Android launcher apps have long been an integral part of the Android experience. If you don’t like the way your home screens look or act, you can simply download an app to change all of it. There is no doubt that Android launcher apps have a far more diverse set of features than any other genre of application and you can really do some amazing things with these apps. Let’s take a look at the best ones! Google Now Launcher is shutting its doors in 2017. That is why it no longer makes an appearance on this list. That makes us very sad.
Action Launcher has long been a favorite Android launcher of our readers. It comes with a stock Android feel. However, there are some extra features over top that add some uniqueness. Quicktheme lets you customize the colors of your UI based on your wallpaper. Shutters lets you check out an app's widget without actually setting one on the home screen. It even has its own special style of folders. There is also icon pack support, frequent updates, and a lot more. There's a lot to like about this one.
ADW Launcher used to be on this list until the developer stopped supporting. However, with the launch of ADW Launcher 2, it was an obvious choice to add it back to the list. This one includes an updated UI that fits in line better with stock Android. Additionally, there are launcher shortcuts, many customization options, extensions, and tons of other modern features. It also has one of the best make-your-own-widget features that we've seen. It has retaken its rightful place among the Android launcher elite. You can download it for free or pick up the pro version as an in-app purchase for $3.49.
Apex Launcher has been around for a very long time and remains one of the most iconic Android launcher apps ever. Like Action Launcher, it aims to give a stock Android look and feel with a few extra features thrown in for good measure. Among those include the ability to alter things like transition animations, scrolling habits, and there is even a scrolling dock where you can lay plenty of icons. Apex Launcher also includes a theme engine. The developer is in the middle of improving the launcher a lot. Those trying it out can expect big changes in 2017.
Microsoft’s Arrow Launcher had its ups and downs. Now, it seems to have grown into a really good Android launcher. The idea with Arrow Launcher is that you get a home screen to put your apps and such. From there, you have a variety of pre-set home screens that will show you things like frequent contacts, reminders (powered by Wunderlist), recent documents, and your frequent apps. Microsoft also updates the launcher frequently with new features. The features also generally integrate with other Microsoft products. That makes it good for people who use Microsoft products.
Atom Launcher is another newer Android launcher app that is moving in the right direction. It comes with a theme maker and you can find a variety of themes for it on the Google Play Store as well. It also comes with gesture controls, a hidden dock with extra settings, built-in widgets, icon pack support, and various other settings and customizations. It’s light and efficient, but has enough features to make it competitive. You can download it and use it for free. That way you can see if you like it before pitching for the pro version.
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