HTC’s Sense UI on the HTC 10 is the best that it’s ever been and part of that comes from the inclusion of the new Freestyle Mode feature. Freestyle Mode lets the user customize different aspects of the homescreen similar to the way HTC’s themes do, but with a little more freedom, hence the name freestyle. You can change up the look of the icons much in the way you would do with an icon pack but with Freestyle, you can also change icon styles individually, and you can place app shortcuts on the homescreen anywhere without them snapping to the grid.
While Freestyle Mode opens up more capabilities for the user, it’s only been available on the HTC 10 thus far. In the latest update to HTC’s Sense Home app, though, HTC is adding Freestyle Mode for older HTC device users. After the update has been applied users with HTC’s flagships from previous years will be able to utilize it. Also new in the latest update to Sense Home is the ability to have the system change the wallpaper on a timer. For users who appreciate the randomness and change their wallpaper often, this is likely to be a popular feature.
Users can also enable multiple wallpapers spread across the home screen’s multiple pages to create a stunning panoramic image, another feature that’s part of the updated themes elements in the new version of Sense. HTC also made some updates to Blink Feed in the latest version of Sense Home, as HTC states they have made content more accessible to users by improving the layout. This includes the ability to watch inline videos from various news sources that are tied into Blink Feed, which could be any source that users integrate as Blink Feed lets them personalize the content that shows up. As this is an HTC app, only HTC devices will be able to install it or update it, and it’s entirely possible that the update won’t be showing up for everyone right away. The update should already be live, though, so you can head to the Play Store and check it out if you’re anxious to get Freestyle Mode on your device.