{"id":500374,"date":"2026-05-24T11:58:19","date_gmt":"2026-05-24T11:58:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/500374\/"},"modified":"2026-05-24T11:58:19","modified_gmt":"2026-05-24T11:58:19","slug":"this-samsung-app-is-the-reason-i-wont-switch-to-a-google-pixel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/500374\/","title":{"rendered":"This Samsung app is the reason I won’t switch to a Google Pixel"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Someone<\/p>\n

Joe Maring \/ Android Authority<\/p>\n

Between my old Galaxy S22 and the current S26, I\u2019ve been a loyal Samsung user for over four years now. But I\u2019ve always been tempted by Pixel phones. Not just as a secondary device, but to actually use it as a daily driver. And honestly, devices like the Pixel 10 and Pixel 10a<\/a> make a very compelling case for themselves. You get a clean Android experience, useful Pixel-only features<\/a>, and above all, faster software updates.<\/p>\n

But if there\u2019s one Samsung app that stops me from making the switch, it\u2019s Good Lock<\/a>. It\u2019s not just any OEM app \u2014 it\u2019s more like a toolkit for power users. And the more I\u2019ve used it over the years, the more it\u2019s changed what I expect from a smartphone.<\/p>\n

Would you switch to a Pixel if it had Samsung-level customization?<\/p>\n

24 votes<\/p>\n

Yes, instantly.<\/p>\n

13%<\/p>\n

Maybe, depends on other features.<\/p>\n

13%<\/p>\n

No, I prefer Samsung anyway.<\/p>\n

33%<\/p>\n

I already use a Pixel.<\/p>\n

42%<\/p>\n

What makes Good Lock so special<\/p>\n

\"Galaxy<\/p>\n

Pankil Shah \/ Android Authority<\/p>\n

Good Lock is Samsung\u2019s official app for customizing and tweaking various parts of a Galaxy phone. It\u2019s basically a collection of modules that let you change how your phone looks, feels, and behaves at a much deeper level. We\u2019re talking about customizing the app drawer, creating 3D wallpapers, redesigning the Quick Settings panel, unlocking extra camera features, and a lot more.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t want to miss the best from Android Authority?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"google\"google<\/a><\/p>\n

What I like most about Good Lock is that it\u2019s not a single, overloaded app with endless toggles. Instead, it lets me explore available modules, see what they do, and download the ones I really want. And since Good Lock is an official Samsung app, everything just works the way it should. I don\u2019t have to worry about security risks, privacy concerns, or updates breaking key features.<\/p>\n

Customization is why I stick with Android, and Good Lock nails it<\/p>\n

\"Samsung<\/p>\n

Pankil Shah \/ Android Authority<\/p>\n

I recently tried using an iPhone for a day<\/a>, and it reminded me why I\u2019ve never seriously considered switching. It mostly comes down to customization. Yes, that\u2019s still Android\u2019s biggest strength, and while Pixel phones do offer some flexibility, it\u2019s nowhere near what Good Lock lets me do on my Galaxy phone.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s start with the Good Lock\u2019s Keys Cafe module. It gives me complete control over how my Samsung Keyboard looks. I can change colors, add effects, tweak typing sound, and even set up two and three-finger gestures for things like undo, redo, copy, paste, or switching languages. Heck, I can even design a keyboard from scratch and have control over which buttons appear and where they sit.<\/p>\n

The QuickStar module offers something similar, but for customizing the Quick Settings panel. I can change the button colors, resize sections, and even fine-tune the spacing. I also like how it lets me hide specific icons from the status bar, so there\u2019s always less clutter.<\/p>\n

\"Samsung<\/p>\n

Pankil Shah \/ Android Authority<\/p>\n

Good Lock\u2019s Home Up module is another one of my favorites. It offers several options, but I mainly use it to change the task changer layout. The default tilt-stack style feels slow to me, so I stick with the grid layout \u2014 it lets me see more apps at a glance without all the swiping.<\/p>\n

Good Lock even extends into places you wouldn\u2019t expect, like the Settings app. With the RegiStar module, I can rearrange sections and hide the options I don\u2019t use to make the Settings app easier to navigate. Even better, RegiStar lets me remap the side button\u2019s press and hold action for things like turning on the flashlight, enabling live captions, and even opening an app.<\/p>\n

The kind of granular control Good Lock provides simply isn’t available on Pixel phones.<\/p>\n

And the crazy part is, this is all just scratching the surface. Good Lock also offers the same level of customization for the lock screen, app drawer, always-on display, and more. It\u2019s the kind of granular control you simply don\u2019t get on a Pixel phone.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not just customization \u2014 it\u2019s the extra features I don\u2019t want to give up<\/p>\n

\"App<\/p>\n

Pankil Shah \/ Android Authority<\/p>\n

Even if you\u2019re not into customizing every little part of your Galaxy phone, Good Lock is still handy. Some of its modules aren\u2019t just about looks \u2014 they\u2019re about making your phone adapt to how you actually use it.<\/p>\n

For instance, when you set a screen timeout, Android follows it on every screen. But with Good Lock\u2019s Display Assistant module, I can set different screen timeouts for different apps<\/a>. This way, apps like Samsung Notes or Brave stay on longer when I\u2019m reading or writing, while everything else sticks to my usual timeout.<\/p>\n

Another small but incredibly useful option is the ability to control volume on a per-app basis. The Sound Assistant module lets me lower the volume of a loud game while keeping music or a podcast at the perfect level. It saves me the hassle of constantly adjusting the volume depending on what I\u2019m doing.<\/p>\n

\"Swipe<\/p>\n

Pankil Shah \/ Android Authority<\/p>\n

And for anyone who loves using gestures like me, the One Hand Operation+ module is a gem. It lets you set up different swipe gestures on the left and right edges of the screen. I\u2019ve set up mine to launch apps, turn off the screen, switch to a pop-up view, and control media playback.<\/p>\n

Then there are modules that improve some of One UI\u2019s best features, like MultiStar, which improves the split-screen experience, Routines+, which adds more powerful automation, and NotiStar, which gives longer, searchable notification history. I could go on and on, but you probably get the point.<\/p>\n

Once you get used to this level of control and convenience, it\u2019s impossible to live without it.<\/p>\n

These aren\u2019t headline-making features, which is why you won\u2019t even see Samsung talking about them during big launch events. But once you get used to this level of control and convenience, it\u2019s impossible to live without it.<\/p>\n

Pixel feels limited once you\u2019ve used Good Lock<\/p>\n

\"Samsung<\/p>\n

Aamir Siddiqui \/ Android Authority<\/p>\n

I genuinely like what Google has done with Pixel phones in recent years. In many ways, they offer the purest version of Android you can get. And yes, that clean, stock experience has its charm. But if you ever get tired of it or want more flexibility, there\u2019s not much you can do except maybe install a third-party launcher like Nova or Niagara Launcher<\/a>. And even then, you\u2019re mostly just changing icons, home screen layouts, and maybe the app drawer. For someone who\u2019s been spoiled by Good Lock\u2019s endless options, that simply isn\u2019t enough.<\/p>\n

Thank you for being part of our community. Read our\u00a0Comment Policy<\/a> before posting.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Joe Maring \/ Android Authority Between my old Galaxy S22 and the current S26, I\u2019ve been a loyal…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":500375,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[257],"tags":[18,60752,1391,19,17,279,48757,82],"class_list":["post-500374","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-mobile","tag-eire","tag-good-lock","tag-google-pixel","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-mobile","tag-samsung-galaxy","tag-technology"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@ie\/116629439625954070","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/500374","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=500374"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/500374\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/500375"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=500374"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=500374"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=500374"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}