If you’ve been enjoying the free themes that you usually get from the Samsung Themes shop, you better make the most out of the next few weeks as those days may soon be over. Once Android Pie arrives for your device, you will only be able to use those free themes for 14 days before it “expires”. While they are not totally removing the free themes, it may cause inconvenience for users or “force” them to just buy the theme to keep using it forever.
A notification in the Samsung Theme store states that the free theme service policy will change starting with Android 9.0 Pie. You will only be able to use the free theme for fourteen days. Once that period is over, your Home Screen will revert to the default TouchWiz theme. So you won’t be surprised, they will give you two prior notifications (one day before and 10 minutes before) so you can change the theme before it goes back.
While you can always switch to another free theme of course, this is obviously a ploy for Samsung to convince users to buy a theme or themes so they can keep it forever. There are designers out there who are willing to offer their themes for free, but Samsung says fourteen days is enough. We understand that they need to monetize but this seems like such a small thing that it borders on annoying.
The upcoming Samsung One UI looks nice enough anyway so you probably will not need to have a theme, free or paid, otherwise. The biggest addition to this is the Night Mode which everyone seems to be going crazy about lately. And it is based on Android Pie so if you like all the rounded things that you’ll find in the UX, then this should be good enough.
The changes will roll out with Android Pie so you probably still have a few months before it will take effect since it’s expected to arrive on the current flagship devices by early next year. So enjoy your free themes beyond fourteen days while you still can.
VIA: Droid Life
