What Can I Do With An Android Rooted Phone

Now is arguably the best fourth dimension in the history of the platform for Android users—the Os is getting improve, updates are getting (slightly) quicker, and in that location are several first-class handsetS to choose from. If you're not into the whole "manufacturer skin" that most are offering these days, however, it can exist slightly less exciting to buy a not-Nexus phone. But giving your phone a "stock Android" await and feel isn't equally hard equally you think.

If you're rooted, of course, yous could just flash a custom ROM based on stock Android, but most people don't desire to get through that hassle these days. If you have a Samsung phone, we recommend checking out our Samsung-specific guide–there are a few extra things Samsung has in place that permit you make your phone feel like stock. For all other phones, read on.

RELATED: How to Flash a New ROM to Your Android Phone

Change Your Launcher

This is the first thing that I practise on any phone, because information technology easily makes the biggest different right out of the gate. With Android, basically everything is managed through the launcher—the app that handles your home screens—and then it's one of the nearly dramatic changes you can make to your phone'southward await and feel.

Even better, there are several really good launcher replacements out there. If you lot're looking for a i hundred pct stock feel, yous can get that on the dwelling screen with the Google Now Launcher—the same one that you lot'll detect on stock Android devices.

However, if yous're looking for an experience that's more customizable and still very close to a stock look and feel, I vote for Nova Launcher. It's powerful, insanely customizable, and fast—what more than could you lot possibly desire? You tin even modify your icons in Nova to friction match those of stock Android, then you lot're not stuck looking at Google'southward Launcher with LG or Samsung's icons. It'south a win-win all around.

RELATED: How to Install Nova Launcher for a More Powerful, Customizable Android Domicile Screen

Switch to Google Keyboard

Touch on keyboards on Android have come a long way over the last few years, and Google's own offering is now ane of the best out there. Similar almost other things Android, it'southward clean and minimal, not full of "fluff" features that no one ever uses, but rather has a focus on accuracy and meaningful settings.

Like Now Launcher, this is the aforementioned keyboard that you'll find on stock Android devices out of the box. Grab it from the Play Store, install information technology, and savour your adjacent pace toward stock.

Utilise Google Camera

There's a proficient chance that the stock camera app that comes with your phone is robust and full-featured, which is dainty, but sometimes you just don't demand all that. If y'all want something simple and easy to use, Google Photographic camera is the app for yous. It does a skillful job of keeping the moving picture taking process a clean one, as information technology doesn't have all the bells and whistles that you'll find on nearly other cameras—just hitting the button and snap the film. The thought here is that Google Camera will exercise almost of the heavy lifting for y'all, automatically setting exposure, ISO, shutter speed, and all that other good stuff.

But there's one grab: it's not available directly from Google Play. If yous want to install the official Google Camera, you'll have to catch it from APK Mirror and sideload it. Keep in mind that there are two unlike versions of Google Photographic camera—one for 64-bit phones, and one for 32-chip phones—and you'll also take to enable "Unknown Sources" in your phone'southward Security bill of fare. Honestly, your phone'south default photographic camera app is probably just equally proficient, if non better–simply if y'all want a truly stock experience, grabbing Google Camera is worth the extra work.

Drop the Stock SMS App and Switch to Messenger

There is no shortage of messaging apps in Google Play, and even Google now has a bunch to choose from. But I recollect Google really got it right with Messenger, the new(ish) stock SMS app for Nexus devices. It uses Google's Material Blueprint user interface for a clean, abrupt await, but information technology's not just a pretty confront—it works exceptionally well, also.

But really, I just mostly dear how proficient it looks. I don't understand why and so many other messaging apps can't seem to get this correct. Messenger is my jam.

Give Google's Other Apps a Shot

Your phone probably ships with the manufacturer'due south selection of various apps—Agenda, Gallery, Clock, etc. The affair is, Google'due south stock offerings are probably better (or at least a lot cleaner), and yous tin employ those instead:

Google Calendar
Clock
Photos
Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides
Google Go on
Calculator

While that won't get you a perfectly stock phone, information technology'southward definitely several steps in the right direction. Switching to Google's own apps will give your phone a much more stock-like wait and feel, which can exist a big improvement on many handsets out there. And really, if you don't similar it, you can e'er switch dorsum. That's the power of pick, baby.