How to Get a New Custom Interface on Your Galaxy
Get Nova Launcher., Set Nova Launcher as default launcher., Inspect your new UI., Launch Nova Settings., Tweak the UI., Tweak the home screen., Add Custom Gesture Controls., Back up your custom UI.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Get Nova Launcher.
Nova Launcher can be downloaded for free on Google Play. -
Step 2: Set Nova Launcher as default launcher.
After installing Nova Launcher, hit the Home button on your Galaxy device to bring up the prompt that will let you choose which launcher to use every time you press the Home button.
Select Nova Launcher from the options, and tap “ALWAYS” at the lower right corner of the pop-up. , After choosing Nova Launcher as your new UI, you will see that the home screen changes dramatically compared to the default TouchWiz.
For instance, the Google search bar will be located at the top of the home screen instead of the middle in most Galaxy devices.
It also does away with the My Magazine feature in the home screen on most flagship Galaxy devices.
Furthermore, the markers for home pages on the bottom of the home screen will have circular shapes instead of the default TouchWiz squares.
Nova uses the same design as the stock Android launcher, with lots of tweaks regarding the customizability of the whole user interface, including the home screen, app drawer, and other animations.
Tinker around with the interface and see which elements you like and dislike. , Tap and hold a blank space in the home screen to bring up the home screen customization menu.
Tap the wrench icon at the top right corner of the pop-up to launch Nova Settings.
Alternatively, you can launch Nova Settings from the app drawer by tapping on its icon (which is the same as the Nova Launcher icon, only with a settings icon in the middle instead of the Home icon). , After playing around with the interface, like opening the app drawer, swiping through home screens, and whatnot, you can tweak the UI to your liking by using Nova Settings.
In Nova Settings, you will see a host of customization options categorized according to the UI elements they affect (e.g., Desktop , Drawer , Dock, Folders, etc.) Tapping on these categories will open a submenu where you can tweak the element to your liking.
For instance, tapping “Desktop” will open the Desktop submenu where you can choose the size of the home screen grid by tapping on the Desktop Grid under “LAYOUT.” Here, you can choose how many rows to use by sliding the rolling number line under “Rows,” and then the same with “Columns.” You can also enable Subgrid Position by tapping on the checkbox below the number lines to allow widgets to snap halfway through grid cells.
Tapping “OK” at the lower right corner will apply your changes and make the home screen reflect your choices.
Tapping the “Dock” menu button in Nova Settings will open up customization options for the row of shortcuts at the bottom of the home screen. “Dock Background” in the Dock menu will let you choose the background style of the dock.
Under the Shape header, you can choose between Platform, Rectangle, Rounded, or Arc background shapes, while tapping on the Tint option under Content will let you choose the color the background will take.
Lastly, the Transparency slider in the bottom will let you choose the Alpha percentage so you can make it as transparent or solid as you like. “Dock Pages” in the Dock settings chooses the number of pages the dock will have.
You can swipe the dock to switch between pages.
Tapping on the “Look & Feel” button will take you to customization options involving animation speeds, icon size and more.
Tap “Icon Theme” at the top of the Look & Feel menu to choose an Icon Theme to replace your current one.
By default, Nova takes the stock Android icon themes.
You may download Icon Theme packs from the Play Store, and apply them using this menu.
Icon size and font will let you choose the size of icons via the slider that will pop up.
A similar slider is also available for the icon font at the bottom.
Scroll speed will let you change the speed of the animations when transitioning between home screens.
These are the options arranged In ascending order in terms of speed:
Relaxes, Stock, Nova, Fast, and Faster than Light.
These also apply to the other animation options under Look & Feel, like Animation speed (for transitional animations like opening the app drawer or folders) and App animation (which affect the animation speed at which Nova will open apps and return to the home screen).
You can change folder options by tapping on “Folders.” Here you will see options to customize Folder Preview, background, as well as transition animations.
Tap “Folder preview” to choose between Stack, Grid, Fan, and Line.
These are the arrangements of the icons that are inside a particular folder in the home screen. “Folder Background” will let you choose the shape of the background behind a folder.
Options include Circle, Square, Platform, and Disc.
There are many customization options in Nova Launcher, making it a great choice for making your Galaxy device truly your own. , Apart from Desktop customizations in Nova Settings, you can add widgets and apps to your home screen to personalize it.
Tap and hold an empty section in the home screen to bring up the customization menu.
Tap “Widgets” to add them.
Widgets help you get quick info or shortcut buttons by choosing them from the list.
Tap a widget, and you will be made to choose a widget size indicated below the widget name, so tap on the widget size you want to add it to the home screen.
Tap and hold the widget, and drag it to the desired spot on the home screen to reposition it.
Tapping and holding the widget will cause the device to vibrate and show dots on the widget border.
Drag these dots to resize the widget to your liking.
Tap “Apps” to add app shortcuts to the home screen.
Select from the list of apps to add a single app shortcut, or tap on the “SELECT MULTIPLE” button in the lower left corner to show checkboxes on each app.
Tap on the checkboxes of all the apps your wish to add, and tap the “ADD” button in the lower right to add them.
Choose “Wallpapers” to customize your home screen by tapping on Wallpapers.
Nova will open a wallpaper selection screen, in which you can scroll down to choose the wallpaper you wish to use.
Select “Live wallpapers” by swiping to the left, and choosing from those installed on your device. , Gesture controls offer quick ways to open applications or perform toggle actions.
In Nova Settings, tap “Gestures and Buttons” below “Look & feel.” Under the GESTURES header, you will see a list of gestures you can map applications and actions to.
For instance, tapping the “Pinch In” gesture will open up the “Choose action” menu.
You will see three tabs:
NOVA, APPS, and SHORTCUTS.
Under “Nova,” you will see things like “Add Drawer,” “Show Previews,” and “Toggle Notification Bar,” to name a few.
Selecting these will map the action to the “Pinch In” gesture, so when you go back to your home screen and pinch into the screen with two fingers, it will execute that action.
Play around with the various shortcuts and app launching operations using gestures to get a customized UI experience on your Galaxy device. , In the Nova Settings menu, scroll down and tap “Backup and Import.” Under the BACKUP header, tap “Backup” to open a prompt.
Type the name of the backup in the text field (by default it uses the date and time as the name) and then the backup location under the text field to select where you want to store the backup data (external SD card or internal memory).
This helps you keep the settings saved, which is useful for when you do a factory restore but do not want to go through setting up Nova over again. -
Step 3: Inspect your new UI.
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Step 4: Launch Nova Settings.
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Step 5: Tweak the UI.
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Step 6: Tweak the home screen.
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Step 7: Add Custom Gesture Controls.
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Step 8: Back up your custom UI.
Detailed Guide
Nova Launcher can be downloaded for free on Google Play.
After installing Nova Launcher, hit the Home button on your Galaxy device to bring up the prompt that will let you choose which launcher to use every time you press the Home button.
Select Nova Launcher from the options, and tap “ALWAYS” at the lower right corner of the pop-up. , After choosing Nova Launcher as your new UI, you will see that the home screen changes dramatically compared to the default TouchWiz.
For instance, the Google search bar will be located at the top of the home screen instead of the middle in most Galaxy devices.
It also does away with the My Magazine feature in the home screen on most flagship Galaxy devices.
Furthermore, the markers for home pages on the bottom of the home screen will have circular shapes instead of the default TouchWiz squares.
Nova uses the same design as the stock Android launcher, with lots of tweaks regarding the customizability of the whole user interface, including the home screen, app drawer, and other animations.
Tinker around with the interface and see which elements you like and dislike. , Tap and hold a blank space in the home screen to bring up the home screen customization menu.
Tap the wrench icon at the top right corner of the pop-up to launch Nova Settings.
Alternatively, you can launch Nova Settings from the app drawer by tapping on its icon (which is the same as the Nova Launcher icon, only with a settings icon in the middle instead of the Home icon). , After playing around with the interface, like opening the app drawer, swiping through home screens, and whatnot, you can tweak the UI to your liking by using Nova Settings.
In Nova Settings, you will see a host of customization options categorized according to the UI elements they affect (e.g., Desktop , Drawer , Dock, Folders, etc.) Tapping on these categories will open a submenu where you can tweak the element to your liking.
For instance, tapping “Desktop” will open the Desktop submenu where you can choose the size of the home screen grid by tapping on the Desktop Grid under “LAYOUT.” Here, you can choose how many rows to use by sliding the rolling number line under “Rows,” and then the same with “Columns.” You can also enable Subgrid Position by tapping on the checkbox below the number lines to allow widgets to snap halfway through grid cells.
Tapping “OK” at the lower right corner will apply your changes and make the home screen reflect your choices.
Tapping the “Dock” menu button in Nova Settings will open up customization options for the row of shortcuts at the bottom of the home screen. “Dock Background” in the Dock menu will let you choose the background style of the dock.
Under the Shape header, you can choose between Platform, Rectangle, Rounded, or Arc background shapes, while tapping on the Tint option under Content will let you choose the color the background will take.
Lastly, the Transparency slider in the bottom will let you choose the Alpha percentage so you can make it as transparent or solid as you like. “Dock Pages” in the Dock settings chooses the number of pages the dock will have.
You can swipe the dock to switch between pages.
Tapping on the “Look & Feel” button will take you to customization options involving animation speeds, icon size and more.
Tap “Icon Theme” at the top of the Look & Feel menu to choose an Icon Theme to replace your current one.
By default, Nova takes the stock Android icon themes.
You may download Icon Theme packs from the Play Store, and apply them using this menu.
Icon size and font will let you choose the size of icons via the slider that will pop up.
A similar slider is also available for the icon font at the bottom.
Scroll speed will let you change the speed of the animations when transitioning between home screens.
These are the options arranged In ascending order in terms of speed:
Relaxes, Stock, Nova, Fast, and Faster than Light.
These also apply to the other animation options under Look & Feel, like Animation speed (for transitional animations like opening the app drawer or folders) and App animation (which affect the animation speed at which Nova will open apps and return to the home screen).
You can change folder options by tapping on “Folders.” Here you will see options to customize Folder Preview, background, as well as transition animations.
Tap “Folder preview” to choose between Stack, Grid, Fan, and Line.
These are the arrangements of the icons that are inside a particular folder in the home screen. “Folder Background” will let you choose the shape of the background behind a folder.
Options include Circle, Square, Platform, and Disc.
There are many customization options in Nova Launcher, making it a great choice for making your Galaxy device truly your own. , Apart from Desktop customizations in Nova Settings, you can add widgets and apps to your home screen to personalize it.
Tap and hold an empty section in the home screen to bring up the customization menu.
Tap “Widgets” to add them.
Widgets help you get quick info or shortcut buttons by choosing them from the list.
Tap a widget, and you will be made to choose a widget size indicated below the widget name, so tap on the widget size you want to add it to the home screen.
Tap and hold the widget, and drag it to the desired spot on the home screen to reposition it.
Tapping and holding the widget will cause the device to vibrate and show dots on the widget border.
Drag these dots to resize the widget to your liking.
Tap “Apps” to add app shortcuts to the home screen.
Select from the list of apps to add a single app shortcut, or tap on the “SELECT MULTIPLE” button in the lower left corner to show checkboxes on each app.
Tap on the checkboxes of all the apps your wish to add, and tap the “ADD” button in the lower right to add them.
Choose “Wallpapers” to customize your home screen by tapping on Wallpapers.
Nova will open a wallpaper selection screen, in which you can scroll down to choose the wallpaper you wish to use.
Select “Live wallpapers” by swiping to the left, and choosing from those installed on your device. , Gesture controls offer quick ways to open applications or perform toggle actions.
In Nova Settings, tap “Gestures and Buttons” below “Look & feel.” Under the GESTURES header, you will see a list of gestures you can map applications and actions to.
For instance, tapping the “Pinch In” gesture will open up the “Choose action” menu.
You will see three tabs:
NOVA, APPS, and SHORTCUTS.
Under “Nova,” you will see things like “Add Drawer,” “Show Previews,” and “Toggle Notification Bar,” to name a few.
Selecting these will map the action to the “Pinch In” gesture, so when you go back to your home screen and pinch into the screen with two fingers, it will execute that action.
Play around with the various shortcuts and app launching operations using gestures to get a customized UI experience on your Galaxy device. , In the Nova Settings menu, scroll down and tap “Backup and Import.” Under the BACKUP header, tap “Backup” to open a prompt.
Type the name of the backup in the text field (by default it uses the date and time as the name) and then the backup location under the text field to select where you want to store the backup data (external SD card or internal memory).
This helps you keep the settings saved, which is useful for when you do a factory restore but do not want to go through setting up Nova over again.
About the Author
Catherine Adams
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