How to customize Android phone without root

Rooting isn't the only way to customize your Android phone. Between changing settings and downloading apps, it's a simple process to make your Android phone completely your own, without the hassle of rooting.

Table of Contents

• Create/set custom ringtones and notifications
• Download custom wallpaper
• Use some home screen widgets
• Install custom launcher
• Use a custom keyboard app
• Change home screen and lock screen layout
• Adjust font and size
• Enable Android gestures

Create/set custom ringtones and notifications

Android devices come with a variety of ringtones and notification sounds pre-installed, but let's be honest, it's not fun to hear those generic sounds in public. One of the first things you should do to customize your new Android phone is set a custom ringtone.

If you want something completely custom, try a ringtone maker app like Ringtone Maker or MP3 Cutter and Ringtone Maker . Easily record or download free music to create a ringtone. If you don't want to cut and create your own ringtone, download free or premium sounds from apps like Audiko and ZEDGE .

Download custom wallpaper

One of the easiest things to customize on an Android device is the wallpaper. And thanks to the lock screen, you can set two wallpapers: One for the lock screen and one for the home screen. My favorite app is ZEDGE, because it gives you all sorts of stuff for your phone: wallpapers, ringtones, notification tones, games, and even custom icon packs. But be prepared for a lot of ads. The web version is actually more user-friendly.

You can also take photos or screenshots and turn them into your wallpaper. Or, use a weather app that changes your wallpaper based on the weather conditions. And, if you like rotating wallpapers, use a wallpaper changer app. If you want something more dynamic, live wallpapers are great, but they can drain your battery faster.

Use some home screen widgets

Customizing home screen widgets is a great way to add convenience and extra functionality to your Android device. Most apps have a widget or multiple widgets to completely customize your phone.

There are two easy ways to access widgets. If you want to see all the available widgets in a handy list, tap and hold on an empty part of the screen. Tap Widgets  at the bottom of the screen, then explore and add what you want.

Or, long-press any app icon, then tap Widgets . If there's no widget option, the app doesn't have one.

Install custom launcher

Did you know that the Android launcher  is the most used part of your device? It handles everything from the home screen, app drawer, and interface of your device. When you want to customize your Android phone, a custom launcher is a great place to start.

Nova is the most popular launcher, but it has fallen out of favor due to performance issues and lack of proper developer support. It can be buggy. There are many alternatives that work just as well, if not better.

To start using these apps, install them and start using them as your home launcher.

Use a custom keyboard app

You can't ignore the keyboard. Not only are custom keyboards one of the best ways to customize your Android phone, they often mean a huge leap in usability and the speed with which you can use your device to text your friends or browse the web.

Today’s stock Android keyboards offer more customization options than ever, including built-in glide typing. Two of the most popular options are Gboard and SwiftKey . They offer custom themes, easy GIF and emoji search, and even built-in AI if you want to use it.

Just make sure to set the new keyboard as the default keyboard in your Android settings ( Settings -> General Management -> Keyboard list and default ).

Change home screen and lock screen layout

An incredibly simple way to customize your Android phone is to change the layout of your home and lock screens. Go to Settings and select Home screen to adjust the grid size, folder grid size, add/remove media pages, hide apps you don't want but can't delete without root, add/remove search, and more.

For the lock screen, go to Settings -> Lock screen and AOD . Choose the lock screen type, enable/disable Always On Display , add a clock, and even add widgets for quicker access.

These settings may seem basic, but simply changing the grid size and adding a few widgets to the lock screen will make your phone feel more like yours than just a regular phone.

Adjust font and size

Another often overlooked Android customization option is font size and style. You can easily stick with the default font, but it would be nice to have a more readable font. Go to Settings -> Display -> Font size and style .

Change the font style to one of the preloaded options or upload your own. You can also reduce or increase the font size, which applies to almost everything on your device.

Enable Android gestures

Customizing how you use your phone is just as important as how things look. If you’re not using Android gestures, you’re missing out on a very useful feature. Not everyone uses every gesture available, but you can customize how you interact with your device. For example, choose to keep the traditional navigation buttons or remove them and opt for gesture navigation. Quantrimang.com has compiled a list of the best gestures to get you started.

Take the time to customize your Android phone to make it easier and more enjoyable to use. The best part is you never have to root your device to do this.