Android Customization/Theming

[Mognarchy]

Hey everyone, I have a Galaxy Note 2 on Verizon and I want to make it look a little more personal. I've seen things about alternate launchers and have tried them but none of them gave me quite what I want; maybe I haven't found the right apps/widgets yet or something. I have ideas in my head but don't know how to transfer them to the device. I have also done some research about rooting, and how to create themes online but I'm not the most tech/programming savvy person and I'd hate to mess anything up. I'm just looking for an easy way to have control either through better widgets or an easier way to root/theme. If anyone has any ideas on how to help, they would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Pete

 

[sooner7]

Root and run an AOSP rom, they come with a theme chooser built in.. There are over 500 themes available.
Also roms feature status bar and system ui tweaks to allow you to change your interface to your liking

 

[patruns]

Root and run an AOSP rom, they come with a theme chooser built in.. There are over 500 themes available.
Also roms feature status bar and system ui tweaks to allow you to change your interface to your liking

He says he is not tech savvy. I don't think suggesting a custom ROM is going to be helpful.

@Mognarchy: From what you have posted, it seems you would be better served attacking each app one widget at a time. As an example, if you want a weather widget on your home screen, look at each weather app and see which ones offer you the widget you want to see on your screen. Many apps have more than one screen widget. It may seem tedious, but I think ultimately you will end up with the kind of screen you envision. Then there are regular wallpapers, living wall papers and such to customize the look further. One other thing to keep in mind. Read the permissions of each app first before you download it. Some can be very intrusive and down right abusive. I've seen free living wallpaper apps that actually access your location constantly (killing the battery) and start dropping shortcuts on your home screen and ad notifications. If you can;t think of a reason a particular app needs certain permissions, move on to a less intrusive one.

 

[Mognarchy]

Thanks for the responses guys, I probably could figure out rooting my device but I'm always worried with just how user-friendly ROMs will be. I've been trying to figure out how I want all the different widgets to look/work now but it is very tedious. I can get it looking decent but they don't all flow together aesthetically as they would in a theme. Any last suggestions before I resort to rooting my device and hopefully not doing anything wrong?

 

[Tronstar]

If you're nervous about rooting/ROM, you could try some pre-made themes from http://mycolorscreen.com/. These are all made and uploaded by users, and the guy the runs the site does a lot of youtube videos to show you how to replicate these exact looks on your device; all without the need for root. Just using some widget apps and launchers.