The Android OS has a wide selection of apps that allows users to
personalize their devices. There are launchers,
lockscreen apps, and widgets that have a thousand and one skins to choose from. Themes allow users to show off their personality through their devices, and new themes can give your phone that brand new feel.
My Color Screen (developer of Themer)
I personally enjoy customizing my devices, and I love me some beautiful home screens! That's why I've been a big fan of My Color Screen. It's a website where Android and
iOS users can share their
homescreens, wallpapers and apps.
My Color Screen themes require more than basic knowledge of the Android OS though (can't speak
for the
iOS themes).
For example, setting up the
Evangelion NERV theme involves downloading 2 apps and a zip file, and knowing how to place overlapping widgets, to pull everything off. Some
My Color Screen themes come with tutorials. However, following the instructions to the T does not guarantee that you can perfectly recreate a theme on your device sometimes due to device or software compatibility issues. Here's an example:
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| Theme on my Samsung Galaxy S II |
See how the 'AT Field readings' (which is actually a
System Monitor widget) on the
left screenshot isn't filling up the entire space compared to the one on the
right. (BTW, I edited the image using
GIMPshop to change 'AT-Field WIFI' and "BAT. TEMP" to "A.T. Field Active" and "INTERNAL POWER SUPPLY" because it's a static image and not an actual
Battery Temperature widget. That and I thought it suited the theme better.) It was only when I placed the widget that I noticed the
System Monitor didn't fit well. Another issue is the
Music widget buttons. Even though I had the recommended widget installed on my device, it still turned out differently compared to the sample screenshot. Regardless, the widget worked as intended.
Now, not all of
My Color Screen themes are as challenging to set up as the
Evangelion NERV theme. There are ones that are easy enough to recreate. But for those who doesn't have the time nor the patience to go through all the steps necessary to recreate a theme,
My Color Screen has made the theming process much easier with its new app:
Themer Beta.
You can now transform your device in
one click! No need to install other apps and no need to set up widgets one by one. Not all
My Color Screen themes are Themer compatible. However, there's also no shortage of themes either (237 as of writing). If you want to view the available themes without having to download the app, click:
HERE.
What is Themer Beta?
Themer Beta Settings
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| Menu Button or double-tap on your homescreen |
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| Categories |
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| Categories |
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| Tag your shares #HomescreenEnvy |
How to Use Themer Beta
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| Step 1: Browse the gallery |
Step 2: Choose a theme
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| Step 3: Click APPLY |
Step 4: ???
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| Step 5: PROFIT! |
Congratulations! You have now successfully themed your device!
Optional:
You can view theme info, upvote, add a theme to your favorites list and share a theme:
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| Click on the Menu to access the additional options |
Additional Feature: Smart Categories
Themer Beta also has a
Smart Category feature. The app automatically categorizes your app drawer for you.
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| You can manually Manage each category |
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| Complete app list |
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| Favorites Tab |
Themer Settings
Applying a theme using
Themer Beta doesn't necessarily mean you'll have limited control over how your
homescreen works. The app actually provides users additional customization options. Take a look:
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| Themer Settings |
You can set which specific app
Themer Beta will launch when you click a widget:
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| App Preferences |
Right now
Themer Beta supports 2 weather
providers but I'm hoping the dev adds more in the future. You can also change the units in the settings:
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| Weather |
You can also manage the app drawer in the settings:
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| Manage App Drawers |
Add/Remove
Feeds:
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| News Feed |
Set custom
Gestures:
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| Gestures |
Set default launcher app:
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| Use Old Homescreen |
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| About Themer |
What I like
-One click theme application
ONE. CLICK. No need to install other apps to apply gorgeous
homescreens!
-Smart Categories
Smart Categories will make more sense to you once you apply a theme. It makes accessing apps easier and organized.
-No Ads
Themer Beta is free and it is ad-free as well!
What I don't like
Free apps usually come with ads/sponsorships.
Themer Beta doesn't have ads, but it does feature sponsors. How does the app do it? By adding sponsored apps to your
Smart Categories.
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| Open Table under Travel & Local |
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| Open Table isn't listed in the App Drawer |
I do not have
Open Table installed on my phone. If I click on it, I am redirected to the
Play Store where Google informs me that the app is not available in my country. I'm not against ads or sponsorships being utilized by
free apps. What I don't like is that there's no mention of it in the app's description in the Play Store. A little
transparency would be nice, wouldn't you agree?
Update: 3/15/2014
Dev replied to my
Google Play review:
to remove this, try this: Themer Settings - Manage App Drawer - Hide Sponsored Apps
At least we know how to hide the sponsored apps now. However, there's still no mention of the Sponsored Apps in the app's description in the
Play Store.
Beta version
One thing to remember is that
app is still in Beta. This means you will encounter issues/bugs. As a Beta user, you can help the
dev out by providing
feedback and submitting crash reports (if you experience one).
I've been using the app for around 2 weeks now, but I honestly haven't encountered any app breaking bugs. One bug I've encountered is
Smart Categories not remembering apps you've placed in a category after a reboot/crash. I've noticed this applies only to my
Games category. This hasn't happened to any other category though. At the moment I only have one game installed on my phone:
Cytus. Unfortunately,
Smart Categories doesn't recognize the app as a game yet.
Sponsored apps and a few bugs aside, the app is as snappy as the other well-known launchers out there, albeit more beautiful.
Themer Beta is definitely a must-install for users who love beautiful
homescreens!
What launcher app are you using? Are you going to give Themer Beta a try? What theme are you using? Comment below!
Before I go, I'll leave you with screenshots of my
favorite theme so far:
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| Hardwood Beauty |
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| Hardwood Beauty |
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| Hardwood Beauty |
