In this article, we will show you how you can give your Galaxy S7 a near stock experience without root access using various 3rd party apps and settings. But please be advised that you will not get complete AOSP experience as that would require root and flashing of custom ROMs. Let’s get started.
Replace the TouchWiz Launcher
The Launcher is one of the most important aspects of your phone’s UI. On Samsung, it has been the TouchWiz launcher for years which is loved by some and hated by others. It is this launcher that gives you the complete feeling on your Android, therefore, it’s the first place to start with to get the near stock experience and we will be replacing the TouchWiz with a 3rd party launcher from the Play Store. There are quite a few options where you get the stock like launcher like Nova Launcher, but in these launchers, you will have to play with the settings to get the final result. But if you are looking for one-click installation, the Google Now Launcher would be the one I would recommend. It will give you a complete stock experience that you get on Nexus devices. Also, don’t forget to activate OK Google on the launcher to get the complete package.
Get the Google Phone App
The second thing you should be doing is replacing the Samsung dialer app with the Google dialer and there is a modified APK that works best on Samsung Galaxy S7. You can download the APK file from this mirror link and then install the file on the device. If this the first time you are sideloading the app on your Samsung Galaxy S7, you will have to have to allow app installations from Unknown sources located in Security Settings. Having done that, go to Settings and set the new Phone app as the default dialer app from the Applications option. Once that’s done, the outgoing and incoming calls will be handled using the stock dialer. Don’t forget to replace the shortcut on your home screen for a complete transformation.
Change the Lock Screen
The lock screen is important and as far as my opinion is concerned, one should always stick to the default lock screen. But if you really want to get a near stock experience on the lock screen too, you should install Go Locker on the device. After installing the app, you will have to disable the default lock and even disable the fingerprint lock and select a stock Android theme in the Go Locker to apply it. You can also set PIN and Pattern to secure your phone, but the fingerprint will not work. Note: If your phone is configured by an organization to work with Microsoft Exchange server, you will not be able to disable the built-in pattern or PIN lock and thus you will get two lock screen when a 3rd party app is installed.
Install Stock Android Theme
So far we have covered launcher, lock screen, and dialer. But now we will talk about the main interface and app icons you have on the Galaxy S7. Thanks to the support of themes on the S7, this can be taken care of easily. Located under settings, you will find the option of themes from where you can browse and download new themes for your S7. Look for the Android N theme under the Simple category to download and apply it. This will give your phone a complete makeover including the notification toggle, settings, icons, wallpapers and even the ringtone. With that, all you need are some final touch-ups.
Disable Bloatware
The last thing you would like to do is to disable Bloatware that comes with your Samsung Galaxy S7 and thanks to Marshmallow, you don’t require root access even for that. We have already seen a detailed guide on how to get that done in one of our previous articles that you can refer to.
For Those Who Want to Go Extra Mile
For those who wish to go the extra mile, you can install Google Camera and Google Messenger app, but that will be too much if you ask me. But one thing I am sure about is that this is the best way to get near stock experience on your Samsung Galaxy S7 without root access. Do let us know through the comments section as to what you think. READ ALSO: 7 Incredibly Useful Tips to Get The Most Out of the Samsung Galaxy S7
