It's a way for Google to ensure that apps are compliant with the overall visual experience that it wants Android users to have. It exists independent of apps on the device, yet Google doesn’t make it easy to access this tool.įor app developers, System UI is the framework on top of which they build their app. This means that it’s possible to significantly customize this interface without the need for an app update. Going by its textbook definition, System UI is any element that's displayed on the screen that's not part of an app. Most mobile platforms didn't allow customization beyond wallpapers or themes but with Android, it's possible to change the entire look and feel of the user interface (UI). One of the reasons why Android has become so popular is because it allows for an incredibly high level of customization. Given that it’s possible to license Android, it happens to be the most popular platform, going by the sheer volume of devices out there that run Google’s mobile operating system. The result of that consolidation is a duopoly between Android and iOS.

However, the industry has gone through incredible consolidation in the past few years. There were multiple platforms and operating systems all competing for a piece of the pie. The mobile landscape looked a lot different just a decade ago.

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