Samsung’s One UI is a mine of hidden options, particularly for customers which might be deep into customizing each side of their cellphone. The obvious place to begin is enabling the developer choices and digging into the Labs part. However there may be nonetheless a ton of practical and aesthetic floor left to cowl, which is commonly not doable even in case you flip to third-party instruments and launchers.
That’s the place Samsung’s Good Lock app involves the rescue. Accessible through the Galaxy Retailer, it’s primarily a set of customization instruments that provide an unprecedented stage of management, from UI adjustment and stylus gestures to an all-out theming equipment.
I’ve experimented with a number of Good Lock modules over time, however these 5 are the most effective and an absolute must-have for any person rocking a Samsung cellphone.
Pentastic supercharges your S Pen
One UI 5 already provides a wholesome bunch of stylus customization choices, however in case you want an additional sprint of management over the S Pen, the Pentastic Good Lock module is simply the appropriate one for you. It enables you to change the Menu Fashion for S Pen shortcuts and much more.
By default, you’ll be able to both choose between a boxy block model or a pillar-shaped compact kind. With Pentastic, you’ll be able to go for a minimalist view, a round view of icons that unfolds with a neat animation, and a retro view impressed by a monochrome disc.
Going a step additional, it’s also possible to choose up a background for the command menu, regulate the brightness, and put a blur impact on the environment. There’s additionally an possibility to vary the sound each time the S Pen touches the display screen.
I picked up Mick Gordon’s riff from the Doom Everlasting soundtrack because the stylus sound whereas jotting notes, and it was fairly some blast of hellish power. However it’s the pointer that actually lets you have got numerous enjoyable.
You’ll be able to substitute the tiny circle with gadgets like a coronary heart or an arrow, however in case you’re feeling adventurous, you’ll be able to simply obtain any sticker from the huge assortment within the Galaxy Retailer and use it as your pointer.
And if the stickers don’t lower it, you’ll be able to choose any picture out of your gallery. I created just a few neat designs in PhotoShop, they usually appeared nice. However it was actually the image of a foolish white cat that took my S Pen pointer customization recreation to the following stage.
One Hand Operations+ is a lifesaver
I’ve obtained small arms. Sufficiently small that the Google Pixel 4a was nearly excellent for me whereas the remainder of my colleagues sang songs about its compact measurement. In the mean time, I’m utilizing the Galaxy S23 Extremely. It’s a terrific cellphone, however for my arms, it’s an uncomfortable behemoth and virtually not possible to make use of with one hand.
At the least, that was till I found a sure Good Lock module known as One Hand Operations+. The title is fairly self-explanatory. It enables you to closely customise the side-swipe gestures from the sting of your cellphone’s display screen, and it makes one-handed use considerably simpler.
Every swipe gesture enables you to choose between greater than 50 duties, from one thing as fundamental because the again or current motion to superior duties like opening the split-screen view and launching the sport booster. Every swipe gesture is additional divided throughout quick and lengthy swipes, which implies you have got six controls proper on the fringe of your display screen. For those who search extra dexterity, you’ll be able to allow the opposite fringe of the display screen and assign six extra duties to the other aspect.
You get to specify the angular space for diagonal swipes, which is solely wonderful as a result of every particular person’s model of holding a cellphone is totally different. It’s also possible to add exceptions for apps, corresponding to video games, or another app for that matter, and use the identical gestures with the S Pen.
There are additional controls that allow you to specify the period and size of on-screen swipes to stop unintended contact inputs and supply probably the most satisfying touch-screen expertise. I went additional down the customizability rabbit gap and even adjusted the vibration depth to my liking. Merely put, chef’s kiss!
Notistar takes notifications to the following stage
Over the previous few years, I’ve tried a number of notification administration apps, which, regardless of providing numerous options, usually grew to become overwhelming to deal with. Plus, it’s by no means simple to deal with the barrage of notifications and sift the essential ones from the trash, particularly while you’ve been working for hours with the do-not-disturb mode enabled.
Notistar comes closest to putting the appropriate steadiness between performance and manageability. You’ll be able to select to configure it on a per-app foundation to begin with. However probably the most helpful characteristic on this Good Lock module’s arsenal is the power to filter by way of notifications utilizing goal key phrases.
This ensures you could simply test for notifications solely from the apps with high-priority duties, like crucial communication from WhatsApp or office apps like Asana, Slack, and Microsoft Groups, amongst others. Check out the instance under, the place I set one such key phrase for my pal Yasir:
It actually turns out to be useful for each crucial and work-related stuff. For instance, I’ve set a key phrase for my editor Joe, in order that I don’t miss notifications involving his directives throughout messages in
Not like the inventory notification shade, the place all playing cards are bundled collectively and you must scroll previous an extended listing to seek out the app alerts you’re on the lookout for, Notistar takes a house screen-like method. The primary web page exhibits all of the notifications grouped collectively in a preview, which you’ll be able to slide in both route to dismiss.
Curiously, it’s also possible to copy the contents of a notification banner and likewise share it immediately utilizing Android’s default share sheet pop-out view. On the backside is a row of all of your goal key phrases, which you’ll be able to immediately faucet or scroll over to land on the devoted web page for notifications with that specific key phrase.
Plus, I don’t have to stretch my fingers all the best way to the highest fringe of the display screen to tug the notification cluster. You’ll be able to place the Notistar icon wherever on the lock display screen. I even modified the icon’s coloration and transparency stage to mix in completely with my Lock Display screen aesthetics. General, it’s one of the virtually fulfilling Good Lock modules in case you are within the throes of the notification demon.
Keys Cafe can remodel your keyboard
Each touchscreen machine deserves a functionally-rewarding keyboard. Microsoft SwiftKey is a neat instance. For those who search some generative AI smarts, Paragraph AI is a good one. However a keyboard just isn’t merely a mashup of digital buttons. Simply enter a random mechanical keyboard Discord server, and also you’ll really feel the fervour that I’m speaking about.
On a digital keyboard, button form and measurement, spacing between them, positioning and ease of accessing particular characters, and so on., are among the core elements which have saved me loyal to Gboard. However in case you actually wish to personal the keyboard expertise on a Samsung cellphone and customise it to your coronary heart’s content material, then the aptly-named Keys Cafe is the place you must take a look at.
The one pre-requisite is that you must set Samsung’s default keyboard – which isn’t half-bad by itself – as your default keyboard. When you’ve crossed that bridge, you’ll be able to go to city with tweaks. To begin, you’ll be able to select between three keyboard codecs, together with the same old QWERTY format.
When you’ve made your choose, you’ll be able to add as much as 5 further rows that embrace numbers in a number of languages, particular characters, emojis, calculator shortcuts, models of measurement, mathematical operations, practical shortcuts, and extra.
Subsequent, you’ll be able to regulate the letter styling, width, and top of every keycap. Moreover, you’ll be able to add a number of pages to the identical keyboard, populated by symbols that greatest fit your explicit wants at a time. For instance, the primary web page might be English letters, the second web page comprises mathematical symbols, and the third web page options numerical operate shortcuts.
Then comes the aesthetic styling half, which helps you to choose between some eye-catching coloration mixtures for the deck and keycaps, a variety of keycap movement and coloration results, and faucet sounds.
There’s an choice to create a customized sticker set and import it on to a keyboard alongside just a few different key-press utility instruments. General, it’s one of the satisfying Good Lock modules and completely definitely worth the time you spend on it.
Theme Park cranks customization as much as 11
This one may sound like your common theming software, however it’s truly probably the most highly effective design customization suite you’ll come throughout. The largest frustration that it solves is the difficulty of icon packs. Regardless of the third-party icon pack you obtain in your Android cellphone, there’ll all the time be just a few apps that the developer hasn’t paid consideration to. Then there may be the issue of launcher compatibility, as not many icon packs are appropriate with One UI.
Assuming you have got crossed these bridges, you’ll have to work laborious on engaged on the Fast Settings panel, the keyboard, and different UI components in order that they observe in the identical aesthetic footsteps. It’s simply an excessive amount of work, and in my expertise, frustratingly not possible to realize that common design nirvana for my cellphone’s UI. With the Theme Park module, you’ll be able to customise the look of icons, keyboard, theme, fast panel, and even the sound setting bars — multi functional place.
Beginning with the icons, you’ll be able to choose between totally different shades, regulate the tray coloration, and tweak the background coloration. Most significantly, the colour tone you choose shall be utilized throughout all apps. No exceptions there. That’s an enormous sigh of aid, nevertheless it’s actually the Fast Settings panel the place the customizability of this Good Lock module actually involves life.
You get as many as 11 factors, masking totally different gadgets and areas of the drawer, the place you’ll be able to apply a coloration of your selection and regulate the gradient depth. For followers of understated monochrome aesthetics, this one is really satisfying to tinker with and get a clear look.
You are able to do the identical with the amount panel and obtain a uniform design language that applies to each nook of the cellphone’s UI. It’d take a while, however the outcomes are actually value all of the laborious work you place in.
It’s time to present Good Lock a shot
There are a handful of different Good Lock modules you could play with, however these 5 supply probably the most complete set of controls that can actually change the best way your cellphone seems to be whereas including a ton of practical ease to it.
It’s a disgrace {that a} highly effective software like that is unique to Samsung telephones and never different
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