The one thing you see the most on your phone is the Android home screen. It’s what you see every time you tap the home button. The openness of Android means there are tons of different launchers to choose from. Launchers are some of the most downloaded apps in Play Store. It can be hard to sift through them all. We’ve got the best Android launchers that are worth your time. Enjoy!
Nova Launcher
It doesn’t get much better than the new and improved Nova Launcher. Rewritten to be based on AOSP’s Launcher3 application, Nova is still arguably the best launcher to use on Android. The redesign brought with it a faster experience, along with being able to add widgets even more quickly. But the best part is that it’s extremely easy to customize, regardless of whether you’re a novice, or a customization veteran.
- Price: Free w/ in-app purchases
- Rating: 4.44
- Installs: 50,000,000+
Lawnchair 2
It’s been an interesting year for Lawnchair Launcher, as the app now has new developers handling updates moving forward. This has led to the Play Store listing being a bit out of date, but the developers are working on regular updates to bring things up to par. Even still, Lawnchair comes extremely close to achieving what Nova Launcher does, but without the “kitchen sink” full of settings and menus to jump through.
- Price: Free
- Rating: 4.29
- Installs: 1,000,000+ (old version)
Microsoft Launcher
Microsoft’s launcher is built to be lightweight and fast. One of the main features is a page that shows things like recent photos, frequently used apps, favorite contacts, and more. As you would expect, this launcher has great integration with Microsoft apps. If you like Bing, you can change the wallpaper every day to the Bing photo.
- Price: Free
- Rating: 4.67
- Installs: 10,000,000+
Niagara Launcher
Niagara is one of the newest launchers to hit the Play Store, and offers one of the most unique experiences. Instead of leaving you with a blank canvas to start, Niagara Launcher is designed with one-handed usage in mind. The developers have even recently released an update that focuses primarily on the foldable phone experience, allowing you to browse through your apps with just one hand.
- Price: Free w/ in-app purchases
- Rating: 4.52
- Installs: 1,000,000+
Smart Launcher 5
Everything is “smart” these days, so why not have a Smart Launcher? This launcher is designed to make your phone more intuitive and organized. The main screen gives you access to basic phone functions like camera, browser, photos, etc. The app drawer is organized into categories automatically, and the search bar is universal. It can even turn off your display with a double-tap.
- Price: Free w/ in-app purchases
- Rating: 4.43
- Installs: 10,000,000+
Hyperion Launcher
You may remember the days where using Substratum for customizing your phones was the way to go. Well, the developers of Substratum also released a launcher, called Hyperion. With this launcher, you are provided with a streamlined design and experience, while also being based on AOSP’s Launcher3 launcher. And you an even create profiles to use within Hyperion.
- Price: Free w/ in-app purchases
- Rating: 4.10
- Installs: 1,000,000+
Poco Launcher 2.0
Poco Launcher 2.0 is the default launcher found on Xiaomi’s Poco devices, but the launcher itself is available for pretty much everyone from the Play Store. It offers a minimalist and lightweight design, while including many of the customization features you would expect to find. Your app drawer can be put into categories, while also offering customizable themes and animations.
- Price: Free w/ Ads
- Rating: 4.44
- Installs: 50,000,000+
AIO Launcher
Much like Niagara, AIO Launcher offers a different approach to how you interact with your home screen. Essentially, AIO tries to cram as much information as possible into your Home Screen, giving you everything you might even think that you’ll need throughout the day. And while there is still support for themes and widgets, you might be surprised at how useful this launcher really can be.
- Price: Free w/ in-app purchases
- Rating: 4.5
- Installs: 500,000+
Total Launcher
Take Nova Launcher, KWGT, KLWP, and any other customization app and roll them into one. That’s what you get with Total Launcher, as it offers complete customization over the entire interface. You can create custom themes, or head over to the Total Launcher Themes Telegram group to find and download new options. But the best part is you can make Total Launcher as robust or as minimal as you like.
- Price: Free w/ in-app purchases
- Rating: 4.5
- Installs: 1,000,000+
Action Launcher
Action Launcher is a great launcher if you’re looking for some unique features. The home screen can change color (search bar, folders, etc) depending on your wallpaper, “Shutters” allow you to see a widget by swiping up on an app icon, “Quickpage” is a slide-out drawer for widgets, and “Covers” turn app icons into folders. Action Launcher is very powerful.
- Price: Free
- Rating: 4.4
- Installs: 5,000,000+
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