One of the first things a software developer does when beginning to work with a new IDE or tool set is to look for ways to customize their environment, either to better fit the way they work or to match their sense of style. For example, I always prefer my code editor to display primarily green text on a black background (black on white just hurts my eyes!). Development with the Android SDK offers both customization of the IDE (eclipse settings) as well as customization of the emulator with the use of “skins”.
Each version of the android platform comes with several default skins which you can find located in the directories under <android-sdk-base-directory>/platforms/android-X.X/skins. An android skin consists of a single layout file referencing a number of image files.
One particular skin that caught my eye was the platform-1.5/HVGA skin which looked most similar to the android-based phones I was looking at. However, not content with the drab maroon/red color scheme I decided to load up the main device background image in “The Gimp” image editing tool to add some zip. The results are shown below – a basic “leather” phone and “camo” style for military enthusiasts.
Sample Skins created for Android Emulator with The Gimp
I’ve made these two skins freely available for download in a zip file at the bottom of this post. Also included in the zip file is a gimp format file (device.xcf) if you’re familiar with the tool and would like to try overlaying your own textures using the “mask” layer. To use these skins, simply unzip the file into the skins directory of the platform(s) you are targeting.
The next step is to open the Android SDK and AVD manager, delete your existing Android Virtual Device, and add a new device for the platform and skin you wish to use:
Here is one other site I found with skins more closely matching real phones if you’d like to try them as well. Enjoy!