Getting Started with Your Note 5: A Guide to Turning it into a Nexus

What's up guys, David here. If you guys enjoyed that intro, be sure to give this video a big thumbs up. I was able to make the intro all dramatic with music and sound effects from clips I got from Audioblocks, which is a subscription-based, royalty-free stock media site that gives you unlimited access to over 100,000 audio clips. As a special deal for you phone buffs, Audiolocksis giving you a free seven day trial where you can download up to 140 clips. Now, these clips are valued at almost $50 bucks a pop, so if you do the math, it adds up to an amazing deal. If you're interested in getting some sound effects and music for your videos, for your songs, or whatever other creative work you do, take advantage of that seven day free trial by hitting that first link down below in the description.

The First Step: Nexifying Your Note 5

The first step to Nexifying your Note 5 is to install a theme with material design. To do this, go to Settings, find Themes, and then tap on Theme Store. From here, find a theme that's called either Material or Material Design and note that, while there are some material themes out there that cost money, there is one available for free if you can find it. Once you've found a material theme, click Download, and when it's done, press Apply. After a few seconds, the theme will finish installing and voila, the settings and the UI in general now look much, much closer to stock Android and way less cartoony. This step alone can make a huge difference.

Step Number Two: Installing Google Apps

We're not done yet. The second step is to install the Google apps that you'd normally find on a Nexus phone. Go to the Play Store and download things like Google Calendar, Google Messenger, Google Camera, Google's Clock app, and a few other Google apps, all of which I'll be putting the link to download below in the description. After you've installed the Google apps, step number three is to disable both Samsung and any carrier bloatware that may be preloaded onto the phone.

Disabling Bloatware

Do this by opening up the app drawer, hitting Edit, and then tapping on the little minus icon next to the app that you don't want. In my case, I disabled all the AT&T apps along with some Samsung ones like S Voice and Milk Music. Disabling these unwanted apps not only makes the phone look cleaner, but it can also help the phone run a little smoother as well.

Step Number Four: Installing a New Launcher

You didn't think we were going to stick with the TouchWiz Launcher, did you? No way. The fourth step is to install a new launcher. You can either get Google's own launcher, which I'll link to down below, or you can download a third-party launcher like Nova Launcher that, in addition to having this stock look, also comes with icon packs to match the icons on Nexus phones. Either way, after downloading your launcher of choice, press on the Home button, and you'll be given an option to choose your default launcher.

Setting Up the Nova Launcher

Since we're going to be sticking with the Nova Launcher, we'll tap on Nova here, which, in turn, will disable the TouchWiz Launcher. After you've set it as the default launcher, open the app drawer and go into Nova settings. If you bought the paid version, first thing I'd recommend doing is going into the Apps and Widgets option, selecting Hide apps, and then hide any Samsung system apps that you downloaded Google ones to replace, like the camera and calendar. I'd also hide any apps that you wanted to delete earlier but couldn't.

Customizing the Nova Launcher

When done with that, go to the Look and feel option in Nova settings, tap on Icon Theme, and set it to Android Lollipop. This will change the icons for apps like the dialer to look just like they do on Nexus phones instead of using Samsung's more cartoony icons. Last thing you need to do to get the launcher looking just right is to set the correct fonts, which can be done by going into Settings > Display > Font.

Final Touches

The final touches will make your Note 5 feel almost like a stock Nexus device. You'll want to customize the wallpaper and the notification shade to match the rest of the device. This may require some tweaking with third-party apps, but it's definitely doable with a little bit of work. The end result is well worth it - a device that feels and looks much closer to stock Android.

Conclusion

Taking a little bit of work, I know, and obviously TouchWiz is still running behind the scenes, but this is the closest thing you can get to the stock Android experience without actually having to root the phone. Anyways, that is it for me in this video, Thank you guys for watching, and as always, I'll see you in the very next episode.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: en(dramatic music)(bleeps)(dramatic music)- What's up guys, David here.If you guys enjoyed that intro,be sure to give thisvideo a big thumbs up.I was able to make the intro all dramaticwith music and soundeffects from clips I gotfrom audioblocks, whichis a subscription-based,royalty-free stock media sitethat gives you unlimited accessto over 100,000 audio clips.As a special deal for youphone buffs, audiolocksis giving you a free seven day trialwhere you can download up to 140 clips.Now, these clips are valuedat almost $50 bucks a pop,so if you do the math, itadds up to an amazing deal.If you're interested ingetting some sound effectsand music for your videos, for your songs,or whatever other creative work you do,take advantage of thatseven day free trialby hitting that first linkdown below in the description.All right, let's get to gettingrid of that cartoony lookthat comes with TouchWiz anddo all that beautiful hardwaresome justice by makingthe phone look and feellike a Nexus.(strong music)The first step to Nexifyingthe Note 5, is to installa theme with material design.To do this, go to Settings, find Themes,and then tap on Theme Store.From here, find a themethat's called either Materialor Material Design and note that,while there are somematerial themes out therethat cost money, thereis one available for freeif you can find it.Once you've found a materialtheme, click Download,and when it's done, press Apply.After a few seconds, thetheme will finish installingand voila, the settingsand the UI in generalnow look much, muchcloser to stock Androidand way less cartoony.This step alone canmake a huge difference.But, we're not done yet.Step number two is toinstall the Google appsthat you'd normally find on a Nexus phone.Go to the Play Storeand download things likeGoogle Calendar, GoogleMessenger, Google Camera,Google's Clock app, anda few other Google apps,all of which I'll be putting the linksto download below in the description.After you've installed the Google apps,step number three is to disableboth Samsung and any carrier bloatwarethat may be preloaded onto the phone.Do this by opening up theapp drawer, hitting Edit,and then tapping on the little minus iconnext to the app that you don't want.In my case, I disabled all the AT&T appsalong with some Samsung oneslike S Voice and Milk Music.Disabling these unwantedapps not only makes the phonelook cleaner, but itcan also help the phonerun a little smoother as well.You didn't think wewere going to stick withthe TouchWiz Launcher, did you?No way.Step number four is toinstall a new launcher.You can either get Google's own launcher,which I'll link to down below,or you can download athird party launcher,like Nova Launcher that,in addition to havingthis stock look, alsocomes with icon packsto match the icons on Nexus phones.Either way, after downloadingyour launcher of choice,press on the Home button,and you'll be given a optionto choose your default launcher.Since we're gonna be stickingwith the Nova Launcher,we'll tap on Nova here, which, in turn,will disable the TouchWiz Launcher.After you've set it asthe default launcher,open the app drawer andgo into Nova settings.If you bought the paid version,first thing I'd recommend doingis going into the Apps and Widgets option,selecting Hide apps, and thenhide any Samsung system appsthat you downloadedGoogle ones to replace,like the camera and calendar.I'd also hide any appsthat you wanted to deleteearlier but couldn't.When done with that, go tothe Look and feel optionin Nova settings, tap on Icon Theme,and set it to Android Lollipop.This will change the iconsfor apps like the dialerto look just like they do on Nexus phonesinstead of using Samsung'smore cartoony icons.Last thing you need todo to get the launcherlooking just rightis to set the correct grid andicon sizes in Nova Settings.Go to the Desktop option,and set the Desktop grid tofive by four, then set the Icon layoutto an icon size of 125%.Do the same exact thing underthe App and drawers optionand the Dock option, and you'll be set.Last but not least, thefifth and final stepis to get rid of thoseannoying TouchWiz soundsby going back into themain system setting,tapping on Sounds and notifications,then Ringtone and sounds,and then switching offboth Touch sounds and Screen lock sounds.Your sanity will thank you.That's it, you've now madeyour Note 5 feel like a Nexus.Took a little but of work, I know,and obviously, TouchWiz isstill running behind the scenes,but this is the closest thing you can getto the stock Android experiencewithout actually having to root the phone.Anyways, that is it for me in this video,Thank you guys forwatching, and, as always,I'll see you in the very next episode.\n"