Samsung’s TouchWiz UI may be divisive, but nobody can say it’s not innovative and chock full of new and different ideas. For instance, Samsung’s Good Lock app is a full system UI overhaul that allows a multitude of changes. The initial version came with its fair share of bugs and was a bit on the ugly side, but updates since then have gradually smoothed things over. Samsung has taken the input of fans on board in the creation of the app’s updates and it shows quite clearly, with many new features each round echoing what one may hear Samsung fans wishing for if they roam the internet in search of such opinions. The newest update to the app, bringing it up to version 24.0.9, ups the ante with more customization options, optimizations and tweaks than ever before.
Users who take the plunge and download Good Lock from the Galaxy Apps store will find their phone rebooting, ready to greet them with a whole new user interface. In this version, that interface is highly customizable and can even have its colors change depending on the time of day or a user made preset, called a “routine”. One of the bigger features is the option to use a dark notification shade, allowing users to fit the style better to a dark wallpaper and save battery on most Samsung phones, since they tend to use Super AMOLED screens. Users can also access mobile hotspot through their quick settings, and can now access their quick settings while using the phone’s always on display function. Rounding out the updated feature set, users can now choose the color of the clock featured on their lock screen.
While Good Lock, like the rest of TouchWiz and indeed Samsung’s entire portfolio, has its ups and downs that lend themselves to a very divided fanbase, the app also mirrors the OS it’s built for in being incredibly feature rich. While Good Lock is no match for a modern custom ROM, for those who fell in love with a Samsung phone but either bought one without an unlockable bootloader or wanted to keep their warranty, Good Lock, though still a bit buggy, is a step in the right direction. The app is available via the Galaxy Apps store for most Samsung devices running Android 6.0 Marshmallow along with the new interface debuted on the Galaxy S6, such as the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy Note 5. Despite its newfound status as a member of the Marshmallow club, the Galaxy S5 cannot run Good Lock out of the box.