These options would make me fall in love with Pixel Launcher

I really like the flexibility and ingenuity of third-party Android launchers. I usually ditch the default dwelling display on new telephones as quickly as attainable, however within the case of Pixel Launcher commanding my Pixel 8, I’m rising quite keen on Google’s default dwelling app. It’s swift, clean, and simple to arrange, even whether it is usually extremely restrictive. I’ve discovered to work throughout the confines of Google’s launcher limitations, however I admit that it may very well be made even higher with only a few nips and tucks.

Pixel Launcher’s characteristic package is missing in comparison with the excessive degree set by third-party and different OEM launchers. Extra importantly, many of those gaps are easy, quality-of-life enhancements that Google may shortly implement on the snap of a finger. To present the corporate a jolt in the correct path, I’ve detailed some core additions that may make Pixel Launcher my absolute favourite dwelling expertise.

The At a Look widget obtained a lot of love from Google over time, but it surely’s nonetheless nowhere close to as highly effective because it may very well be. It’s designed as a dwell info ticker of kinds, displaying helpful info when related, like boarding cross particulars at flight time or climate insights within the morning. Nonetheless, after I put in Smartspacer, I shortly realized that Google issn’t taking advantage of the prime minimize of my dwelling display.

Smartspacer permits a plethora of third-party apps and different Google companies to show info by this widget. It gives smarter climate forecast particulars, bundle monitoring, Digital Wellbeing info, soccer scores, monetary tickers, and even a cute greeting overlay that makes my cellphone really feel extra private. Smartspacer isn’t a right away win, although. It requires some setup through ADB and Shizuku, placing it out of attain for inexperienced customers — all of the extra purpose why Google ought to consider enhancing the default At a Look providing.

Maybe I’d be prepared to let At a Look’s shortcomings go if Google would let me cover it. Like Google’s different Pixel Launcher furnishings, it can’t be disabled totally. As an alternative, disabling the characteristic nonetheless leaves me with a bit of unusable house that one other widget may occupy. The identical goes for the search bar on the backside of the display. As I can simply launch a search by swiping up, so I don’t essentially require a devoted search bar.

It’s clear that Google needs to funnel me by its services, however forcing me to acknowledge its fixed presence solely makes me need a versatile third-party launcher much more. So, Google, please allow us to cover your foolish UI parts on Pixel Launcher.

I take advantage of dozens of apps to get me by the day, and it’s necessary that I can view as lots of these inside a single display as attainable. On third-party launchers, I can lengthen the apps listing grid to my liking to maintain swipes and touches to a minimal. Nonetheless, Pixel Launcher has different concepts. Google arbitrarily limits me to simply 5 choices, three of that are virtually unusable on at this time’s large-screen Android telephones. Even essentially the most in depth possibility, a paltry 5×5 grid, isn’t practically sufficient for my liking.

Evidently, Pixel Launcher would profit from extra fastened and user-defined choices, maybe extending so far as Nova Launcher’s free-select 12×12 grid. This flexibility can be massively welcome, particularly for telephones with bigger shows just like the Pixel 9 Professional XL and 9 Professional Fold.

Most third-party launchers let me simply cover apps from the grasp apps listing, stopping them from occupying helpful house. Some apps embody separate premium unlock apps which can be put in as further apps. Apps like Tasker additionally embody an pointless secondary icon. Nonetheless, hiding these from view isn’t an possibility on Pixel Launcher. If there’s an app I’d quite maintain from my apps listing, I need to both grin and bear it or use a sledgehammer answer like Non-public Area.

I don’t imagine Non-public Area is equal to easily hiding an app. The Android 15 privateness characteristic is a separate digital smartphone with its personal Google account and credentials. I need a far less complicated possibility to cover app icons from the grasp apps listing.

Going a step additional, Pixel Launcher wants an choice to rename apps. Should you’ve ever put in a number of gallery or climate apps, you’d perceive this gripe. Selecting one among 5 apps, all named “Climate” or “Gallery,” is a sport of whack-a-mole I don’t need to play at each unlock. Renaming apps just isn’t a luxurious; it’s a necessity. I’ve additionally detailed how I take advantage of this characteristic on Kvaesitso to reinforce my private app safety on my gadget, and it could be a helpful addition to Pixel units.

Customized icon packs supply greater than thrilling thrives of favor or coloration; they’re important for casting a constant visible id throughout all apps. As Android doesn’t have icon pointers that dictate the aesthetic parts of an app, these slight variations between them can usually be distracting.

Whereas Google tries to repair this with its Themed icons characteristic, its implementation stays buggy and unreliable. It usually disregards widespread app icons, leaving me with a confused app listing of default and themed squircles. With third-party icon pack assist, Pixel Launcher would enable me to extra constantly masks icons on my gadget.

Widget stacks are extremely helpful, particularly for customers like me who are inclined to plaster their dwelling screens with all kinds of information containers. Putting a number of widgets on high of each other not solely reduces their total house necessities but in addition lets me cover important widgets that don’t match my gadget theme aesthetic. Internet hosting all important widgets in the identical piece of display additionally makes it simple to flick by all of them with a swipe.

A number of launchers, together with Samsung’s One UI Residence and Niagara Launcher, supply widget stacking assist to nice impact. Pixel Launcher doesn’t.

I’ve loved utilizing Pixel Launcher since I obtained my Pixel 8; nevertheless, it has the potential to be so a lot better. With these minor adjustments, Google may remodel the launcher into a strong launchpad for Pixel customers and quell my need to make use of a third-party various as soon as and for all.