Android has lengthy been regarded as a extra customizable working system than Apple’s iOS. Google makes it straightforward to change the launcher in your Android cellphone and radically alter the way it works, and even on the corporate’s personal Pixel telephones, the previous couple of years of software program updates have provided a number of official methods to vary the visible look of your smartphone. The iPhone took so much longer to turn into as equally versatile, however as Apple has made the iPhone simpler to personalize, the corporate has pulled forward of the Pixel in a single key manner: Lockscreen customization.
As of iOS 16, iPhone lockscreens can are available in quite a lot of completely different types, characteristic customized animations, and widgets that show data from different apps. In distinction, the Pixel lockscreen in Android 16 is surprisingly restrained. That does not imply you may’t change it to make it extra helpful to you, nevertheless. Google nonetheless affords some useful choices you may tweak, and I’ve discovered they make an enormous distinction in how helpful my Pixel is, whether or not I am working or not.
The lockscreen is the touchdown web page on your cellphone
You would possibly as effectively make it a helpful one
Aside from your cellphone case, your lockscreen is the primary place you are capable of categorical your self in your cellphone. That chance for self-expression is one in every of many causes cellphone corporations embracing customization options is so thrilling. However your lockscreen can also be a key supply of data, whether or not you are checking the time or present climate situations, or notifications you’ve got acquired from different apps.
If I consider my lockscreen as a form of touchdown web page for the remainder of my cellphone, then its skill to each show data and shortly let me entry apps or options on my cellphone are its two most vital options. Fortunately, Google affords a couple of methods to tweak my lockscreen to fulfill these wants. As of proper now, I preserve the Flashlight shortcut within the left shortcut area on my Pixel 9‘s lockscreen and Android’s Do Not Disturb mode in the proper shortcut slot. Each are cellphone capabilities I attain for occasionally, and having the shortcuts on the lockscreen means I can instantly entry them with out wading by different distractions on my cellphone.
After I do work in a espresso store, Now Taking part in has been a enjoyable approach to establish songs I would need to save for later.
To make my Pixel extra helpful as a approach to obtain glanceable data, I additionally make notifications viewable on my lockscreen, so I needn’t unlock my cellphone to learn them or act on them. This won’t be possible or secure for everybody, however since I spend nearly all of the time working from residence, it has been nice for me. As a closing cherry on high, I additionally wish to have Google’s Now Taking part in characteristic enabled on my Pixel so I can establish the songs taking part in round me. After I do work in a espresso store, Now Taking part in has been a enjoyable approach to establish songs I would need to save for later.
Within the grand scheme of issues, these are small modifications to make to the lockscreen of my Pixel 9, however they’ve labored effectively for me, and within the absence of larger customizations, I am glad that I’ve them.
The lockscreen options Android is lacking
There’s nonetheless solely a lot you may see or do
If the Pixel lockscreen expertise appears easy now, there’s hope: Google has been slowly adopting extra of Apple’s lockscreen options. New additions like Reside Updates, that are included as a part of Android 16 and provide dwell data from an app or service, go a great distance in the direction of making the lockscreen a spot for up-to-date data. However Google may undoubtedly go additional.
iPhones now help what are primarily locksreen widgets — perhaps a extra acceptable comparability could be smartwatch “problems” — for an excellent wider number of dwell data or shortcuts into apps. Google discovering a approach to adapt Android’s widget system (which is admittedly rather more useful than Apple’s) into one thing that works on the lockscreen may go a great distance in the direction of making its Pixels extra private and helpful.
The restrained lockscreen strategy you get on the Pixel just isn’t the identical you may discover on different Android telephones. This flexibility is likely one of the strengths of the platform.
Even doing one thing so simple as providing the area “Now Taking part in” takes up on the backside of your lockscreen for one more shortcut or one other supply of passive data may make an enormous distinction for folks making an attempt to get probably the most out of their smartphone.
Work with what you’ve got received
On Android, that is nonetheless greater than most
It is ironic that iPhones provide extra customization choices than Google’s personal smartphone relating to the lockscreen, however for many individuals the opposite advantages of Android are value what are probably short-term trade-offs. Pocket-lint has coated residence display customization choices and different methods you may tweak your Android cellphone to make it yours. Within the meantime, although, I am pleased with what is feasible on my Pixel 9, and I hope extra choices come quickly.
