How to Make the Samsung Galaxy S9 Look Like Stock Android

Making Your Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus Look like Stock Android

If you love the hardware of your Galaxy S9 or S9 Plus, but are not a fan of Samsung's Experience UI (formerly called TouchWiz UI), there is good news. The software has gotten significantly better on these devices, and with a few tweaks, you can make them look like Stock Android.

The first step in achieving this look is to change the launcher. The launcher is basically the app that you use as your home screen, and changing it can have a significant impact on your day-to-day use of the device. There are many launchers available in the Play Store, but for a truly Stock Android look, we recommend using the Pixel Launcher. However, trying to download the Pixel Launcher from the Play Store may not work, as the app will incorrectly tell you that it doesn't support your device.

To get around this issue, we need to download the APK (installer file) manually from another site and install it on our own device. To do this, we can grab the latest APK file from a link provided below, view it on our phone, and then tap the link to start downloading and saving it to our device. Once the APK has downloaded, we can pull down the notifications or go into the My Files app on our phone, whichever one works, and tap the APK to install it.

After the installation is complete, we need to hit the home button and select the Pixel Launcher. This will also make it the new default launcher if you check the box. So, anytime you hit the home button, this is where you'll end up. By making this simple change, we can already start to see a more Stock Android look on our device.

Next, one of the first things I like to change on any Android device is the messaging app. In my opinion, the one from Google is the best choice because it allows me to swipe away messages whenever I'm done looking at them, which makes for a clean and tidy interface. Whenever someone responds or sends another message, it just pops everything back up again, which I find very satisfying. Regardless of our reasoning, we're going to download the Google Messages app from the Play Store.

To get started with this new messaging app, we need to head into the settings menu and configure it to use our phone's native messages service. This can be done by going to Settings > Messages > Account > Add account. From here, we'll select "Add account" and then choose the option that matches our phone's messaging service. Once this is complete, we should see a new app icon for our device, which we can use as our primary messaging app.

Another way to customize our device to look like Stock Android is by changing the default calendar app. The Samsung Calendar app has a green icon compared to the blue one of the Google Calendar app, and changing this can make a big difference in the overall look and feel of our device. To do this, we simply need to open the Settings menu and navigate to "Default apps" > "Calendar." From here, we can select the Google Calendar app as our default calendar service.

One feature that I love about the Pixel phones is the living wallpaper, which features exotic locations and moves subtly to mimic the natural world. This is one of my favorite subtle updates to the Pixel phones, and it's something that we can easily replicate on our own devices using a third-party launcher or custom ROM. However, for those who want an even more authentic Stock Android look, there's a way to install the living wallpapers directly onto our device.

To do this, we'll need to head into the Google Wallpapers app and download some of the newer live wallpapers that feature these exotic locations. However, trying to download these wallpapers from within the app may not work, as the Google Wallpapers app itself doesn't have access to the latest live wallpapers. Instead, we can use a link provided below to download the APK file directly onto our device.

To do this, we'll need to head into our phone's browser and enter the URL provided in the link. Once here, we can click on the "Download" button to save the APK file to our device. After saving the APK, we can tap it to install it, and then open up the Google Wallpapers app on our device. From here, we'll see a section for live wallpapers, and by tapping this, we'll be able to choose from a selection of new live wallpapers that feature exotic locations.

Once we've selected one of these live wallpapers, we can tap "Set" to set it as our home screen or lock screen. This should give us the living wallpaper look we're looking for, without having to use a third-party launcher or custom ROM. By making this simple change, we can easily customize our device to look like Stock Android, and enjoy all of the features that come with it.

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"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: en- The S9 and the S9 Pluswere recently releasedand they are both fine bits a kit,but what if you love the hardwarebut you're not that bigof a fan of the software?Now, Samsung's Experience UIformerly called TouchWiz UIhas gotten way better onthe S8 and now on the S9.I don't really mind it as much,but I do understand ifthere's those of you out therethat would like to just havea more Stock experience, no judgment.So for today's tip and trick Tuesday,I figured I'd show you how to make yourGalaxy S9 and S9 Pluslook like Stock Android.Now firstly, we needto change the launcher.If you're not familiar,the launcher is basicallythe app that you use as your home screen.By changing it to anotherone and there are a lotin the Play store by the way,you'll make the biggestimpact on your day to day useas anytime you hit home it opens this appand it's where you're gonnaspend a lot of your timeon your Galaxy S9.So to get the most Stock looking look,we're going to go for the pixel launcher.Now you can try and getit from the Play store,but it will incorrectlytell you most of the timethat it doesn't work for your device.So instead we need to download the APKwhich is the installer file,manually from another siteand install it on our own.To do this we can grab the latest APK filefrom this link here beneath my video,by viewing this page on ourphone and then we're gonnatap the link below to start to downloadand save it to our device.Now once that downloads youcan pull down the notificationsor go into the my files app on your phone,whichever one works.And tap the APK from there,and then tap install.Now after it installs, hit the home buttonand select the pixel launcher.This will also make itthe new default launcherif you check the button,so anytime you hit the home buttonthis is where you'll end up.Next, one of the first things I change onpretty much any Androiddevice I use right awayis the messaging app.Now I prefer the one fromGoogle, simply because my OCDreally likes that Ican swipe away messageswhenever I'm done looking at them to geta clean no messages look.And then whenever they respondor they message me againit just pops it all back upand it's just, I just like it,it's like checking thingsoff, it feels good.Regardless of your reasoning,we're gonna head tothe Play store and searchfor Android messages.Then we're going to install it.You'll know it's the right one by the waybecause Google Inc will be the developer.Then we can open the appand follow the promptsfor it to make itself ournew default messaging app.And now to complimentour new messaging app,why not the Stock Google keyboard?To get that go to the Playstore and search for Gboard.Install it, open the appand just like with theAndroid messages we're justgonna follow the promptsto set it as our default app.So Chrome which is thedefault Android browseris usually installed on yourGalaxy devices by default.But it's not set as the default browser.I said default a lot, you get the idea.So in this we're going tomake it our default browseror download it if youdon't already have it,'cause depending on yourmarket you might not.Now it should already have it like I said,but if it doesn't head to the Play storeand search for and install Chrome.Once it's on your phone,head to settings, then appsand tap the three dotsat the top right cornerand select default apps.Then tap on browser app and select Chrome.Now whenever you open any link or anythingthat requires the internet browser,it should automatically open Chrome.Okay so for the dialer and contacts,there is no Stock one in thePlay store and I couldn'treally find on the web, ifyou do leave a link below.But there is a really goodclone called the ExDialer.Go to the Play store againand we're gonna search forand install ExDialer, that's E X Dialer.Once installed, head to settings, appsand tap on the three dotsin the top right corner,and select default apps again.Then we can tap on callingapp and select ExDialer.Okay next let's replace the calendarwith Google's own version of the calendar.Now again this should alreadybe on your S9 or S9 Plusbut if for some reason it isn't,you can head to the Play storeand install Google Calendar.Tap on it and open it andthen you can set it up.Once it's set up we're gonnahead to settings, apps,tap on the Samsung calendarwhich is called Calendarbut it'll have a green icon compared tothe blue one of the Google calendar.And then we're gonna tap clear defaults.Now this will remove the Samsung calendaras the app to handle events.And the next time somethingrequires an event,it'll ask you which calendar to use.So just make sure toselect the Google Calendarand then that will nowbe your new default.Now one of my favoritealbeit more subtle updatesto the pixel phones wasthe living wallpaper.So these are the ones that havelike these exotic locationsand they are livewallpapers, they kind of moveand do subtle things like thewaves crashing, et cetera.Now I want that as far as I'mconcerned with Stock Android.You could just go downloadthe Google wallpapers appand download any of thenormal Stock Androidstatic wallpapers, but ifyou want like a nicer touchand actually mimic kind of like the pixel,which I guess is now whatwe're calling Stock Android,here's how to do that.So we're gonna head to the Play storeand download the Google wallpapers app,the thing that I mentioned before.Now these living wallpaperapps won't be availablein it by default, but we needit to install them anyway.So next we're gonna head to this link herebelow the video on mysite to end up at XDA,do this in your phone's browser by the wayso that we can downloadthe APK file that's listedin the first post and saveit directly to the phoneto skip a step.Now once downloaded youcan tap it and tap install.After that you can head tothe Google wallpapers appand you'll see a sectionfor live wallpapers,tap that and you'll see thenew pixel ones in there.Tap one and tap set to setit as your home screen,lock screen or both.Now you should be lookingpretty darn Stock at this point.If there are other apps orother things that can replaceother parts of the Samsung UI,again if you wanna look Stock,let me know in the commentsbelow, I'm sure other peoplewould appreciate it, justpost a link or whatever,or just tell peoplethe name so they can gofind it in the Play storeif that's where it is.I'm sure everybody again,would appreciate it.If you liked this videothough please thumbs up itor share it, that's greatly appreciated.Also if you're notalready, please subscribeand make sure you tap the bellnext to the word subscribeso you're notified when I do new videosif that's something that you want.Otherwise though, regardlessas always, thanks for watching.(upbeat music)\n"