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Unlike the Motorola Razr+, the Galaxy Z Flip 5‘s larger cover screen doesn’t let you run any app, at least not out of the box. Samsung plans to add this ability via its Good Lock suite of customization tools, which will get an update to enable this functionality. The problem here is that there’s no telling when the said update will arrive. Worse yet, Good Lock isn’t available globally. Thankfully, the CoverScreen OS app has got you covered.
Developed by XDA-recognized developer jagan2, CoverScreen OS has been around since 2021. It made the tiny 1.9-inch cover screens of the Galaxy Z Flip 4 and Galaxy Z Flip 3 a lot more usable by allowing users to run any app. It does the same on the Galaxy Z Flip 5 as well. The latest model’s 3.4-inch external display is already capable of running any app, but Samsung‘s weird approach means you might have to still rely on this third-party solution.
A demo video posted on X (formerly Twitter) shows the developer using the CoverScreen OS app to run Gmail, Google TV, Netflix, Samsung Notes, File Manager, and more on the Galaxy Z Flip 5’s cover screen (via). They could switch back and forth between the apps. The developer says that you can also add any widget to the cover screen. They “spent days in a Samsung Store, several hours at a stretch” to add these abilities.
I literally spent days in a Samsung Store, several hours at a stretch to add experimental support for Z Flip 5
You can now run/add any App/Widget on Z Flip 5!@Captain2Phones @tkdsl8655 @MKBHD @AndroidPolice @AndroidAuth @verge @UnboxTherapy @TechWiser @jvtechtea @TrakinTech pic.twitter.com/L1rWpwUSP7
— CoverScreen OS (@coverscreen_os) July 31, 2023
It’s high time Samsung makes Good Lock available globally
The ability to run any app on the cover screen unlocks a whole new foldable experience. It will let you get things done without unfolding the device. This is precisely what the Motorola Razr+ does by default, and the Galaxy Z Flip 5 should also have done. But Samsung decided to make it a Good Lock feature rather than a default behavior. It isn’t a major inconvenience, but the limited availability of Good Lock is an issue.
If not for this approach, the Coverscreen OS app would have been redundant for Galaxy Z Flip 5 users. But people living in regions where Good Lock isn’t officially available may now have to rely on it to get the best out of their shiny new foldable. Perhaps it’s high time Samsung makes Good Lock available globally. The Galaxy Z Flip 5 hits the market on August 11, so the time is running out if the company wants to give its users the next foldable experience from day one. Meanwhile, you can click the button below to download CoverScreen OS once your new Flip arrives.