This is the first app you should install on your Samsung Galaxy phone

This is the kickoff app y'all should install on your Samsung Galaxy telephone

A shot of a Samsung Note 20 Ultra on a table, running Samsung's Good Lock app

(Prototype credit: Tom's Guide)

Whether you have a Milky way S21, Galaxy Note twenty or Galaxy Z Fold 3, the best Samsung phones all offer bags of power, superb cameras and features aplenty. But you tin can make them better still — and all it takes is one app.

The app in question is chosen Proficient Lock, and it doesn't get the attending it deserves. That's probably considering it'south simply available for Galaxy devices, and but direct from the Galaxy Store, meaning plenty of people aren't aware of how useful it is.

That'southward a massive shame, because in my opinion Good Lock should exist a day-one install for any Galaxy owner. So what is it? And why is information technology so special? Permit me to explicate.

What is Good Lock?

Proficient Lock is an app made by Samsung which allows you to completely customize your Galaxy telephone or tablet experience, letting you lot mess about with and change all manners of things. For example, you lot tin can employ it for everything from altering the appearance of your job launcher to replacing the icons on your navigation bar.

In brusque, Good Lock is similar having your very ain custom ROM for your Galaxy device — except one that doesn't void your warranty.

Practiced Lock is available to download, for gratis, from the Galaxy Shop and works on nearly Samsung devices. Download Adept Lock here and give information technology a try — and read on to notice out what information technology tin do.

Good Lock for Samsung Galaxy phones and tablets: Getting started

Assuming you haven't already clicked the download link above, simply open the Milky way Store on your Samsung device, and search for the app "Good Lock." Tap "install" once you've found it.

One time you've installed and opened the app, y'all'll notice the names of several plugins. To install a plugin, tap the bluish download icon next to it. But earlier yous practice that, check out what each of the plugins does, to encounter which ones you want to try out.

Good Lock for Samsung Galaxy phones and tablets: QuickStar

A screenshot from Samsung's Good Lock app showing the Quickstar tool — (Prototype credit: Samsung)

QuickStar allows you to customize the advent of your taskbar, letting y'all do things like hide certain icons at the top of your screen, or alter the position of your clock. Accept a look around this plugin and brand any changes you think would improve your Galaxy device's appearance.

If you change something by mistake and want to revert to your original settings, simply, tap the toggle on the main screen to switch QuickStar off.

Good Lock for Samsung Galaxy phones and tablets: Home Up

A screenshot from Samsung's Good Lock app showing the Homeup tool — (Prototype credit: Samsung)

Home Upward lets y'all alter the appearance of your abode screen, allowing you to modify settings such as the amount of apps that are visible, or the animation effects that happen when you lot tap a folder.

If you want to undo your changes, simply tap the toggle on the master menu to turn Home Up off.

Good Lock for Samsung Galaxy phones and tablets: LockStar

A screenshot from Samsung's Good Lock app showing the Lockstar tool — (Image credit: Samsung)

With LockStar, you tin can tweak the appearance of your lock screen, doing things like moving the position of each widget or changing the wallpaper. This setting is handy if you want to make your lock screen more adjustable to how you lot use your device.

To disengage any changes, just tap the toggle on the main menu to turn LockStar off.

Good Lock for Samsung Milky way phones and tablets: Clockface

A screenshot from Samsung's Good Lock app showing the Clockface tool — (Image credit: Samsung)

Clockface gives yous a ton of ways to alter the appearance of the clock on your lock screen or always-on display. Information technology even goes so far every bit to let you lot alter the color of each clock mitt, letting y'all create a completely unique timekeeper.

Good Lock for Samsung Galaxy phones and tablets: MultiStar

A screenshot from Samsung's Good Lock app showing the Multistar tool — (Image credit: Samsung)

If you often apply Samsung's multi-window mode, yous should check out the MultiStar plugin. It gives you a load of ways to customize how apps appear in multiple windows, and lets yous launch multi-windows using shortcuts.

To undo any changes you make in MultiStar, simply tag the toggle past the option on the master menu to plough it off.

Expert Lock for Samsung Milky way phones and tablets: NavStar

A screen from Samsung's Good Lock app showing the Navstar tool — (Image credit: Samsung)

If you use the standard navigation bar, NavStar lets y'all modify the icons for the "Recent," Abode" and "Back" keys with pretty much any icon you could think of. Desire to replace your home primal with an icon of a pizza? Go for it.

To revert to your original navigation bar, simply tap the toggle on the main menu to turn NavStar off.

Good Lock for Samsung Galaxy phones and tablets: NotiStar

A screenshot from Samsung's Good Lock app showing the Notistar tool — (Image credit: Samsung)

If you receive a lot of notifications, NotiStar will let you lot manage them all. You can utilise this plugin as a separate space in which you lot can view every notification sent to your device from the moment you lot activate NotiStar. You tin can filter the notifications you receive past app, engagement, or keyword, and access them by swiping upward on the lock screen.

Good Lock for Samsung Galaxy phones and tablets: Routines+

A screenshot from Samsung's Good Lock app showing the Routines+ tool — (Prototype credit: Samsung)

The Routines+ plugin gives you an advanced set of advanced options to play with in Bixby Routines. You lot can use this plugin to set certain websites to require fingerprint authority when opened, for example, or to read a voice announcement when your bombardment level reaches a certain level, among other more advanced tasks.

Practiced Lock for Samsung Milky way phones and tablets: Uninstalling plugins

A screenshot from Samsung's Good Lock app showing how to uninstall it — (Image credit: Samsung)

If you'd like to uninstall an individual Good Lock plugin, just open Expert Lock and tap on the Galaxy Shop icon next to the plugin.

Next, tap "Uninstall." This will remove the plugin.

To remove every plugin at the aforementioned time, but uninstall the Skilful Lock app. This will disengage all the changes yous've made in Practiced Lock and put your device dorsum to its previous status.

In short, there'due south plenty to explore within Good Lock, to the extent that you could easily spend hours tinkering with how your Samsung Galaxy phone looks and behaves. And believe me, I take.

Not yet got a Milky way telephone just like the sound of Good Lock? Then check out our list of the all-time Samsung phones for some inspiration, or read up on what nosotros look the Samsung Galaxy S22 to offer when information technology arrives early in 2022. And if you lot own a Samsung device with an Southward Pen, check out how to use Samsung S Pen: Tips and tricks to main your stylus.

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Dale Fox is How-to Editor at Tom's Guide, helping people get the virtually out of their technology. He'south been a tech nerd always since babyhood, when he used the money from his first job as a paperboy to buy a subscription to GamesMaster mag, and has a whole room at home dedicated as a shrine to the countless gadgets he's purchased over the decades. Dale was previously a presenter, reporter and editor in China, where he also worked as a copywriter for OnePlus at its Shenzhen HQ.