Android 7.0 and 7.1, Nougat, are not the latest Android versions out there. That honour goes to version 8, codenamed Oreo. However, for users and fans of the Xposed Framework, Android Nougat has been a tough thing to love leave alone new and shiny Oreo. This is because the framework has not been working, at least on an official basis, on Android 7.0 and 7.1. Those who care about the many Xposed modules that they have amassed and gotten used to over the years have had to stick a dated version of Android, 6.0 Marshmallow, while crossing their fingers that rovo89, the faceless lead developer of the framework, would come through.
Come through he did, finally. Now, those with Android Nougat devices that have been rooted (and whose devices are supported anyway) can breathe easy and enjoy the extended customization options that the Xposed Framework is known for.
Maybe you’re reading up to this point and you’re wondering what the heck this is all about… Rest easy.
Xposed Framework
Forget the big words. The Xposed Framework is, at its simplest, an app that you install on your Android smartphone or tablet in order to extend the capabilities of that particular device. Since extensive customization is what is at play here, that means doing things that the people that made your device and those who supplied the software that it runs on, have restricted. That means, ordinarily, you wouldn’t be able to download and install the Xposed application package installation file (APK) just like you would any other app. You need to root your device first.
The beauty (and this is why Xposed is so popular) is that once your device is rooted and you are able to run the Xposed Framework on it, that’s about as much as you will ever want to do. You won’t need to go about the lengthy process of flashing custom firmware (ROMs) on your device so that you can change, extensively, the way it looks and whatnot. Xposed does that heavy lifting for you. Before Xposed came to the picture, one had to flash custom ROMs in order to be able to take their Android device customization to the next level.
The power of the Xposed Framework is best exploited using “Modules”. These modules (they can be apps) run on top of it (which is why the “app” is called a framework since other “apps” run on top of it) to enable the customization that is desired by the user. That could be displaying one’s name instead of the time, changing the colour of the status bar icons etc. Just about anything under the sun is possible. Of course, that last statement comes with caveats, that should go without saying.
This explainer is a bit basic and may not be as satisfying as we would want it to be. Feeling a bit geeky and want to know more about the Xposed Framework? XDA Developers is the place to start. Of course, we’d be happy to take questions if you have any but therein, you will find much more information and a much bigger community that is dedicated to the course of making Android as awesome a platform as it can ever be. Good luck!
