How to Choose the Right Android Launcher for You

Android is an open, infinitely customizable platform. This gives developers as well as users many opportunities to try different things. There are over 1 billion Android users out there and different users have different preferences, different needs. Usually, choice is a good thing.

But when it comes to the Android launcher, sometimes I wish it was more like iOS, where there’s only one non-customizable Springboard home screen (gasp!). But this is Android, the land of the free. Anything less than a billion options to replace a particular feature will not respect droid.

We are not in iOS land, now we are in Android world. I’ve tried many launchers over the years, I’ve written countless articles about them (and I have a feeling this won’t be my last). Here’s what I’ve learned in my journey. This is my total knowledge. Here’s how to choose the right launcher for you.

What not to do

Before we get to the good stuff (and there’s a lot of good stuff), let’s first talk about the do’s and don’ts. Stay away from any launcher that proudly advertises features that have nothing to do with making app launch faster/better. Apps that advertise how they will improve your phone’s performance (Boost!) or clear RAM (Turbo!) and make your phone faster should be off your list.

You want an app that will provide the best home screen experience. You are not looking for a cleaner or a performance utility.

Hola Launcher is a prime example. It is not a very stable or well written application. It will change all app icons by default and add shortcuts for other Hola-branded apps that you didn’t request. The app has a swipe down gesture, but instead of putting the search field in focus and automatically showing the keyboard, it just shows a screen filled with semi-contextual content. Similar to Go Launcher These are not well thought out apps.

I have heard a lot about APUS launcher. You know how? I got to their Play Store page thanks to sites with spam pop-ups that automatically open apps in the Play Store. If an app is using spamming techniques to promote their app, it’s possible that they’re ready to engage in other unethical activities related to your personal information. Stay away from those apps (and this advice isn’t limited to launchers).

Apps like APUS, CM Launcher, Go Launcher Z, Hola and the like are trying to create an ecosystem, not trying to make the best home screen app possible. They have a performance booster, built-in app store, recommended apps, promotions and ads. If you are looking for all that, good and good. But most of us don’t.

Simple and basic: Google Now Launcher

If you’re not looking for something fancy or smart but still want a well thought out launcher that integrates with Google Now and voice search (OK Google), just use our launcher. Google itself. If you’re using a phone that came with the manufacturer’s usually clunky launcher, switching to the Now Launcher will speed up your phone dramatically.

Simple yet powerful: EverythingMe

EverythingMe is my launcher of choice. To my surprise, it really helped me understand the 200 apps I installed and made it easy to launch apps. First of all, the app creates smart folders for all installed apps. It puts apps like Instagram, Pocket, Hangouts etc in appropriately labeled folders without me having to do anything (can edit them). EverythingMe has a really handy and fast search feature. Swiping down with one finger brings up the keyboard. Type anything – apps, contacts, songs and you’ll find it here. Believe it or not, it’s faster than Google’s own device search engine.

The apps I talked about above – Go Launcher, APUS, etc. also support smart folders, but EverythingMe does it much better.

For contextual information junkies: Aviate, Buzz, Z Launcher

My mom loves Nokia’s Z Launcher. She couldn’t understand how easy it was to just scribble the first letter of the app on the screen and have it right there. The app is in beta and constantly improving (they finally added widget support). Z Launcher will show the most used and contextual apps on the home screen.

Aviate is another Yahoo launcher that brings the power of contextual awareness to your home screen. Depending on the time of day and your usual activity, you will find that the appropriate apps will just appear.

Beauty Matters: Themer and Buzz Launcher

I went through a phase where I themeed my homescreen myself (yup). I’m over it now, but you might not. If you care more about looks and want your launcher to be unique and beautiful, you should check out Themes. They have thousands of amazing themes and it only takes a few seconds to apply them. Buzz Launcher is a similar option but seems a bit cumbersome to me.

Proficient and willing users: Action Launcher 3 and Nova Prime

If you proudly call yourself an Android Enthusiast/Professional user and you don’t think paying for software is a silly concept (I wish there were more people like you), $3.99 off for Action Launcher 3 (via in-app purchase). It doesn’t have any BS features like Turbo Boost. It exists only to serve one purpose – to give you powerful features when launching the app.

You’ll find super useful ways to launch apps that may sound weird at first. You’ll have options to tweak little things about the app drawer (sort by most used, remember last position), and the app has a useful widget. Just swipe up on an app’s icon to see the default widget. Action Launcher is famous for its Quickdrawer that slides in from the left and lists all the apps.

The paid version has the same feature for widgets accessible from the right side of the screen. And the app has more features. The video below talks about them in detail.

If I were writing this list a few years ago, the top payout would have been Nova Prime. Don’t get me wrong, this app is still very powerful to this day. But it’s too hard to use. If your cool idea is to spend an hour and a half messing around with your launcher settings to customize it just the way you like it – go for it. Nova Prime adds powerful features like customizable gestures, hidden apps, swipeable dock and more.

But unlike Action Launcher, a lot of the cool stuff in Nova is available in the free version. Speaking of which.

Proficient users on a budget: Nova Launcher

The free version of Nova is my perfect launcher for 2011. And it could be for you, too. If you want to create custom layouts, disable app labels, change app icons, and create a beautiful, unique home screen of your own – then Nova is the answer for you. The free version will let you do all of that and the app recently got a Material Design update and let me tell you, installing the app is much more intuitive now.

Hello iOS users: If you feel left out, don’t worry and check out our article on how to customize your iPhone’s Control Center.

How about you?

Now it’s your turn. If you are an Android veteran, I’m sure you have a war story or two when it comes to launchers. We all do. We are all friends here. So grab a drink and meet me in the comments section below.

Categories: How to
Source: thpttranhungdao.edu.vn/en/