In the past many years, Android has significantly evolved and so have the lock screens on stock and skinned versions. While the lock screen on stock Android is clean and has only the necessary features, skinned interfaces such as Huawei’s EMUI or Xiaomi’s MIUI allow users to set a carousel of wallpapers to beautify the lock screen. However, neither of these variants of the lock screen lets you customize much, and if you want more options, you can choose from some of the available third-party lock screens apps for Android. Here, we have listed the 10 best lock screen replacement apps for Android which you can try in 2020.
Note: Some lock screen replacement apps might not play well with the default lock screen on your Android device. So, you can first disable the default lock options on your device by going to Settings->Security->Screen Lock and then selecting “None”.
Best Lock Screen Replacement Apps for Android in 2020
1. Solo Locker
Solo Locker is an elaborate lock screen app for Android which lets you choose from a wide range of wallpapers, which have been segmented by categories like animal, flower, landscape, festival etc. The app also features support for overlays like a Gameboy console or a submarine but these don’t seem to available on the Play Store anymore. Besides choosing the background, one can also choose between pattern and PIN code options to apply to the lock screen. The exciting bit about the pattern or PIN code options is that you can choose your own image for each circle, giving the lock screen of your Android device a more personal feel.
Besides changing the wallpapers, you can adjust the amount of blur over the wallpaper, add and customize the style of time and date or any other custom text. Additionally, you can add direct shortcuts to apps and check the notifications and the weather on a separate screen, and even change the color of the icons to shortcuts such as for the camera app. The only disappointing bit about the locker is that you’ll see ads on the lock screen when there’s no notification to display. If you can bear with that, Solo Locker gives you a myriad of customization option. It is one of the best lock screen replacement apps on this list.
Download: (free, with in-app ads)
2. Ava Lockscreen
While Solo Locker offers you endless customization options, it also displays ads on the lock screen which might be off-putting for some users. So if you want a fresh change in lock screen and without ads then go for Ava Lockscreen app. Unlike other lock screen replacements, Ava Lockscreen has a minimalist approach. You get good customization options while also maintaining a clean design on the lock screen. For instance, you can choose to make your lock screen look like stock Android or similar to the iOS lock screen. And to make things even better, you can access your widgets by swiping right on the lock screen. That’s amazing, right? But that is not all.
You can customize the notification theme and style (smart grouping or direct reply), change the clock layout, apply aesthetically pleasing wallpapers from its huge library, and more. What’s more, you can also adjust the blur level of the wallpaper. And similar to Solo Locker, you have the option to create custom shortcuts for apps and contacts on the lock screen which is simply great. Not to mention, it uses native Android Security methods including fingerprint, PIN, or pattern to unlock your device. All in all, Ava Lockscreen is a beautiful lock screen replacement for Android and I am sure it will provide you the best experience without nagging ads.
Download (Free, Offers in-app purchases)
3. Hi Locker
Hi Locker is everything that an Android fanboy wants from a lock screen replacement app. Its UI is a mix of older Android lock screen appearance — from the Android Lollipop days — to the modern Material design language. In fact, Hi Locker offers you three separate lock screen themes: Classic, Lollipop, and iOS. You have the option to customize each and every element from different design language and create your own custom lock screen interface. You can view weather information with a forecast of up to 5 days, create and view events to your calendar, and more. In case, you want to lighten up your mood, you can also get automatic greetings with curated jokes every morning and evening.
But the best bit about Hi Locker is that you can display a custom message on your lock screen. The default lock screen on Android does have this feature, but it’s not so customizable and there is a word limit. Coming to notifications, you can view and respond to messages and swipe left or right to dismiss notifications. In my experience, the notifications behaved more like Stock Android and that is a good thing. Furthermore, you can easily set random wallpapers on the lock screen from Flickr. Besides, the wallpaper is automatically blurred when you receive a new notification which is great. Having said all of that, what I like about Hi Locker is that along with PIN, fingerprint, and password, you can also unlock your Android smartphone by drawing on the lock screen. So to sum up, Hi Locker is a feature-packed lock screen replacement for Android and you should not miss it.
Download (Free, Offers in-app purchases)
4. Always on AMOLED
Always-on Display is a premium feature generally found on flagship devices with AMOLED display, but what if I tell you that you can get similar functionality on any Android device? Yes, with the Always on AMOLED app, you can replace your lock screen with an Always-on display. The app is terrific and it works on my OnePlus 7T without any issue. You can customize the watch face, adjust the brightness of the always-on display, add weather information, and do a host of other things. The best thing about this app is that you can even change the background wallpaper of always-on display. And there is also an option to show notifications in colorful icons.
Apart from that, you can customize edge flow for new notifications, enable raise to wake if your phone does not support it, and control music from the AoD screen itself. Amazing, right? But there is more to unpack. With the Pro version, you can quickly take notes from the AoD and set automatic rules as to how AoD will behave while charging, during the night, at low battery, and so on. Considering all the points, I can say that Always on AMOLED app is a solid replacement to the default lock screen, and those who want AoD on their smartphone can’t go wrong with this app.
Download (Free, Offers in-app purchases)
5. Start
Start locker for Android lets you access notifications, news, weather updates, as well as updates from any selected app of your choice, which can include YouTube, WhatsApp, Gmail, Facebook, and other social media or entertainment apps. Although reminiscent of Windows’ Start Menu from its name, the locker features slider menus and swiping left to right on them opens the specific app. Like Solo Locker, you get the ability to modify the wallpaper, and while there’s no option to change the font of the clock widget, you can change the font color.
The central ring is primarily meant to unlock the phone but after pressing the icon is when you find that it lets you launch different apps. What is even more surprising is that when you swipe over any icon such as for camera or messaging, it shows the top apps in that category instead launching the default app. Apart from the categorized apps, you can also choose favorite apps which appear when you drag the ring over to the star.
Lastly, while Start is marketed as a lock screen, it is actually a launcher. Besides this, there are basic unlock options such as PIN, pattern, and even fingerprint but if you want, you can continue using your phone’s lock mechanism with Start’s drag-to-unlock function. However, the ads appear once in a while but these are fullscreen one, which could be annoying. Overall, Start can be excellent if you want to spend less time while randomly fidgeting with your phone and want to accomplish more work.
Download: (free, with in-app ads)
6. AcDisplay
AcDisplay is the lock screen app to get if you like things minimal. The lock screen brings you notifications in a very intuitive interface and you can jump to apps directly from the lockscreen. Plus, you get various shortcuts on the notification, like you would in the notification center. It also includes an Active Mode, similar to Android’s Ambient Display, which detects when the device is picked up or taken out of a pocket and shows you your notifications.
Other features of the app include ability to blacklist apps from sending notifications to lock screen, dynamic background, low priority notifications and more. The app is available for free and like most lock screen apps, there are a lot of customization options.
Download: (Free)
7. Semper
Semper is a convenient app, which besides being a simple lock screen replacement for Android, also helps you improve your vocabulary or learn something new each time you unlock the smartphone. Powered by Quizlet, a platform for easy card-based and quiz-based learning, Semper lets you add download curated packages for various popularly spoken languages. Besides languages, you can also add questions from topics of common trivia and general knowledge to the lock screen on your Android smartphone with Semper.
Besides selecting the topics for the trivia, you can set up goals for right answers which you want to achieve with Semper. The lock screen is a part of the app, which you’ll have to download separately in the plugins menu after you set up your Quizlet account (or sign in with an existing one) select your interests for learning. You can either unlock the lock screen by swiping right on the correct answer out of the multiple choices or swipe left to challenge your brain with more questions.
Besides offering education, Semper also features the qualities of a standard lock screen app. It lets you set up to four shortcut icons and change the background of the lock screen to a custom one, although you’ll have to depend on the inbuilt lock mechanism for the security of your phone.
Download: (free)
8. KLCK Kustom Lock Screen Maker
KLCK Kustom Lock Screen Maker, as the name suggests, is a lock screen app for Android which lets you create custom layouts for the replacement lock screen. You can add a variety of items and edit properties like text, font, size, color, etc. individually for each of these elements. By pressing the “+” icon on the top right, you will be able to add more elements.
If you want, you can use preset created by other KLCK users while you can even create your own presets and upload them to the Google Play Store using a Kustom Skin Pack maker app by the developer. Besides the display clock widget, notifications, and weather, the lock screen app for Android can also include shortcuts for any app installed on your smartphone.
While KLCK will let you take full control of the layout of elements on your Android smartphone’s lock screen, it does not feature any security option and you’ll be dependent on your phone’s specified lock mechanism. Lastly, you can purchase the full version for wider support for presets, Buzz launcher integration, and to remove the ads (although I encountered none in the free version).
Download: (free, remove ads for $4.49)
9. LokLok
LokLok is essentially a social media app for closet artists or doodlers who can share their ideas through the lock screen itself. You can drag the screen upwards to unlock the smartphone or double tap on the lock screen to doodle with your fingers. Once you’re done, you can share the masterpiece with your close friends, significant others, or PUBG squad who can not only view your doodle but also contribute to it. You can start by having a group of three.
For doodling, you can choose between a pencil nib, a paintbrush, or an eraser (for which you can also use two fingers simultaneously) and select the color of the tip. Besides doodling, you can add text to the canvas or paste stickers from the available packs. There’s also an option to buy addition sticker packs. Further, while you cannot set a lock pattern or a lock code, you will be able to change the background of the lock screen and enable notifications for any time someone else updates the drawing on the board.
Download: (free)
10. Gesture Lock Screen
The last app on our list is the Gesture Lock Screen and as the name suggests, the app lets you unlock your Android device with a cool gesture. It’s simple, really, you can just enable and create a gesture and you are good to go. The simple lock screen brings you app notifications and you can customize the lock screen, change the unlock animation, lock delay, sounds and background. The app is available in a free version with ads and if you want an ad-free version, you should buy the Pro version.
Alternative Lock Screen Replacement Apps for Android
These are definitely the best lock screen apps you can install on your Android smartphone right now. There are various other lock screen apps available for Android but a number of them are bloated and some just look bad. So, that’s all from our side, try out these lock screen replacement apps and let us know if you know of any other great lock screen app that deserves to be on our list. Sound off in the comments section below.
Abubakar Mohammed
