Google Now Launcher is a significant app for Android users, serving as the maître d’ of an Android phone, managing the home screen and launching apps behind the scenes.
It integrates Google’s personal assistant, making personalized information easily accessible through a left-swipe gesture from the main homescreen page.
Additionally, the launcher introduces an always-on voice capability, allowing users to initiate voice commands by saying “Okay Google” without tapping a mic button.
With the retirement of the Google Now Launcher, it’s time to explore alternative options that allow you to personalize your device.
In this article, we will showcase some of the best Google Now Launcher alternatives that will help you enhance the functionality of your Android phone and create a unique look and feel.
By using these alternatives, you can tailor your home screen, app drawer, and overall interface to match your preferences.
Whether you prefer a minimalist design, an information-dense interface, or extensive customization options, there is a launcher that will suit your needs.
Take a look.
1. Nova Launcher
Nova Launcher is widely regarded as one of the best Android launchers available.
It offers a fast and sleek user interface that enhances your Android experience. With Nova Launcher, you can enjoy extensive customization options to personalize your home screen and make it truly yours.
One of the key features of Nova Launcher is its speed and smooth performance. It ensures a fast and responsive navigation experience, allowing you to seamlessly switch between apps and screens without any lag.
The sleek design of Nova Launcher adds a touch of elegance to your device, making it visually appealing.
What sets Nova Launcher apart is its extensive customization capabilities. You have the freedom to customize your home screen with different themes, icon packs, and scrollable docks.
Whether you prefer a minimalistic look or a vibrant and colorful interface, Nova Launcher has got you covered. It allows you to personalize your device according to your preferences and style.
Not only does Nova Launcher offer a wide range of customization options, but it also lets you fine-tune various settings to optimize the performance of your device.
You can adjust the animation speeds, icon sizes, grid layouts, and much more to create a personalized experience that suits your needs.
Next Level Customization Experience with Nova Launcher Prime
While the free version of Nova Launcher provides an extensive set of features and customization options, Nova Launcher Prime takes it even further.
For a small fee, you can unlock additional powerful features that enhance your Android experience.
With Nova Launcher Prime, you can enjoy features like gesture controls, unread badge notifications, custom app drawer groups, and more.
It’s the perfect upgrade for those who want to take full control of their device and make it truly unique.
The performance impact of Nova Launcher is minimal, ensuring that you can enjoy a fast and smooth user experience without compromising the performance of your device.
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2. Niagara Launcher
When it comes to simplicity and minimalism, the Niagara Launcher is a top contender.
With its clean design and intuitive interface, it offers a refreshing alternative for Android users. Instead of cluttering your home screen with multiple icons, Niagara Launcher combines the app drawer and home screen into a single vertically scrolling feed.
This unique approach makes it effortless to access your frequently used apps with just one hand. Whether you’re on the go or juggling multiple tasks, Niagara Launcher ensures a seamless and efficient user experience.
One of the standout features of Niagara Launcher is its automatic organization. The launcher alphabetically organizes your apps, saving you the time and effort of manually arranging them.
This systematic approach allows for easy navigation and a clutter-free interface.
Another benefit of Niagara Launcher is its ability to filter out spam notifications. By prioritizing important alerts and filtering out unnecessary distractions, you can stay focused and productive throughout your day.
The free version of Niagara Launcher offers a solid foundation with its minimalist design and automatic organization.
However, if you’re looking for additional features and customization options, the Pro version is available for a yearly subscription.
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3. Smart Launcher
When it comes to simplicity and customization, Smart Launcher is a top choice. With its clean and intuitive interface, this launcher puts you in control of your Android device.
The highlight of Smart Launcher is its unique “flower” favorites grid, which allows you to organize your most-used apps in a visually appealing way.
With just a few taps, you can access your favorite apps from the home screen, keeping them within easy reach at all times.
But simplicity doesn’t mean sacrificing functionality. Smart Launcher also features an intelligent app drawer that organizes your apps based on usage and categories, making it effortless to find the app you need.
The app drawer is also searchable, ensuring you can locate apps quickly and efficiently.
For those looking for even more customization options, Smart Launcher offers advanced features in the Pro version.
With a simple one-time purchase, you can unlock additional layouts and customization tools to tailor your Android experience to your liking.
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4. AIO Launcher
AIO Launcher offers a unique interface for users who prefer information density on their Android home screens.
This launcher takes a different approach by displaying as much information as possible at a glance. It shows frequently used apps, system information, recently received calls, messages, and email, as well as upcoming calendar events.
With AIO Launcher, you can easily access your most used apps without having to dig through multiple screens or folders.
In addition to frequently used apps, AIO Launcher provides valuable system information to keep you informed about the status of your device at all times.
You can easily monitor important details such as battery percentage, RAM usage, and storage availability without the need for separate widgets or apps.
AIO Launcher’s upcoming calendar events feature lets you stay organized and never miss important appointments.
It conveniently shows you your upcoming events at a glance, ensuring that you are always prepared and on schedule.
While AIO Launcher may not have as many customization options as other Android launchers, its focus on information density sets it apart.
The interface is designed to efficiently deliver the most relevant information to you in a simple and straightforward manner.
However, if you prefer additional features and customization options, AIO Launcher offers in-app purchases to unlock them.
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5. Hyperion Launcher
This highly customizable launcher offers a wide range of options to let you create a personalized and unique look for your Android experience.
With Hyperion Launcher, you can easily customize themes, folders, transparencies, animations, and even icon packs.
Whether you prefer a sleek and minimalistic design or a vibrant and playful interface, Hyperion Launcher has got you covered.
One of the standout features of Hyperion Launcher is its theming engine, which allows users to create and apply custom themes to every aspect of their device’s interface.
From the home screen to the app drawer, you can tweak each element to match your personal style.
Another notable feature of Hyperion Launcher is the support for adaptive icons. This means that the launcher can automatically adjust the shape and style of icons to match the overall theme of your device, creating a consistent and visually pleasing look.
Hyperion Launcher offers many features for free, allowing you to customize your Android experience without breaking the bank.
However, if you want access to advanced features and additional customization options, you can upgrade to the Pro version.
Whether you’re a tech enthusiast or simply someone who wants to add a personal touch to their Android device, Hyperion Launcher is the perfect choice for you.
Its highly customizable nature, powerful theming engine, and support for adaptive icons make it one of the top contenders in the launcher market.
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6. Action Launcher
Action Launcher takes your Android device to the next level with its Pixel-style makeover and customizable features.
With an adaptive app bar, you can easily access your favorite apps and tools directly from the home screen. The pill-shaped Google search bar adds a touch of elegance while providing quick access to search functionality.
Additionally, Action Launcher incorporates Oreo-style app shortcuts, making it effortless to launch specific app functions with a single tap.
The slide-out app drawer in Action Launcher offers a simple and intuitive way to access your app library and widgets. By swiping from the left edge of the screen, you can effortlessly browse through your installed apps and find the information or functionality you need.
One of the standout features of Action Launcher is its customizable gestures. You can assign various actions to specific gestures, enabling you to quickly launch apps or perform actions with a simple swipe or tap.
Whether it’s swiping up to open the app drawer or double-tapping on the home screen to lock your device, these gestures make navigating your Android device more efficient and personalized to your preferences.
In addition to its extensive customization options, Action Launcher automatically adjusts its color scheme based on your wallpaper.
This seamless integration ensures that your home screen always has a visually appealing and harmonious look.
With its visually appealing design and customizable features, it’s no surprise that Action Launcher is a popular choice among Android users.
It offers a Pixel-style makeover that enhances the overall aesthetics of your device while providing an intuitive and personalized user experience.
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7. Apex Launcher
When it comes to finding the perfect balance between features and performance, Apex Launcher stands out as an excellent choice.
This highly customizable launcher allows you to tailor your Android experience to your liking while ensuring a smooth and efficient performance.
One of the standout features of Apex Launcher is the ability to customize the home screen grid size, offering you the flexibility to arrange your apps and widgets just the way you want.
Another customization option available is the scrollable dock, which enables you to access your favorite apps and widgets with ease.
With a customizable home screen grid and scrollable dock, Apex Launcher ensures that your most-used apps are always within reach.
Apex Launcher also offers a range of transition animations, allowing you to add a touch of flair to your user experience.
Whether you prefer a subtle fade or a bouncy slide, you can choose from various animation styles to suit your taste.
Multiple app drawer styles and folder styles further enhance the customization options available. You can organize your apps in a way that makes sense to you and create folders with personalized names and icons.
For those seeking an even more extensive range of features, the paid version of Apex Launcher, known as Apex Launcher Pro, offers additional gestures and theme support.
With these added features, you can take your Android customization to the next level and truly make your device your own.
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8. POCO Launcher
POCO Launcher, designed by Xiaomi, offers a unique alternative to traditional launchers. With Xiaomi’s design sensibilities, this launcher provides a visually appealing and streamlined experience for Android users.
One of its standout features is the app drawer with smart category tabs, which automatically organizes apps into groups for easy access.
The customizable screen layouts and transition effects allow you to personalize your Android device to your liking. Additionally, POCO Launcher supports icon packs and notification badges, further enhancing the visual appeal and functionality of your home screen.
While POCO Launcher may not offer as many customization options as some other launchers, it strikes a perfect balance between simplicity and versatility.
Recent updates have introduced dark mode support and additional features, making it even more appealing to users.
If you’re looking for an alternative launcher that combines Xiaomi’s design sensibilities with a smart app drawer and user-friendly customization options, POCO Launcher is definitely worth trying out.
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Conclusion
The retirement of the Google Now Launcher has paved the way for a search for alternative Android launchers that offer extensive customization options and enhance the functionality of your device.
Take the time to try out different launchers and find the one that enhances your Android experience.
Customization is the key to making your device truly yours, and these Android launcher alternatives empower you to design an interface that reflects your style and preferences.
Daniel is an ecommerce expert specializing in the print-on-demand and dropshipping industry. With a background in software development, he has successfully turned his tech-savvy insights into a thriving 6-figure dropshipping business. He is a contributing writer for numerous top-tier tech & ecommerce blogs.