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Make Lollipop's Overview Screen a Lot More Colorful by Tinting App Headers

Mar 6, 2015 04:51 PM
A smartphone displaying a colorful app interface.

The Overview screen (aka Recent Apps) on Android got a huge upgrade when 5.0 Lollipop was released. Chrome tabs now hold separate entries in this multitasking list, which also got a nice new Material Design theme. One of the biggest changes, though, was a new API that allows apps to color the header on their entries in this list.

Unfortunately, not all developers are quick to adopt new features like this one. Many apps still have the default grey header, and look rather drab next to their colorful counterparts here.

So developer MohammadAG decided he'd take matters into his own hands. With his latest Xposed module installed, all apps on your system will have colored Overview headers—whether they've been updated to utilize the new API or not.

Requirements

Install Tinted Recent Panels

To begin, head to the Download section of your Xposed Installer app and search Tinted Recent Panels, then tap the top result.

Make Lollipop's Overview Screen a Lot More Colorful by Tinting App Headers
Make Lollipop's Overview Screen a Lot More Colorful by Tinting App Headers
Make Lollipop's Overview Screen a Lot More Colorful by Tinting App Headers
Make Lollipop's Overview Screen a Lot More Colorful by Tinting App Headers

From here, swipe over to the Versions tab, then hit the "Download" button next to the most recent entry.

Make Lollipop's Overview Screen a Lot More Colorful by Tinting App Headers
Make Lollipop's Overview Screen a Lot More Colorful by Tinting App Headers
Make Lollipop's Overview Screen a Lot More Colorful by Tinting App Headers
Make Lollipop's Overview Screen a Lot More Colorful by Tinting App Headers

Within a few seconds, Android's installer interface should come right up, so tap "Install" on this screen.

"Prompt to install the Tinted Record Panels application with options to cancel or install."
App installation confirmation screen for "Tinted Recent Panels."
"Prompt to install the Tinted Record Panels application with options to cancel or install."
App installation confirmation screen for "Tinted Recent Panels."

Activate the Module & Reboot

When installation has finished, you'll get a notification from Xposed telling you that the module hasn't been activated yet and that a reboot is needed. Tap this notification, then on the following menu, tick the box next to the newly-installed module.

Notification alert on a mobile device indicating that a special module is not activated.
Screenshot of mobile app modules with options like "XPosed," "Custom Share," and "Timed Recent Panels."
Notification alert on a mobile device indicating that a special module is not activated.
Screenshot of mobile app modules with options like "XPosed," "Custom Share," and "Timed Recent Panels."

From here, use the drop-down menu at the top of the screen to head to the Framework section. Next, tap the "Soft Reboot" button, then press "OK" on the popup.

Settings menu on a mobile app displaying various modules and options.
Settings menu of an Android device displaying installation options and reboot settings.
Settings menu on a mobile app displaying various modules and options.
Settings menu of an Android device displaying installation options and reboot settings.

Additional Configuration

When you get back up, almost all of the apps in your Overview menu will have colored headers. The module should analyze your installed apps to see if they have implemented the new API, and if they haven't, it should match their headers to the predominant color used in the app.

If you encounter any apps that the module didn't automatically color, take a quick trip to your app drawer and launch Tinted Recent Panels.

App icons on a smartphone screen.
Make Lollipop's Overview Screen a Lot More Colorful by Tinting App Headers
App icons on a smartphone screen.
Make Lollipop's Overview Screen a Lot More Colorful by Tinting App Headers

Any apps with a checkmark beside their names in this list are already using the new API, and apps with a color superimposed over their entry were fixed by the module.

If you find an app that the module didn't fix automatically, simply tap its corresponding entry in this list. Or, if there's an app that the module fixed, but you'd like to remove the coloring, long-press the entry to do just that.

Make Lollipop's Overview Screen a Lot More Colorful by Tinting App Headers
Alternative text for the image: "Screenshot of a mobile device displaying a list of applications with varying options."
Make Lollipop's Overview Screen a Lot More Colorful by Tinting App Headers
Make Lollipop's Overview Screen a Lot More Colorful by Tinting App Headers
Alternative text for the image: "Screenshot of a mobile device displaying a list of applications with varying options."
Make Lollipop's Overview Screen a Lot More Colorful by Tinting App Headers

At this point, your Overview menu should be nice and colorful.

Make Lollipop's Overview Screen a Lot More Colorful by Tinting App Headers

Before

Make Lollipop's Overview Screen a Lot More Colorful by Tinting App Headers

After

Make Lollipop's Overview Screen a Lot More Colorful by Tinting App Headers

Before

Make Lollipop's Overview Screen a Lot More Colorful by Tinting App Headers

After

In the future, the developer plans to add an interface that will allow you to select custom colors for each of your apps, so keep an eye out for that update. In the meantime, which apps did this module fix for you? Let us know in the comment section below, or drop us a line on Facebook, Google+, or Twitter.

The next big software update for iPhone is coming sometime in April and will include a Food section in Apple News+, an easy-to-miss new Ambient Music app, Priority Notifications thanks to Apple Intelligence, and updates to apps like Mail, Photos, Podcasts, and Safari. See what else is coming to your iPhone with the iOS 18.4 update.

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