How to install new themes onto the Nokia N81 8GB

Nokia phones are famous for their ability to quickly take on a new 'look and feel' - otherwise known as a theme - in the form of different backgrounds, colours, sounds and sometimes even icons and the Nokia N81 8GB is no exception.

Why would you want to install a new theme on your Nokia N81 8GB? Well it could be to show your support for a football team, a favourite band or even just to have pictures of you family close to hand.

The fact is that your mobile phone is such a personal device - with messages, email, photos and contact info on it - that many people choose to customise its appearance to reflect those contents.

The Nokia N81 8GB is a Series 60 phone - sometimes called S60 or Symbian - and most themes designed for this OS and the screen resolution of 240 by 320 pixels will work on this phone.

We say most - there are always exceptions to every rule - but generally installing a theme from a reputable source such as Smartphone Tracker or online forums like Zedge is perfectly safe. The worst than can happen is a crime against taste or legibility and you can always revert back to one of the default themes in an instant.

The first step to installing a theme is to download it to your PC or Mac. Themes for the Nokia N81 8GB come in the form of a .sis file. You can even create your own themes using your own favourite images and colours online.

We recommend the basic and advanced Nokia theme creation tools at Ownskin - registration is required but they are excellent online Flash tools that work on both PC and Mac.

1. Download the .sis theme file to your PC or Mac
2. Use Bluetooth or a USB connection cable to transfer the file to your N81 8GB (see our separate help articles for USB and Bluetooth for more info on this)
3. You will be prompted whether you want to install the received inbound .sis file. Follow the prompts until the theme is installed

To preview and switch between pre-installed themes do the following:

1. Use the Menu shortcut button to go to the Main Menu screen (at the bottom left of the closed handset)
2. In the Main Menu screen, select and click the Tools icon
3. In the Tools screen, select and click Settings
4. In the Settings screen, select and click Personalisation
5. Scroll down and click Themes
6. You are now in the Themes area. Click on General
7. You will see a list of themes that are on your phone - plus a Download option that lets you install new themes over the internet. The currently active theme is indicated by green tick next to it
8. Scroll down to the theme you want and click on its name. If you want to preview a theme before installing it use, click on Options then Preview. You will see how the theme changes colours and backgrounds
9. Press on Set to install the new theme