"Darker themed dialer (keypad), Calculator, and contacts pages....and a couple questions

[Andyinchville1]

HI all,

Just recently got my first smart phone (s5) and have been playing with it for a bit but just had a few questions for the more knowledgeable people (i.e. all except me probably!) around here....

1) other than rooting (which scares me since I am not a techie), is there any way to get the screens )dialer key pad, contacts page, and calculator) to use a black background with white characters (it would be easier on my eyes I think and easier on the battery too).....also what apps could do this for me?

2) I saw exdialer and it is free and has the colors I like BUT it seems to get rid of some features (on the phone pad / dialer, the entire to row is missing (off the stock screen) and so are some features on the bottom row of buttons like mute etc....
Also, would exdialer be removable without messing anything up if I change my mind about it?

3) If I download apps off the buttons that came stock on my phone (in particular the play store icon) are things there guaranteed bug / virus free or do I have to worry about that and get some sort of protection?.....I think I read somewhere stuff out of google play site is OK but just want to be sure....I would hate to get a virus....I suppose I may need an antivirus if I go online on the net so I suppose I should just get one anyways?

Thanks in advance for any and all help.

Andrew

 

[B. Diddy]

Welcome to Android Central!

To change the appearance of those various functions, you're probably best off searching for alternate apps that allow you to do so. Search Google Play for dialer, contacts, and calculator apps, and see if you like them better.

If you installed Exdialer and then didn't like it, you could uninstall it easily, and the phone would revert back to the stock dialer.

Google Play is generally very safe, and Google scans all apps that you install, which adds an extra layer of protection. But it's true, sometimes shady apps sneak into Google Play--so read through the reviews first, and see if there are any warning signs from other users. Be cautious about apps that have very few downloads, or overly rosy reviews (which might be fake). And if an app sounds too good to be true (like an app that promises free movies or something like that), then it probably is.

 

[Andyinchville1]

HI,

Thanks for the reply.....

FWIW I took some precautions and downloaded AVG for mobile.....I have AVG on my home computer and it has always worked for it so I hope it does the same for my phone....I feel better with it on there than without it....just hope it doesn't eat up the battery!

Thanks!

Andrew