I've seen a lot of people, quite rightly, complain about the way some device makers customize the stock version of Android for the sake of being different. While some manufacturers like Motorola and, more recently, Nothing nail the UI game by offering a good level of customization with minimal tweaks, there are still plenty of big players that heavily push apps and services through their UI. But you don't have to put up with the look of your phone manufacturer's version of Android.

One of the best things about Android is how flexible it is, and it all starts with the ability to customize your homescreen setup. It takes a little legwork, but you can end up with a completely unique look that'll make your phone stand out. Personally, I install several customization apps on all the Android phones I get to use as a part of my job to ensure I always have unique and fresh-looking phones around. Three of those applications, in particular, get installed on all my phones, and I think you should get them, too.

Backdrops

Samsung Galaxy S22

It might seem weird to have a whole app dedicated to doing a basic task like choosing your homescreen wallpaper, but it's an important one to begin the process. That's because the wallpaper will be the backdrop behind your widgets and icons, and will be the first thing that grabs attention. You also want the wallpaper to match the overall style or theme you're going for with your customization, so you don't want to sleep on it.

You can always look for wallpapers online or grab them from Google, but I like having a dedicated application on my phone whenever I want a fresh setup. Backdrops is a free application that gives you access to a vast image library. One of the best things about this particular application is that it lets you browse wallpapers based on category or even tags. You can even search for wallpaper by its name, so if you happen to know the name of a particular wallpaper from someone, you can easily find it. Backdrops also gives you the option to save the wallpaper to your phone for later or use it directly from the app.

The free version of the app offers pretty much everything you need, provided you don't mind putting up with some ads occasionally.

KWGT Kustom Widget Maker

An image showing a person holding the Google Pixel 7 with its display turned on, and a Macbook in the background.

KWGT Kustom Widget Maker lets you create stunning homescreen widgets, and you may have heard of it. KWGT has been around for as long as I can remember, but it still works. Contrary to what the name of this particular app suggests, you can also use it to load pre-made widgets on your smartphone. KWGT also still has an amazing community with millions of users creating and sharing their custom widgets. You can find a lot of great KWGT widget packs in the Google Play Store, too.

I've been using widgets from different widget packs like Juno, Koda, and Fusion, but you can always find the ones you like that work best for your setup. One of the best things about KWGT is that it lets you pick up elements from different widgets and create a custom one. You can even customize those preset widgets and tweak them to your liking. The app also lets you save your custom widgets, so you can always go back later.

KWGT is a free application, but you'll need to pay for the Pro Key to access some useful customization options. It's a one-time fee, which, is well worth the money considering it offers so much value.

Palette: Home Screen Setups

An image showing a person holding a Google Pixel 7 with the Palette app open.

So you've selected a wallpaper, and picked the right widgets...now what? Well, you want to put them together in a way that looks and feels right. You'll have to put on your creative hat to truly customize and make them truly unique. I used to spend a lot of time customizing different elements repeatedly to get the right look, but now I turn to Android's massive customization and theme community for help and inspiration. And that's where Palette comes into the picture.

Palette is your one-stop hub for finding customized homescreen setups. Not only can you use this particular application for inspiration, but you can also find all the information you need about a particular setup, including the wallpaper, icon pack, and the widgets in use. You'll find the direct links to every asset used in a particular setup, or even a complete backup file in case you need to replicate a setup on your phone. It's like browsing r/androidthemes on Reddit, except you can access all the assets with a tap of a button on Palette instead of having to dig deep in a thread.

Palette is available to download for free, but you'll need to pay a one-time fee to access some premium features, including the option to download the backup files of setups that are showcased on the app.

Here's a quick look at a few images in which you can see a couple of home screen setups that I was able to put together on my Google Pixel 7 and the Galaxy S22:


That's a wrap, folks! There are, of course, other ways to customize your homescreen on Android phones. There are so many other tools like icon packs, launchers, and more that you can experiment with to get the look you want. Android has evolved a lot over the years, and there are more ways to customize your home screen setup than ever. So go ahead and start creating a new homescreen setup on your Android phone.

Let us know some of your favorite apps and ways to customize the home screen on Android. Feel free to drop them in the comments below!