Samsung users, how did you customise your handset?

[{{909}}]

Went out to get the wife a phone yes'de with a list of either the Xaiomi Mi4, Oneplus one, Meizu MX4 which are all high spec low cost handsets, and I considered the HTC M8 and the Samsung S5. After trawling shops for a few hours and juggling bullshit from sales assistants who generally know nothing, it became apparent that if I want 4G LTE, it's the Samsung or nothing, which was actually the last one in my priority list.

Anyway, I have a G2 which I am so comfortable with, the OS is balanced and looks 'right', when I use the samsung, the tweaked OS just doesn't feel right to me and its annoying.

I dunno if I'm just being an ass, but what are you guys doing with customisation?

I'm happy to flash it with a stock OS, but relying on Google apps is a pain at the moment as the Chinese government is blocking or throttling all google services (including translate FFS!) so its probably not the best option to go full G.

[stevezx636]

Hi there, i am currently using a Note 3, i haven't rooted because the SkyGo app won't work on rooted devices. I have customised mine by using Nova launcher and Zooper to create some different widgets. There are plenty of different launchers on the play store and loads of customised fonts etc if your into playing around with bits like that. Samsung Touchwiz isn't too bad, but there are better launchers you can download.

[purpleanimal23]

I just use the google now launcher to make it feel more vanilla. I can't root or flash my phone as I need it in compliance for MDM at work.
I'm happy with it, it's not full blown vanilla but I hate touchwiz and I have no issues running it like this.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...launcher&hl=en

[{{909}}]

google now looks cool, I will see if I can get it from somewhere. No google apps is a huge pain in the ass, not even the google store is on this handset, just some third party crap.

[{{909}}]

google now doesnt f'king work! doesnt show up with the usual commands to choose your launcher. Nova however does and I already like it 10x more than the touchwiz. Seems far more snappy. Mite try a few more and set it up nice before I give it her to fuck up.

[DejaVu]

At first, I thought this was gonna be a 'How do I root my phone?' thread.

All handsets manufacturers do the same.

Samsung make their own changes to Android as much as HTC, LG, Sony and the rest (some call it Bloatware).

Personally I have M8 with Sense & Blinkfeed and it is a fantastic. The only thing that comes close - or some may say beats it - is the LG G3.

Both these phones are not low end and you will pay more than the list you comprised above.
Most, if not all, of those phones are likely to be running Cyanogenmod, which is a huge community driven modification of Android (or AOSP - Android Open Source Project). Most handsets are supported by Cyanogenmod. My old SGS3 had it on and run superbly.

Most handsets have the option of Cyanogenmod, but in the case of HTC's I prefer to stick with 'as close to stock' as possible.

Customisation of ANY handset is down to personal preference.
Once rooted your phone becomes open to do with as you please, you can install MIUI if you like, which is an version of Android that mimics iOS as best it can.

[{{909}}]

Thats all fine if you live outside China DejaVu, everything comes strangled with chinese apps here, when I booted the samsung it was already preloaded with tons of crap, like 20 fucking apps that did nothing other than show ads as far as i could see. I wiped the phone and when the phone booted it installed them all again automatically. I went on a blitz uninstalling them, then realised I had removed the app store alternative.

If I flash to a rom thats google focused, which they all pretty much are, it stumbles as most google services have been outright blocked here since the Tienanmen anniversary and now the HK protests are reinforcing that. My LG G2 came from HK and had all the usual google apps as a google OS should but since the lockdown I have to use a VPN to update / install anything. If an app tries to update itself and the VPN isn't enabled it sits there retrying endlessly and sapping the battery! Royal pain in the butt. This is ok for me, but for the missus she'll just want it to work out the box. I could most probably use MIUI since its made in China though.

Gonna just go with Go launcher I think, it looks great and is smooth as hell so feels like more of an upgrade to her older samsung handset which is running a shakey old touchwiz front.

[DejaVu]

Aha! That makes more sense. I forgot all about...

[Geko]

Root uninstaller is your friend there.

Like others have said. The best way to customise is to use a different launcher. I always found that customs ROMs tended to slow down after a while, where as stock did not. I have the LG G3 and as soon as Cyanogenmod develop an L flavour ROM, I'll probably root and switch. Unless LG get me Android L first, in which case I may stay.

[{{909}}]

yup, im pretty happy with Go Launcher now, I've been tweaking it for a few hours and it looks miles away from stock and I think I have suitably female'd it. Just need to find a half decent app store alternative.

[feargr0und]

I rooted mine and downloaded xposed framework. imo, makes the phone a lot more custom.