{"id":13993,"date":"2026-06-01T00:45:52","date_gmt":"2026-05-31T23:45:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/innovatenews.site\/index.php\/2026\/06\/01\/i-found-an-app-thats-basically-good-lock-for-my-pixel-and-i-cant-live-without-it\/"},"modified":"2026-06-01T00:45:58","modified_gmt":"2026-05-31T23:45:58","slug":"i-found-an-app-thats-basically-good-lock-for-my-pixel-and-i-cant-live-without-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/innovatenews.site\/index.php\/2026\/06\/01\/i-found-an-app-thats-basically-good-lock-for-my-pixel-and-i-cant-live-without-it\/","title":{"rendered":"I found an app that\u2019s basically Good Lock for my Pixel \u2014 and I can\u2019t live without it"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The topic I found an app that\u2019s basically Good Lock for my Pixel \u2014 and I can\u2019t live without it<\/strong> is currently the subject of lively discussion \u2014 readers and analysts are keeping a close eye on developments.<\/p>\n

This is taking place in a dynamic environment: companies\u2019 decisions and competitors\u2019 reactions can quickly change the picture.<\/p>\n

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As a part-time Google Pixel user, there\u2019s one thing I miss dearly when switching over from my Samsung phone: Good Lock. The customization suite has become such an integral part of my One UI setup that I\u2019d find it tough to adjust to a stock Samsung experience. Needless to say, it\u2019s always quite a shock when moving from Galaxy to Pixel.<\/p>\n

Google doesn\u2019t offer users a Good Lock equivalent for Pixels, and this is certainly one of the platform\u2019s bigger oversights. I\u2019d love to adjust various swipe triggers, tinker with my recents screen layout, and fine-tune themes and visuals. While we\u2019ll probably never see a similar app on Google\u2019s platform, this hasn\u2019t stopped third-party developers from trying.<\/p>\n

I recently stumbled across an open-source app called Essentials, and while it falls short of Good Lock\u2019s sheer breadth of tools and features, it\u2019s the closest equivalent for Pixel phones right now.<\/p>\n

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Essentials, like Good Lock, houses a collection of \u201ctools, mods, and workarounds for Pixels and other Androids,\u201d its GitHub description reads. While I\u2019ve used it on both my Galaxy S24 FE and Pixel 8, and the developer confirms that it works across most Android devices, I can safely say that it\u2019s far more useful on Google phones.<\/p>\n

Although I\u2019m drawing plenty of comparisons between Essentials and Good Lock, there are some vast differences between them. Unlike Good Lock\u2019s collection of modules that users can choose to install, Essentials packs all of its tricks into one bag from the get-go, with each separated by category or function. This, I feel, is a far more approachable way to package a tools-and-tricks app.<\/p>\n

One such example is Dynamic Night Light, an infinitely useful tool for those who use their phones in low-light settings. While Google only offers an on\/off switch, Essentials lets you set Night Light conditions per app. This effectively lets me disable Night Light for apps like the Camera, Gallery, VLC, and streaming apps, preventing my phone\u2019s screen from skewing toward amber while keeping it running on all other apps. It\u2019s a minor feature, but one that hugely improves the usability of my Pixel 8.<\/p>\n

Then there\u2019s Notification Lighting, which ports Samsung\u2019s Edge Lighting feature over to my Pixel. Essentials offers various options that alert me when a notification comes through, displaying visual flourishes on the screen, from a glow effect to a Google loading animation on the status bar. There are loads of fine-tuning options, too, from the number of pulses available to the color mode itself. This certainly feels like a feature Pixels should offer by default, but Essentials nevertheless unlocks it.<\/p>\n

Essentials also includes fine-tune options for display frame rates with per-app limits, display scaling, and animation features that are usually buried in developer settings, as well as the option to bring the Pixel 10\u2019s Maps power-saving mode to other Android devices. I couldn\u2019t get this particular setting to work on my device, though.<\/p>\n

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There\u2019s a host of surprisingly useful Quick Settings tiles, too, including a direct Developer Options tile, a UI Blur toggle, a\u00a0Private DNS tile (which I now can\u2019t live without), and others\u00a0to enable or disable features offered by Essentials.<\/p>\n

Good Lock does more than just offer users toggles and settings. I primarily use it to bolster Samsung\u2019s Modes and Routines app. Essentials does something similar for Pixel\u2019s Modes, offering an Automations section to quickly create various recipes. Granted, it doesn\u2019t offer sweeping upgrades like Routines+, but it certainly makes the feature more accessible.<\/p>\n

Then there\u2019s the Freeze Apps section, which gives me more control over which apps can launch in the background, clawing back some battery life and performance overhead. Again, you can use other third-party tools to freeze apps, but it\u2019s a welcome addition to an all-encompassing toolkit like Essentials.<\/p>\n

Essentials has now become one of the first open-source Android apps I install on my Pixel, but that doesn\u2019t mean it\u2019s flawless. It\u2019s a little unfair to compare it to Good Lock, given that Samsung\u2019s official tool packs so much functionality and plugs directly into its interface and various add-ons. If you\u2019re expecting similar functionality, then Essentials isn\u2019t for you. That said, what Essentials does is rather impressive, and some of the tools certainly enhance my Pixel experience.<\/p>\n

You will need to be aware of a few caveats and the potential dangers, though. Various Essentials features require an array of permissions, from write access to accessibility. Some tools, like Maps\u2019 power-saving mode and several Quick Settings tiles, will need Shizuku to leverage Android\u2019s hidden talents. There are also clear warnings from the developer: Essentials can modify system settings, and this shouldn\u2019t be taken lightly by those unaware of the risks. Good Lock has similar deep-rooted potential, but as an official product, its risks are far less pronounced and easier to reverse.<\/p>\n

Nevertheless, Essentials just highlights how desperately Pixels need an official Good Lock alternative that allows power users to tweak various aspects of the experience. This third-party app certainly does its best for now, and considering my reliance on some of its features, I couldn\u2019t imagine living without it.<\/p>\n

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