How to customize your Samsung mobile with One UI to the fullest | How to fix Samsung

 How to customize your Samsung mobile

We are going to explain how to customize One UI to the maximum so that you can give a touch of distinction to your Samsung mobile. In Engadget Basics we have already explained how to customize Android in general, as well as the options to do it in the MIUI customization layers of Xiaomi and EMUI of Huawei . And now it is the turn of One UI , Samsung's customization layer.

Although it is not yet available to everyone, we are going to base ourselves on One UI 3 , the latest version of this customization layer that was launched together with the Galaxy S21 and Galaxy S21 Ultra , and that will reach more mobiles throughout 2021 . For the article, we will use a Galaxy S21 , but all the options should be available for the rest of the phones with this version of One UI. And as we always say in this type of Xataka Basics articles, if you think we have missed any method or alternative, we invite you to share your methods or resources with us in the comments section . Thus, whoever comes to this article in order to fully customize their operating system, will also be able to benefit from the knowledge of our Xatakeros.

How to Change the wallpaper of Samsung? 

When it comes to customizing the appearance of Android, whatever its customization layer, the first step is always to change the wallpaper to put another one to our liking. To get to this option there are two ways. The first is to enter the Android settings, and inside, go to the Funds section that One UI will show you in the third block.

 

The second way is to press and hold the wallpaper of one of the Android desktops. You will go to the view to edit the desktops, and in it, you must click on the Fund option that you will have in the bottom row.

 

In the Backgrounds section , you will have several options to customize your wallpaper . The first two are those of your backgrounds and gallery, which will search among the backgrounds pre-installed by One UI and the photos of your mobile to choose one. But you also have other options, and we will explain what they are:

• 1. My wallpapers : You enter the wallpapers section of One UI, where you can choose from the ones that are available on your mobile as standard.
• 2. Gallery : It shows you the photographs that you have taken with your mobile, and in the gallery you can choose one of them to use as wallpapers.
• 3. Wallpaper services : If you have services installed to use wallpapers, you will see them here. By default, the dynamic lock screen will appear, one of the features of One UI to modify the lock screen background from time to time.
• 4. Discover more funds : You enter the Themes application, directly in the wallpapers section to download others from third parties, whether they are free or paid.

 

If you click on the options of My wallpapers or Gallery , you will be able to see images from Samsung or yours proposed to use as wallpaper. Here, you must choose the image that you like the most, and when you do, you can choose between using it on the home screen, which is the desktop background, on the lock screen, or both.

 

When you choose one of the three options for where to use the wallpaper, you will be shown a preview so you can see how it looks . If you like it, just press the set button, and the new wallpaper will be applied.

 

If you choose the Wallpaper Services option , you will be able to view services to automatically get lock screen backgrounds. By default you will have the Dynamic Lock Screen feature of One UI *, with which you can choose categories of backgrounds for the lock screen , and each time you turn on the screen a new background will appear belonging to these categories.

 

And if you click on Discover more funds , you will go directly to the Funds section of the Themes application . Here, you will be able to search and download different third-party wallpapers, some of which are free, but where most are paid. They are not expensive, but they cost around the euro, and you have several types of funds and categories to choose from.

You can also get wallpapers by other means . Regarding this, in Engadget Android you have a collection with all the wallpapers of the most important mobiles. You can also use specific applications such as Bing Wallpapers , Google Wallpapers and many other apps to download free backgrounds that you have available. Metacommunities like Reddit also have entire communities dedicated to vertical wallpapers and backgrounds specially designed for AMOLED screens .

How to choose between light and dark mode on Samsung? 

One of the main settings where you will notice a lot of change is in choosing between light or dark mode for Android. In One UI, the dark mode is very black, something that benefits mobile models with AMOLED screens. You will be able to activate these modes manually or program them at different times. To do this, you have to enter the settings of your device, and inside, click on the Screen section to see everything related to it.

 

When you enter the Screen section , at the top you will have the options to choose if you want to use the Light or Dark mode . You simply have to select the mode you want, and the colors will change automatically so you can see if it convinces you. If you want, you also have the option of Dark mode Settings .

 

If you click on the Dark mode Settings , you can choose the hours at which you want the dark mode to be activated , and the rest of the time it will be in light mode. Here, you will be able to choose between using the dark mode at night, or planning it by choosing the exact times at which the dark mode starts and ends.

How to choose between control buttons or gestures 

This change, in addition to being aesthetic, is also practical. You will be able to choose if you want to use the control with the classic three lower Android buttons, or if you prefer a gesture control with a bar below to move. To do this, you have to enter the settings of your device, and inside, click on the Screen section to see everything related to it.

 

Once you are in the Screen section , you have to go down a bit. When you do, you must click on the Navigation Bar option . The navigation bar is the one at the bottom, and it can have buttons or the indicator to move it with gestures.

 

Within the Navigation Bar options , you will go to the screen where you will have to choose between Buttons and Swipe Gestures . Each control method looks different, and you have more options to customize and adapt them to your liking.

How to add Widgets to the home screen on android phone 

Widgets are those little windows that you can put on the desktop of the mobile phone next to the apps, and that always show content and information about the applications without having to open them. To add them, you have to start by holding down your finger on the desktop of the mobile for a few seconds. When you go to the desktop editing screen, you must enter the Widgets option at the bottom.

 

You will enter the widgets screen, where you will see all the ones you have available. They will be organized by the name of the apps to which they belong, and below the name you will see how many widgets each app has. Above you have a search engine to find those of specific apps, and all you have to do is search and click on the name of the app you want to add a widget for.

 

When you do, a window will open at the bottom with a preview in which you can slide the screen sideways to choose the widget you want to use from that app. Once you have chosen it, click on the Add button below to add it to the desktop where you started the process.

Once you have added a widget to the desktop, you can hold your finger on it and drag it to change the desktop where you want it to be or its exact position on the screen. When you drag it, at the top you will have a Delete option above which you can drop the widget to delete it. There will be times when before adding the widget you have to do some previous configuration to determine what you want to show.

How to change the sounds of the phone or the alarm clock 

Another classic when customizing your mobile is changing the tones of calls, notifications, and alarms. This will help you to have your mobile phone more to your liking, but also to differentiate it from others when it rings. To begin, go to your mobile settings and click on the Sounds and vibration option that you will see in them.

 

You will enter a careful menu where One UI allows you to configure everything. First, choose whether you want it to sound, just vibrate, or be silent. Then, below you have the sections of Melody , Notification sound and System sound , which are the three with which you will be able to change how the mobile sounds.

When you click on one of them, you will go to the list of tones, and when you click on one you will select it and listen to it. Leaving it selected will become your new tone , although you can continue browsing until you find the one you like the most. On the top right you have a + plus button, which is used to add as a tone any of the songs that you have in your mobile folder.

Finally, you should also know that there are many third-party applications to comfortably customize your tones , and that you can also set the music from Spotify or YouTube Music as an alarm clock. Also, many applications such as WhatsApp have their own configuration options in which to set their own notification tones.

Samsung's One UI customization layer also includes the ability to customize the vibration patterns of the mobile , so that the mobile can vibrate in different ways. The point is that if you do not feel the vibrations by default much when the mobile is in your pocket, you have the possibility of changing them for others that convince you more.

How to customize the Control Center on Samsung?

The control center is the screen that appears when you slide two fingers down from the top of the screen. In it, you are shown buttons to quickly activate or deactivate mobile functions, or to enter them when you keep your finger pressed. You will be able to rearrange these buttons to add others, remove the ones you don't use, or change their order. To do this, click on the three-dot ⋮ button at the top right, and in the menu that opens, click on the Edit buttons option .

You will enter a screen divided in two. Above you will have the buttons and shortcuts that you have available to add, and below you will have the screen as it is configured. Here, you drag the buttons across the screen to organize them , whether to add, remove, or simply put them elsewhere. Once you're done, tap Done to confirm the changes.

How to change the keyboard of your mobile?

Manufacturers try to make default keyboards have all the options you need, and Samsung is no exception. But if you are not convinced or you are used to another, you will always be able to change the keyboard for another that you like more or offer you more options. The best keyboards for Android usually bring unique options that make them stand out from the competition. From the Gboard shortcuts and options such as creating stickers with your face , their themes, or combined emojis , to the robustness and veteran Swiftkey with functions such as its animated emojis or the ability to put photos as the keyboard background .

The keyboards are installed as if they were conventional applications , and when you launch them for the first time they will guide you step by step through all the configuration you need to do. If you have more than one, you can choose by entering the settings and clicking on the General Administration section . There, click on List and default keyboard to be able to choose the one you want to use by activating or uninstalling the ones you have on your mobile.

How to change the default launcher on Samsung?

The Android launcher or launcher is like the desktop environment of the operating system, the design that you will find when you enter the main screen of your mobile device. Elements such as the icons you see on the screen, desktop options and gestures, the application drawer, etc., depend on it, although not other elements such as settings.

Samsung has its own launcher, the default One UI. But if you want, you also have other third-party alternatives that you can download to give it a different look. They are installed as if they were normal applications, and in case you want to explore your alternatives, we leave you links to some of the best launchers that you can find on Android:

• Nova Launcher
• Microsoft Launcher
• Action Launcher
• Evie Launcher
• Pixel Launcher
• Little Launcher
• Launcher Lawnchair
• Lean Launcher
• ADW Launcher 2
• Launcher 10
• Lens Launcher
• Peek Launcher

Once you install the launcher you have chosen, it may not be activated by default, but Samsung makes it very easy for you to change it . To do this, you have to go to the settings and enter the Applications section . In there, click on the option Choose default apps , which is where you can change the default mobile apps.

Once you have entered the list of Default applications , you only have to click on the Start application option , which is where you can see the launchers that you have available and select the one you want to use.

How to customize the look of the home screen further?

And if you leave the launcher that Samsung brings, there are many other things you can configure. To do this, you have to go to the settings and enter the Home screen section . For example, the first thing you can do is tap on Home screen layout to choose whether you want to have an app drawer or have all apps always show up on desktops.

Also in the Home screen section , you can choose the configuration of the grids that are on the desktops, folders and app screen. The more grids there are, the more apps will fit, but the smaller the icons will be.

And further down, you will also have many other related options. For example, you will be able to hide applications that you do not want to be seen, deactivate the app icon alerts so that a little circle is not shown with the number of pending notifications. You can also make that if you put the mobile horizontally, the desktop screen also rotates.

How to Set the Always On Display mode

Android mobiles usually have a feature called Always On, especially those with OLED and AMOLED screens. It is always on, it is a feature that shows a clock when you have the screen off, and here you can customize it. To do this, go to the mobile settings and enter the Lock Screen section to customize it.

Once inside these options, now you must click on the Always On Display option . With the switch on the right you can activate or deactivate the mode, but clicking on the option is when you will go on to configure it.

You will enter the Always On Display screen , where you will be able to configure this mode to your liking . At the top you can choose between three ways to see it, which can be always, only for ten seconds when you press the screen, or directly at certain times that you can set. You can also change other aspects such as brightness or orientation.

And if you click on the Clock style option , you will enter a screen where you can choose the design you want the Always On mode to have . Here, above you will have the preview of how it will look, and below you can choose the designs of the clock and the colors you want to use. You can even put images in this mode.

How to change the font of the letters on Samsung?

Samsung will also change the system font, the design of the font you want to use, and you can also change the size of the font you want to use. To do this, you have to enter the settings of your device, and inside, click on the Screen section to see everything related to it.

Once inside the screen options, you have to click on the Font size and style section . If you get lost, as with the rest of the options, you can also use the search engine in the settings.

Within the Font size and style screen you will be able to configure how you want the letters of the mobile to look. At the top you will have the result, and below the options. You can click on the Font type option to choose a different font, or activate the bold for whatever you have put. At the bottom you can change the size of the font , depending on whether you want it to look bigger or smaller.

If you click on Font type , you will go to a screen where you will be able to choose between the fonts you have installed . By default, your Galaxy may only bring three different fonts, but if they are not enough, you can click on the Download fonts option to proceed to download more fonts.

If you click on Download fonts , you will go to a kind of application store, but where what you can buy are different types of fonts. You are going to have free and paid fonts , and you simply have to choose the ones you want and download them and then be able to select them in the Font size and style options .

How to customize Samsung to the fullest with the theme system?

One UI also has a theme system in the form of a decorative elements store, with which you can change many aspects of the appearance of your mobile . To enter the themes, you have to hold down your finger on the desktop of the mobile for a few seconds, and on the screen that opens, click on Themes .

When you enter the Themes application , you will see that below you have the tabs of different sections, and in each of them you will have different content, with upper tabs with sections for each section. The main section is the Themes section , where you download complete aspects with their background and icons , which are usually always paid, but there may be some free.

In addition to the Themes section , there are also specific sections to buy only Backgrounds , Icons and AOD designs , which are those of the Always On Display. In each section you have, you will see that there are different categories to find content to your liking. Feel free to explore it all to find designs, although knowing that most will be paid.

When you enter one of the contents of the topics, you will enter a tab where you will see images of how it looks and a complete description. In addition, in some cases you can also download a trial when there is paid content. This cannot be done on wallpapers, but can be done with full themes or icon sets.

And that's it. Using themes is the way in which you can further customize your mobile , since the icon sets are usually very elaborate, and they look great with the matching wallpapers and the rest of the elements that you download with them.

How to do more modifications with other third-party apps on Samsung?

So far, we have told you about all the native functions that Samsung offers. But there is more, because in the Android application store you can find many applications to customize your mobile in many different ways. Here, the results are not always going to be as nice as with the native changes you can make, but there are some very curious things. To give a few examples, you have applications that allow you to create your own widgets , such as the veteran KWGT , Chronus or Battery Reborn . They are usually modular applications that allow you to create many types of widgets, although to get all the functions in some you may have to buy a full version.

You also have others to change different types of aspects of the mobile, such as the status bar with gestures and icons , or the customization of the volume controls . There are also them to unlock hidden settings , optimize the sound of your headphones , decorate the navigation bar , or add a column with shortcuts on the edge of the screen.

How to be careful with the applications you install on your mobile?

But before you get down to it with the previous step, a little warning. In Google Play you have a thousand and one applications with which you can personalize your mobile in many aspects, both those mentioned above and many others. But not all of them are safe, and it is very important that you remember that you should only install those applications that you trust , and that you inform yourself well before installing any of them.

Not only because there may be some type of malware , but because many of these applications need very delicate permissions to work , such as reading all the apps you have installed to display them or what you do on the screen. There may even be an app that asks for more permissions than it needs to collect data about you.

Therefore, it is very important not to start installing many apps or applications that you do not know without any type of control, since you may be compromising your privacy and the security of your mobile. Read well the comments of other users on Google Play to detect anomalies before installing, and if in any app you have doubts, search the Internet to see if something is said about it and if it is positive or negative.

How you can "root" the Samsung mobile?

Another option to further customize your device is to root it . Rooting the mobile is obtaining superuser permissions , which means that you will be able to make much more profound changes than those you can do by default in the settings. Come on, you have full control of the device, with the dangers that this entails.

The process of rooting your Android is not excessively difficult, although if you are a user not very experienced in computing it may seem the opposite. It has some benefits, such as being able to install ROMs or modified versions of the Android operating system, such as LineageOS or Paranoid Android .

This allows you to have a version of Android that is not controlled by the manufacturer, but by the developer community, something that helps you to be able to update to more modern versions of the operating system when the manufacturer has already abandoned your mobile and does not update it anymore. It also helps to squeeze the hardware to the fullest by taking advantage of the full potential of the internal components of the mobile, activate hidden functions or obtain all the customization functions.

But as we have told you, the process has some dangers . If something goes wrong you can spoil the mobile operating system and make it stop working. The adapted version of Android that you install may also have bugs and bugs, and may not work as well. And also, if you root the mobile the manufacturer will disregard the warranty , and if something fails you will not have it to fix it for you.

This, together with the fact that Android is becoming more complete in its serial version, makes it not highly recommended for first-time users , since for years it is something that many think is not always worth it . In any case, we have mentioned it to you because if you go to specialized websites and forums looking for information to customize Android, almost certainly someone will mention it.