Microsoft’s Windows 95 is being revived, but not on your Windows PC. A Sweden-based developer has released a Windows 95 theme for the iPhone.
What does the Windows 95 iOS theme offer?
Microsoft’s Windows 95 came out long before Android and iOS even existed. It came with a graphical user interface (GUI), which changed how people interacted with computers.
“A real theme of the PC is to become a great communications tool and Windows 95 is a big step in that direction,” then-39-year-old Bill Gates said at the time of the Windows 95 launch.
Now you can put the same theme on your iPhone, thanks to Stockholm-based developer Emil Avara. The developer calls the new theme iOS95. This Windows 95 iOS theme skin mimics the original Windows 95 and can be downloaded for free.
iOS95 was hidden on Packix for some reason… It’s available for purchase again right here: https://t.co/Jba1trQqUO pic.twitter.com/S4aP7eXSwq
— Emil Avara (@emilavara) February 22, 2019
The iOS95 skin will transform your iPhone into a retro handheld PC. The Windows 95 iOS theme features old-fashioned icons for the taskbar and the familiar “Start” button. It also redesigns some of today’s apps, like Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat, to show how they might have looked back then.
Avara is offering a paid Windows 95 iOS theme as well. The “theme pack” costs $1.50 and includes a dock widget, lock screen, task bar widget and 50+ free icons. Users can also request icons for certain apps. To handle such requests, Avara has placed a request form on his site.
Avara’s iOS95 theme has received mixed responses on social media. Some believe the concept is truly incredible, while others question why anyone would want to adopt such a theme.
If you are planning to try the iOS95 theme, then you must know that Apple doesn’t officially allow users to change the theme of their devices. This means you will have to jailbreak your iPhone, and doing that voids your warranty.
“This theme pack requires an jailbroken iPhone with Cydia on it! Please don’t buy this package if you aren’t jailbroken,” Avara warns.
iOS95 is not the first Windows theme for iOS
This is not the first time a Windows 95 theme has been placed on an Apple gadget. In 2016, one Apple Watch owner was able to install Windows 95 on the smartwatch. The Apple Watch owner, Nick Lee, demonstrated in a YouTube video how the Windows software worked on the wearable. Lee also said in a post that he resorted to many hacks to get Windows 95 to work on the Apple Watch. Apple does not allow users to install a new operating system on its devices, or even apps it has not approved.
There is also a macOS “app” developed by Slack developer Felix Rieseberg. This app gives modern-day Mac computers a Windows 95 feel.
Best iPhone Launchers for Android
Unlike the iPhone, Android devices come with the option to customize the user interface with the help of launchers. There are several launchers which enable users to make their Android phone look like iPhone. Many of these launchers bring an iPhone-like interface to your phone while adding the same kinds of wallpapers and icons. Some of the iPhone launchers for Android devices include One Launcher, iLauncher – OS 9, Launcher for iPhone 7 and Phone X Launcher.
One Launcher is easy to use and does not take up much of the phone’s memory or CPU. It provides an iOS-like interface which isn’t exactly the same as iOS, although it does succeed in giving a feel of it. It also offers the same iOS transition effects, including displaying icon packs and system icons. The launchers let users choose from several transition effects and different themes from the launcher’s theme store. It can be downloaded for free.
iLauncher is another popular Android launcher. It offers a smooth interface. A big advantage of this launcher is that it offers good customization options and accurate transition effects and gestures. It supports Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean) or higher. iLauncher can be downloaded free, but some features are available only in the paid version.
Phone X Launcher is also used widely as it gives the same UI and wallpaper as one would get with iOS 11. It can make an Android phone look a lot like the iPhone X. In addition to the interface, this launcher also copies the notch and the Spotlight search.
