How To Customize Your Android Phone

| Wednesday, January 23, 2013
By Chris Pastor


The great selling point of an Android tablet and phone is its practically endless customization options as compared to the likes of the iPhone, iPad and Blackberries. When there's something that you don't like about an app, a feature or function then feel comfortable knowing that there's a large numbers of alternatives available.

Starting with the basic personalization options the initial thing you might like to do is change the normal wallpaper to something that resonates better along with your persona. To change the wallpaper you have to touch the 'menu' button and select 'Wallpaper' from the list of options. Then you're able to choose any image on the phone and select it as the wallpaper. You can even touch and drag to highlight a distinct part of a graphic for the wallpaper. Don't forget with all the connectivity options you can even copy images from your computer to your smartphone. If you still can't find the right wallpaper there is a free application on the market called Backgrounds will give you access to a huge number of wallpaper images.

The next essential customization option is select a ringtone to something a tad more 'You' than the default ringtone. To change the ringtone hit the 'menu' button, touch 'Settings' and then go to the 'Sound and display' option. If you haven't already done so, you could copy an MP3 to your phone and use it as your ringtone. To do this you need to create a folder on your memory card called 'ringtones'. Copy the track you would like to use and Android is going to do the rest. When you need even more control of the ringtone you could download a free app called RingDroid. This app will enable you to edit an MP3 and save just that awesome chorus as your ringtone.

If the Android phone has a color LED you have probably noticed that it flashes when you have a missed call or text message. You are able to control the colour of the LED to show a certain color for particular events. As an example you could set it to blink red if you missed a call from your boss and blue if you missed a call from your colleague. To customize the LED color, download a free app named Missed Call.

After the essential personalization is out the way you can begin diving a little deeper and customize your Android phone to your specific wants. One complaint some people have is the default messaging program. It is a little awkward and clunky. However, a number of developers have created alternative messaging programs that are more intuitive and contain more features. Handcent has established itself as the number one substitute for the default messaging program. Those who use it, swear they'd never go back.

The next piece of customization you should have a look at is swapping out the default virtual keyboard. While it is relatively functional it's missing some finesse, which is where the BetterKeyboard app enters the picture. You can add and take away custom buttons, modify the look and use a number pad if you want. If you're sending a lot of emails or texts then BetterKeyboard is a recommended customization for your Android phone.

Lastly you could customize the home screen to show the info you truly want. The LauncherPro application does a fantastic job of this letting you to have as many as 7 screens. This is extremely useful should you use your phone to juggle business and personal work.




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