How To: Center the Status Bar Clock in Android Lollipop

Center the Status Bar Clock in Android Lollipop

If you're like me, things just seem to look better when they're symmetrical. While Android's status bar icons are indeed weighted against the notifications that show up on the left side of this area, the balance still seems skewed to the right.

A popular fix for this in the past has been to center the clock in the status bar—pulling it from the far right to the middle. Past mods, however, have been rendered obsolete by Android 5.0 Lollipop.

That is, of course, until Android themer Napoleon First stepped in and made a Flashable ZIP mod with Lollipop compatibility. Symmetry lovers who own any 5.0.1 Nexus device can now breathe a sigh of relief.

Requirements

Step 1: Download the Centered Clock Mod

To begin, point your Nexus device's web browser to this link. The Centered Clock mod should start downloading immediately, but wait until it has finished before proceeding to the next step.

Step 2: Boot into Custom Recovery

Next, you'll have to boot your phone or tablet into custom recovery in order to flash the mod. Start by powering your device completely off. When the screen goes black, press and hold the volume down and power buttons simultaneously. This will bring up Android's bootloader menu.

From here, press the volume down button twice to highlight "Recovery mode," then press the power button to select it. Your custom recovery should come up momentarily.

Step 3: Install the Centered Clock Mod

From TWRP's main menu, tap the "Install" button to begin. After that, navigate to your device's Download folder and select the center_clock.zip file.

Next, simply swipe the slider at the bottom of the screen to install the mod. When it's finished, tap "Reboot System."

When you get back up, the status bar clock should now be moved to the center of the screen—gorgeous, right?

(1) Before, (2) After

Reverting Back

To get the clock back on the right alignment, simply flash this revert ZIP file just as you did the center clock file in recovery. When you boot back up after flashing, your clock will be back the way Google intended it to be.

Do you prefer the centered look for your status bar clock? Let us know in the comment section below, or drop us a line on our Twitter or Facebook feeds.

Just updated your iPhone? You'll find new features for TV, Messages, News, and Shortcuts, as well as important bug fixes and security patches. Find out what's new and changed on your iPhone with the iOS 17.6 update.

9 Comments

I don't recommend doing this on a rooted Nexus 7 (2013) running Lolipop 5.0.1, it appears that it has removed the navigation bar and the status bar.

I've gotten a 'System UI Has Stopped' I'm on 5.0.1 with the Nexus 5. Any fixes?

It's a compatibility issue, this only works with Android 5.0, not 5.0.1. An updated version is available now, though—use this link to download it, then flash it in recovery and you should be all fixed up. In the meantime, I'll update the link in the article with the new version.

Works on S6 Edge 5.1.1?

I Wiped This File on 6.0.1 and i stucked on system ui stopped :( help me to get back please?

Basically, this replaced your SystemUI.apk file with a modified one that was intended for Android 5.0.1. So to fix it, you'll need to replace this modified version with a SystemUI.apk file that works on your Android version.

But you should also get the exact SystemUI.apk for your particular device, because the one from other phones might cause problems.

So assuming you're using a Nexus 5, I found a ZIP that restores the stock SystemUI.apk on Android 6.0.1. Here's a link, it's the one labeled N5StockDisplay6.0.1MMB29K-slabua.zip. But this will only work for the Nexus 5, so let me know if you're using a different phone.

Anyway, just download that ZIP, then flash it in recovery. That should fix you all up.

My Phone Is Working Properly Now Thankyou Brother & Yes I Have Nexus 5 Now, But Brother Supersu Is removed After I Flashed That File In 6.0.1 Can You Please Tell Me Now? How Can I Root My Phone Again

I've gotten a 'System UI Has Stopped' I'm on 6.0.1 with the INFOCUS M370I
WITHOT ROOTED. Any fixes?

Share Your Thoughts

  • Hot
  • Latest