CoverScreen OS brings functionality to Galaxy Z Flip3’s outer display

Even though the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 is one of their best-selling devices now, there are still a lot of improvements that they can do, particularly with the outer display of the foldable device. There’s a new, “experimental” third-party app that can make that screen more functional and useful. CoverScreen OS is now available on Google Play Store for free so you can do things like answer replies, access widgets, and even full apps on the cover screen of your Galaxy Z Flip 3.

The CoverScreen OS basically turns your cover screen into a “fully functional mini phone” as per the developer. It stimulates a secondary OS on the cover screen of the Galaxy Z Flip 3. It lets you do things like reply to messages, access widgets including support or third party apps home screen widgets, give you an app launcher/drawer, quick toggles, navigation gestures, notifications, an active media player card, voice keyboard support, and on-screen LED notification indicator.

When you install the app, it will also you to connect your Google account but it still seems to work even if you, later on, revoke the permission. There’s no need to root or have special modifications for the app to work, except for some accessibility permissions to run on top of other apps as well as notifications access. But it seems pretty much an easy app to install and based on the video the developer shared, it really does make your cover screen more useful than what Samsung lets you do now.

However, the app is still in an experimental phase so expect several bugs and issues while it’s still in development. Some users seem to have problems with apps or widgets that require unlocking since it gets stuck there. There are also some additional features that can be unlocked with a subscription. It costs $10/month or $99 for a one-time purchase. It seems pretty expensive especially since the core functions work for free anyway. But if you want the ads to go away, then subscribing is your only option.

You can download the CoverScreen OS from the Google Play Store for free. The developer says they need “heavy sustained development effort” to be able to bring a more stable version so you’ll have to do with the bugs for now.