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The Android lock screen is constantly evolving. There are different ways of slide unlocking, and manufacturers are always contributing to its development. It turns out that there are many lock screen apps on the Play Store that have even more features. Now I recommend people just use the fingerprint scanner to bypass the lock screen altogether. However, it's okay if you don't want to do this. Below are the best screen lock apps for Android.
It's important to note that lock screen apps are not as popular as they used to be. As I wrote above, I recommend using the built-in screen lock or not locking the screen at all. In most cases, you click on the fingerprint scanner to turn on the smartphone. Additionally, third-party lock screen apps are less secure than the built-in ones.
Read also: Which Xiaomi phone is the best?
- AcDisplay
- Always On AMOLED - BETA
- Floatify Lockscreen
- Hi Locker - lock screen
- KLCK Custom Lock Screen Maker
- LokLok: Draw on a Lock Screen
- Solo Locker
- Start
- Lockscreen Widgets
AcDisplay
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AcDisplay
Developer: Artem Chepurnoy
Price: Free
AcDisplay is one of the most popular lock screen apps. It enamel the screen locks of smartphones such as Moto X, Galaxy S8 and others. Users can view notifications without unlocking the display. It also has a few settings. For example, you can set it to only work during certain hours to save battery power. More and more smartphones with something similar are appearing on sale. Thus, I would recommend AcDisplay only to those smartphones that do not already have such a feature. The app was last updated in 2015. I'm not sure the developer will continue to support it. At least it's free.
How to change the blocking method
Sometimes, after a certain period of time, the selected screen lock option no longer satisfies the user, and he wants to replace it with another one. This is easy to do even for beginners. For this you will need:
- Open “Settings”;
- Go to the “Security” section;
- Select the “Screen Lock” category.
From the list of possible protection methods, select the best option and use one of the configuration algorithms suggested above.
Always On AMOLED - BETA
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Always On AMOLED
Developer: Tomer Rosenfeld
Price: Free
Always On AMOLED is not a lock screen, but an imitation of it. It mimics the Always On Display feature of most smartphones. The application can show the time, notifications and other similar information. I only recommend it on phones with an OLED display, including Samsung AMOLED. It doesn't look as cool on regular LCD screens. I also only recommend it for smartphones that don't have this feature. The built-in versions almost always work better than third-party apps.
AcDisplay - For lovers of minimalism
AcDisplay is the ideal application if you want to receive only the most necessary information about the status of your smartphone, without overloading yourself with unnecessary details. At the same time, by analogy with the “dark theme” that is so popular today, you can save some of your battery power. How? It's simple: the part of the display on which information about the smartphone will be displayed will be “illuminated,” while the unused part of the screen will remain dark.
Download: AcDisplay
Floatify Lockscreen
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Floatify Lockscreen
Developer: Jawomo
Price: Free
Floatify is a popular, modern lock screen replacement app. Actually looks like a standard lock screen. This is a simple background with time. But, you can add information such as weather, notifications and so on. You can also customize the icons at the bottom of the lock screen. It also has other modern features such as turning on the display when you pick up the phone, themes and chat features similar to Facebook Messenger. This is a good replacement for the standard lock screen. But the app hasn't been updated since late 2021, so I'm not sure if it will continue to be updated.
Start
Start locker for Android allows you to access notifications, news, weather updates, and updates from any selected application of your choice, including YouTube, WhatsApp, Gmail, Facebook and other social networking or entertainment applications. Even though the Start menu resembles the Windows Start menu, it features a menu slider and swiping left to right on them opens a specific application . Like Solo Locker, you get the ability to change the wallpaper and while there is no option to change the font of the clock widget you can change font color.
The central ring is primarily for unlocking the phone, but once you tap the icon you'll find that it allows you to launch various apps. What's even more amazing is when you swipe on any icon, such as camera or messaging, it shows the top apps in that category instead of launching the default app. Besides the categorized apps, you can also select your favorite apps that appear when you drag the ring to the star.
Finally, although Start is marketed as a lock screen, it actually launches. Apart from this, there are basic unlocking options such as PIN, pattern and even fingerprint but if you want, you can continue to use the phone's locking mechanism with the drag-and-drop feature to unlock. However, ads appear from time to time, but they are full screen, which can be annoying. Overall, Start can be a great option if you want to spend less time haphazardly fiddling with your phone and want to get more work done.
Download: (free, with in-app ads)
Hi Locker - lock screen
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Hi Locker - lock screen
Developer: The Lockdown Team
Price: Free
Hi Locker is a pretty typical lock screen replacement app. It can show the weather, notifications, calendar events, etc. Can also greet you with funny greetings and congratulations. There is fingerprint support if you have a scanner. You can also enable automatic wallpaper changing from Flickr. You can turn off notifications from certain apps to prevent people from seeing them. It's not as feature-rich as most of its competitors, but it's great for those who don't need a lot of features.
LokLok - The most creative approach to lock screen design
Perhaps the most interesting approach to developing the application was noted by the authors of LokLok. It looks pretty standard at first glance, but in fact, when you use LokLok, you can quickly access drawing elements, draw something on the screen, and save the resulting drawing. It would seem, what's wrong with that? It would be okay if the app didn't allow you to send your creations to your friends, who would see your "image message" the next time they unlocked it. Quite an interesting find.
Download: LokLok
KLCK Custom Lock Screen Maker
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KLCK Custom Lock Screen Maker
Developer: Kustom Industries
Price: Free
KLCK are the developers of the popular KWGT Kustom Widgets and KLWP Live Wallpaper applications. Essentially, this application allows you to create your own lock screen. It is based on a simple editor with many functions. You can add notifications, various features, custom graphics, backgrounds, and more. You can also add data from Google Fit, weather, real-time maps, music player controls, and even an RSS feed. The application is in beta version. Therefore, there are errors in the work. But if you need a custom lock screen, this is the one I recommend.
CM Locker - In case your priority is security
CM Locker has a lot of options for restricting access to your smartphone and more. There is a set of various types of unlocking: from biometrics to complex passwords, and modification of the lock screen at your request, and a lot more. But the most interesting thing is that the application can work not only to unlock the phone. It allows you to set additional passwords for your contacts or photo gallery. So those who believe that one more degree of protection never hurts should take a closer look at CM Locker
Download: CM Locker
LokLok: Draw on a Lock Screen
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LokLok: Draw on a Lock Screen
Developer: Impossible
Price: Free
LokLok is different from most lock screen apps. It's kind of like the lock screen and Snapchat. Turning on your smartphone will open the camera. You can take a photo, edit it, and then send it to friends or family. When they unlock their phone they will see this image and can respond to it. Perfect for those who are in constant communication with friends. The app is free, but there are paid stickers in the store.
Semper
Semper is a handy app that, apart from being a simple lock screen replacement for Android, will also help you improve your vocabulary or learn something new every time you unlock your smartphone. Developed by Quizlet, a platform for easy flashcard and quiz learning, Semper allows you to add downloadable packs for a variety of popular languages. Besides languages, you can also add questions from General Topics and General Knowledge to the lock screen on your Android smartphone with Semper.
In addition to choosing quiz topics, you can set correct answer goals that you want to achieve with Semper. The lock screen is a part of the app that you'll need to download separately from the plugins menu after you've set up your Quizlet account (or signed in with an existing one) and selected an interest to study. You can also unlock the lock screen by swiping right on the correct answer from multiple options or swipe left to challenge your brain with questions.
Apart from providing education, Semper also has the qualities of a standard screen lock app. It allows you to set up to four shortcuts and change the lock screen background to a custom one, although you'll have to depend on the built-in lock mechanism to keep your phone secure.
Download: (free)
Solo Locker
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Solo Locker（DIY Locker）
Developer: newborntown
Price: Free
Solo Locker is one of the best screen lock apps. You get access to a ton of settings for features and lock screen elements. You can customize your lock screen however you want. The set includes different locking methods, wallpapers and even widgets. You can use them to make your own lock screen. The basic app is free, with additional items sold in the app.
How to set a screen lock on Android
How to set a screen lock on Android . Every smartphone will definitely have files that the user wants to keep securely from prying eyes. This could be photographs, videos, personal notes or email correspondence. If a smartphone or tablet falls into the wrong hands, it can bring serious trouble to its owner.
To secure your phone already at the first level of access, without going deeper into protecting each application or important system folder, you can lock the screen. For this, system settings are used, as well as special applications. In our article we will look at how to set a screen lock on Android, and also suggest several ways to customize it.
On a note:
When trying to turn on the phone, the user may encounter a problem such as a broken Power button, without which it is impossible to even access the lock screen. To solve this problem yourself, read the material How to turn on an Android phone without a power button.
Using Android settings, you can set a secure lock:
- Graphic key
- PIN code
- Password
Let's consider the methods in order.
Method 1: Pattern key
By default, the screen lock of a mobile gadget is removed using a slider. In terms of security, this method is absolutely unreliable, since any person, simply by swiping his finger across the screen, gains access to the contents of the device. The easiest way to securely lock the screen is to set a pattern, a sequence of connecting several dots.
To configure the key, follow these steps:
- Go to Android settings
- Select " Security "
- Click on the line " Lock Screen "
- Click on the line “ Pattern key ”
- Make a defensive combination on a field of 9 points
- Enter the key again to confirm
- Select the mode for displaying notifications on the lock screen
After this, you can additionally configure the display of the entered key. If you doubt the reliability of the graphic code, look at the number of combinations of dots that someone who decides to use your gadget will have to go through:
- 4 dots - 1624 combinations
- 5 points – 7152
- 6 points – 26016
- 7 points - 72912
- 8 points - 140704
- 9 points - 140704
In total, it turns out that the graphic key contains 389,112 different combinations of connecting dots. In order to enter all possible combinations, at the rate of 1 sequence of dots per second, it will take almost 106 hours!
Method 2: PIN code
If you trust numbers more than dot patterns, in the same security menu of your smartphone or tablet, you can set the screen lock on Android using a four-digit PIN code:
- Go to settings to block method
- Select a PIN code
- Dial four numbers
- Enter the code again
In the case of numbers, there are fewer combinations than when typing graphically - 10,000 options. And yet, it will take a lot of time to go through all the numerical combinations.
Method 3: Password
Based on the number of possible combinations, the password should be classified as the most reliable method. In the blocking methods, click on the “Password” line and enter a sequence of characters. The password must consist of a minimum of 4 and a maximum of 17 characters. Considering the typing using numbers, mathematical symbols, Cyrillic and Latin letters, the number of combinations exceeds several billion. The most important thing is not to forget the tricky password for unlocking.
Method 4: Lock using apps
In the Google Play digital store, you can download special programs that not only set up a screen lock on Android, but also visually customize the screen itself: install beautiful wallpapers and add the necessary widgets.
Among the programs that collect good reviews and are also easy to manage, we can highlight:
- Smart lock screen
- SnapLock
- ZUI Locker
- CM Locker
Smart lock screen
OS version: Android 4.0 or later
Smart lock screen, which is downloaded and installed for free on an Android device, will help the user not only protect his gadget, but also customize the lock screen. In the main menu of the application, you need to set a four-character PIN code, which can be changed at any time. The application also allows you to:
- Change text on lock screen
- Set text color
- Set bright and colorful wallpapers with beautiful landscapes, views of the night sky and city lights.
Like most free applications, Smart lock screen contains built-in advertising, but in this case the program developers approached the matter very competently. To avoid annoying the user with pop-up banners, the advertising button is set as a menu item. By clicking on it, the user can download an additional proprietary application: a music player or a tool for photo collages.
SnapLock
OS version: Android 4.1 or later
The smart screen lock app SnapLock will help you set a PIN code or pattern on your smartphone or tablet.
In addition to the standard functionality, the program has a number of interesting features:
- AppRhythm function . The application monitors the frequency of program launches. SnapLock displays shortcuts to your most frequently used apps on the lock screen
- Setting the swipe direction to a specific command
- Clock display. You can display a widget with a clock, date and weather in several font styles on the lock screen.
- Adding wallpaper to the lock screen
- Display all notifications on one screen.
The application does not contain advertising. Perhaps its only drawback is the lack of Russification.
ZUI Locker
OS version: Android 4.1 or later
Users' opinions about the ZUI Locker screen locker are divided: some praise it for conveniently setting up smartphone protection, others admire the huge variety of thematic settings. The screen lock can be programmed with both a pattern and a password. And for a colorful design, the application contains several dozen beautiful wallpapers and themes.
Separately, I would like to note a pleasant design feature - when you tilt the smartphone, the picture set as wallpaper begins to smoothly shift.
CM Locker
OS version: Android 4.0 or later
CM Locker is the very same screen lock application in which gadget protection comes first. The program allows you to configure access bans using a PIN code and a pattern, and on devices that are unlocked with a fingerprint, it will help you configure the scanner module.
The user can apply protection not only to the screen, but also to individual applications, for example, mail, instant messengers or social networks. If someone tries to hack a password or key, the application will take a photo of the attacker and send it to the user by email. CM Locker can also be linked to a Facebook account. If the phone is lost, the user will be able to track the gadget, turn on the alarm or block the mobile phone.
Among the visual features in CM Locker we can note:
- Weather informers
- Display notifications on a separate screen
- Camera, flashlight and player control buttons on the lock screen
- Adding beautiful wallpaper to your lock
Start
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Start
Developer: Start_Magazine
Price: Free
The Start lock screen is similar to the Microsoft lock screen. Its goal is to fit as many things as possible on the lock screen. The ultimate goal is to work with a smartphone without having to unlock the phone. There are things like web search, various password locks, widgets, tools, news, weather, application icons and much more. He even has little tests you can take to help pass the time. The application is free and without purchases. But there are advertisements.
If you forgot your password or key
Users who frequently change screen lock methods on mobile devices often forget their password, code, and even graphic design. Therefore, they have difficulty accessing their phone. There are several unlocking options when such a situation arises.
Google Account Password
In most cases, after entering an incorrect combination of symbols or numbers five times, a window appears on the smartphone screen asking you to log into your Google account by entering personal identifiers. Typically, this method helps not only to unlock the phone, but also to change the password for logging into your own profile. If the protection was installed using third-party applications rather than built-in tools, this option will be ineffective.
Hard Reset
In this case, only rebooting the device will help - resetting the settings and restoring factory settings. During execution, all user data, contacts, SMS, applications, etc. will be deleted. The “Recovery” menu will help you implement this option. You can switch to this mode using the “Volume Down” and “Power” keys. Moving between options is done using the volume control carriage. The scheme is simple:
- Select the “wipe data/factory reset” or “Clear eMMC” or “Clear Flash” section.
- Run the command “yes – delete all user data” and wait a few minutes.
- After the process is completed, you will need to reboot the device by activating the “Reboot system” option.
An alternative to this method would be to flash the phone. But since this procedure is long and tedious, which, moreover, may be accompanied by some difficulties, it is advisable to contact a service center to complete it.
Echo Note Lockscreen
The priority of the program is to conveniently send notifications to the lock display. An internal analysis and processing algorithm allows Echo to sort notifications by importance, and also convert them into reminders at a set time.
Important messages can be viewed directly in blocking mode. The program supports not only unlocking by moving the locking pad, but also graphic keys.
