Custom themes already possible on Samsung Experience 10 ahead of Android Pie beta

We may earn a commission for purchases made using our links.

In Android Pie, Google blocked custom substratum themes from being installed without root. Users were outraged but Google claimed that it was for security reasons that they blocked the install. Apps like Substratum still have ways to install themes on Android Pie, but it requires root. On Samsung Experience 10, though, the Substratum team was able to get their theme engine working without root by using the Samsung theme engine. Users running the leaked Samsung Experience 10 beta on their Snapdragon Samsung Galaxy S9, Samsung Galaxy S9+, or Samsung Galaxy Note 9 can now use Substratum to theme their phone.

“Sungstromeda” mode is a rootless Samsung mode that uses a legacy handling of themes that has been around since Android Marshmallow in Samsung phones. This means there are no scripts to run on a computer or root access needed. All you need to have is Andromeda and Substratum installed and a theme of your choice. To use Substratum on Samsung Experience 10, it’s very simple. Just reboot your phone after installing a theme and the theme will be installed and ready.

The new design of Samsung Experience 10 has been rather controversial. Luckily, Samsung lets users use themes to change the design of apps. Theme developers can start working on themes for Samsung Experience 10 right now even before the official Android Pie beta for the Samsung Galaxy S9 starts. When the beta launches, both Exynos and Snapdragon users will be able to install Substratum and theme their phones. Theme developers can enhance the night mode with full AMOLED black instead of black and grey.

If you are running one of the leaked builds on your Samsung Galaxy S9, Galaxy S9+, or Galaxy Note 9 and want to install this for yourself, version 1009 of Substratum should be rolling out. You will need to buy the Andromeda plugin and install it before you use Substratum. Not many themes support the system apps included in Samsung Experience 10, but many other apps, such as the Google apps, have already been themed.