Android phones have endless customization options to change and adjust the device settings to your liking. However, changing the name of an application is somewhat more complicated, since it is a data that is directly established in the AndroidManifest.xml document of each application and cannot be modified by the user in an ordinary way.
Fortunately, where there is an obstacle there is almost always an alternative route, and this case is no exception. Of course, the situation changes a lot depending on whether you have root permissions or not on the Android device, so it is best that we go in parts.
How to change the name of an application in Android (no root)
If your Android device is not rooted, you will not be able to modify the full name of the app in all places but you will be able to change the name of the icon that appears on the desktop.
This is something that can come in handy if you are configuring the mobile for an elderly person and instead of putting “Mozilla Firefox” want to change the name of the application to something easier to understand, such as “ Browser ” or “ Internet ”.
To achieve your goal, one of the options is to install a custom launcher for Android, such as Nova Launcher.
- Once you have the launcher installed, open it and carry out the initial configuration.
- Look for the application you want to change on the desktop and make a long press on its icon.
- A dropdown menu will open. Click on “ Edit ”.
- In the “ Application label ” field, replace the current name with the new name you want to assign to it. When everything is ready, select “ Done ” to confirm.
This way, the application will appear on the home screen with the new name you have just assigned to it.
Create a shortcut of the app and give it the name you want
Another way to achieve the same effect but without the need to install any launcher is to use the Quick Shortcut Maker app. This free application for Android allows us to create direct access to any app installed and send it to the desktop with the name you want.
This application is a very interesting solution to your problem. You should note that it is ideal for phones with old versions of Android. If you have a phone with Android 10 or higher, it is most likely that it will not work correctly (in which case you will not be able to use it, there would be no choice but to install a launcher). In any case, according to the most recent comments from the community, it seems that it still performs its function more than satisfactorily.
How to change the name of an application in Android (root)
If you have a rooted phone you can change the name of the application using the APK Editor Pro tool. As indicated by @aragonboy in THIS Steemit POST, with this editor you can modify the information of an apk, and data such as the name of the app or package name.
The process as such is quite simple:
- Download and install APK Editor Pro on your Android device.
- In the main menu of APK Editor, select the option “Select APK from App”.
- Choose the app you want to modify.
- Click on “Common Edit”.
- In the “App Name” field, change the current name of the application to the new name you want to give it.
- To finish, click on “Save” to save the changes.
This is a trick that can also be used to change the package identifier and thus duplicate an application without the system placing any restrictions on the number of times you can install the same app. It would be something like the typical function of dual apps that Xiaomi phones include to use two WhatsApp simultaneously with dual SIM smartphones.
xRenamer
xRenamer is a module for the Xposed framework, so you’ll also need to root your phone to use it. It is a tool for changing the name of any app.
Once installed, you just have to activate the module in Xposed, restart the device and that’s it, rename applications. Both xRenamer and the Xposed framework are available for download from the xposed.info repository.
