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Articles Tagged:

custom launcher

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Nova Launcher v6.0 beta adds search to settings and many more customization options [APK Download]

Richard Gao

TeslaCoil has just released its first Nova Launcher update in three months. Version 6.0-beta1 is here with a very long changelog, most of which concerns additional customization options. But with Nova being a custom launcher, that's not entirely unexpected. We also have the APK over on APK Mirror if you need it.

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[Classic] Weekend Poll: Do you use a custom launcher on your phone?

Ryne Hager

Probably the single most appreciated aspect of Android is its capacity for extensive customization, and many first dip their toes into those tailor-made waters with a custom launcher. It's been six years since we first asked this question, and we've come back to it regularly. But it's time to ask it again: Do you use a custom launcher?

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[Weekend Poll Classics] Are You Using A Custom Launcher On Your Phone?

David Ruddock

The last time we asked the custom launcher question was, surprisingly, over two years ago. Among "yes," "I have used one but don't anymore," and "no, and I have never used one," the results were 67%, 25%, and 7%, respectively. So, let's see what those numbers look like now that some more time has passed.

I personally install the Google Now Launcher on pretty much any phone that comes across my desk, because I just like the consistency and simplicity. While I definitely understand the appeal of, say, Nova Launcher, I just don't spend much time manicuring and perfecting my homescreens.

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Google App v4.6 Enables Translucent Status And Navigation Bars For Google Now Screen On Custom Launchers [APK Download]

Cody Toombs

Expectations are high for each update to Google's core apps on Android. After all, we know there are going to be a lot of new features announced at I/O in less than 2 weeks. Quite a few apps have recently gone through a Material refresh, and plenty of others have seen smaller changes as they slowly coalesce around the current design guidelines. That appears to be the story with the latest Google App update. The latest version finally enables full screen mode for Google Now on devices using custom launchers.

2015-05-18 20.10.172015-05-18 20.18.03

left: old version, right: new version

Prior to this release, users with the Google Now Launcher set as their default homescreen would see their Now stream with translucent status and navigation bars.

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GO Launcher EX Gets A Huge Update To v5, Prime Version Free Till June 1st

Cameron Summerson

Back in the Froyo/Gingerbread days, GO was my go-to launcher. It had more features and better performance (in my opinion) than any of the other options. After Ice Cream Sandwich, however, I kind of forgot about it.

Turns out the GO Team is still alive and kicking, and it just pushed out version 5 of its EX launcher, complete with a new flat theme and improved functionality. If you're tired of the same ol', same ol', this may be exactly what you need to breathe some fresh life into your device.

Screenshot_2014-05-30-09-12-51 Screenshot_2014-05-30-09-13-24 Screenshot_2014-05-30-09-13-08

Dat menu button, tho

Now's actually a good time to try it, in fact.

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[New App] Icon Themer Lets You Use Any Icon Pack With Any Launcher On Rooted Devices

Cameron Summerson

Yesterday we covered an app that lets rooted users tweak certain aspects of the system, so why not one that'll let you tweak it aesthetically, too? Icon Themer, a new app from developer Faruq Rasid (HelixLauncher, QuickDesk), aims to bring any icon pack to any custom launcher. That's a pretty big deal for those who've bought icon packs for specific launchers but have since started using something different, or those who feel tied down to a particular launcher because of a beloved theme that won't work with others.

Screenshot_2013-04-24-09-39-26 Screenshot_2013-04-24-09-39-33 Screenshot_2013-04-24-09-39-17

Icon Themer is fairly straightforward, though it does require Xposed Framework (the app can automatically install this) so the IT module can be activated.

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[Weekend Poll: Redux Edition] A Year Later, Are You Still Using A Custom Launcher?

David Ruddock

Back in the day, when I was using a Nexus One, custom launchers were all the rage on Android - not using one was strange. And when I had a DROID BIONIC, I still found myself using my go-to option - ADW.ex - most of the time. Today, though, my primary device is a Galaxy Note II, and I haven't had the urge to use a custom launcher for a moment since using it. The NatureUX launcher may not be particularly pretty, but it's highly functional, and rock-solid stable.

About a year ago, we asked you what your custom launcher situation was - that is, are you using one?

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Nova Launcher Updated To Version 1.2, Adds 'Color Themes', Widget Overlapping, Icon Themes, And More

Cameron Summerson

If you're fortunate enough to have Ice Cream Sandwich on your smartphone (either officially or unofficially), then you already know that the stock launcher is a huge improvement over previous versions of Android. However, it's not perfect.

Enter my personal favorite third-party launcher for ICS devices: Nova. This isn't the first time that we've mentioned Nova Launcher on AP, but it just received an update that definitely brings some note-worthy enhancements to an already-great application.

Changelog:

  • Color Themes, change the blue accent
  • Icon Themes for all apps (ADW and Go Icon Packs)
  • Widget overlapping w/ send-to-back/bring-to-front
  • Lock desktop w/ temp unlock
  • Faster widget loading
  • SGS3/TouchWiz workarounds and fixes
  • Fix FCs
  • Performance improvements
  • Updated translations

While all of the new features are nice to have, the first three really stand out: color themes, icon themes, and widget overlapping.

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Awesome 3D Launcher 'TSF Shell' Now Available In The Android Market, Complete With A Massive $17 Price Tag

Cameron Summerson

Back in December, we told you about a new launcher called TSF Shell that was set to raise the bar for custom launchers. After two and a half months of waiting, that app is now available in the Android Market, albeit for a ridiculously high price of $17. For a launcher. These people have lost their minds.

Still, if you can get past the immediate shock due to the high price and start reading the Market description, you'll immediately realize that, well, it's not all that easy to follow. In fact, it looks like a straight-up copy/paste from Google Translate.

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[New App] Nova Launcher Hits The Market, Brings An Awesome Custom Launcher To Android 4.0 Phones

Cameron Summerson

The stock launcher in ICS is, without a doubt, the best launcher that Google has ever produced. It offers some great features that previously required the use of a custom launcher, like customizable dock shortcuts and drag-and-drop folder support. Despite being a definite improved over its predecessors, it's still not perfect.

With that in mind, the devs behind WidgetLocker took the ICS launcher to the lab and made it even better. The result is a blazing fast new launcher called Nova Launcher. Nova builds off of the stock 4.0 launcher while retaining the same look and feel, but brings advanced customization and improved features to all Android 4.0 handsets.

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