Your phone’s volume overlay — the user interface that allows you to manage your volume and alerts settings — probably isn’t something you think about often. Each operating system has its own style of overlay, whether we’re talking about iOS 26’s Liquid Glass or Android 16’s Material 3 Expressive. In fact, each subset of Android features a different volume interface design, which is why the overlay style differs between Samsung Galaxy, Google Pixel, OnePlus, and other Android brands. I thought I was stuck with the volume overlay that came with my Android phone, but it turns out that isn’t the case.

There’s a handy customization app called Volume Styles on the Google Play Store, and it makes it possible to select a custom volume overlay for your Android phone. You can make your Android volume interface look like a Windows PC, or like an iPhone, or almost anything else. Beyond that, Volume Styles can add extra shortcuts and toggles to the stock Android volume overlay, bringing functionality alongside the stylish designs. It’s one of the coolest free Android apps you probably didn’t know existed.

This app changes your Android volume overlay

You can choose whichever style suits your preference, from iOS to Windows

Credit: Brady Snyder / MakeUseOf

Volume Styles runs as an accessibility service on your Android phone, detecting the volume button inputs in order to show the custom overlay. When you press the volume up or down keys on your smartphone with Volume Styles active, the custom overlay selected will take the place of your operating system’s default option. You need to grant these accessibility permissions for the app to work, but the app’s developer says that only the volume button inputs are read by the app. Additionally, the app doesn’t collect information of any kind and explicitly doesn’t record keystrokes.

There are five tabs in the Volume Styles app that let you tweak Android’s volume overlay: Styles, Style settings, Customize, Advanced, and About. The first one is pretty straightforward — Styles is where you select a theme for your volume overlay. After tapping a style, press the Start button on this page to watch your Android volume UI transform into a new-look overlay. Similarly, you can hit the Stop button to go back to your system default at any time. To try it, click one of the volume buttons and a new overlay will appear. You can then interact with it using your phone’s touchscreen, just like the traditional volume overlay.

Credit: Brady Snyder / MakeUseOf

The Style settings page is for customizing the volume overlay further by adjusting aspects like the panel position, corner radius, slider length, and slider thickness. This might be helpful if the default Android volume overlay has a tendency to obstruct content on your screen. The similar Customize page offers granular controls as to which sliders appear in the volume overlay and how long the UI remains visible before timing out. There’s also a trick that lets you open the volume overlay with a swipe gesture at any time, saving you a button press.

Finally, the Advanced section includes the most specific toggles, like whether a volume button actually changes the volume on first press. With this option disabled, you can use your volume rocker as a hotkey for Android’s volume overlay without needing to adjust your volume level in the process.

Who knew your volume sliders could invoke nostalgia?

I’m throwing it back to older Android and Windows versions with this app

By far, the coolest part of the Volume Styles app is all the weird and wacky volume overlay designs there are to choose from. There are a handful of classic Android styles, including Android 16, Android 16 RGB, Paranoid Android, Android 13, Android 11, and Android Horizontal. So, if there was one Android volume overlay design that really resonated with you, it’s possible to switch back to it while keeping your phone on Android 16.

There are similar styles for One UI, OxygenOS, iOS, ColorOS, Realme UI, EMUI, Vivo Funtouch OS, and MIUI. Personally, I love the look of the OxygenOS volume sliders, and I added them to my Google Pixel 10 Pro with this free app.

If you want to really get wild with Volume Styles, the app offers support for the Windows volume overlay. The developer didn’t stop there — it also added support for the Windows Phone volume overlay, which is great for anyone still wishing Microsoft made a mobile OS. I never got to use Windows Phone in its heyday, and it was pretty cool to try the Windows Phone volume slider UI on my modern flagship. Beyond the name-brand offerings, there are custom looks that add knobs, emojis, elastics, waves, and RGB to your Android volume overlay. Between the preset styles and the customization options, the possibilities are endless.

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You can add shortcuts to the volume overlay for speedy adjustments

Credit: Brady Snyder / MakeUseOf

Power users want more than just good looks — they also need functionality. Luckily, the Volume Styles app covers those bases too. Aside from the customization tools we’ve already covered, the Volume Styles app lets users add shortcuts, sliders, and toggles to the standard volume overlay. For example, you can add a brightness slider or add a screenshot shortcut to the volume overlay. The Android button or toggle you use most can probably be added to the user interface with the Volume Styles app, which is incredibly cool.

Is the app a bit gimmicky? Sure, but Android is all about customization, and Volume Styles offers the tool you need to personalize your smartphone.

OS

Android

Price model

Free (ad-supported/in-app purchases)

Volume Styles is an Android customization app that lets you change your smartphone’s volume overlay. The app has presets for various Android skins, and there are even iOS and Windows styles available. It’s free with ads, or you can upgrade to the premium version with a one-time, $2.49 purchase.