How many times have you actually given a second thought about your lockscreen? There are tons of ways you can customise it to suit your needs, and we bring you the best of them.
Cover
This one’s a very thoughtfully designed application that’ll enable you to do almost everything that one would not generally expect from a lock screen. Of course, there are always two sides to the coin. One major drawback of this application is that you cannot lock your screen from unauthorised users. The option to secure the lockscreen with a passcode or pattern does not exist here.
The first look of the lock screen won’t exactly grab your attention as it’s just a simple background with a vertical dock of icons displayed towards the left of the screen. The real magic starts when you hold on to an icon and swipe towards the right. The application opens up in the background, giving you a quick view of its home page, undoubtedly reminiscent of the Blackberry Hub-like feel of the not-so-long lasting Blackberry touch phones. That’s not it; these icons in the vertical dock also change with time and location, along with the lock screen background. So you have timely access to the right apps.
Cover will also give you the power to switch between apps without having to actually unlock the screen, wiping out the need to unlock the device for regular usage. An intelligent lock screen replacement application that focuses more on usability and function rather than form; if you want to quickly peek into who messaged you last or check the latest score update from your sports application – all right on your lock screen – then hit the Play Store and look no further.
Now here’s a lock screen for those of us who don’t like pending notifications and also believe in attention to detail. Echo Notification Lockscreen, as the name suggests, has notifications as its base feature, which it displays right up front with detailed information. What makes it stand out from your regular lock screen apps is that all the notifications are in-depth, expanded and separate. This means, each of your WhatsApp messages will be shown as an individual notification on the lock screen rather than the usual ‘3 new messages’.
What’s more, you can tap the notification to open it right on your lock screen and even long press to snooze it and be reminded again at a later time – a highly useful element. The notifications can also be manually classified into groups like Priority and Social for a better-organised view. For securing your device you have the ability to set a pattern lock.
Once again a must-have if you want most of your work to be done quickly, by checking your notifications.
Go Locker
This one’s for the customisation-junkies. It won’t be hyperbole to say that this lock screen replacement is a whole set of apps in one, with a highly customisable lock screen equipped with thousands of themes to choose from and a whole lot of personalization options.
The themes can be the usual abstract backgrounds, one that looks like a Windows phone home screen or even one that changes its form with the current weather. The customisable options available at your fingertips range from the ability to turn off notifications to hiding the status bar or date and time. For securing your device, this lock screen replacement would probably give you even more than the stock lock screen – right from the usual passcode or pattern to a neat gesture unlock, which is entirely exclusive to this app.
If you’re one of those who wants to be offered something fresh every time you hit the lock button, this one’s for you. You can even set your themes to a ‘random’ mode so as to not have to manually change them frequently. With a new theme welcoming your eyes every time you turn on your screen, this lock screen replacement application is more than just a sweet treat and will add a dash of excitement to the seemingly humdrum activity of switching on your phone.
Right when Microsoft decided to have a home screen launcher of their own, they also came up with a beautiful lock screen replacement application for their Android fans. This one amalgamates the best of both, form and function, seamlessly.
The first look of the lock screen is sure to grab eyeballs, as you’re compelled to notice the incredible photo backgrounds provided by Bing, which can be periodically updated. Once you begin to tinker around with it, you’ll find a Launchpad at the bottom of the screen when you swipe up. This combines applications and quick settings, and will remind you a little of the iOS 9 quick settings. What’s interesting here is that the apps in the launchpad change according to your location. Basically, the applications you mostly only use when you’re in the office will pop up right when you reach work, by intelligently picking up patterns in the course of your usage.
As for other customisation options, Microsoft lets you manage which notifications are displayed, change the weather settings, show the music player and also gives you the ability to hide apps on the launchpad. For securing your device, the usual passcode and pattern lock options are available.
A neat and well-designed lock screen that fulfils its purpose with élan and doesn’t carry a monotonous feel, this one’s a keeper.
One of the more obscure options available on the Google Play Store, this lock screen replacement application will surely add colour to both your device and your life, with its smooth animations, bright colours and overall fresh look.
The swipe-up control panel which forms the base of this lock screen needs a special mention. On swiping up from the bottom you’ll notice a colourful panel filling the screen with quick settings and lock screen settings. Here you can even customise the app shortcuts and set them according to your convenience. Adding to the life of the lock screen is an animated parallax for a wallpaper. So if you tilt your phone towards the right, the background will move towards the left giving you a panoramic view. Theming options, though limited, are also available to your liking.
The level to which you can secure your device with this lock screen is also noteworthy. For your safety and privacy, there are options to even lock the status bar or hide message previews altogether, along with the usual passcode and pattern lock, which also come with a colourful and interactive twist. This is truly the app’s highlight, as it even lets you unlock your phone by tapping on images of your favourite people by replacing them as numbers. It makes the entire process fun and your device secure – especially from that one particularly nosy relative who’s always peeking into your phone to get a glimpse of your passcode. This lock screen replacement application will inspire a smile every time you unlock your device.