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How to Upgrade Your Galaxy S3's Lock Screen to a Galaxy S4's for More Swipe Effects

Oct 3, 2013 10:03 PM
Sep 21, 2014 04:37 PM
"How to Upgrade Your Galaxy S3's Lock Screen to a Galaxy S4's for More Swipe Effects" cover image

#FOMO. If it bugs the living hell out of you that you don't know what that means, you're presently FOMO, as in you've got a Fear of Missing Out.

In the world of mobile devices and everyday gadgetry, FOMO is ubiquitous, which means that GS3 you have is looking pretty lame when there's a GS4 out there. And it's usually the little things that make you want to upgrade, like small additions to the lock screen.

The lock screen on the Samsung Galaxy S4 (and Galaxy Note 3) has more customization options, like the light feature in addition to the ripple effect, and editable text up top. But you don't need to upgrade to a GS4 to get them—just upgrade your trusty old GS3's lock screen.

All you need to do is download the Galaxy S4 Lockscreen from Google Play and enable it in the Settings menu.

UPDATE: This app is no longer listed in the Google Play Store. If we find an APK of it, we'll add it to this guide. Otherwise, you will not be able to download it.

Dandelion clock on a smartphone screen displaying time and weather.
Colorful hot air balloon against a blue sky with the text "Life companion" and a clock displaying 1:11 PM.
Dandelion clock on a smartphone screen displaying time and weather.
Colorful hot air balloon against a blue sky with the text "Life companion" and a clock displaying 1:11 PM.

Once installed onto your phone, you can tap the app icon to access the Settings area.

Galaxy S4 lock screen settings menu with options for personalization and status bar adjustments.
How to Upgrade Your Galaxy S3's Lock Screen to a Galaxy S4's for More Swipe Effects
Galaxy S4 lock screen settings menu with options for personalization and status bar adjustments.
How to Upgrade Your Galaxy S3's Lock Screen to a Galaxy S4's for More Swipe Effects

Here, you can change the Lockscreen Effects and personalize a whole host of other features.

Settings menu for Galaxy S4 lock screen effects.
Color selection options for a mobile app interface.
Settings for Galaxy S4 lock screen customization options.
Settings menu for Galaxy S4 lock screen effects.
Color selection options for a mobile app interface.
Settings for Galaxy S4 lock screen customization options.

My favorite thing about GS4 Lockscreen is the new swipe effects. I was getting pretty tired of the standard ripple effect. Now, you can add different colors to that ripple, or change it up with completely different ones like blood or blue rings for the light effect.

Colorful hot air balloon against a blue sky with a clock display.
Smartphone screen displaying a hot air balloon wallpaper with the text "Life companion" and the time 1:58 PM.
Colorful hot air balloon against a blue sky with a clock display.
Smartphone screen displaying a hot air balloon wallpaper with the text "Life companion" and the time 1:58 PM.

You also change the text at the top. I love my phone and everything, but "Life Companion" is a stretch.

Mobile phone screen displaying time, date, and battery status with a colorful hot air balloon background.

Now that's more like it.

Overall the app is almost too easy to use, but there are ads when you access the app itself, and users have voiced security concerns since it works best without a lock screen security option enabled.

To avoid even more FOMO, be sure to check out our guides on getting the Gesture Unlock, New Camera, and Air Gesture Controls from the GS4 onto your GS3 right now.

The next big software update for iPhone is coming sometime in April and will include a Food section in Apple News+, an easy-to-miss new Ambient Music app, Priority Notifications thanks to Apple Intelligence, and updates to apps like Mail, Photos, Podcasts, and Safari. See what else is coming to your iPhone with the iOS 18.4 update.

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