As a newcomer to the world of rooted Android devices, I currently own the HTC MyTouch 4G (purple of course) which is currently running a CM7 nightly. I am thankful to be part of the AndroidGals team to be able to share my personal experiences and opinions of all the possibilities that the Android open system offers. As a semi-techy gal I love to try out different applications and widgets to fully personalize my phone. For me this ability to customize is very important because I use my phone for EVERYTHING! As all you girls out there know we are very social creatures by nature so anything that helps us get our personalities seen and our voices heard is an A+ in my book, and Android lets me do just that.

I want to touch base with some of the first things that I tend to do when I get a new phone, or if I’m getting bored of my current settings. I prefer to spice up my phone with a home replacement application which you can find in the market in free versions to test, but always have the option to purchase if you’re happy with it. I like using the application ADWLauncher EX but there are other home replacements such as LauncherPro which are just as good, just in different ways. Since I have a little more experience with ADWEX I will explain a little bit about what menu settings it offers to make your Android device uniquely yours.

When you install the application you can launch it by pressing your Menu button on your phone which will bring up a drawer with the ADW settings.

Once you highlight and press the settings it brings you to another screen where you can access different behavioral, gesture and user interface options to fully customize the look and feel. Right now on my MT4G I have a total of 3 main screens to scroll through which holds my widgets and power controls for easy access. More than 3 screens seems a little much for me as I tend to keep things more simple- but I believe you can have up to 7 screens total. Using the home replacement I was able to change the way my screen scrolls from a stock side to side behavior to a funky flip style, which in my opinion gives a fun flare when switching screens. Other settings include choosing a theme for the dock bar which changes the background and icon styles. You can choose up to 5 icons in the dock bar which is cool because you can unclutter your main screens to fit more of those fun widgets I use the 5 icon option which I keep my messaging, gtalk, gmail, market and phone shortcuts. You can find different themes in the Android Market which are very easy to install and apply or you can create and download your own.

The best way to find out what works for you is to not be afraid and try out all of the different home replacements offered until you find one that suits you. Just because i prefer one thing doesn’t mean it will be right for you. There are many other things that you can choose to do customize your device that doesn’t necessarily require root, but I highly encourage you to take the next step and learn as much as you can about what Android can do for you.

Another great way to express your personality is by finding a great wallpaper that screams you! You can scroll through the AndroidGals gallery and browse through a handpicked selection of girly pics just for us. Here are a few from our gallery just to give you a little preview.

The great thing about Android is that there are so many things you can do that there is always something new to learn about. I look forward to submitting more articles on what I love about Android and my MT4G, and hopefully hearing some of your own experiences and preferences on how you make your Android device your own.

My name is Stephanie Klicpera and I am a 28 year old Gal from NY. I have an undying passion for Google and Android because of all the awesome things they have to offer. I currently own a rooted HTC Thunderbolt and do my best to make it as girly as possible. If you have a rooted Thunderbolt like me, you can also girly up your phone by using one of the themes named after me. Just look out for any theme with "Cutee" in the theme name.I started writing for AndroidGals in March of 2011 and I am loving it! I decided to get involved because I think it's important for more of us gals to learn how to utilize our Android devices and get the most out of them. I am involved in a new "girly project" over at www.teambamf.net to further educate what Android can do for us gals. To stay posted follow me on Twitter @Androidcutee

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Posted in Editorial Tags: adw, adwex, Android, android apps, androidgals, buzz on android, home replacement, MyTouch 4G

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