Android trick: How to turn your smartphone into a Nokia 1280

If you want to change the way your smartphone looks, why not try turning it into a feature phone? Try out this Nokia 1280 Launcher on your phone.

Published: Sep 03, 2023, 07:46 PM IST

A smartphone running Nokia 1280 Launcher (Image: XFix/ YouTube)

Story Highlights

An Android launcher called Nokia 1280 Launcher is getting famous.
It changes your phone's screen into the iconic Nokia 1280.
You can use the T9 keyboard and even play the Snake game.

If you have an Android phone, there are hundreds of thousands of things you can try with the software to make it look different. You could try different fonts, different colours and wallpapers, different themes, and even different interface navigation patterns. But if you are feeling adventurous you could break the monotony with Android launchers. These launchers bring a design overhaul to the software, although not permanently. You could make your Android phone work like an iPhone or your OnePlus phone like a Samsung phone. But the internet has found a new trend. People are turning their smartphones into the classic and iconic Nokia 1280.

At first and in plain sight, you will be hard-pressed to believe that the phone you are seeing in photos and videos is not the original Nokia 1280. But when you take a closer look, you will realise it is a smartphone that has been turned into a Nokia 1280. Well, not exactly. An Android launcher makes it possible. It brings a Nokia 1280-inspired design and interface on the screen in a way that it is hard to tell if it is a smartphone instead. Not only does the display shrink to cover less than half of your actual phone’s display, but it also turns green while the text on it appears in black. The rest of the display features a virtual T9 keyboard in the same style as the Nokia 1280’s. You can even play the classic Snake game on it.

If you, too, want to toy around with your phone just for kicks or maybe use the old phone navigation as a welcome change to break away from smartphone habits, here is what you need to do:

— Go to the Play Store on your Android smartphone

— Look for “Nokia 1280 Launcher” published by ‘UniTiki’

— Download the app, which is around 20MB

— Scroll up from the bottom to reach the home screen or just press the home button on your smartphone’s screen

— Your phone will ask which launcher you want to use

— Chose Nokia 1280 Launcher, followed by a tap on ‘Always’

— Set permissions for notifications to make the launcher work properly

— Return to the home screen