I tweaked this key space of my Pixel to make it extra helpful

Android has lengthy been regarded as a extra customizable working system than Apple’s iOS. Google makes it straightforward to change the launcher in your Android cellphone and radically alter the way it works, and even on the corporate’s personal Pixel phones, the previous couple of years of software program updates have supplied a number of official methods to vary the visible look of your smartphone. The iPhone took lots longer to grow to be as equally versatile, however as Apple has made the iPhone simpler to personalize, the corporate has pulled forward of the Pixel in a single key manner: Lockscreen customization.

As of iOS 16, iPhone lockscreens can are available a wide range of totally different types, characteristic customized animations, and widgets that show info from different apps. In distinction, the Pixel lockscreen in Android 16 is surprisingly restrained. That does not imply you possibly can’t change it to make it extra helpful to you, nonetheless. Google nonetheless affords some useful choices you possibly can tweak, and I’ve discovered they make an enormous distinction in how helpful my Pixel is, whether or not I am working or not.

The lockscreen is the touchdown web page in your cellphone

You may as nicely make it a helpful one

Apart from your cellphone case, your lockscreen is the primary place you are capable of specific your self in your cellphone. That chance for self-expression is one among many causes cellphone firms embracing customization options is so thrilling. However your lockscreen can also be a key supply of data, whether or not you are checking the time or present climate situations, or notifications you’ve got obtained from different apps.

If I consider my lockscreen as a form of touchdown web page for the remainder of my cellphone, then its potential to each show info and rapidly let me entry apps or options on my cellphone are its two most necessary options. Fortunately, Google affords a number of methods to tweak my lockscreen to fulfill these wants. As of proper now, I maintain the Flashlight shortcut within the left shortcut area on my Pixel 9‘s lockscreen and Android’s Do Not Disturb mode in the correct shortcut slot. Each are cellphone features I attain for sometimes, and having the shortcuts on the lockscreen means I can instantly entry them with out wading by means of different distractions on my cellphone.

To make my Pixel extra helpful as a solution to obtain glanceable info, I additionally make notifications viewable on my lockscreen, so I need not unlock my cellphone to learn them or act on them. This may not be possible or secure for everybody, however since I spend nearly all of the time working from house, it has been tremendous for me. As a remaining cherry on prime, I additionally prefer to have Google’s Now Playing feature enabled on my Pixel so I can determine the songs taking part in round me. After I do work in a espresso store, Now Taking part in has been a enjoyable solution to determine songs I’d need to save for later.

Within the grand scheme of issues, these are small modifications to make to the lockscreen of my Pixel 9, however they’ve labored nicely for me, and within the absence of larger customizations, I am glad that I’ve them.

The lockscreen options Android is lacking

There’s nonetheless solely a lot you possibly can see or do

If the Pixel lockscreen expertise appears easy now, there may be hope: Google has been slowly adopting extra of Apple’s lockscreen options. New additions like Live Updates, that are included as a part of Android 16 and provide reside info from an app or service, go a good distance in the direction of making the lockscreen a spot for up-to-date info. However Google might positively go additional.

iPhones now assist what are basically locksreen widgets — possibly a extra applicable comparability can be smartwatch “complications” — for a good wider number of reside info or shortcuts into apps. Google discovering a solution to adapt Android’s widget system (which is admittedly rather more purposeful than Apple’s) into one thing that works on the lockscreen might go a good distance in the direction of making its Pixels extra private and helpful.

Even doing one thing so simple as providing the area “Now Taking part in” takes up on the backside of your lockscreen for an additional shortcut or one other supply of passive info might make an enormous distinction for folks making an attempt to get essentially the most out of their smartphone.

Work with what you’ve got obtained

On Android, that is nonetheless greater than most

It is ironic that iPhones provide extra customization choices than Google’s personal smartphone on the subject of the lockscreen, however for many individuals the opposite advantages of Android are value what are probably short-term trade-offs. Pocket-lint has lined home screen customization options and other ways you possibly can tweak your Android cellphone to make it yours. Within the meantime, although, I am pleased with what is feasible on my Pixel 9, and I hope extra choices come quickly.