While millions eagerly await the stable Android 8.0 release for the Galaxy S8, the beta is already in the wild and readily available. Notable improvements include notification channels and the revamped Samsung keyboard. One aspect often overlooked are new customization options, a huge part of Android. Let's take a look at what's new for customization on the S8's home screen in Oreo.
Samsung has recently fell in love with colorization of their UI. One of the earliest Galaxy S8 updates this year brought the option to choose custom colors for the navigation bar. With Samsung Experience 9.0, we have the introduction of a full color picker for folders on the home screen. The option to choose a custom color appears as a icon in the top-right of the expanded folder.
It is worth noting that not every color is available if you are using a custom theme. With the default theme enabled, you can pick from any color on the color wheel, but dark themes may restrict your choices to black or grey, for example. You can also change the opacity of the color, see a list of recommended colors for your theme, and view your recent color history.
The other important change to the desktop is the arrival of Oreo's app shortcuts. If you're a former iOS user, you will recognize this as similar to 3D Touch on the iPhone. Each app is allowed up to 5 contextual shortcuts, accessible by long-pressing on the app icon. Apps will need to be updated to add support for this new feature, but many already have.
For YouTube, users can jump straight to their Subscriptions page or check out what's trending. In popular social media apps, such as Twitter clients, you can launch directly into composing a new tweet, direct message, or search. In the case that you don't want one of the shortcuts to appear, you can remove it easily using the menu. Here you will also find the ability to select multiple options by tapping Select Multiple .
Aesthetic changes aren't always the most important, but they are what you're looking at all day when using your smartphone. The custom folder color and app shortcut options allow users to set up their home screen to reflect their own personality and usage patterns. Let us know in the comments if you've spotted any other home screen customization options in Samsung's Oreo beta. If you still want to grab the beta for your phone, be sure to check out our how-to guide.
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Cover image via Karlis Dambrans/Flickr screenshots by Jeff Springer/Gadget Hacks
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