Installing custom Metamorph Theme

Published on August 18th, 2010 | by justin

Ok, this can be pretty confusing but once you actually get the hang of it, it will be a breeze for you. Lets say you are trying to skin the “YouTube” widget. Say you want to turn it to a transparent widget. First things first you must download the custom metamorph file from anywhere.

In this example I am working with the “YouTube” app, but make sure you still follow my instructions.

Open up the “Root Explorer” application on your device, if you do not have please download it by clicking here.
Once you’ve opened the Root Explorer app go to the Root which is “/”. Next click on the “System” folder, then click on the “App” folder. What we are doing is making sure the application exists and that it is skinable.

As you can see from the screen shot I’ve posted below the application “YouTube.apk” exists! Which will make it much easier. ** Please remember everytime you are skinning an application you must make sure the CORRECT file name is placed in the /system/app/ directory.

Why??
MetaMorph ONLY installs the current theme files to the app that exist in the /system/app/ if there is no file you must find the .apk on your phone and place it into the /system/app/ directory.

Ok now that we know the app I want to theme exists in the /system/app dir we can move on.

1. The file should be a “.ZIP” extension, make sure you do not unzip the file.
2. Connect your device via USB and mount
3. On the root of your SD-Card you need to create a folder called “AndroidThemes” IT MUST LOOK EXACTLY LIKE THAT OR IT WILL NOT WORK
4. Copy the .ZIP file you downloaded and place it in the “AndroidThemes” folder.
5. Assuming you already have the MetaMorph application installed on your phone (if not please Click Here). Open the MetaMorph app.

6. Click on “Unzip/Extract New Theme“

7. You should the .zip file you have added to the AndroidThemes folder like in the image shown below.

8. Click on the file inside of MetaMorph a MetaMorph install screen should come up telling you about the theme you are installing like shown below (just click Close)

9. Now you should see a button located on the bottom click on “Apply All” this will begin the process of the application skinning.

10. You should see a message box that pops up that says “All Themes Applied” like shown below

11. Reboot your phone and make sure whatever app you where skinning is now skinned.

In the example I was skinning the YouTube widget so it would be Transparent on my home screen. As you can see by the picture shown below everything was a success and everything looks very sleek!

** If you get an error message like shown below that says the following “The theme you selected is invalid because the theme control file could be missing, or is not correctly written.” This means that the file you are trying to skin is not in the “/system/app” directory or the filename inside the /system/app is incorrect. You must make sure you place the file in there along with the correct file name.

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  • Eric

    Is there a way to change the text on SportsTap from white to black?

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  • Karl

    dumb question: Does using Metamorph to change themes require rooting the
    droid? Assuming answer is “yes” …

    • justin

      Correct you must be Rooted to apply MetaMorph’s.

  • Karl

    Thanks.

  • david

    this bricked my phone =/ (droid x)

    • http://droidpirate.com justin

      Which one? or All..

  • paul

    Can we get themes that will work on the Droid Eris??

  • drakleton

    every time i try to extract the content from the folder, it gives me nothing. what up with that?

  • Cristian

    Can someone please help?.I followed the steps, i clicked to apply and then the phone just reboots, doesn’t ask me if i want to reboot, but then the phone starts and gets stuck on the logo at start up, twice now!.What the hell am i doing wrong? :( i have an xperia x10 with the 2.1 update.

  • chad

    This is not working on my rooted Droid 2 R2D2. I’m running Fission and wanted to keep my original R2 lock screen and was told that this was the way to do it. Whenever I try to apply the screen it appears as if it was applied correctly and then reboots. At reboot the lock screen does not change but my wallpaper does.

    • http://droidpirate.com justin

      Could be something with the Fission wrong. I know others had problems flashing Morphs, and other flashable items.

  • jason

    does metamorph themes work on droid incredibles at all?
    Rooted, Nand-unlocked, busybox installed, running virtuous rom.

  • Matt

    It seems that when I change my battery icon, at random times it will revert back to the original battery icon of the ROM I have downloaded on my phone. Any ideas as to why? Also every time I try to change my USB icon it never changes?? I’m a little confused, I was trying to use the LunaThemed USB icons. Any ideas on either of these please let me know! Thanks guys!

  • justin O

    i have the lg optimus M… does these mods not work for this phone? cuz im having no luck and ive done everything that is needed

  • Lena

    i’m just starting to work with metamorph. actually i installed ninjamorph – is this a problem? anyway, i want to install this notification bar with the background color and i have read the detailed version of the guide and now i’m wondering if i have to put the frameworks-res.apk from my device (which btw is a x10 mini pro) into the apps folder before installing the downloaded one from the AndroidThemes folder. If yes, i assume that installing the downloaded file changes the one i put into the apps folder which i then would have to put back into the original folder.
    well this sounds quite confusing i guess… but i don’t want do brick my phone so shortly after buying it.
    thanks

    • http://droidpirate.com justin

      Lena, you need to be using MetaMorph if you are going to follow my step by step instructions, using Ninja Morph will work but there is a little more work involved. Just download MetaMorph on the market there is a free version.

  • 1barlog17

    I’m trying to install a skin for my DX Liberty 1.5 Rom pulldown background. This says its the instructions on how to skin the pulldown but your using the YouTube apk as an example. Which I understand but when I go to look for the pulldown apk in rootexplorer what’s the apk called? I don’t know what Apk the pulldown notification bar is called. Should I just trust that the Apk is there and go on with the instructions? Thanks for any help.

  • vinzky

    worked lika a charm…droid x liberty rom 1.5 blue gingerbread theme..now i have the blue 4g icon and battery. makes it all complete…thanks

  • vinzky

    i followed the instruction and went well but when I changed my wallpaper i noticed that the battery icon reverted to the orig battery that came with my rom. any suggestion?

  • Stoli

    Hey! Thanks loads for this article! Worked for me, but some of the .apk files aren’t listed in the /system/app/ thing .. where would I find them? .. And one other thing, very important now. How can I change the launcher? I’m not sure exactly what it’s called, the thing that has the app list button and the phone and browser button normally. I’d like to change that!
    Running Liberty 1.5 on D2 btw
    Thanks!!!

    • http://droidpirate.com justin

      Stoli, You will have to check in your data/app directory and move the files to system/app but make sure the .apk names are what they need to be for the MetaMorph theme lots of applications get modified/updated sometimes with a name change of the .apk

  • Todd

    Can i download the METAMORPH on a rooted X, but still running stock rom? Not wanting to change to a different rom (at this time) but really like the skinned look to Google or Music app.

    • http://droidpirate.com justin

      yeah man, I run a stock rom and rooted works perfect.

      • Domenic

        I was told to just find the file in metamorph and apply all. No one says to find the file in system/app. will this work? I downloaded a bunch of themes (icons) to androidthemes and running a d2 rooted stock rom. Am I good?

        • Domenic

          ive never seen in any vids or posts about searching in system/apps. they just open MM, find the file and apply. I hope its that easy cause I dont know what the status bar and battery icon files are called and where to look for them!

  • skarekrow

    I skinned my status bar and I still got a black clock I wanna change it to white I got the stuff to do it but how do I get the .jar into the system file if you can’t writ to it lg apex

  • Jason Allswang

    Installed a new battery skin and it looks great but it only updates the percentage every 20% where it used to be every 10% on my Droid 1. Any advice?

  • jose

    I cant see the time, its black as the same color as the bar can someone tell me how to change the color of the time?

  • DT jaimillo

    WORK PERFECT

  • Carl

    for some reason metamorph can’t find the files on my bionic that are placed in the “android themes” folder. am I doing something wrong?

    • http://droidpirate.com justin

      On deodexed ROM the system apks are different, same with some locations.

  • Ed

    I changed my notification background using this and love it, but how do I revert back to stock if I should ever choose to?

  • J_K

    Running rooted stock rom for the Samsung Epic Touch 4g. I followed the “brief” instructions for Gingerbread, but the battery icons for the status bar will not install. A warning about the invalid theme file keeps showing and there is no mention in the instructions that we need a different them, simply to be rooted. What exactly are we supposed to doing here to change the status bar icons? What file specifically are we skinning that should be placed in the app folder?

  • Justin

    my metamorph wont restart to show changes? when i turn off phone and turn back on manually it does nothing what do i do?

  • john

    lock screen, notification bar, notification bkgrnd, battery, 3g and signal thingy, and usb connected work on my LG Ally, froyo.
    sms icon, mms icon, google transparent widget, and youtube transparent widget do NOT work. nothing happens, it says it works, reboots fine, but no change. at least im not bricking it right? does anyone know why some work and others don’t, and what to do?

  • jonny

    where can i find and download themes

  • Byronbfd

    Do I follow these same instruction for a smasung galaxy player 5.0.

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