Pixel phones run on Stock Android, which has a clean interface. Along with the look, there are many reasons to go for the Pixel interface, such as smooth performance, easy access to apps, and more. One of the cool features of stock Android is Dynamic Theming. Although many other brands have integrated this feature into their UI, it is not as good as stock Android and is still not available on some Android phones. Don’t worry, we will cover this too. And the best part is, you don’t have to install custom ROMs or root your phone.
Get Pixel Wallpaper
The first thing in the customization process is the wallpaper. Wallpapers play an important role in dynamic themes, as other elements adapt to the color of the wallpaper. It is also the first thing you see when you open your phone. Each Pixel phone comes with some signature wallpapers, also called stock wallpapers. Fortunately, we have uploaded all the Pixel wallpapers to our PhoneWalls app. To get any Pixel phone wallpaper, install the PhoneWalls app on your phone. Open the app and switch to the “Categorize” tab. Here, look for the “Google” category. In this category, you will find all the Pixel wallpapers. You can download or directly apply the wallpaper to the home screen and lock screen. Google also has an official Wallpapers app that you can download, but it doesn’t include stock wallpapers from Pixel phones. However, you will get some abstract, patterns, textures, cityscapes, and other wallpapers.
Install a Perfect Launcher
To mimic the Pixel UI icons, widgets, and theme, we are going to use a third-party launcher. Yes, this is the only option other than installing a custom ROM. There are many launchers, and so tracking down a launcher that can offer similar experience as Pixel UI can be an exhausting task. It’s because every launcher seem to lack some Pixel UI features. Lawnchair is the best launcher that is capable of providing a Pixel UI experience. It’s also not perfect, but it is free and includes a bunch of new features and advanced customization. It lets you control specific items with vast options in settings. Along with the Lawnchair launcher, also install Lawnicons and Lawnfeed to customize icons and Google Discover feed respectively. Make sure to set it as your default launcher.
Set Adaptive Icons
When you open the Lawnchair launcher, you will find nothing like Pixel UI. So we have to customize icons and the home screen to achieve Pixel UI. Let’s start with adaptive icon colors that match your wallpaper. The accent will apply to both the home screen and the app drawer. Tap and hold on to the home screen, and open Home Settings. Change the following:
General
Choose Icon Style to Lawnicons and Themed icons. Set icon shape to Circle and enable Auto Adaptive Icons. Under colors, set Accent color to Wallpaper. Enable Notification Dots, also give notification access. And set the Notification Dot color to Wallpaper.
Home Screen
In the Feed section, enable Show Feed and choose Google as Feed Provider (If Feed doesn’t work, you can install Pixel Bridge and select it instead of Google). Enable the toggle for ‘Show Material U Popup’ in Popup Menu.
At a Glance
Enable At a Glace to show on home screen. Set Lawnchair as a Glance provider. Turn on the option for Weather, Battery Status, and Now Playing in What to Show. You can also enable Date and Time.
Dock
Turn on the toggle for Show Dock. Select Lawnchair as Search Bar Widget and enable Accent Color. Set the Search provider to Google.
Drawer Search
In this, all you need to do is enable the Search Bar to match app drawer like Pixel.
How to Customize Widgets
We have already added At a Glance from the Launcher, but two other important widgets are clock and weather. There are more widgets but these two are the hearts of Pixel UI as you see on Pixel phone images. Install Google Clock and Google Weather app on your phone. Clock app is available on play store, while Google Weather can be found as apk in third party websites. It’s because the app is a Pixel exclusive. These apps offer Dynamic widgets, but doesn’t work in all cases. You can also try other widgets apps that you find matching your need. In case the widgets are not applying, reinstall the launcher, then apply these widgets and later change the settings mentioned in Adaptive icon method. So this is a quick guide on how to customize your Android phone to make it look like a Pixel Phone. As you already know not every look can be copied unless you are using a custom ROM, but we can still achieve a good look with third party apps. Let us know if you find more useful apps that need to be in this guide. Also Check:
How to Customize Alarm Backgrounds on Samsung Galaxy Phones How to Customize Edge Lighting Notifications on Galaxy Phones How to Customize Lock Screen on Pixel Phones in Android 14 12 Best KWGT Widgets to Customize Android Home Screen How to Customize Volume Panel on any Android
