15 Best Launchers for Android

• Developer : Nova Launcher
• Download : Google Play

One of the most famous and long-lived launchers on Android is Nova. It currently has over 50 million downloads and 12 years of stable operation. So many Android smartphone owners, if they haven’t tried installing it, have definitely heard of it.

The first thing that greets the user upon launch is the settings panel. You can fully customize the system for yourself, starting with icons and ending with the arrangement of applications and widgets on the screen. Nova Launcher also allows you to add different animations for scrolling desktops and launching applications, customize color schemes for yourself, and much more.

Olauncher

• Developer: Digital Minimalism
• Download: Google Play

Source: Androidworld / Olauncher Themes

For lovers of minimalism and those who do not like a bunch of icons on the desktop, there is Olauncher. So, after installing the launcher, you will get an almost empty desktop with four text shortcuts for application folders, and a widget with date and time.

You won’t be able to customize everything here. But you still have several options. For example, you can assign favorite applications that will be displayed on the desktop, return the status bar, and customize a couple more items.

Niagara Launcher

• Developer: Peter Huber
• Download: Google Play

Source: Medium / Niagara Launcher Themes

Another option for minimalists, but not so extreme, is Niagara Launcher. It has a simple interface that is designed for one-handed operation. After launching it, a ribbon with the alphabet appears on your desktop. You click on the desired letter, for example, G, and a list of applications with names starting with this letter opens: Google, Gmail, Google Play, and others.

You can also bring up to 8 applications or folders to the desktop. The launcher offers branded widgets and a built-in media player, as well as a button application, to which you can bind the most necessary utility: mail or your favorite game.

Lawnchair 2

• Developer: David Sn
• Download: Google Play

Source: YouTube / Lawnchair 2 installation window

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And this option will suit all fans of Google Pixel of different versions. According to users, these smartphones have the best version of Android. And if you want to touch it without buying a Pixel, you can install Lawnchair 2.

The developer tried to replicate the aesthetics of “pure” Android as much as possible. Like Google Pixel, the search bar is moved to the bottom, and a widget with weather, a player, and a couple of other important data appears at the top of the screen. Customization is also here: you can customize application icons, add custom gestures, and change fonts.

Smart Launcher 6

• Developer: Smart Launcher Team
• Download: Google Play

Source: Smart Launcher Blog / Smart Launcher 6 Appearance

This is another “old man” on our list. Like Nova, it has been working for more than 10 years, and is still actively downloaded: more than 10 million downloads on Google Play speak for themselves. And this is already the sixth version of the launcher.

The main feature here is that the launcher makes your Android look like iOS — with automatic distribution of applications by categories, similar interface and widgets. Even the grid here is more like the classic Apple one. There are also a couple of original functions, like double tapping on an application, which launches a certain action, or customization of the icon arrangement.

Action Launcher

• Developer: Action Launcher
• Download: Google Play

Source: Android Community / Action Launcher Appearance

Another well-known app for customizing your Android is Action Launcher. The developers say that when creating it, they focused on Material Design, developed by Google for interface design. And, as you can guess, it really does offer you a wide customization of interfaces.

For example, you can completely change the smartphone status bar to suit you, set the color of the icons so that they match the wallpaper, customize widgets, and much more. The launcher has a large number of settings that you can play with.

AIO Launcher

• Developer: AIO Mobile Soft
• Download: Google Play

Source: Stuff / Smartphone with AIO Launcher installed

This launcher offers users a completely new look at the desktop. After installing it, you will not have the usual icons and folders, they will be replaced by widgets and text blocks dedicated to your applications. Yes, at first it will be unusual, but it is easy to get used to it.

By default, you have a standard block with date and weather, but you can add others. For example, a panel with installed applications, which the system will divide into different categories, a built-in player, a widget with battery charge, a task manager and other useful utilities.

Microsoft Launcher

• Developer: Microsoft Corporation
• Download: Google Play

Source: ZDNET / Microsoft Launcher Appearance

Remember Windows Phone? Once Microsoft tried to transfer its OS from PC to mobile platforms, but in the end there was no success and the project collapsed. But later, instead of a ready-made mobile system, the “microsoft” released a launcher.

Its main feature is a web channel, which is a branch of Microsoft widgets. Here you will find OneDrive, Calendar, news and other services of the company. It is also the only launcher that shows you statistics on the use of applications. In terms of customization, the application offers icon settings, custom gestures, application lists and wallpaper settings.

Square Home

• Developer: ChYK the dev
• Download: Google Play

Source: Reddit / Thread for Square Home

Since we’re talking about Windows Phone, let’s also remember the launcher that brings this system back to phones. In Square Home, all available themes are somehow related to the style of mobile “Windows” or inspired by its elements.

Once installed, your screen is divided into different square or rectangular sections. One of them can hide a calendar or calculator, and another one can hide a camera or a folder with applications. The arrangement and size of elements can be customized, and you can also customize themes for yourself.

POCO Launcher 2.0

• Developer: Xiaomi Inc.
• Download: Google Play

Source: Gadgets 360 / POCO Launcher 2.0 Appearance

POCO series smartphones run on MIUI or HyperOS shells, but many users like their interface more than classic Android. Therefore, Xiaomi released its own launcher that imitates the appearance of the workspace on POCO.

Key features include the launcher’s fast speed, a large number of parameters for fine-tuning for yourself, security, and several options for sorting applications – by type, by color, by frequency of use, and so on.

Ratio: Productivity Homescreen

• Developer: Blloc
• Download: Google Play

Source: Matellio / Appearance Ratio: Productivity Homescreen

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And this is perhaps one of the most stylish launchers in our selection. Like the previously mentioned Olauncher and Niagara, it is also aimed at lovers of minimalism, but can also increase your productivity, if you believe the developers.

Once you install and launch the app, your smartphone will become predominantly black and white, with red notification icons replaced by yellow ones. This will reduce visual noise on your screen and allow you to focus on what matters.

Total Launcher

• Developer: ChYK the dev
• Download: Google Play

Source: Behance / Themes for Total Launcher

Total Launcher is created by the same developer as Square Home, but here we get a more classic launcher. You can use ready-made themes to customize your smartphone, or create your own.

The app has quite a wide range of tools. You can make your own selection of wallpapers, add custom icons and save the result to install the theme at any time.

Indistract Minimalist Launcher

• Developer: Indistractable
• Download: Google Play

Source: Trashbox / Indistract Minimalist Launcher Appearance

And a finishing touch for minimalists – a launcher that turns absolutely all your applications into regular inscriptions on the screen. To find what you need, you can use the alphabetical search or in the list of installed programs.

The utility has a light and dark theme, as well as several widgets in its own style. Nothing extra, just a plain background and inscriptions instead of colorful icons.

Mini Desktop

• Developer: AtomicAdd Team
• Download: Google Play

Source: Softonic / Mini-Desktop Appearance

And this launcher even in its name hints at the fact that it is light and fast. And indeed, Mini-Desktop weighs less than a megabyte and launches very quickly. It is aimed primarily at the performance of the smartphone, so it does not load the system.

The utility sorts your applications into categories that you can change and customize yourself, and allows you to customize your smartphone with different icons and widgets.

Launcher OS Pro

• Developer: Apps Genz
• Download: Google Play

Source: APKPure / Launcher OS Pro

Well, let’s finish the selection with the only paid launcher on our list – Launcher OS Pro. Its main purpose is a complete imitation of iOS. Icons, wallpapers, desktop scrolling animations, everything is maximally adjusted to the “apple” system.

Even widgets, the status bar, and the list of running applications change here and look exactly the same as on iOS. Suitable for those who have just recently moved from iPhones to Android, or those who simply like the design of the OS from Apple.

In this selection, we have collected as many as 15 applications with which you can change the usual Android shell. Remember that all of these are just cosmetic ways to turn your phone into something unique, and use the option you like