Launchers are the way that we organize, organize and interact with Android apps. Launchers typically consist of a series home screens that allow us to organize app shortcuts and widgets, while the rest of the apps are kept in an app drawer. Every phone has a launcher, from the top Android phones to the most budget smartphones. While some launchers can be great, third-party launchers are available to help you get it back up and running. Everybody has their ideal launcher. But if you don't have one yet, here are the top Android launchers we have loved and used for years.
Best Overall: Smart Launcher 5.
Source: Ara Wagoner / Android Central
AC Score 5 Smart Launcher is a long-standing product, but Smart Launcher 5 really took things to the next level. Although the home screen has a grid-less widget placing system and modular page system for pages, the real star is the app drawer. Smart Launcher 5 automatically organizes your apps into multiple categories. If you purchase Smart Launcher Pro you can also add custom categories to your drawer tabs and arrange them in various ways, including icon color and most-used to install times. Smart Launcher 5 offers a wide range of icons, including a responsive and extensive app drawer that includes widget placements. The gestures it uses are also top-notch, particularly the double-tap shortcuts to dock apps. These shortcuts work far better than the swipe shortcuts Nova or Action. Smart Launcher is part of my holy trinity for quick home screen themesing. It's been used in our Deadpool theme and the NBA Finals themes. The revamped MrMobile theme also used Smart Launcher. You can combine Smart Launcher's Icon Pack Studio and Android 12's Material You to create a home screen that seamlessly matches any wallpaper you have set. Simple setup and layout.
The tabbed app drawer is amazing
The fastest launcher to theme
Pros: Icons can't be placed at the top of your home screen.
The premium system can be confusing
Smart Launcher 5: Best Overall Simple setup and amazing widget pages Smart Launcher 5 won my heart and my home screen with its smart, adaptable app drawer, incredible icon options through Icon Pack Studio and simple home screen. Google Play
Nova Launcher: Resurgent Legacy
Source: Ara Wagoner / Android Central
AC Score 5 Nova Launcher is a dominant player in the home screen market for longer than any of us have used Android. This is because of one simple reason. Nova's unique combination of customization, convenience and cunning is unrivaled. Nova allows your phone to look more Pixel-y than the Pixel, and more TouchWiz-zy as the Galaxy. It does all with ease and grace. Nova allows you to create a unique, solid, and stable home screen while still being as simple or as beautiful as you like. Nova has a wide range of features that allow users to create the home screens they desire. These include subgrid positioning, robust backup systems, and many other useful features. Nova's "import other launchers" feature is a great option for users who are just starting to get used to third-party launchers. It is more reliable than any other launcher I have tried. Nova allows you to transition from the standard launcher to a customized experience. Nova Launcher 7 was also released to stable channels recently. This allowed everyone to enjoy the changes to settings and new launcher look, which has been available in beta for over a year. Nova was feeling a bit bloated and the Nova 7 update has made it easier for new users to get in, while also making it more flexible for those who are extremely picky about how they want to design their home screens. Con: It's easy to import existing launcher layouts.
There are tons of customization options
Stability and support are outstanding
Prime is yours for life.
It can be time-consuming to hem.
Resurgent Legacy Nova Launcher A reliable launcher that is easy to use and maintain. Google Play
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Source: Ara Wagoner / Android Central
AC Score 5 Quick Quicktheme Quickdrawer Quickpage Quickbar are the watchwords of Action Launcher and their users. Action Launcher is committed to being the fastest and most customizable launcher available for users who want everything set up exactly the way they want. Action Launcher's robust gesture controls and its ubiquitous Covers and Shutters, which hide folders and widgets beneath app icons, make it easy to create the home screen of your choice. To make Quicktheme's colors more consistent, you can set custom hex codes colors or the Material palette colors. This long-awaited feature makes Action Launcher more useful for live wallpaper users as well as themers. Action Launcher supports the latest Android versions and as many third-party launchers as possible. Chris Lacy, Action Launcher's developer, is dedicated and dedicated. He is quick to help with Android issues and even iOS features. Although the theme-building power is not as flexible as Nova Launcher's, Action Launcher is a launcher that can quickly get you up and running. You can customize almost everything
Great gesture options
Pros: Not as flexible as Nova Launcher, but robust support
The Premium/Plus system could be confusing
Swiss Army Launcher Action Launcher Fast's The Word and Sharp's The Action Launcher You can have a launcher that is both efficient and sophisticated, or you can use Action Launcher's many features to help you get there. Google Play
Microsoft Launcher: The Best Productivity
Source: Ara Wagoner / Android Central
AC Score 4.5 It would be easy to believe that Microsoft would bring a launcher for Android to match Windows 10 or the old Windows Phone look, but you would be wrong. Microsoft Launcher is not only Android-friendly, but also a high-quality launcher that's constantly updated. It is the only launcher that offers edge-to-edge widgets, subgrid positioning, and it's also one of the few other than Nova Launcher. Microsoft Launcher features a clean home page and smart pages to the left that are fed by your Microsoft account, daily phone use, or any Android widgets you may wish to add. Even if you aren't immersed in Microsoft ecosystem, scrolling through a page of widgets is better than having them spread over several pages. Although the settings of this launcher are a bit clunky it still offers all the launcher options that you could want. Although Microsoft Launcher may not be as simple as Smart Launcher 5 and Niagara Launcher 5, it's still an affordable launcher worth considering, especially if your use of Microsoft's ecosystem is for school, work, or personal purposes. The Microsoft Launcher was designed for the Microsoft Surface Duo 2 and not the Z Fold series. However, it's still a good choice for foldable phone owners. Pros: Scrolling widget page
Good enterprise integration
Pros: Very active development team
It's strange to have a dock on two levels
Microsoft Launcher Integration for best productivity and adaptability to your work style. You can customize many aspects of this adaptable launcher but it's also very easy to let the launcher do the work. Google Play
Niagara Launcher: Quick and Easy
Source: Ara Wagoner / Android Central
AC Score 4.5 Niagara, a shiny new launcher, is still in use. Although it has only been around a few years, it has already gained quite the following as a lightning fast launcher and great for low-memory phones. Because it only has one layout, it's extremely easy to create themes around. One or more widgets can be placed at the top. You also have a Quicklist with your most favorite apps. The rest of your apps slide along the A-Z alphabet to the right (or left). Over the past year, the feature set has steadily grown. Niagara really took off in the summer 2021 when the Galaxy Z Fold 3 was released and made foldables more mainstream. Niagara Launcher quickly transformed its minimalist launcher into a large-screen-friendly launcher. In fact, Niagara offers both one-column or two-column launchers that you can use to get to your next Fold 3 app and then get back to work. Niagara Launcher is an excellent choice if you want to quickly find your apps and get on with your life. It's a little like the Z Launcher of a few years ago, but it will be around for quite some time. The pros: It's ridiculously fast
Quick setup
Interface that is simple and intuitive
Pros: Works well with foldables
Sometimes, gestures can overlap
One layout, one app drawer. This vertically scrolling launcher can be used on smartphones with more complicated launchers. It is not possible to display all your apps and widgets across five screens. Google Play offers a free service
Bottom line Nova was my first launcher, but Smart Launcher 5 won my heart in 2018. I haven’t found anything that is as good for my theme-loving setup. Once you've set your categories, the categorical app drawer works better than one large A-Z type. The double-tap shortcuts for apps don't hinder gesture navigation, swipe between home and app drawer screens, or interfere with gesture navigation the same way they work on Nova, Action and almost every other launcher. Nova Launcher, which imports from other launchers with greater consistency than any other launcher, is your best choice. It allows you to start with the configuration you have and then move on to more advanced features such as shortcut gestures and customizing your folders, icons and search bars. Nova Launcher is the one Nicholas Sutrich uses on his Galaxy Z Fold 3 because of its flexibility. No matter which launcher you choose, there is one thing that makes testing launchers so great: they all come with a free tier. This allows you to get an idea of how the launcher works before you upgrade to Pro. If you love a launcher, you should buy the pro key to unlock additional features or donate to the developers. Developers also need to eat! Where is my gesture navigation? This is not the fault of launcher. Google is responsible. You can't use any other manufacturer launcher if your Android 10 phone isn't up-to-date. This will turn the new Android 10 gesture navigation back to the ugly three-button nav. This issue was present at Android 10's launch. It made third-party launchers feel bad for Google's incompetence. This problem has been resolved for many phones. First, Pixels, then OnePlus phones and finally Samsung smartphones with the One UI 2.5 or 3.0 updates. Contact your manufacturer if you are unable to use gesture navigation with your new launcher. Google is shameful for allowing such a major Android release to be released. SHAME!
What did you miss?
Source: Ara Wagoner / Android Central
