What This App Actually Does
Themes by The Gosa Design is an unofficial theme browser aimed at owners of Xiaomi, Redmi, Samsung Galaxy, Oppo and Realme phones. It does not create its own themes; instead it acts as a middleman that redirects you to the official Themes Store on your device so you can install a theme, wallpaper or icon pack from there. It is aimed at people who like customizing their home screen look but do not want to dig through the built-in theme store’s default categories to find something specific.
The store description is upfront that this is unofficial and curated from an existing official store, which matches what reviewers experience: you browse inside this app, but the actual installation happens elsewhere. That distinction matters a lot for understanding both the praise and the complaints below.
Where It Genuinely Works Well
Several users report real satisfaction with specific results. One reviewer used the app to search for a ‘Samsung S6’ look on a Huawei P20 Pro, found a theme called Starry meteor EN, paid for it, and was happy with how the Samsung-style icons turned out. Another praised the wallpaper quality specifically, calling the cat and nature photo options unique, realistic, and high resolution. A third reviewer mentioned they keep coming back to this same type of app across multiple phones because it was pre-loaded on their first Infinix device and has stuck with them since.
So when the matching theme exists and works on your device, the payoff can be a legitimately nicer, more personalized looking phone.
The Compatibility Problems Are Frequent
The biggest recurring issue is that themes often do not work on the phone you actually own. One Redmi A5 user found the themes ‘adorable’ but not compatible with their own Xiaomi-family device. Another reviewer said themes that worked on an older Samsung phone were not compatible after upgrading to a newer software version (1ui8). A separate review specifically calls the wallpaper selection unexciting and notes the promised fonts feature simply is not there, despite the app description implying broader customization options like icons and fonts.
Ads and Redirect Behavior Are a Real Turn-Off
Multiple low-score reviews describe more than ordinary ad annoyance. One reviewer says a newer version of the app is clunky, broken, erased previously installed themes, and shows pop-up ads that resemble malware. Another reviewer goes further, describing ‘scareware’ ads that impersonate Google Security warnings to push unrelated software downloads. A third complaint frames the entire app as existing only to redirect users to the official store so the developer collects ad revenue, calling it ‘zero original content.’
Who Should Actually Download This
If you own a supported Samsung, Xiaomi, Redmi, Oppo or Realme device and mainly want an easier way to browse wallpapers before being sent to your phone’s real theme store, this can save you some scrolling. If you are on a newer software version, a less mainstream device, or you are sensitive to aggressive ads and unexpected security-style pop-ups, the complaints here suggest real risk of frustration. Given the ad and compatibility complaints are common and specific, go in with caution and be ready to uninstall if the redirect ads look suspicious.
