Modify Android Framework Values without needing APKTool using Privset

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Have you ever wanted to make changes to your Android device’s framework values without having to use APKTool to decompile and recompile framework-res.apk? To bypass the lengthy time that can take, XDA Senior Member sir mordred (Oğuzhan Yiğit) created an application called Privset that allows you to make changes to your system framework with nothing more than root access.

What Privset does

The app is available in the Play Store and you can use it to make your phone allow, for example, four-way rotation (some phones don’t allow you to rotate the display upside down by default). Other possibilities include fine-tuning your ambient display mode settings, forcing your phone to show rounded icons for your apps, or changing what your phone does when you double-press the power button. You can learn more about how to use Privset in the following YouTube video published by the developer:

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How to use Privset

There are scores of changes you can make to your system framework using Privset which are listed in alphabetical order and searchable. The search function narrows down the list of available settings even as you type your search terms. When you find the setting you want to change, the values you can change it to are specified in the setting description, and you’ll need to type out the value in the text field and tap the “Run” button at the bottom of the screen.

If the app doesn’t prompt you to restart your device to apply the changes, you will still need to do so manually in order for the changes to take effect. You can see a list of all the settings you changed by selecting “List Modified Settings” from the overflow menu. If you want to wipe out all the changes you made at once and start over, you can do so from “App Settings” in the overflow menu.

How Privset modifies framework values

Ever heard of that popular theming framework called Substratum? Privset is based on the same underlying APIs. It works by redirecting Android to draw resource values from an overlay it creates for the system’s built-in framework-res.apk. Since the values are read from the overlay and not from the original framework-res.apk, there is no need to decompile it and recompile it using apktool or any similar utility.

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Privset reads the existing system properties on your device, which means that whether you’re on a stock version of Android, a custom ROM, or an OEM ROM, Privset will allow you to generate overlays based on whatever framework values are present in your particular device’s framework-res.apk. For example, you might be able to change framework settings in custom Marshmallow or Nougat ROMs that you won’t even see in stock, rooted Oreo. You can see further examples in the gallery below:

If your device is rooted you can download Privset from the Play Store and follow the developer’s thread in our forums to give feedback, suggest new features, or follow for more updates.