okay i have searched endlessly both thru here and Google have managed to find a program to do it for you apk edit works great for market apps not so great for system apps tried the way described in the icon thread and that also failed get errors like icon disappears or just doesn't perform its function i.e not making phone calls,opening settings etc... if any one is willing to shed some light on how i can accomplish this please help me
djnarcotics said:
okay i have searched endlessly both thru here and Google have managed to find a program to do it for you apk edit works great for market apps not so great for system apps tried the way described in the icon thread and that also failed get errors like icon disappears or just doesn't perform its function i.e not making phone calls,opening settings etc... if any one is willing to shed some light on how i can accomplish this please help me
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Click to collapse
If the only reason you're wanting to change the Icon is for how it appears on your homescreen, then I'd say the easiest way is to use Desktop Visualizer, available in the Market. You can alter/edit/change how the icons are on your homescreen, but the icon will still be the original from within your app drawer, if you use that method. But yea, if it's just for homescreen appearance, that's the easiest way. If that's not what you're after, and you want to change the icon completely, then I beleive you could use 7zip to open up the .apk, find the png for the icon, and replace/alter/edit. I did it that way once, but it was just for a couple of icons, and I was more or less just messing around with things. But it worked fine. Then I learned of Desktop Visualizer and said forget about it.
Also, if you're using a rom that supports easy theming - CM7 with the theme chooser, or MIUI with the theme manager - you could build a quick theme with all of the icons you want to change. I did this with the Aelous HD theme for MIUI by adding the icons that weren't already themed. You put the icons in the "icons" folder with the format packagename.png - it usually looks something like com.something.something.png. I'm sure there's a similar way with CM7 themes.
Easy Way
I use ADW EX. It lets you easily change any app icon. It's a paid app but is really worth it for all the extras. Be aware though, that if you're using a sense rom, ADW will also replace your rosie. Another cool thing about ADW is that there are a ton of icon packs available or you can just dowload pngs from the web and use those.
I'm not 100% sure but I think Launcher Pro also lets you change icons in a similar way.
Well I use go launcher which does basically everything the other launchers do but I want to change the app drawer icons themselves o tried the 7zip method but no avail either the app icon completely disappears or it won't open at all. I.e. browser and system.changing the phone.apk makes the my phone go into FC mania.any other way or is there something I'm missing or just not doing right
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App
djnarcotics said:
Well I use go launcher which does basically everything the other launchers do but I want to change the app drawer icons themselves o tried the 7zip method but no avail either the app icon completely disappears or it won't open at all. I.e. browser and system.changing the phone.apk makes the my phone go into FC mania.any other way or is there something I'm missing or just not doing right
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The way I do it may seem like the hard way but this is what I do!
I use a program called App Manager 4.9 (google it or search for it on here)
I extract the apk I want to MOD from my EVO using root explorer or if you're on windows and you got ADB working properly, I use the program called DroidExplorer
Anyways, assuming that you got App Manager 4.9 up and running....I place the .apk into the modding folder...bring up App Manager 4.9 and hit 22...select my project, hit 9 for decompile....once that's done, I go into the project folder and find the folder drawable-hdpi....sometimes is called drawable-hdpi-v4 depending on what rom you're using.....I then find the icon I want to change...change it!....and then run up app manager again, press 22...select my project....then hit 11 for compile...once that's done....I either use droidexplorer once again and place it in the correct folder it came from or connect the device to the computer, open up usb storage and place it in a folder...use root explorer to then move it to the correct folder....reboot the device once everything is said and done, and BOOM!...is done!!
Like I said, this is too much work for some people BUT I rather do it this way because I know is done right and I don't have to settle for temporary half ass apps trying do it!
Changing Icon
k2buckley said:
If the only reason you're wanting to change the Icon is for how it appears on your homescreen, then I'd say the easiest way is to use Desktop Visualizer, available in the Market. You can alter/edit/change how the icons are on your homescreen, but the icon will still be the original from within your app drawer, if you use that method. But yea, if it's just for homescreen appearance, that's the easiest way. If that's not what you're after, and you want to change the icon completely, then I beleive you could use 7zip to open up the .apk, find the png for the icon, and replace/alter/edit. I did it that way once, but it was just for a couple of icons, and I was more or less just messing around with things. But it worked fine. Then I learned of Desktop Visualizer and said forget about it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hello,
I have a Samsung Galaxy Young GT-S6312 Dual sim, rooted, deodexed, working cwm.
I used root explorer and extracted secsettings.apk and opened the folder which I extracted. In that I went to res/drawable-hdpi and replaced ic_system_settings.png wit my own icon. I archived the folder and renamed it to .apk and pushed it to system/app and replaced the original apk. I rebooted my phone and got a boot loop. Next time I extracted systemui.apk and went to folder, opened res/drawable-mdpi and replaced the settings icon whith my own icon. After the phone rebooted there was no change in the icon. I actually wanted to change the settings icon fully like on the home screen, app drawer and once I open settings also. Please suggest a method for doing it thanks in advance.
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My Device:- Samsung Galaxy Young GT-S6312
Rom:- Holo Inspire v1.1
Related
Hey guys.. im hoping someone out there could help me out with something...
Im wanting to know how to or if I can even do this.. but I want to rename an apk.. so that no matter where you look it shows up as the name I gave it. Is this possible via adb or anyway else?
Swyped by my Snapped CM6 EVO
What would be the point of this aside from renaming someone else's work?
Nobody knowing the app is installed.... that's the only reason..
Swyped by my Snapped CM6 EVO
Ok, why would you need to hide an app from someone else on YOUR phone? Or are you trying to slip something on to someone else's phone?
?? No, my phone... maybe I should move this to the dev section?
Swyped by my Snapped CM6 EVO
Maybe he dont want his wife seeing his porn apps on his phone....check out "better cut" in the market. You can change the icons and stuff but I dont remember about the name, its been a few years since i used it. Also ADW launcher has an option to hide the apps names on the desktop and drawer. Thats all I can think of at the moment.
phatmanxxl said:
Maybe he dont want his wife seeing his porn apps on his phone....check out "better cut" in the market. You can change the icons and stuff but I dont remember about the name, its been a few years since i used it. Also ADW launcher has an option to hide the apps names on the desktop and drawer. Thats all I can think of at the moment.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Okay thanks... yeah I have adw but im looking to actually change filenames in adb or the like...
Swyped by my Snapped CM6 EVO
Sounds like you need a dumber girlfriend..
Launcher pro has an option of hiding apps from app drawer... Never used it but may work for you.
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App
nebenezer said:
Sounds like you need a dumber girlfriend..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Or smarter answers
You can rename an apk before you add it to the zip file for the rom you are using. Like i use CM 6.0, and i put all my install apks in the zip system folder before i flash the rom. I name them program_version, and have never had problems. Again you have to do this before flashing the rom though.
pull it off your phone via adb. change the name while you have it on your computer (may have to resign it). delete it on your phone. put it on your sdcard and install it thru astro or whatever you use
nicholaaaas said:
pull it off your phone via adb. change the name while you have it on your computer (may have to resign it). delete it on your phone. put it on your sdcard and install it thru astro or whatever you use
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That will change the name of the apk but it will not change the name of the app as it appears on the phone whether in /Settings/Manage Applications, the app drawer, etc. etc.
That said, in order to change the name you would have to decompile the app change the name in the xml file and recompile.
Check out apkmanager. There is a thread on it here on xda. It is a script tool that utilizes Brut.all's apktool to decompile and recompile apks so you can edit them. Once decompiled navigate to /res/values/ and open the strings.xml in your xml editor of choice. Look for "app_name" and the value which follows will be the name as it appears on your phone. Change it to what you want, close the xml, use apkmanager to recompile, sign, and install the app, and you are done.
Bear in mind that anytime I have changed the name of an app my only goal was to change the name as it appeared in the app drawer. For example, the SiriusXM app shows up in the app drawer as "Online." I find that to be completely f*ing stupid so, I changed it to SIriusXM. Therefore, I would recommend looking for other places the app shows up on your phone to make sure they are changed as well.
okolowicz said:
That will change the name of the apk but it will not change the name of the app as it appears on the phone whether in /Settings/Manage Applications, the app drawer, etc. etc.
That said, in order to change the name you would have to decompile the app change the name in the xml file and recompile.
Check out apkmanager. There is a thread on it here on xda. It is a script tool that utilizes Brut.all's apktool to decompile and recompile apks so you can edit them. Once decompiled navigate to /res/values/ and open the strings.xml in your xml editor of choice. Look for "app_name" and the value which follows will be the name as it appears on your phone. Change it to what you want, close the xml, use apkmanager to recompile, sign, and install the app, and you are done.
Bear in mind that anytime I have changed the name of an app my only goal was to change the name as it appeared in the app drawer. For example, the SiriusXM app shows up in the app drawer as "Online." I find that to be completely f*ing stupid so, I changed it to SIriusXM. Therefore, I would recommend looking for other places the app shows up on your phone to make sure they are changed as well.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you very very much...
Can't seem to find any info on this that is relevant, just some stuff for much older versions and for WP.
I switched out my stock email app with the XFinity app, as it seems to be more reliable on retrieving email. The only problem I have with it is the icon is too big (touches the top and bottom of the launch bar) and the text is too long/doesn't wrap.
I was able to change the icon to a more standard icon via winrar etc, however I can't find a successful way to fix the text issue. Is this even possible?
Attached a pic, app is in lower right:
Well since you have it in the launcher I think the only way to do this would be to edit an .xml file (no idea which one) inside the .apk. You could always put it on the home screen using Launcher Pro, LP lets you customize the name. Probably not what you want to do, but just throwing it out there
Yeah I'm addicted to GTG though
I found several references to changes to strings.xml to allow wrapping etc and possibly change it entirely (not a lot of info there), but it appears to maybe be for an older version or something as the file isn't located in the apk where everyone says it should be.
Thanks though
Wondering which mms.apk listed just changes the icon in the top notification bar in froyo so it doesn't look like the email envelope. I like the bubble layout so just want a different icon or even color of the envelope.
Thanks.
kennyglass123 said:
Wondering which mms.apk listed just changes the icon in the top notification bar in froyo so it doesn't look like the email envelope. I like the bubble layout so just want a different icon or even color of the envelope.
Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I too dislike the envelope icon because it looks too similar to the e-mail icon. Going to see if I can swap the original icons from the 2.1 MMS.apk and post it here in a few minutes.
EDIT: Okay, so much for a few minutes lol. My n00b image editing skills made this take much longer than it should, but here's an Mms.apk that has the 2.2 bubble style, but has the 2.1 notification icons. I took the check mark from the 2.2 read report icons and imposed it on the 2.1 icon, so if you wonder where that icon it's from, it's because I ghetto rigged them together lol.
Installation: Unfortunately I don't know how to make flashable zips, so this has to be installed through adb or copied and pasted with Root Explorer or any other file manager with superuser permissions. However you install it, your goal is to copy the Mms.apk to /system/app/. I used adb to install it. I did it while my phone was in Clockworkmod recovery because it wouldn't let me write to /system/app/ while Android was running. I'm sure there's a way around that, but I'm not knowledgeable on that method and too lazy to find out lol. Be sure to backup your original Mms.apk and make sure you keep the proper casing - don't put mms.apk or MMS.APK, it has to be Mms.apk.Hope this works for you.
EDIT 2: added another version that uses the green messaging app icon for the notifications if you prefer that to the black notification icon. Be sure to rename it to "Mms.apk"
Just go get the MMS.apk from the gingerbread 1.8.5 theme. Swap that out instead of the one from the 2.1 rom.
Or do you just want to swap the icons not the whole MMS.apk? If so, then ya, go into the framework-res.apk and swap the icons.
TWO515TY said:
I too dislike the envelope icon because it looks too similar to the e-mail icon. Going to see if I can swap the original icons from the 2.1 MMS.apk and post it here in a few minutes.
EDIT: Okay, so much for a few minutes lol. My n00b image editing skills made this take much longer than it should, but here's an Mms.apk that has the 2.2 bubble style, but has the 2.1 notification icons. I took the check mark from the 2.2 read report icons and imposed it on the 2.1 icon, so if you wonder where that icon it's from, it's because I ghetto rigged them together lol.
Installation: Unfortunately I don't know how to make flashable zips, so this has to be installed through adb or copied and pasted with Root Explorer or any other file manager with superuser permissions. However you install it, your goal is to copy the Mms.apk to /system/app/. I used adb to install it. I did it while my phone was in Clockworkmod recovery because it wouldn't let me write to /system/app/ while Android was running. I'm sure there's a way around that, but I'm not knowledgeable on that method and too lazy to find out lol. Be sure to backup your original Mms.apk and make sure you keep the proper casing - don't put mms.apk or MMS.APK, it has to be Mms.apk.Hope this works for you.
EDIT 2: added another version that uses the green messaging app icon for the notifications if you prefer that to the black notification icon. Be sure to rename it to "Mms.apk"
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks...will try it tonight! You guys and this forum make this phone awesome! Thanks again.
OK, both work great for the icon replacement but turned the bubbles into greys instead of the original blue and yellow. Can you get them back to that?
Thanks
kennyglass123 said:
OK, both work great for the icon replacement but turned the bubbles into greys instead of the original blue and yellow. Can you get them back to that?
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No problem! Try these!
I will right now. You are awesome. Also wondering, about once every day a sent message hangs just "sending" and I have to reboot phone to get it to send. Have you seen this problem and might one of these Mmk's fix that?
Thanks again.
kennyglass123 said:
I will right now. You are awesome. Also wondering, about once every day a sent message hangs just "sending" and I have to reboot phone to get it to send. Have you seen this problem and might one of these Mmk's fix that?
Thanks again.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I do get that occasionally, I usually just resend or copy and paste the text. I'm not sure what the caused and/or solution might be, but I just work around it until it sends. Also, instead of rebooting , you coul try cycling in and out of airplane mode and see if that fixes it too.
Can someone make this flashable through CWM??? I have trouble with adb.
TWO515TY said:
I do get that occasionally, I usually just resend or copy and paste the text. I'm not sure what the caused and/or solution might be, but I just work around it until it sends. Also, instead of rebooting , you coul try cycling in and out of airplane mode and see if that fixes it too.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You are awesome! Everything works great. Went with the green icon, more visible.
I think I tried switching in and out of airplane mode but might not have waited long enough to see if it worked. Resending just hangs also. I did a huge wipefest this weekend when I tried a new ROM and lost too much of my customization and Sprint Nav, so put it back to stock ACS ROM. Maybe that will have fixed it. Will see today.
Thanks again. Maybe custom boot ani's will be my next project for this phone.
TWO515TY said:
No problem! Try these!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You have been so awesome I hate to ask, but my girlfriend wants to know if it is possible for you to do it in purple/light purple balloons with a purple icon. If it is a hassle don't do it...I am really happy with what you already did. Whenever I tried someone elses' I would lose the messaging icon from the bottom bar and have to reset TWlauncher data to get it back. Can't figure out how to drop an icon onto it. Trash can always shows up.
kennyglass123 said:
You have been so awesome I hate to ask, but my girlfriend wants to know if it is possible for you to do it in purple/light purple balloons with a purple icon. If it is a hassle don't do it...I am really happy with what you already did. Whenever I tried someone elses' I would lose the messaging icon from the bottom bar and have to reset TWlauncher data to get it back. Can't figure out how to drop an icon onto it. Trash can always shows up.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'll have to look into it tomorrow, I'm not actually very good at image editing.
If you want to change the apps in the TouchWiz dock, try GTG's TouchWiz. The default TouchWiz that comes with the Epic doesn't let you change the icons in the dock.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=822523
I use the 5 icon dock version and it's awesome! You can arrange the icons anyway you want and it supports auto-rotation if you want.
TWO515TY said:
I'll have to look into it tomorrow, I'm not actually very good at image editing.
If you want to change the apps in the TouchWiz dock, try GTG's TouchWiz. The default TouchWiz that comes with the Epic doesn't let you change the icons in the dock.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=822523
I use the 5 icon dock version and it's awesome! You can arrange the icons anyway you want and it supports auto-rotation if you want.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You are definitely awesome for checking into it. On the GTG, there is no way yo get rid of or change the apps button in the center, is there?
qbking77 said:
Can someone make this flashable through CWM??? I have trouble with adb.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Here is how I install them on TW Launcher:
!. Make a backup of TWlauncher with Titanium backup
2. Copy whichever one you want to use as Mms.apk (capital M is important) onto your SD card.
3. Use root explorer or ES File manager to copy Mms.apk from your sdcard to the app folder in the system directory on your phone overwriting the original (rename the old one and save it if you want)
4. You will notice messaging is missing from the bottom bar now. Use Titanium backup to restore TWlauncher and the icon will be back in whatever theme you have chosen.
All this assumes you are rooted and have some knowledge of working with files.
Hope this helps.
If you are using GTG launcher then you can skip all the backup and restoring and just drag the icon back to the bottom bar.
I guess the purple/light purple bubbles and purple icon was more work than I thought. Thanks for the others. You are awesome!
*wrong quote and nvm..
As a previous iPhone user the one thing I can say I miss is the ease of using the ssh feature after jail breaking and having access to the system files If I wanted to change lets say the "camera icon"- I could ssh into the phone and go into the system file folder and find that one file name, remove it and replace it with the new icon jpeg. That's it! End the ssh session and BAM! I have a new icon for my camera.
Or if i wanted to change the dial pad background on my phone or the way the keys light up on my old iPhone I would just ssh and go to the "phone" jpeg file and just change it out. and BAM I have a new phone skin.
I'm sure you get my point....
So now that I'm using Android I love how the options are there to change. However I'm OCD and don't like to download all these files and icon packs which takes up storage on my S3. So I have installed sshDroid and using Filezilla successfully accessed my phone. ( Yes I'm rooted)
Now I downloaded a few icon packs but I don't want to keep the download on my phone. What I want to do is choose a few icons I like, ssh into my phone and replace lets say the "google+" icon with a new one.
The question is where in the world is the file? How do I access the stock system icons?
This is where Android is awesome to customize but hard as crap to find files.
Can someone provide me with instructions, or a link to instructions on how to do this?
I've been on Google and I'm not really finding the answer to my question. I just simply want to change my icons so I can make my own theme.
Please help! Thanks
You have to use an icon pack in a launcher or decompile the app you want to change the icon for and then swap the icon out and then rebuild the apk and install.
Your better off with an icon pack. As there is no easy way. Android was made for developers mainly.
Wayne Tech S-III
So, my old phone's screen died. As it happens, I still have access to it via a HDMI out, but I just wanted to migrate all the Nova stuff straight across to my new phone.
But I've customised Everything.
The backup-restore process tried to bring across as much as possible, but I'm beginning to think that, for my level of customisation, maybe I should see if I can edit the backup file by hand before I restore it (hear me out).
My problems with restore:
1. Nova Prime. The first app link the restore should launch is to prompt the user to reinstall Prime. Took me a while to realise why a bunch of things weren't working the way I used to enjoy.
2. Wallpaper. You could argue this is not a launcher setting, but even if it was an option to dump the image into the backup file (is it an archive?), it would make migration smoother. Not a biggie though, and the o/s should let you sort it yourself, providing you can locate the original image of course.
2. Apps not present. So you just restored the Nova backup to a new phone and a bunch of icons don't work. But wait: the ghost-icon launches straight to an app store search for them - excellent! Love this. Except for those 5% of apps that you hunted down APKs and side-loaded. Okay, this issue is a bit niche and probably belongs in a backup app that saves APKs rather than Nova. Fair enough. If new-Nova could talk to old-Nova, it'd be a cool migration feature though.
3. Icon pack stuff. I've replaced all my icons using an icon pack + no labels. Searching icon packs and selecting the perfect icon takes time, so I appreciate that the restored ghost icons "just work" once the matching app is installed. A bunch of icons didn't appear though: I think these were widget-like shortcuts, maybe? E.g. my new device's 'phone' app wasn't recognised as the same one as my old one, so all those contact shortcuts had to be remade (cue icon pack searching again). Using Nate Wren's "The Grid" (presuming I shouldn't just dump the Play URL here; search for it if you're interested), there are so many icons but no reliable way to find an exact icon (is there a hidden icon title name I can search for somehow?). Reinstating icons would be easier if custom icons could be more identifiable somehow. Could I read the backup file and/or tune it by hand, perhaps?
Might write a few more items later. Cheers for any ideas or explanations that might help.