For a quick, coordinated refresh, start with your phone’s wallpaper and built-in color settings. Choose a manufacturer theme if you want a broader change to supported screens and icons, or install a launcher, widget maker, or wallpaper app when you want to reshape the home screen. The right option depends on what you want to change—and what your phone supports.
The title’s “2024” is outdated: Android Authority’s roundup carrying that title was published on April 4, 2025. The options below are ways to customize Android, not a tested ranking.
Which Android customization option fits your goal?
| What you want to change | Good place to start | What to keep in mind |
|---|---|---|
| System colors and a coordinated look | Your phone’s wallpaper and color controls | Dynamic color and app support vary; not every app or icon will change. |
| Wallpapers, icons, and supported manufacturer screens | Your phone maker’s theme store, such as Galaxy Themes on supported Samsung phones | Availability and coverage depend on model and software; Samsung requires an account for Galaxy Themes. |
| Home-screen layout, grid, dock, or icon packs | A third-party launcher | Expect more setup than a built-in color change; check the launcher’s current features and compatibility. |
| Custom widgets or animated backgrounds | A widget editor such as KWGT or live-wallpaper maker such as KLWP | These offer more creative control and typically require hands-on configuration. |
| New wallpaper designs | A wallpaper app such as Tapet or Walli | These change the backdrop, not necessarily icons, system colors, or layout. |
Start with Android’s built-in wallpaper colors
Android’s dynamic color feature uses colors derived from your wallpaper to theme supported apps and parts of the system interface. Android Developers says user-generated themes through dynamic color arrived with Material You in Android 12. The palette can inform light and dark color schemes, but it is a starting point rather than a guarantee that every app will match. Android Developers’ Themes guide describes the platform capability; the result on a particular phone depends on its software and the apps installed.
Look in your phone’s wallpaper or display personalization settings for wallpaper-derived colors or a color palette. Exact labels and available controls vary by Android version and manufacturer. This is the lowest-effort route: it keeps your existing launcher and changes only the elements the system and apps support.
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Use a manufacturer theme for a wider, device-specific change
Samsung Galaxy Themes
Samsung Galaxy Themes can apply wallpapers and icon sets, and may affect default apps such as Phone, Messages, and Calendar as well as elements in Contacts, Settings, and Quick Settings. It is a broader treatment than wallpaper colors alone, but Samsung does not promise that every screen or app will be changed.
Samsung’s US support documentation says Galaxy Themes requires a Samsung account and is not supported on Galaxy Tab devices. Settings and screens can vary by carrier, software version, and phone model. Samsung’s wallpaper color palette is a separate option under Wallpaper and style: it can affect menus and screens and may be applied to app icons, though some icons do not support the palette. Theme icon sets may also leave some apps unchanged, and this method does not let you use your own images as icons. Check Samsung’s Galaxy theme and icon instructions for device-specific details.
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Choose a launcher when you want to change the home screen
A launcher controls the home screen and app drawer, so it is the route to a different layout, icon treatment, grid, or dock. It does not automatically replace every part of Android’s interface. Android Authority’s descriptions offer several styles to consider; they are editorial comparisons, not independent test results.
- Action Launcher: described as offering wallpaper-derived launcher colors and customization controls.
- Square Home: a Windows-style tile layout for people who prefer a more panel-based home screen.
- Nova Launcher: described as supporting icon packs, grid positioning, color controls, and dock options.
- Lawnchair: described as a minimal option with adaptive icons and light and dark modes.
- Niagara Launcher: a list-oriented approach with Material You theming.
- Smart Launcher: described as automatically sorting apps and adapting its theme to wallpaper colors.
These descriptions come from Android Authority’s themes roundup and its Android launcher guide. Before switching, check the current Play Store listing for Android compatibility, in-app purchases, and whether the features you want are included without payment. A launcher can take more effort to arrange than a preset theme, but it gives you more control over where icons and widgets sit.
Rank #3
- YOUR CONTENT, SUPER SMOOTH: The ultra-clear 6.7" FHD+ Super AMOLED display of Galaxy A17 5G helps bring your content to life, whether you're scrolling through recipes or video chatting with loved ones.¹
- LIVE FAST. CHARGE FASTER: Focus more on the moment and less on your battery percentage with Galaxy A17 5G. Super Fast Charging powers up your battery so you can get back to life sooner.²
- MEMORIES MADE PICTURE PERFECT: Capture every angle in stunning clarity, from wide family photos to close-ups of friends, with the triple-lens camera on Galaxy A17 5G.
- NEED MORE STORAGE? WE HAVE YOU COVERED: With an improved 2TB of expandable storage, Galaxy A17 5G makes it easy to keep cherished photos, videos and important files readily accessible whenever you need them.³
- BUILT TO LAST: With an improved IP54 rating, Galaxy A17 5G is even more durable than before.⁴ It’s built to resist splashes and dust and comes with a stronger yet slimmer Gorilla Glass Victus front and Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer back.
Build a more custom look with widgets and wallpapers
Custom widgets and live wallpapers
KWGT is a custom widget maker; KLWP is a live-wallpaper maker. The Android Authority roundup describes them as options that work well together for a more deliberately designed home screen. They are better suited to readers willing to configure individual elements than to anyone looking for a one-tap theme.
Wallpaper-led personalization
Tapet is described as generating customizable patterned wallpapers, while Walli offers artist-created wallpaper imagery. Either can refresh the background without changing the launcher, though a wallpaper alone will not guarantee matching icons or system colors.
Rank #4
- PRIVACY DISPLAY: Automatically hide your screen from those beside you. The built-in privacy display can be preset¹ to turn on when receiving notifications, typing passwords, or using specific apps
- TYPE IT IN. TRANSFORM IT FAST: Enhance any shot in seconds on your smartphone by using Photo Assist² with Galaxy AI.³ Add objects, restore details, or apply new styles by simply typing or tapping
- NIGHTS, CAPTURED CLEARLY: From gigs to city lights, record and capture moments after dark with clarity using Nightography so your photos and videos stay crisp and clear on your Samsung Galaxy
- MAKE IT. EDIT IT. SHARE IT: Turn everyday moments into something personal with creative tools built right into your mobile phone, whether it’s a special contact photo, custom wallpaper, an invitation or more⁴
- HELP THAT KEEPS UP: Stay in the moment while Now Nudge with Galaxy AI helps you respond faster and stay organized with smart suggestions⁵ that appear exactly when you need them on your phone
A library of bundled themes
The Google Play listing for +HOME advertises themes, wallpapers, and icon packs, and claims a collection of more than 2,000 free themes. That number is the app listing’s claim, not an independently verified count; features and availability can change. Review the current +HOME Launcher listing on Google Play before installing.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How to pick without creating a mismatched phone
- Decide the scope first. For colors, try built-in controls. For icons and layout, look at a manufacturer theme or launcher. For custom information panels or motion, consider widgets and live wallpapers.
- Check compatibility. Confirm the app supports your phone, Android version, and any manufacturer-specific requirements. App and icon support can be partial.
- Match effort to the result you want. A wallpaper palette or preset is quicker; a launcher or custom widget setup involves more choices and adjustment.
- Check costs and current terms. The cited roundups include apps with differing monetization models. Verify the live store listing for paid upgrades, in-app purchases, and the specific features you need.
If you use a Samsung Galaxy phone, a case can coordinate the physical device with its on-screen style, but it is an optional accessory, not part of changing an Android theme. Choose one only after confirming it fits your exact phone model.
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