Twitter has acquired Cover, an app that makes Android lock screens more useful, and its team for an undisclosed amount.  Though the Cover team stated that the app will remain downloadable on Google Play, there may still be a chance that Twitter will eventually replace the app in exchange for a new lock screen app complete with Twitter integration.

If you’re an Android user looking to spice up your lock screen, or a Cover user fearing the demise of the app, here are some interesting alternatives:

Start

Start makes your Android lock screen more useful with quick access to apps such as Facebook, Twitter, Flickr and YouTube. The screen also displays local weather forecasts, images from the handset’s photo gallery, and a bevvy of feeds from news providers.

Aside from quick access to apps and info, you can customize Start’s lock screen with hundreds of free themes, or photos from your image gallery. With all its features, Start could have been one power-hungry app, but it’s been designed for power savings.

NiLS Notifications Lock Screen

If you don’t need quick access to apps but just want a way to check notifications without unlocking your phone, then NiLS Notifications Lock Screen is worth a try.  Any app that creates standard notifications, or app notifications that appear on the Android notification bar, is supported by NiLS.  You can see app notifications such as SMS, emails, missed calls, Facebook alerts, and Whatsapp messages, to name a few.  The app is highly customizable allowing you to change the clock size, notification size, text color, background, opacity, and more.

Unlock Your Brain

You look at your phone multiple times a day to check for new messages or app notifications, but don’t you wish you could learn something new just by looking at your lock screen?

The Unlock Your Brain app aims to teach you a new language or solve a math puzzle whenever you want to unlock your phone.  Learn English, German, Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese, or other languages, by translating simple words to a different language.  The more you use it the more difficult it gets, as the app learns your progress.  It’s a fast and easy way to pick up a few new phrases in other languages, or enhance your math skills.

image via Start