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Root looking to change notification bar to black...

hasbrobot

Android Enthusiast
Dec 26, 2009
286
15
Florida
Im running froyo the most recent update and have searched for more hours the I can recall. Can anyone tell me if its possible to change the notification bar to black. I've found methods but none are recent. Is there something easy perhaps without changing the theme, I'm running stock and would like to keep it. Is it possible to change it through Metamorph?

Thank You :D
 
Im running froyo the most recent update and have searched for more hours the I can recall. Can anyone tell me if its possible to change the notification bar to black. I've found methods but none are recent. Is there something easy perhaps without changing the theme, I'm running stock and would like to keep it. Is it possible to change it through Metamorph?

Thank You :D

Perhaps, you'll have to ask one of the theme developers on more advice on how to exactly accomplish this.

However, my understanding is that you will still need to be rooted in order to accomplish this, as the notification bar is part of the system itself, and to make changes to the system you need to be rooted.

Easiest way is to root, then flash a custom rom with any of the black themes.

He doesn't want a full custom ROM, he wants one thing changed.
 
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yeah, no reason to flash a ROM, he wants 1 change in what he likes, just like I did in my battery % via using metapmorph.

SO, the key is.. if we/you can find what .apk holds the status bar - the top most bar with the clock, battery, 3G in it.. I assume that is what you meant - or if it is the notification bar - the drop down slid - either way it would seem png files makes these up. need to find those first, that is step 1 and once you find where those are, you can remake you own matching the correct dimensions on any color or opacity you want. THEN, the next big step will be trying to package it correctly to have it overwrite the old one and install it via metamorph.

either way, it seems what you want is a metamorph method for this. and of course, you will need to be rooted for sure to do this as metamorph requires root.. and I "think" the OP means he is on the stock rooted 2.2, like me, that has no real tweaks or frills?? he does not have like a custom ROM.

I believe that Pete's 0.4 has a black drop down notification bar. so, the key is to find that, download it, and start uncompressing the apk files and looking for those png images.
 
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yeah, no reason to flash a ROM, he wants 1 change in what he likes, just like I did in my battery % via using metapmorph.

SO, the key is.. if we/you can find what .apk holds the status bar - the top most bar with the clock, battery, 3G in it.. I assume that is what you meant - or if it is the notification bar - the drop down slid - either way it would seem png files makes these up. need to find those first, that is step 1 and once you find where those are, you can remake you own matching the correct dimensions on any color or opacity you want. THEN, the next big step will be trying to package it correctly to have it overwrite the old one and install it via metamorph.

either way, it seems what you want is a metamorph method for this. and of course, you will need to be rooted for sure to do this as metamorph requires root.. and I "think" the OP means he is on the stock rooted 2.2, like me, that has no real tweaks or frills?? he does not have like a custom ROM.

I believe that Pete's 0.4 has a black drop down notification bar. so, the key is to find that, download it, and start uncompressing the apk files and looking for those png images.

Sorry, but it is not that simple as an .APK.

IIRC, it has to do with modifying other files like framework.res and perhaps something else.

MillerTime wrote a guide for it way back when, that may still apply, let me find it for you.
 
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no no... I know there is more to it. I said that. I was also being somewhat general at thsi stage.

the png image(s) used to run that color function are more than likely in framework-res.apk. Once you find and edit them, then yes, THAT is where it becomes more complicated in creating the package that you use metamorph to put back.

and, having just done it days ago right here using metamorph, besides making my new images, and putting them into a folder framework-res>res>drawable-hdpi and verifying the path in an xml file (<item>framework-res.apk</item> <path>/system/framework/</path>) metamorph put it right where it needed to be.
 
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See this older guide - [Guide] Change notification/clock/pull down text colors - not sure how well it works with 2.2, but Since there are 2.-specific themes that use a dark coloring, I figure this should work as well....

in just a quick scan of that, I think the whole metamorph method condeses much of the more tedious work the guide outlines. so for me, I would reverse engineer the metamorph file noted in that guide and then go from there.

EDIT: I just did a quick look in those zipped files and sure enough, they are images and they are exactly at the path I said above where they would be AND, as expected, generaly speaking all you do is create the images you want, in the right size, using the SAME file names and when metamorph pushed the data, it overwrites them and then yours show up.. just like I did with my clock % mod
 
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no, it may not do the notification bar.. I didnt care about that per se in making my point. it is the fact that the principals are the same, location is the same no matter what color of what existing png item in the framework-res.apk. it is the higher level concepts that are taken from that that help reverse engineer what would need to be done in the "exact" case of changing just the notification bar. similar principles can be extracted and applied to the just the battery icons - like I did - or the notification bar or the 3G icon or the Airplane mode icon, etc, etc. no doubt you would need to change a png file for this. I already looked into the framework-res directory and found the png to do the top status bar, so I am sure the png's to do the notification bar - as I am sure it would be more than 1 since you have a notification bar background + the highlighted vertical bars, etc..
 
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If you're rooted and you can easily use an image editor, I'd look around for a tutorial to edit the notification bar images around - it will at the very least give you an idea of what to look for or where to look for it / them.

Also, LNL seems to have a good handle on how he did what he wanted, so he may be able to help.

I still say contact a Theme developer - they should have the best experience at doing this.
 
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I am no pro mind you, but I pulled off exactly what the OP wanted to do. I did the batteries, he wants the notification bar. I edited 10 images, he might have to do 2-3. can't be to far from different given his images more than likely live in same folder as batteries and what looks like every other key image lives. even the status bar background lives there.

as I see it, the issue is not finding the images to edit, not editing them, not knowing how to package them back into a directory structure that matches the system, not zipping that and then renaming it to an apk file. THE issue, as I see it, is correctly making sure that it is finally packaged correctly such that metamorph says "ah yes, I know what these are and I know where to place them". For me, I reversed engineered another example I found on the web that was related to batteries to make sure I had the XML file in place - and seeing it is not "battery" related per se when I looked into it, it is more file structure related. like a road map that tells metamorph to "put these files right here". then I rebooted and viola.. custom battery icons.
 
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Im running froyo the most recent update and have searched for more hours the I can recall. Can anyone tell me if its possible to change the notification bar to black. I've found methods but none are recent. Is there something easy perhaps without changing the theme, I'm running stock and would like to keep it. Is it possible to change it through Metamorph?

Thank You :D

U know, it took me FOREVER to figure this out, and it was the simplest thing. This is what I did (I am rooted):

1. Find a theme with the black notification bar, where the themer doesnt mind u using their images.
2. Pull the framework-res.apk file from that theme.
3. Use 7-zip or winrar and right click on the file. Select open the archive.
4. Inside of the archive that you just opened, navigate to res>drawable-hdpi.
5. Locate the file statusbar_background.9.png, this is the notification bar image (make sure its this exact file bcuz there are alot of them that have the word status bar in the name).
6. Copy the .png from step 5 somewhere onto ur computer.
7. Pull the framework-res.apk file from ur phone located at system>framework (u can do this with adb or by copying it using root explorer).
8. Repeat steps 3 and 4 on the framework-res.apk u just pulled from ur phone.
9. Drag the .png that u copied to ur computer in step 6 into the open framework-res.apk file from ur phone.
10. Push the framework-res.apk file that u got from ur phone back to system>framework (I always have to change the permissions on the framework-res.apk file back to rw-r-r using root explorer).
11. Reboot ur phone and the notification bar should be black!

I tried to make this as succinct as possible. I am new to this so if I missed something, or someone just has something to add please do so!

And to the OP if u have ne problems with the steps I listed PM me and I will try to help u out..good luck!
 
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Changing the bar color is actually really easy. It's just a couple .pngs.

The problem is changing the text colors so it isn't black on black. You have to edit xml files (in services.jar I believe) and it's a pita.

It's way more than you are asking for, but CM6 has the option to change the status bar color, and the text colors, from an easy to use menu in the settings :D

I think it was bgill who had a simple black bar mod, that only changed the status bar to black, but I haven't seen one for stock froyo yet. If he's on these forums, maybe you can send him a PM and request a port.
 
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Changing the bar color is actually really easy. It's just a couple .pngs.

The problem is changing the text colors so it isn't black on black. You have to edit xml files (in services.jar I believe) and it's a pita.

It's way more than you are asking for, but CM6 has the option to change the status bar color, and the text colors, from an easy to use menu in the settings :D

I think it was bgill who had a simple black bar mod, that only changed the status bar to black, but I haven't seen one for stock froyo yet. If he's on these forums, maybe you can send him a PM and request a port.

Bingo. Notification bar requires more to edit than a simple battery % (for example). You need to figure out all the text colors when your bar is black. Like I suggested earlier, it will most likely be simpler to load a custom rom ;)
 
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U know, it took me FOREVER to figure this out, and it was the simplest thing. This is what I did (I am rooted):

1. Find a theme with the black notification bar, where the themer doesnt mind u using their images.
2. Pull the framework-res.apk file from that theme.
3. Use 7-zip or winrar and right click on the file. Select open the archive.
4. Inside of the archive that you just opened, navigate to res>drawable-hdpi.
5. Locate the file statusbar_background.9.png, this is the notification bar image (make sure its this exact file bcuz there are alot of them that have the word status bar in the name).
6. Copy the .png from step 5 somewhere onto ur computer.
7. Pull the framework-res.apk file from ur phone located at system>framework (u can do this with adb or by copying it using root explorer).
8. Repeat steps 3 and 4 on the framework-res.apk u just pulled from ur phone.
9. Drag the .png that u copied to ur computer in step 6 into the open framework-res.apk file from ur phone.
10. Push the framework-res.apk file that u got from ur phone back to system>framework (I always have to change the permissions on the framework-res.apk file back to rw-r-r using root explorer).
11. Reboot ur phone and the notification bar should be black!

I tried to make this as succinct as possible. I am new to this so if I missed something, or someone just has something to add please do so!

And to the OP if u have ne problems with the steps I listed PM me and I will try to help u out..good luck!

Thanks for this info helenoftory. I'd like to try this myself also. Have you ever edited the text color also? It seems that some are saying this needs to be done if you change the notification bar color.
 
Upvote 0
U know, it took me FOREVER to figure this out, and it was the simplest thing. This is what I did (I am rooted):

1. Find a theme with the black notification bar, where the themer doesnt mind u using their images.
2. Pull the framework-res.apk file from that theme.
3. Use 7-zip or winrar and right click on the file. Select open the archive.
4. Inside of the archive that you just opened, navigate to res>drawable-hdpi.
5. Locate the file statusbar_background.9.png, this is the notification bar image (make sure its this exact file bcuz there are alot of them that have the word status bar in the name).
6. Copy the .png from step 5 somewhere onto ur computer.
7. Pull the framework-res.apk file from ur phone located at system>framework (u can do this with adb or by copying it using root explorer).
8. Repeat steps 3 and 4 on the framework-res.apk u just pulled from ur phone.
9. Drag the .png that u copied to ur computer in step 6 into the open framework-res.apk file from ur phone.
10. Push the framework-res.apk file that u got from ur phone back to system>framework (I always have to change the permissions on the framework-res.apk file back to rw-r-r using root explorer).
11. Reboot ur phone and the notification bar should be black!

I tried to make this as succinct as possible. I am new to this so if I missed something, or someone just has something to add please do so!

And to the OP if u have ne problems with the steps I listed PM me and I will try to help u out..good luck!

FYI - on a mac, step #3 can be done by just renaming the apk to zip and it will unzip

I would say metamorph pretty much does steps 9 - 11 for you and adds some automation and ease for just quick loading themes or theme pieces like this. I did not do it that way, I used metamorph, but I like seeing the "manual" way of doing it.
 
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See this older guide - [Guide] Change notification/clock/pull down text colors - not sure how well it works with 2.2, but Since there are 2.-specific themes that use a dark coloring, I figure this should work as well....

If anybody does change their notification bar to black and/or you also change the pull down to black you will need the link above that johngalt posted. That link will tell you how to change the text colors for each component. Also note that any notification from an app such as the phone or music would also need to be changed, this is why most just decide to load a theme.
 
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Thanks for this info helenoftory. I'd like to try this myself also. Have you ever edited the text color also? It seems that some are saying this needs to be done if you change the notification bar color.

Only if black text is a problem with it. I've changed mine to red, green, yellow(tan), and the black text is fine. Dark blues/black are unreadable, however.
 
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Thanks for this info helenoftory. I'd like to try this myself also. Have you ever edited the text color also? It seems that some are saying this needs to be done if you change the notification bar color.


Hi! I had to change mine, but I never ventured to do it manually lol! I am using chevy's simply stunning 4.6, and that did it for me!
 
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FYI - on a mac, step #3 can be done by just renaming the apk to zip and it will unzip

I would say metamorph pretty much does steps 9 - 11 for you and adds some automation and ease for just quick loading themes or theme pieces like this. I did not do it that way, I used metamorph, but I like seeing the "manual" way of doing it.

Thanks for the tip!:D
 
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