You can customize Galaxy S21 navigation buttons and navigation bar with NavStar (a module of the Good Lock app) if you are not satisfied with the default navigation buttons and navigation bar.
This Galaxy S21 how-to guide explains what NavStar is, how to install and enable NavStar through Good Lock, and how to use it to customize Galaxy S21 navigation buttons and navigation bar.
Because NavStar works identically on all Samsung Galaxy phones with Android 11, this guide applies to not only Galaxy S21 but also other Galaxy phones with Android 11 updates, including Galaxy S20, Galaxy S10, Galaxy Note 10, and Galaxy Note 20.
Samsung removed most of the navigation bar customizations (e.g., as in Galaxy S8) when One UI was introduced. On Galaxy S21, by default, you can only customize the button layout, as discussed here.
To cater for seasoned Samsung phone owners, Samsung put most of the available customizations into NavStar, which is NOT pre-installed. Most Galaxy S21 owners, who migrated from iPhone or other Android phones, may not know that the Galaxy S21 navigation bar and navigation button are fully customizable through the official NavStar app.
In addition to customising navigation buttons and the navigation bar, Samsung offers many other customisations for Galaxy phones. So, instead of releasing these tools as individual apps, Samsung released Good Lock as a toolset, including all such customisations.
Good Lock, offered by Samsung, is an advanced official toolset for Galaxy phone owners to customize their phones. You can customize many aspects of the UI, e.g., lock screen, home screen, quick settings, notifications, navigation bar and navigation buttons, clockface, recent screen (multitasking), keyboard, 3D moving wallpapers, themes, one-hand operation, sound and audio settings.
Initially, the app was developed mainly for lock screen customization. But gradually, more and more modules (units) have been added. And now, Good Lock becomes a placeholder (box) for individual tools.
NavStar is a module (unit, plugin) of the Good Lock app. It allows you further to customize the Galaxy S21 navigation bar and navigation buttons.
Because these customizations may look very overwhelming for new owners, Samsung removed them from the firmware. You need to install them individually if you want to use them. Good Lock works as a portal for these tools, and therefore you can install and manage them easily in Galaxy Store.
Please note, if you are using navigation gestures on Galaxy S21 instead of navigation buttons, then NavStar offers a few additional options for navigation gestures.
To use NavStar on Galaxy S21, you must install Good Lock first because it is designed as a plugin of the Good Lock app.
On Galaxy Apps, you can search for the Good Lock, as shown below.
Once you locate the app, tap the download icon to install Good Lock. Of Course, you can tap the app to check the details of the app.
Please note Good Lock app is only available on Galaxy Store, not Google Play Store.
When installing the Good Lock app, You can see the progress, as shown in the screenshot above.
Once the app is installed, you can find it on the Galaxy S21 Apps screen (and Galaxy S21 Home screen if you choose to add new apps to the Home screen).
Now, you can open the Good Lock app from the Galaxy S21 Apps screen (or Home screen) or Galaxy Apps.
As mentioned, Good Lock is now a placeholder for other plugins. So, when you open the app, you will see a list of available modules, as shown below.
Each of these modules actually is listed as an app in Galaxy Apps. You have to install them individually if you need to use them.
In this guide, you want to customize Galaxy S21 navigation buttons and navigation bar. So, you should choose NavStar.
Tap NavStar, as shown below, to check the details of the app in Galaxy Apps.
You will be directed to the NavStar page in Galaxy Apps, as shown above.
Alternatively, you can reach this page by searching NavStar in Galaxy Apps.
Tap Install to install NavStar in Galaxy S21.
After installing NavStar, you will NOT see it on the Galaxy S21 Apps screen or Home screen. In other words, NavStar will not be listed as an app on Samsung Galaxy S21.
Instead, you must open the Good Lock app to see and use it. It is installed as a plugin (module) of the Good Lock app.
As shown in the screenshot below, you can find NavStar is ready for use in the Good Lock app.
Tap it to open NavStar. You need to enable it before you can customize Galaxy S21 navigation buttons and navigation bar.
As shown in the screenshot above, by default, the NavStar is NOT enabled after you install it. All customization options are greyed out.
You need to tap the switch to enable NavStar so that you can use it to customize the navigation bar and navigation buttons on Galaxy S21.
As mentioned, without NavStar, you can only customize the button layout of the Galaxy S21 navigation bar.
NavStar offers many options for you to customize almost all aspects of the Galaxy S21 navigation buttons and navigation bar.
You can choose some pre-installed navigation buttons, instead of the standard buttons, in the NavStar, as shown in the screenshot below.
These are just examples. You can edit them or create new navigation buttons and the corresponding navigation bar for Galaxy S21. Read on.
For example, you want to use the cat icon as Galaxy S21 navigation buttons.
Tap the navigation bar, as shown below.
Once you tap the cat icon one, as shown in the screenshot above, you will notice the navigation buttons update immediately.
Now, you will start to use this Galaxy S21 navigation bar.
As mentioned, the pre-installed navigation bars in NavStar are just examples. You can customize them or create your own navigation bar. You can even use your own images for navigation buttons on Galaxy S21.
To create your own Galaxy S21 navigation bars and navigation buttons, you can tap New configuration, as shown in the screenshot below.
You can create your own Galaxy S21 navigation bar in three steps:
- Choose the background colour of the navigation bar.
- Choose button layout (alignment).
- Define individual icon for Galaxy S21 navigation buttons.
Step 1: Choose the background colour
You can choose the background colour of the navigation bar.
The background colour only applies when you are using the light mode. If you are using the dark mode, then the background of the Galaxy S21 navigation bar will always be dark.
So, you may notice the colours offered are quite light (close to the white side).
After choosing the background colour for the navigation bar, you can now choose the button layout, as shown in the screenshot below.
- Default (centre aligned).
- Right aligned.
- Left aligned.
- Add button.
The first 3 options let you choose how the navigation buttons are aligned.
The Add button option lets you add up to 2 additional buttons to the navigation bar.
For example, as shown on the screenshot above, you can tap the Screen capture button to add it to the navigation bar.
NavStar allows you to add up to 2 buttons to the navigation bar.
You can place the additional buttons to the left or to the right of the navigation buttons by dragging the individual button to the right or left.
You are NOT allowed to put these two buttons between any navigation buttons.
Once you finish settings up the layout, you can now choose the graphic design of each button.
You need to customize the graphic design of the buttons (including the additional buttons) one by one.
For example, as shown in the screenshot below, you start with the Recents button. Tap the button to change the default design.
As shown on the screenshot above, you can find there are many graphic designs available.
You can tap the desired one to select it for the Recents button.
If you want to use your own images or designs, you can tap the More icons buttons to open the Gallery app to choose your images for the button.
You then repeat this process for each button that you want to customize.
As shown in the screenshot below, after you finish the customization of the buttons, you can then tap the Save button to save the configuration.
If you do not save the button, all customization will be discarded, and you cannot use it.
The new configuration can be found in the list of the available designs, as shown in the screenshot above.
To use your newly curated design, just tap it.
For example, as shown on the screenshot below, the navigation bar and navigation buttons change immediately after applying the new design.
You can edit delete any of the navigation bar designs (configurations), including the pre-installed configurations.
To edit or delete the design, tap and hold (long tap) the design, as shown below.
You can use the Edit button to edit the background, layout, and icons.
If you want to delete the configuration, tap the Delete button.
Some old Samsung Galaxy phones allow you to automatically hide the navigation bar and navigation buttons, even if the app does not support immersive mode.
Once the navigation bar (and navigation buttons) is hidden, you can call them out whenever you need them. You can even lock it so that you can manually show or hide the navigation bar.
This feature was removed from the firmware since Samsung moved to One UI.
Of course, you can find this feature in NavStar.
As shown in the screenshot below, you can tap the switch to turn on Show and hide button.
As shown in the screenshot above, once you enable the Show/hide button, the navigation bar (and the buttons) disappear, and you get a larger display area for the app.
When the navigation bar is hidden, you can swipe upwards from the bottom to call out the buttons, as illustrated in the screenshot above.
But now, the navigation bar (and navigation buttons) is floating over the screen, as shown in the screenshot below. You can use it normally.
If you want to lock the navigation bar and navigation buttons, you can double-tap the dot icon on the left side of the navigation bar, as shown below.
Once the navigation bar is locked, it will be fixed on the bottom part of the screen, not floating over contents.
Once the navigation bar is locked, it will always be shown.
You can then manually turn the navigation bar off by double-tapping the dot icon on the left side of the navigation bar.
Do you know how to use NavStar (Good Lock) to customize navigation buttons and the navigation bar on Samsung Galaxy phones?
If you have any questions or encounter any problems with using NavStar (Good Lock) to customize navigation buttons and the navigation bar on Samsung Galaxy phones, please let us know in the comments.
The community will help you.
If you have any questions on using Galaxy S21, you may check our detailed step-by-step Galaxy S21 guides:
- Galaxy S21 new features guides.
- Galaxy S21 how-to guides.
- Galaxy S21 camera guides.
- Galaxy S21 accessories guides.
You can also post questions or share your thoughts on our Facebook page.
The official Samsung Galaxy S21 user manual (PDF) in your local language can be read and download here.
If you want, you can drop us an email on the contact us page.
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