Android is one of the most versatile mobile ecosystems that yous'll ever utilize. From the look and experience, you can alter the landscape of the platform with ease and power. The fonts on your system are no exception. There are plenty of reasons you might desire to change up your fonts — legibility, company branding, unique wait, etc. Although not available for every variation on the Android theme, y'all can manage to switch up your fonts without too much hassle. I want to illustrate how you tin can manage more and meliorate fonts on both rooted and non-rooted Android devices.

The rooted Android device gives you quite a bit more than control over what you can do. But even non-rooted smartphones have some flexibility when it comes to fonts. Permit'south first look at how to manage your fonts on a non-rooted device, then I'll highlight the power of the rooted smartphone.

Non-rooted font management

Your all-time bet for managing fonts on a non-rooted Android device is by way of a third-political party dwelling screen launcher. GO Launcher EX is one of the best for fonts. With this habitation screen launcher, y'all tin place tertiary-party font files in to the GOLauncherEX/fonts folder and take Become Launcher EX scan the folder for newly found fonts.

There's one catch. When you plug your device into your computer to copy the .ttf file(due south) over to the phone storage, you lot probably won't find the GOLauncherEX folder. To get around that, create a folder called FONTS in the Downloads binder — and so, using a file manager like ASTRO File Manager, copy/paste the .ttf file to GOLauncherEX/fonts (which will appear in the ASTRO File Manager). In one case you've copied the files to the proper folder, practise the post-obit:

  1. Long-press a bare spot on the home screen
  2. Tap the Preferences button
  3. Tap Font
  4. Tap Browse font (Figure A)
  5. Allow the scan to complete
  6. Tap Select Font
  7. Locate the newly added font
  8. Tap Go along when prompted

Effigy A

Adding new fonts via GO Launcher EX on a Verizon-branded LG G3.

That's information technology.

What if you don't want to use a third-party home screen launcher? If y'all happen to have a Samsung device, you're in luck (rooted or not). At that place'south an app called iFont that helps you to find plenty of fonts to utilize. This app allows you to easily scan a sizable option of fonts that you tin can download and install. Note: All other Android devices must exist rooted for iFont to work.

Start, you must install the app. Hither'south how:

  1. Open the Google Play Store on your Samsung smartphone
  2. Search for iFont
  3. Locate and tap the entry by diyun
  4. Tap Install
  5. Read the permissions list
  6. If the permissions listing is acceptable, tap Accept
  7. Allow the installation to consummate

Once information technology's installed, open the app and scan the font collection. To practice this, tap Find on the main window (Effigy B), so tap Font All.

Figure B

Finding fonts with iFont.

Curl through the listing of fonts, find ane y'all like, tap the font, tap Download (Effigy C), and then tap Set. The font should change to your downloaded choice.

Effigy C

Installing your called font with iFont.

Some devices (such as the HTC M8) offer a Go Fonts Online from the built-in font selector (Effigy D). Tap the Get FONTS ONLINE push button, select the Play Store option, go through the list of fonts, select one you like, and install the font.

Figure D

Getting fonts online.

Once the font is installed, yous simply accept to go to the default font selector and choose the newly added font.

Rooted font management

A rooted device will requite you fifty-fifty more power with fonts. Using the same app every bit above (iFont), you can (with a rooted phone), install custom .ttfs to be used every bit your system defaults. To do this, the process is almost the aforementioned as setting a standard font (within iFont). The only difference is that you tap on My Font (from the main window) and and then tap the "click this" link (Effigy E).

Figure E


Adding a custom .ttf font with iFont.

You will then navigate to the folder containing you .ttf files, select the font you desire, and then tap Gear up.

In that location'south another app you lot can utilise that will allow you to add .ttf files from your computer to your rooted smartphone and employ them equally the default system font. That app is Font Installer. Once installed, you can then copy your .ttf files (from your computer) into a directory on your device and employ that font equally the default. Font Installer is installed in the same way you installed iFont above (merely you'll search for and install Font Installer). Once you lot've washed that, here'south how to set the font as your system default:

  1. Copy the .ttf files into a folder on your device
  2. Open up Font Installer
  3. Swipe to the Local tab
  4. Navigate to the folder containing the .ttf files
  5. Select the .ttf file to exist used (Effigy F)
  6. Tap Install (or Preview if yous want to get a await at the font showtime)
  7. If prompted, grant root permission for the app
  8. Reboot the device past tapping Aye

Figure F

Installing a .ttf file with Font Installer.

The one caveat to using .ttf files is that not all .ttf files will actually piece of work — or they'll work but won't be terribly legible. So, utilise caution when choosing a .ttf file for a font. Too, don't endeavour to use both iFont and Font Installer on the aforementioned device, as iFont will always override Font Installer.

Finally, a word of warning with Font Installer: It doesn't work on all rooted devices, and not all rooting tools can requite proper permissions. The Samsung Galaxy S4, rooted with Superuser, worked fine the first time, but afterward removing and reinstalling, the font would no longer set.

If you're looking for a make clean and elementary mode to change the font, await no farther than one of these methods. Whether rooted or not, you can detect plenty of fonts to help personalize or brand your Android device.

How much do you customize your Android devices? Practise yous leave them stock or go all out? Share your experience in the discussion thread below.