GoKawiilAndy Walker / Android Authority
As a part-time Google Pixel user, there’s one thing I miss dearly when switching over from my Samsung phone: Good Lock. The customization suite has become such an integral part of my One UI setup that I’d find it tough to adjust to a stock Samsung experience. Needless to say, it’s always quite a shock when moving from Galaxy to Pixel.
Google doesn’t offer users a Good Lock equivalent for Pixels, and this is certainly one of the platform’s bigger oversights. I’d love to adjust various swipe triggers, tinker with my recents screen layout, and fine-tune themes and visuals. While we’ll probably never see a similar app on Google’s platform, this hasn’t stopped third-party developers from trying.
I recently stumbled across an open-source app called Essentials, and while it falls short of Good Lock’s sheer breadth of tools and features, it’s the closest equivalent for Pixel phones right now.
Do you want Google to develop a Good Lock equivalent for Pixels? 0 votes Yes, I want an official toolkit. NaN % Yes, but I'd settle for third-party alternatives. NaN % No, Pixels don't need a Good Lock equivalent. NaN % I'm not sure. NaN %
A new essential install for Pixel (and Android) users
Essentials, like Good Lock, houses a collection of “tools, mods, and workarounds for Pixels and other Androids,” its GitHub description reads. While I’ve used it on both my Galaxy S24 FE and Pixel 8, and the developer confirms that it works across most Android devices, I can safely say that it’s far more useful on Google phones.
Although I’m drawing plenty of comparisons between Essentials and Good Lock, there are some vast differences between them. Unlike Good Lock’s collection of modules that users can choose to install, Essentials packs all of its tricks into one bag from the get-go, with each separated by category or function. This, I feel, is a far more approachable way to package a tools-and-tricks app.
So what tricks are on tap, exactly?
Andy Walker / Android Authority
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