As Google’s first tablet in many years, theGoogle Pixel Tabletis a solid mid-range entry to a crowded market. It offers solid performance and an appealing screen at a reasonable price. One of the ways it stands out from other comparable slates is how customizable it is. This extends to the home screen, which gives you a range of options to personalize the look and feel of your new tablet. Here’s how to inject some of your personal aesthetic into your Pixel Tablet experience.
Change the wallpaper to suit your style
You’ll see your wallpaper nearly as often as you see your lock screen. Make sure it’s something appealing that you won’t get sick of. Here’s how to set up a custom wallpaper:
Add new apps for easy access
One of the primary functions of the home screen is to surface apps so that you can quickly launch them without wading through every app installed on your device. Curating the Pixel Tablet home screen is a breeze. To add an app not currently displayed:
Add handy widgets for quick updates
Your home screen doesn’t need to be a static launcher for your apps. By adding widgets, you add functionality and get information every time you unlock your Pixel Tablet. A range of widgets is available for the Pixel Tablet, providing everything from weather updates, breaking news alerts, event reminders, travel and flight updates, and more.
Here’s how to add a widget to your default home screen:
After adding a widget, you’re able to resize it to fit your home screen. To do so, touch and hold the widget. If it’s resizable, you’ll see an outline of dots. Drag the dots until the widget is the size you want, then click anywhere outside the widget.
Remove apps to reduce clutter
If you add a bevy of new apps or widgets, your home screen may become a bit overloaded. To cut back on the clutter, remove apps you don’t use as frequently (or apps added by default). This doesn’t uninstall the app. You can still access it from your app list. To remove it from the home screen, touch and hold the app icon and drag it up to the portion of the screen that says “Drag here to remove” or click the garbage can icon labeled Remove.
Change accent color or switch to dark mode to spare your eyes
You can add some flair by changing the accent color of some of the background and UI elements on your tablet. Here’s how:
You can also switch the tablet to dark mode to reduce eye strain or if you prefer the dark aesthetic. In the settings app, tap theDisplayoption and selectDark mode. These changes affect your tablet system-wide and not exclusively your home screen.
Make your home screen your own
Customizing your home screen adds a little visual flair to what’s a pretty generic experience out of the box. It also makes your tablet more functional and useful, giving you quick access to the apps you always use and at-a-glance info you need in your day-to-day life.
All the customization in the world is useless if your tablet doesn’t work. Here’s how toaddress the common Pixel Tablet issues.
