you can opt to root your phone for more in-depth access to a wealth of customization options.

These articles discuss your options and run through how to use some of the most popular solutions in the Android Market.

Shortcuts and Widgets

Thankfully it is very easy to create shortcuts to your favorite apps, games or websites in Android. This means you can launch whatever you desire with a simple tap on a home screen icon. Android also supports widgets which are like icons with functionality. They sit on your home screen, but by tapping on them you can instantly update a function on your phone, for example turn Wi-Fi on or off. You can also use widgets that automatically update with useful information for you, such as the weather forecast.

Android also supports folder creation and you can use folders to group your various apps or even shortcuts if you so desire.

The combination of shortcuts and widgets makes for a versatile range of options when it comes to customizing your Android phone. They are easy to set up and use and they can prove to be real time savers.

Customization for Fans

Some of the best options for customizing your Android smartphone are designed for fans of specific movies or TV series. You can find themes, wallpapers and ringtones that relate to the characters you love and they can bring some real personality to your phone. These app round ups are ideal for true fans whether you love Star Trek, South Park or Harry Potter.

You’ll find loads more customization options in the Android Market for all of your favorite movies and TV shows.

More Android Customization Options

To round things off, here are a couple of extra tips to help you enlarge the font for easier reading, enable Emoji icons for your messaging and finally to create your very own Android mascot.

If you have any other recommendations for Android customization or any questions then please post a comment.