There’s not much you can do to change how your Android phone looks from the outside. However, with the right apps, you can make the software inside, especially your home screen, something that is truly yours.

1

Nova Launcher

Depending on the Android skin your phone runs, you might be using One UI, Pixel Launcher, OxygenOS Launcher, Nothing Launcher, or another default setup. However, these built-in launchers are often quite restrictive, which limits your ability to change or customize icons, app drawer layout, grid size, and more.

Nova Launcher is a powerful and flexible alternative that puts full control back in your hands. With it, you can customize icon styles, change label fonts, and even fine-tune your home screen grid size. Similarly, you can change the app drawer animations and scroll effects.

However, my personal favorite feature is the gesture support that comes with the premium version. With it, you can set up actions like double-tapping to lock the screen, or swiping up with two fingers to open your favorite app. And that’s just the start—Nova Launcher Prime unlocks several other powerful tools that take customization to the next level.

Download: Nova Launcher (Free, premium version available)

2

Delta Icon Pack

Although Nova Launcher can help unify the shape of your app icons, their styles, colors, and designs can still vary wildly. This inconsistency can make your home screen feel cluttered and less cohesive, which is why it’s vital to use a good icon pack.

If you prefer a soft, understated aesthetic over bold, high-contrast visuals, the Delta Icon Pack might be exactly what your home screen needs. Its icons feature a muted, pastel color palette and clean, flat visuals.

Unlike many popular icon packs, Delta is completely free and doesn’t show any ads. Even better, it includes over 12,000 custom icons—so it will cover most, if not all, of your apps. This helps maintain a consistent look across your entire home screen and eliminates the jarring effect of mismatched default icons.

Download: Delta Icon Pack (Free, in-app purchases available)

3

Backdrops

If there’s one thing that can make or break a home screen setup, it’s the wallpaper. Unless you’re someone who prefers using a personal photo or a picture of a loved one, you’ll want a solid wallpaper app to complete the look.

I’ve tested several excellent wallpaper apps over the years, and I always find myself recommending Backdrops. While it does include some ads and locks a few premium wallpapers behind a paywall, the vast collection of free options is more than enough to keep your home screen looking fresh and stylish.

You can browse wallpapers by clean, stylish categories like Abstract, Food, Minimal, and Pop Culture, or dive deeper using tags like Dark, Colorful, Sky, and Planets. There’s even a search option if you’re looking for specific wallpaper names or character-inspired designs.

One of its most useful features is the favorites list, which lets you save and quickly switch between your top picks whenever you feel like refreshing your setup.

Download: Backdrops (Free, in-app purchases available)

Who doesn’t love widgets? Those tiny, functional windows on your home screen can give you at-a-glance info, like the weather, battery level, or your calendar. While Android apps provide several widgets by default, KWGT Kustom Widget Maker can take your widget game from basic to brilliant.

KWGT lets you create fully custom widgets from scratch, but you’ll probably find it easier to start by tweaking pre-made designs from downloadable widget packs. It uses a WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) editor that’s surprisingly intuitive, even for beginners. For power users, it also supports live data, animations, and custom scripting.

With KWGT Kustom Widget Maker, you can be as creative as you like. It might take a bit of time to learn the ropes, but it’s well worth the effort for a home screen that truly feels like your own.

Download: KWGT Kustom Widget Maker (Free, in-app purchases available)

5

Action Blocks

With Google Assistant on your Android phone, you can perform tons of useful actions right from your home screen. But if you often use it to call a loved one, check the weather, or navigate to your favorite coffee shop, you should try the Action Blocks app from Google.

This app lets you place custom buttons on your home screen that trigger Assistant commands with a single tap. Instead of repeating voice commands or digging through menus, you can just tap a visual shortcut and get things done instantly.

Want to start a video call with your partner? One tap. Need directions to your gym? One tap. It might not be for everyone, but if you’re into automating everyday tasks on your phone, Action Blocks can make your phone feel a whole lot more efficient.

Download: Action Blocks (Free)

Your phone’s home screen is something you see countless times a day, so it’s worth personalizing. With the apps listed above, you should be able to do that with ease. So go ahead, explore these tools, get creative, and turn your everyday screen into something that inspires you every time you unlock your phone.