As long time readers know, we are always on the hunt for the next great wallpaper pack, set of icons, or clock widget to make our home screens the prettiest location of our phones. After all, the main home screen is the screen you probably visit more than any other, so why not spend some time tweaking it to your liking? To help give you some inspiration for your next setup, we wanted to share a couple of icon packs that we have been playing with over the last few days: Flatro and Through Glass.
Flatro is a “blend of Retro, Minimal and Flat,” featuring more than 320 icons. It has icon masking for support with icons that aren’t currently themed, 7 minimal wallpapers to fit the icon pack theme (one pictured top left), 6 custom folder icons, and works with many of the top launchers (Apex, Nova, Action, etc.).
Through Glass is based off of the “Project Glass: One Day” video, and features over 100 icons, with support for three of the top launchers (Apex, Nova, and ADW). The version pictured (top right) is free, but the developer has four other colored versions based off of the same design.
Play Links: Flatro ($1.59) | Through Glass
As a bonus, the clock widgets are both UCCW skins. On the left, you are seeing Flatron – on the right we have Minimal UCCW Clock.
Play Links: UCCW | Flatron | Minimal
Any other new icon packs we should check out?
whats the wallpaper on the 2nd picture?
so cute. i love it and i will buy it
I’ve been using dciconz for a long time. Give them a look, they are free and there are a ton of apps themed already. The dev also takes requests on xda
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.czarnomorski.theme.dcikonz
Through glass icons+ Hologlass theme = see through everything!!
anyone have a good free one?
Making your own widget in UCCW is pretty satisfying but I wish there was a way to somehow use the forecasting app from BW instead of w/e comes with it.
Check out Hexacon, by the same designer as flatro.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ryanmkelly.me.hexacon
this one looks nice. does it include many icons?
Flatro, I heard that and though Flatulence 😀
I have flatro. best icon pack.
I use flatro. love it.
Stark is the way to go 😛
Stark is gorgeous.
I’m a big fan of the holo icons, they are free in the play store and are a cool twist on the stock icons.
Where can I get the wallpaper on the right?
http://i.imgur.com/TxV4KS3h.png
Kellen, I like the your setup. However, you should get rid of that app drawer icon, and use a gesture (in Nova) to bring it up instead. It would look cleaner, if you’re into that.
I’ve always gone with isolating the home screen “home” nav-bar button to open the app drawer. Been doing it since the OG Droid days and always wondered why google doesn’t make it native. It just feels so right.
I’ve thought about it. I use a gesture to access both Google Now and Notifications, but haven’t done so with the app drawer. I think part of it is just an old school mentality of liking that damn app button. 😛
I really miss the swipe up for app drawer that I used to have on CM on my Evo, but I love swipe up to Google Now way more on my N4.
Tersus & Minimal UI
I think I remember someone using Through Glass on one of the previous Shoe Us Your Homescreen Blogs.
This is why I don’t use Minimal UI anymore: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=27495892&postcount=521
Wow, what a rat!
Apparently he has been updating the pack with his own icons, but the fact that he started by ripping off another developer’s theme is super sketchy. I have no respect for them, and wish I had found that out before I gave him my money.
where can i get that wallpaper on the right?
Note: if you update to the newest Flatro, it is a lot darker. Developer messaged me back and informed me that he is switching it back. in the next update! Also Make sure to check out his other apps!
That’s good to know. I liked a couple of the previous icons better. Yay!
I restored the old icons in 1.5.3.
🙂
I get 4 papers with flatro. Great icons btw thx DL
In the Nova wallpaper picker, it only shows 4. But if you open Flatro through the Flatro icon, you’ll see there are more.
I see now! tyvm 🙂
Hey, flatro dev here.
I didn’t realise that the wallpapers were missing from Nova, I should be able to fix it for the next update, 1.5.4. I’m planning on updating it on Sunday.
I get 4 papers with flatro. Great icons btw thx DL
Ooh, what’s that pink wallpaper?
Duuuude, it says in the article. It’s part of the icon pack.
The problem with icon packs like this is if there’s even ONE app that’s not in the pack the whole thing is ruined for me.
Kovdev seems to have handled this nicely. I’ve had Tersus for a very long time.
I’m the same way, especially if it’s an icon on my home screen. I use pretty popular apps, so it’s not like I have obscure and unreasonable expectations of my icon packs. I typically refund within the 15 minutes if all my icons aren’t themed.
Yep. Theres just those few app i use that aren’t main stream, even Kovdev doesnt have, on my main home screen. They just happen to match enough with the icon pack to not bother me. So I’m really skeptical of other icon packs. Though Glass is cool. but those two apps will destroy the continuity, im sure of it.
If you use Nova or Apex, you can sometimes find another icon in the pack to use in the stead of the default non-themed one. Icon Changer works for other launchers where you can’t edit icons. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.jy.iconchanger.ad
Was wondering why we need launchers for icon packs, can’t we have icon packs just to add to our stock android just like widgets are applied?
There are some apps that do that. Desktop visualizer works with the widget theory. I found that my homescreen redraws more and takes longer to come up when I have a mess of icon widgets all over it, though. Something like Icon Changer is a good substitute, because it creates shortcuts, not widgets.
I’m with you. Keep in mind that you can always email the dev and request an icon. Most are pretty good at fulfilling requests.
I submitted a ton of requests to kovdev. Seems like it takes a long time or maybe the apps i requested aren’t worth the effort.
You, and other users, have submitted over 3000 icons that you’d like to see themed. I’m trying to fullfil as many as I can and have increased the amount included per update. Even still, I’m only one person so it’s going to be awhile. 🙁
Haha, not dissing your work. I don’t even understand how making icon packs can be profitable with how much work it probably takes. So props to you.
Just not sure how long it takes for something to get though the system. But keep it up!
I’ve been using the Stark icon pack.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=kov.theme.stark
Same! Its rockin’
I got Tersus before Stark was out. Looking at Stark i don’t really see a big difference. Any input like whats exactly different about it?
It’s a flat theme. The shading and depth in Tersus isn’t there. I have both, but if you’re not interested in spending the extra money, it’s probably not worth the difference.
Ah, that makes sense. I’m probably happier with Tersus anyways. Thanks.
And Stark has so many more icons right?
I’m honestly not sure. I would think they’re about the same, since they’re from the same developer.
The main difference is that Stark has much better wallpapers included. Stark also has sharp corners where as Tersus is slightly rounded.
Been using flatro since Tim mentioned it in a post last week. Since then I’ve seen the app updated atleast two times, adding more and more icons each time. Pretty impressed overall, as this is the first time I decided to take the plunge and purchase an icon pack.
A $1.49 plunge? Bravo.
A $1.49 plunge? Bravo.
how did you get the transparent notification bar?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oa60su1wvb8&feature=youtube_gdata_player
Thanks for this. Loving Through Glass. I’d been using an icon pack called Circle White, but this new one adds just a bit more to the look.
how do i get my icons to look like that?
Using a third party launcher
If you don’t have a third party launcher, or don’t want to use one, you can use Icon Changer https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.jy.iconchanger.ad. It creates shortcuts on your homescreen, instead of widgets like other apps (Desktop Visualizer, for example), so your performance won’t stink.
Vire Launcher is way better looking than these two
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.vire.launcher&hl=en
Ewww Skeuomorphic is the worst.
That word… I don’t think it means what you think it means.
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skeuomorph
I agree that it’s ugly, but (and this is coming from a not-designer) I don’t know if I’d call it skeuomorphism. I mean, it looks like it’s maybe imitating glass and/or metal, but then, a lot of Android themes are like that.
I agree that it’s ugly, but (and this is coming from a not-designer) I don’t know if I’d call it skeuomorphism. I mean, it looks like it’s maybe imitating glass and/or metal, but then, a lot of Android themes are like that.
Then a lot of anroid themes are using skeuporism 😉
Haha, fair enough.
Haha, wow, that is the nastiest thing I have seen since custom Windows Mobile skins.
If by “better” you mean “sucks”, then yes.
And seriously. If you poop all over a post with playground insults, that’s what you’ll get back.
That’s really, aggressively ugly.
That might be the worst thing I’ve ever seen. And I bet you actually like it.
It’s scary, but a lot of people theme their phones like this and love it.
Wow, that is gaudy as hell.
Minimal UI has been my favorite icon pack for as long as I can remember.
He’s actually stolen his theme from another developer:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=27495892&postcount=521
KXNT doesn’t even admit to it. He says Google took down his icon theme because MIUI is copyrighted. And it might be, but he still stole the icons from the other developer. (http://kxnt.tumblr.com/post/48919430069/minimal-miui-is-now-minimal-ui)
RIP TONY SOPRANO
Damn… that is terrible news.
RyanmKelly is awesome…check out ALL his stuff amazing UCCW clock skins!!
Definitely has a lot of quality works, like his Three Bar Clock: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ryanmkelly.me.threebarclock&feature=more_from_developer
I think Three Bar Clock is my favorite clock of his…also https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ryanmkelly.me.minusfortyfive&feature=search_result#?t=W251bGwsMSwxLDEsImNvbS5yeWFubWtlbGx5Lm1lLm1pbnVzZm9ydHlmaXZlIl0.