With the huge customization capabilities that Android offers, each brand and model of smartphone looks different from another simply because it uses different applications for its basic functions: application launcher, lock screen, settings and more. If you then wanted to bring one or more functions of other Android distributions on your phone such as those installed on a Xiaomi smartphone, a Samsung, it would be necessary to change the operating system and install a different ROM using a procedure that, for those with little experience, can certainly be complicated.
In this article, however, we are going to find out how it is possible to modify Android without installing another ROM, without changing the system and also without needing to obtain root permissions on the device . The apps on this list have in common an activation procedure that requires the use of the ADB tool, which is used by connecting the phone to the computer via USB cable.
ADB ( Android Debug Bridge ) is a command line program that allows you to perform operations on the Android system, usually used by developers and to install different systems on the phone or perform procedures for the root. But ADB is not only useful for developers and does not necessarily require a rooted device to be used. There are in fact many applications that take advantage of ADB to enable special features to try and Android tricks without the need for device rooting.
READ ALSO: 30 apps to improve Android, modify and customize the system
If you are using a Windows PC (you can also do it on Mac but with a different procedure) You must first download ADB to PC, as explained in another article, by downloading the Platform tools and extracting the files in the C: drive, to then have easy access.
On Android, then, you need to enable the developer options and enable USB Debugging. To do this, go to Settings> About phone and touch the build number seven times by making the developer menu notification appear. Once activated, go to Settings> Developer Options .
At this point, connect the phone to the PC with the USB charging cable and on the PC, holding down the Shift key on the keyboard, right-click on the Platform tools folder and open the command prompt or Powershell window from here .
On the command line screen, type . \ Adb devices to verify that ADB is functional. On your smartphone, accept the authorization to enable access to USB debugging and we are done.
Now, after performing these steps, you can install these applications listed below which will require you to launch specific commands with ADB to be activated (only the first time, not every use).
READ ALSO: How to use ADB Sideload to install ROM, updates, recovery
App Ops requires Android 6.0 or later and the Shizuku Manager app is also required to make it work and manage APIs at the system level.
After configuring ADB, open Shizuku Manager and on the PC type this command in Powershell or on the command prompt:
. \ adb shell sh /sdcard/Android/data/moe.shizuku.privileged.api/files/start.sh
Now open App Ops and tap on any app to see how many permissions you can manage. After making changes, you can press the Update button to save them.
The app is also in Italian, allows you to choose the graphic theme, allows you to backup the changed options, and allows you to selectively allow or deny the permissions for the newly installed apps by configuring automatic templates.
To activate all Tiles functions, you need to run the following ADB command on the prompt or Powershell:
. \ adb shell pm grant com.rascarlo.quick.settings.tiles android.permission.WRITE_SECURE_SETTINGS
To use Naptime you need to launch the app and then run these ADB commands:
. \ adb -d shell pm grant com.franco.doze android.permission.DUMP
. \ adb -d shell pm grant com.franco.doze android.permission.WRITE_SECURE_SETTINGS
After getting access, remove Naptime from Android battery optimization by going to Settings> Apps and notifications> View all apps> Naptime> Advanced> Battery> Battery optimization .
. \ adb shell pm grant com.fb.fluid android.permission.WRITE_SECURE_SETTINGS
To reset the navigation keys, disable the app and uninstall it or you can type this command:
. \ adb shell wm overscan 0, 0, 0, 0
An even better solution, though, is by using Brevent which can force app shutdown quickly and safely.
To activate the app via ADB you need to run the command
. \ adb -d shell sh /data/data/me.piebridge.brevent/brevent.sh
Brevent does not force the suspension of apps or put them on standby by default, you must first put them in the list of brevent in order not to let them stay in the background, however allowing synchronization to receive notifications or perform activities.
MIUI-ify is a free Android app that brings some of the best features of Xiaomi's MIUI system to your smartphone. It can be installed for free and at the first start it requires permissions for the accessibility service, to overlap other apps and to show notifications, all necessary for correct operation.
To move the notification bar down and unlock all MIUI-ify functions, you need to run this ADB command from your PC:
adb -d shell pm grant com.tombayley.miui android.permisson.WRITE_SECURE_SETTINGS
READ ALSO: Best Android Hacks and Cheats for every smartphone without root
In this article, however, we are going to find out how it is possible to modify Android without installing another ROM, without changing the system and also without needing to obtain root permissions on the device . The apps on this list have in common an activation procedure that requires the use of the ADB tool, which is used by connecting the phone to the computer via USB cable.
ADB ( Android Debug Bridge ) is a command line program that allows you to perform operations on the Android system, usually used by developers and to install different systems on the phone or perform procedures for the root. But ADB is not only useful for developers and does not necessarily require a rooted device to be used. There are in fact many applications that take advantage of ADB to enable special features to try and Android tricks without the need for device rooting.
READ ALSO: 30 apps to improve Android, modify and customize the system
Configure ADB
Using ADB is very easy, the only initial difficulty can be to configure it.If you are using a Windows PC (you can also do it on Mac but with a different procedure) You must first download ADB to PC, as explained in another article, by downloading the Platform tools and extracting the files in the C: drive, to then have easy access.
On Android, then, you need to enable the developer options and enable USB Debugging. To do this, go to Settings> About phone and touch the build number seven times by making the developer menu notification appear. Once activated, go to Settings> Developer Options .
At this point, connect the phone to the PC with the USB charging cable and on the PC, holding down the Shift key on the keyboard, right-click on the Platform tools folder and open the command prompt or Powershell window from here .
On the command line screen, type . \ Adb devices to verify that ADB is functional. On your smartphone, accept the authorization to enable access to USB debugging and we are done.
Now, after performing these steps, you can install these applications listed below which will require you to launch specific commands with ADB to be activated (only the first time, not every use).
READ ALSO: How to use ADB Sideload to install ROM, updates, recovery
App to edit Android via ADB
1) App Ops
App Ops is a framework within Android that allows you to change the permissions of individual apps. While Android already has authorization management, with this tool it is possible to manage them in a granular way. For example, when granting access to WhatsApp to view the address book, it is not possible to selectively authorize or deny each component of the authorization. App Ops, on the other hand, allows you to access all the permissions for any app, in a convenient way.App Ops requires Android 6.0 or later and the Shizuku Manager app is also required to make it work and manage APIs at the system level.
After configuring ADB, open Shizuku Manager and on the PC type this command in Powershell or on the command prompt:
. \ adb shell sh /sdcard/Android/data/moe.shizuku.privileged.api/files/start.sh
Now open App Ops and tap on any app to see how many permissions you can manage. After making changes, you can press the Update button to save them.
The app is also in Italian, allows you to choose the graphic theme, allows you to backup the changed options, and allows you to selectively allow or deny the permissions for the newly installed apps by configuring automatic templates.
2) Tiles
Tiles is an app that costs just one Euro and allows you to improve the quick settings menu in the notification bar. Dozens of switches can be added according to preferences, organized into 70 categories to control practically every function, even hidden, of the phone, from the notification menu. Tiles puts all custom quick settings in one place and lets you choose which ones to hide and which to keep close at hand.To activate all Tiles functions, you need to run the following ADB command on the prompt or Powershell:
. \ adb shell pm grant com.rascarlo.quick.settings.tiles android.permission.WRITE_SECURE_SETTINGS
3) Naptime
The Doze function included in Android is the one that allows you to optimize the use of the battery by suspending CPU activities in the background and network activity when the device screen is off and the smartphone is not used. Naptime improves the implementation of Doze by adding more features to achieve even greater battery savings (says 9000%).To use Naptime you need to launch the app and then run these ADB commands:
. \ adb -d shell pm grant com.franco.doze android.permission.DUMP
. \ adb -d shell pm grant com.franco.doze android.permission.WRITE_SECURE_SETTINGS
After getting access, remove Naptime from Android battery optimization by going to Settings> Apps and notifications> View all apps> Naptime> Advanced> Battery> Battery optimization .
4) Fluid Navigation Gestures
Navigation gestures to make quick operations are a feature of all Android smartphones, although in most cases there are no options to customize them. This app, however, allows you to configure almost every option of navigation gestures and also change function to the three main keys or hide them completely. To use all the features of this application, including the one to hide the navigation keys, you need to use this command on ADB:. \ adb shell pm grant com.fb.fluid android.permission.WRITE_SECURE_SETTINGS
To reset the navigation keys, disable the app and uninstall it or you can type this command:
. \ adb shell wm overscan 0, 0, 0, 0
5) Brevent
Many apps on Android (for example Facebook) have the characteristic of remaining in the background, ready for use. To close these apps it would be necessary to use tools such as Greenify, reported among the most effective apps to speed up Android.An even better solution, though, is by using Brevent which can force app shutdown quickly and safely.
To activate the app via ADB you need to run the command
. \ adb -d shell sh /data/data/me.piebridge.brevent/brevent.sh
Brevent does not force the suspension of apps or put them on standby by default, you must first put them in the list of brevent in order not to let them stay in the background, however allowing synchronization to receive notifications or perform activities.
6) MIUI-ify
Taking one of the best features of the MIUI distribution, a very interesting app came out that you can install on any Android smartphone to move the notification bar (which also includes the various switches) from top to bottom and with options to make the bar transparent notifications .MIUI-ify is a free Android app that brings some of the best features of Xiaomi's MIUI system to your smartphone. It can be installed for free and at the first start it requires permissions for the accessibility service, to overlap other apps and to show notifications, all necessary for correct operation.
To move the notification bar down and unlock all MIUI-ify functions, you need to run this ADB command from your PC:
adb -d shell pm grant com.tombayley.miui android.permisson.WRITE_SECURE_SETTINGS
READ ALSO: Best Android Hacks and Cheats for every smartphone without root
