Getting a new phone is always fun because it means you get to discover all the added features. Customizing your new phone can be even more delightful because you can express your style and identity on your device. There are quite a few ways you can customize your phone so that it’s easier to use and prettier to look at. Here are some customization tips to consider.
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1. Get a New Case
Before changing any features on your phone, you’ll want to make sure it’s well protected. The first thing you should do is select an iPhone case. If you have an Android phone, there are plenty of Android phone cases to choose from as well. Pick a case that suits your style and complements your phone.
Does wireless charging work with a case? Yes. Most wireless charging pads can charge your phone through the case as long as it isn’t too thick — a maximum of 3 mm.
2. Change the Look of Your Home Screen
After protecting your phone’s exterior, you’ll want to personalize the wallpaper to give it some personality. You can choose your phone’s wallpapers if you like their offerings. Or, you can personalize it with a graphic design, a photo of someone you love or even your artwork. The beauty of customizing your wallpaper is that you can choose whatever you like and whatever suits your style. Your phone will let you change your wallpaper weekly if you want frequent changes. On both iPhones and Android phones, you should be able to change the wallpaper through the phone’s settings. You’ll have the choice to change the wallpaper, the lock screen wallpaper or both.
3. Organize Your Apps Into Folders
If you have many apps crowding your home screen and blocking your customized wallpaper, you’ll probably want to find a way to reduce them. One way to store apps that you don’t often use is to put them in your app library. The app library is, essentially, a large storage folder. It’s a great way of freeing up your home screen from clutter. The nice thing about using an app library is that it lets you categorize your apps, such as creative, entertainment social, etc. Once you have stored your apps in your app library, you’ll be able to hide some of your home screens, so you’re not swiping left endlessly to find an app.
4. Customize Your Notifications
If the sound of your phone dinging or vibrating every few minutes is distracting, there are ways to customize your notifications so that you don’t hear them. WhatsApp group chats, for example, tend to be annoying because every time someone posts a message, you’ll get notified. With both Android and iPhone, you can customize your notifications. You can mute specific group chats or turn off all phone notifications. Your phone will even let you mute notifications from specific people. For basic customization, simply turn the sound to vibrate mode. If you don’t want visual notifications showing up on your screen, you can hide them.
5. Change Your Ringtones
If you enjoy music or you’d like to change the sound of your ringtone to something more catchy, you can always go into Settings and change your ringtone. You can use one of your phone’s ringtones or create your own from scratch and bring it into your phone as an MP3 file. If you only want to answer your phone when specific people call, your phone lets you assign different ringtones to your various contacts. This is a great way to organize your phone by sound. You could designate one for work, one for family or one for that special someone.
6. Switch Your Phone From Light Mode to Dark Mode
If your home screen feels too bright or it hurts your eyes, switch your phone from light mode to dark mode. You may also choose to change the settings, depending on what time of the day it is and what you’re doing. If you’re in a brightly lit room, a light mode may work fine. However, if you’re looking at your phone right before you call it a night, you may need a mode that’s softer on your eyes. If you don’t feel like doing this manually every day, put your phone on an automatic cycle. This means your phone will automatically switch to Dark Mode after sunset and switch back to Light Mode at sunrise.
7. Add Another Layer of Security
Of all the customization steps you choose to take with your phone, adding another layer of security is the most important. Besides using your face to unlock your phone, you can also disable certain parts of your phone when it’s locked. You can also disable the control center and disable voice commands, such as Apple’s Siri. You can disable your wallet, too, when your phone is locked to prevent people from making unauthorized purchases.
8. Change the Frequency of Saving Your Phone’s Data
If you have important text messages and WhatsApp messages that you’re afraid to lose, many Android phones and iPhones will let you change the frequency of how often your phone saves these messages to the cloud. By saving your data more often, you’ll have peace of mind knowing that nothing will be lost. What’s useful about this customization is that even if you lose your phone, you’ll still have those saved messages.
Final Thoughts
Besides protecting it with a case, there are many ways you can turn your phone into a personalized device that’s uniquely you. Whether it’s storing your data in the cloud or simply making your device look prettier, customizing your phone is an important and fun project that you can start immediately.
