Android smartphones offer many customization possibilities in overlays like Color OS, MIUI, One UI, and Oxygen OS. However, Samsung has gone a step further with its Galaxy smartphones by offering its own custom toolbox, Good Lock. In this article, learn how to download and use Samsung Good Lock.
Summary:
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What is Samsung Good Lock
Good Lock is a set of utilities that add functionality and customization to your Samsung smartphone. It complements the One UI interface with new advanced options, similar to Windows PowerToys.
The Good Lock app itself serves as a list of shortcuts to various components that can be downloaded from Samsung’s app store, the Galaxy Store. But some of them work independently and can be installed directly from APK.
Good Lock as an advanced settings panel / © kwgeek
It should be noted that since they significantly modify the smartphone’s system, utilities usually stop working with each new version of Android or One UI, which requires the release of new compatible versions.
Unfortunately, Good Lock is only available in 23 countries according to Samsung, but there are a few ways to get around this geo-restriction.
How to install Good Lock from the Galaxy Store
If Good Lock is officially available in your country, just open the Galaxy Store app on your smartphone or tablet, search for and download the Good Lock app.
The app is only available in a few countries / © kwgeek
You can use a VPN to install apps and bypass Samsung Store geo-controls, but you may need to remove the SIM card and clear Galaxy Store data and cache before choosing a country where Good Lock is available, such as India. Finally, another possibility is to download the Good Lock APK from the APKMirror site.
How to install the Good Lock module
After installing Good Lock, the app lists all modules (the name of each utility in the package), grouped into two groups: Personalization and Life. Press one of the options, and Good Lock will open the module’s corresponding page in the Galaxy Store, where you can download and install the tool, just like the classic app.
After each module is installed, its shortcut in Good Lock will change to display animation, indicating that it can be activated. Depending on the degree of customization a module offers, you will need to grant system permissions before using it.
Nice Lock: An Alternative App to Bypass Geo-Restrictions
An alternative to Good Lock for installing and managing modules is to use a standalone app, such as Nice Lock, which can be downloaded from the Google Play Store. Nice Lock is full of ads, which can be disabled by purchasing the premium version for about 14 Euros.
NiceLock can be installed from the Play Store, but contains a lot of ads /© kwgeek
How to install Nice Lock module
Nice Lock is very similar to Good Lock, listing the different modules and indicating which ones are installed. However, to install a new utility, it is not enough to just press the module icon, for this you have to manually install the APK of the desired tool.
Nice Lock itself provides an index on this page to manage the installation of the NiceLock Downloader Companion application module, which must be installed via sideload.
Some tools of Good Lock
Good Lock lists modules that are functionally compatible with your Samsung Galaxy. For example, tools for using the S-Pen or curved screens are not provided for unsupported devices.
And Good Lock or Nice Lock must be installed, because Android’s application menu cannot access these modules. Thus, the app acts as a new settings screen, and each module is designed to be reminiscent of One UI’s settings.
Anyway, without further ado, check out some of the tools Good Lock has to offer:
- LockStar: allows you to customize the lock screen and Always On Display, change the position of widgets and notifications, the wallpaper and even the design of the clock;
Modules work like One UI settings / © kwgeek
- QuickStar: Provides options to change the appearance of the notification panel, configure the icons displayed in the device’s status bar (such as hiding Wi-Fi or cellular signal indicators), or the position of the clock in the bar;
QuickStar lets you even hide your mobile operator’s signal indicator. / © kwgeek
- MultiStar: includes tools for multitasking, such as allowing to open almost any application in a split screen or popup, with the possibility to hide the status and navigation bars;
- Watch faces: change how the clock looks on the lock screen or in always-on display mode, animated GIFs and other images are available;
- NavStar: Change the icons in the navigation bar at the bottom of the screen. Users using the gesture navigation option can adjust the sensitivity of the feature and even adjust the width and color of the gesture selectable area;
- Home Up: Redefine the One UI home screen layout.Another interesting option: the list of apps in the shared screen can be modified, removing unwanted apps
- NotiStar: Notification Management Panel, NotiStar allows you to filter which apps display alerts, filter and categorize incoming notifications, and even perform searches in a single UI;
- Routines+: For users who use Bixby to automate routines, this module provides more custom functions, rules and actions, and allows routine sharing;
- Keys Cafe: Customize your keyboard with options to make keys bigger, add effects and even apply color themes;
- Wonderland: apply animated effects to wallpapers, including motion and particle options;
- Theme Park: Similar to Material You customization, create a theme for the interface according to the wallpaper color;
- Nice Catch: recognizes apps that can wake up the smartphone or make it vibrate;
- One-handed operation+: Provides more gesture options for controlling from both sides of the screen, including short and long gesture options;
- SoundAssistant: allows you to adjust the volume of individual applications, adjust the balance of the stereo, adjust equalization and other audio parameters;
- NiceShot: Customize screen capture and recording features, optionally display a delete button to quickly erase accidental screenshots, or add a green screen effect to video recordings, such as screen;
- RegiStar: Provides options to redefine and rearrange settings app and side keys;
Want to sort the Settings app alphabetically? RegiStar is the right tool for you / © kwgeek
- Edge Lightning+: display light effects on the edge of the smartphone screen;
- Edge Touch: Fine-tune the areas on both sides of the curved screen that ignore touch;
- Pentastic: Customize on-screen S Pen cursors, sounds, and controls;
Some of the features offered by Good Lock can be found in One UI’s competing overlay. Nonetheless, for owners of Samsung Galaxy smartphones and tablets, these utilities provide a variety of useful tools to further customize the experience with the device.
And you, do you already know Good Lock? What features would you like to incorporate into One UI? If you use other utility packages, please leave your suggestions for the kwgeek community in the comments!
This article was updated in May 2023 to add tools and new app screenshots.