Ten ways to personalise your Android handset

Arguments about the relative merits of Android and iOS smartphones have raged for over a decade, and will continue for many years to come.

One fact which cannot be denied is that the Android ecosystem offers vastly more choice in terms of handsets than Apple’s one-size-fits-all iPhone.

From the folding Motorola Razr to the mammoth 6.9-inch Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra, and from budget Doro models to the high-end Google Pixel 4, there’s something for everyone.

The ability to choose a handset which meets all your needs (rather than those the manufacturer has decided you need) is further enhanced by customisation options.

There are plenty of ways to personalise your Android handset, over and above buying a distinctive protective case or covering it in stickers.

Only one of our suggestions below will affect its long-term resale value, but each will make a handset feel more like yours – and less like a generic mass-manufactured product…

1. Install a launcher. This dramatically alters how you interact with the device outwith apps, from home screen layouts to transitions and the animations that display when apps launch.
2. Set an invisible home screen. Boost privacy by installing a launcher package which clears the home screen, keeping app shortcuts in place but making them invisible.
3. Enhance the wallpapers. Instead of uploading a JPG of a loved one, you can customise designs or even add moving wallpapers, though the latter drain the battery quite rapidly.
4. Deploy home screen widgets. These offer practicality without having to open an app. Social media sites, weather reports, sports scores, music controls…they’re all available.
5. Change icons. Packages like Cornie and Revolution provide alternative icons for key apps, adding a more coherent, eye-catching or colour-coordinated appearance.
6. Upgrade the keyboard. Stock Android or manufacturer keyboard have their limitations, but packages like SwiftKey and Fleksy significantly improve the typing experience.
7. Replace the messaging app. Signal offers encryption, while Textra SMS offers a choice of dozens of text sizes and colours alongside Android, iOS or Twitter emoji groups.
8. Hide bloatware. If you don’t want unremovable software clogging up your phone, do a force stop on each app and move it into a dedicated folder away from the home screen.
9. Change notification colours. That front-mounted LED light can be set to display different colours for specific notifications, using apps like Light Flow Pro and Light Manager.
10. Root your handset. The final way to personalise your Android handset invalidates your warranty, but provides full control over its performance, appearance and functionality.

A word of warning

Every installed app will occupy a proportion of the available storage space, and could slow down the phone’s operation or consume additional battery resources.

This is particularly true for visually intensive apps like fluid wallpapers or lock screen widgets.

If steps you’ve taken to personalise your Android handset begin to bog down its performance, it may be necessary to uninstall them and roll back to the phone’s previous condition.