Update: January 16, 2026 (8:30 AM ET): Android skins are always changing, so we’ve updated our ranking as well. Some of the more notable changes include ASUS dropping a few spots, while vivo, HONOR, and Xiaomi climbed up the list. You can check out our updated ranking below. Not all flavors of Android are made equal, but which ones are actually the best, and which ones are at the bottom of the pile? Well, we decided to rank the major Android skins.
We took several factors into account when ranking these Android overlays, namely aesthetics, the level of polish, the number of features, and the OEM’s update policy. It’s also worth noting that this isn’t an authoritative ranking; it’s more for fun than anything else.
So with all that in mind, let’s get on with it, going from worst to best!
11. Tecno HiOS
I’ve heard some people call Xiaomi’s MIUI a bad Android skin in bygone years, but these people really have no idea what a bad Android skin is if they haven’t used Tecno’s HiOS.
The Transsion-owned brand might be a major player globally today, but HiOS is the worst Android skin in our ranking. That’s due to a derivative aesthetic akin to MIUI and iOS, separate dropdowns for notifications and quick toggles (my pet peeve), and plenty of obscure bloatware. Compounding matters is the fact that you’re sometimes forced to install some bloatware after booting up.
2023’s TECNO Phantom V Fold even shipped with a forum app that displayed NSFW images. There aren’t a ton of features, either, although it’s not a barebones skin by any measure. We also had fun with the “plump butt” camera filter (seriously). Finally, TECNO is only promising up to two major OS updates and three years of security patches for its high-end phones. That’s basically the bare minimum.
10. ASUS Zen UI
Zen UI has made some meaningful improvements over the years, ditching the bloated, visually horrid approach of bygone years in favor of a relatively lean, stock-like experience. You’re not getting many features here, although the ability to choose your quick-setting tile style (see above) is a welcome addition. The company has also added trendy AI features to recent Zenfone models, namely audio recorder summaries, text summaries, and call translations.
Easily the biggest issue with ASUS software is the update situation, as you’re only getting two major OS updates. Yes, the €1,099 Zenfone 12 Ultra only gets two major Android OS upgrades and five years of security patches. That’s a disappointment in 2026 when even Sony offers a longer update policy.
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