Best way to customize my S3

[briancook451]

I have the S3 and I originally wanted to root it and put 4.2 on it but I run a mac and it seems impossible to root the device, so my question is what can i do to customize the phone (running 4.1.1) to make it run better. I want it to look as close to Nexus like as possible and I would love to disable as much of the bloatware as possible.
Any suggestions and help are greatly appreciated

Thank you

 

[roxy surf]

One option would be to download a launcher, I use Go Launcher, go SMS, go contacts...I have everything down to the color of my font customized

 

[badbrad17]

You should be able to root your phone. Just find a friend with a pc and get it done. You can disable apps or freeze them using titanium backup once rooted. Or if rooting isn't going to happen just head over to www.mycolorscreen.com and check out some of the amazing custom screens you can create. Many made just for the S3. You will need a new launcher app. I use Nova launcher. It's awesome.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Android Central Forums

 

[briancook451]

I have played around with a few things. What I really want to do is make the phone run smoother. I really don't want the bloatware but the problem I have is certain apps (samsung apps) I cannot disable and then I get the odd error message and I notice like the Kies via wifi that I cannot disable take a lot of batter power and yet I never use it. If I could get this rooted I would pull the bloatware off.

Is there any programs I could install that would help improve the performance of the device? Speed it up? Take away some of the lag? make it more fluid? If not I may sell it and get a Nexus 4

 

[badbrad17]

I have played around with a few things. What I really want to do is make the phone run smoother. I really don't want the bloatware but the problem I have is certain apps (samsung apps) I cannot disable and then I get the odd error message and I notice like the Kies via wifi that I cannot disable take a lot of batter power and yet I never use it. If I could get this rooted I would pull the bloatware off.

Is there any programs I could install that would help improve the performance of the device? Speed it up? Take away some of the lag? make it more fluid? If not I may sell it and get a Nexus 4

The nexus 4 screams. It's so responsive and smooth. You may want to try Nova launcher on the S3. It has a setting to change the animation speed on your home screens. I found this to make a big difference.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Android Central Forums

 

[AxlMyk]

Turn the animations off in Settings - Developer Options - halfway down the menu.
There are 3 of them.

 

[meyerweb#CB]

This concern with "bloatware" is overblown. Few of these so-called bloatware apps run on their own. All they really do is take up storage space, and if you're not running out of space to install apps that isn't an issue.

Most of these can be disabled in the Application manager, under Settings. Those that you can't disable, go into the settings and turn off any syncing settings. If they're set to not sync, and you don't use them, they won't get in the way or slow things down.