Samsung Galaxy phones are the most customized Android devices out there, and the official Good Lock app is the reason. Two of its modules — Notifications and Edge Lighting+ — let you restyle how alerts appear without flashing a custom ROM. Here is how to set them up.
Installing Good Lock
- Open the Galaxy Store (Samsung's own app store, not the Play Store).
- Search for Good Lock and install it (free, made by Samsung).
- Open Good Lock; you will see a grid of modules. Install Notifications and Edge Lighting+.
Note: Good Lock is unavailable on some China-region ROMs. If it is missing, you can still tune alerts in Settings → Notifications and add a history/log app separately.
Notifications module (lock-screen style)
The Notifications module controls how alerts look on your lock screen and shade:
- Lock screen notification style — choose between brief (compact cards), detailed (full content), or an "only icons" look.
- Emoji — pick a decorative emoji shown alongside incoming alerts.
- Transparency & layout — tweak card background and grouping.
This is purely cosmetic: it changes appearance, not which apps can alert you or whether alerts are saved.
Edge Lighting+ (glow effects)
Edge Lighting+ wraps incoming notifications in a colored glow along the screen edges:
- Choose a theme (gradient, particles, etc.).
- Set which apps trigger the glow.
- Adjust duration and brightness so it is visible but not distracting.
It is a great "I saw the edge flash" cue when your phone is face-up on a desk.
What Good Lock can't do
Good Lock is about style, not memory. It will not:
- Pin an important alert so it stays at the top of your shade.
- Keep a searchable history of alerts you dismissed.
- Recover a notification you cleared by accident.
For those, pair Good Lock with Dingpin. Dingpin logs every notification locally and lets you pin the few that matter — the functional layer Good Lock does not cover. Together they give Galaxy owners both the look and the safety net.
What Good Lock is
Good Lock is Samsung's official customization suite for One UI. It is a meta-app that contains many smaller modules ("apps") you can install individually to customize specific aspects of the phone. Each module is independent — you only get the features you install. The whole suite is free.
Modules that touch notifications
Several Good Lock modules directly affect how notifications work:
- Notification Star. Adds a star icon to every notification; starred items persist across reboots and clearing.
- One Hand Operation +. Lets you reach the notification shade from anywhere on the screen, useful on large phones.
- QuickStar. Customizes the quick settings panel layout.
- Edge Lighting +. Controls the edge lighting effect when notifications arrive.
How to install
- Install Good Lock from the Galaxy Store.
- Open the app.
- Browse or search for the module you want.
- Tap install. Each module downloads separately and shows up in your app drawer.
Notification Star in detail
This is the most useful module for notification management:
- Adds a star icon next to each notification.
- Starred items get a separate list in the shade.
- Starred items survive "Clear all" and reboots.
- You can configure a custom notification sound for starred items only.
Notification Star and Dingpin serve similar purposes. Many Samsung users end up using both: Notification Star for permanent flagged items, Dingpin for searchable history and export.
Region availability
Good Lock is officially supported in most regions but not all. If unavailable in your Galaxy Store, you can sideload from the Good Lock website, but this carries a small risk and may void Samsung Knox warranties in enterprise setups.
For the broader Samsung story, see best notification apps for Samsung, Samsung notification history, and floating notifications on Samsung.
Official documentation
If you want to check anything against the source, these are the pages this guide is based on:
FAQ
What is Good Lock and is it safe on Samsung?
Good Lock is Samsung's official, free customization app (downloaded from the Galaxy Store). It is made by Samsung, receives regular updates, and does not require root. The Notifications and Edge Lighting+ modules are the two most useful for restyling alerts.
Can Good Lock change the notification sound or pin alerts?
Good Lock changes how notifications look (lock-screen layout, emoji, edge glow), not whether they are pinned or logged. To keep an alert at the top of your shade or build a searchable history, you still need a dedicated app like Dingpin.
Why can't I find Good Lock on my Galaxy?
Good Lock is distributed through the Samsung Galaxy Store, not the Play Store, and is unavailable on some China ROMs. If it is missing, you can still manage alerts via Settings → Notifications and a history/log app such as Dingpin.