Launcher for Android smartphones is the key to customization and modifying the user interface of the Android operating system. Many companies ship their smartphones with their home-based launchers which many users don’t like or cannot cope up with it.
We have handpicked and tried the ten best Android Launcher Apps that go with the style and performance in 2020 and are well optimized for the latest operating systems. The following launchers have been tested by us and are free to download and use until and unless you want to unlock some premium features.
As we know that the Launcher Apps for Android has been available on the Play Store since the beginning, these apps come with many beautiful features and modifications that can enrich your smartphone user interface totally.
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Why Use An Android Launcher App?
Android Launcher Apps helps you change the looks of the home screen from icons to colors, font size to style. It has many diverse functions and features that can be customized according to the user’s choice.
It is the best part of an Android-based smartphone where customization is the central aspect of the entire eco-system. Here Android Launcher apps can make iOS-based smartphones look puny as they are limited to customization. Since the beginning, smartphone manufacturers have shipped their products with their native Launchers. For example, Xiaomi packs MIUI launchers, which gives them a different look from all the other smartphones and it is well optimized, the same goes for other brands as well.
Best Android Launcher Apps 2020
So far we have come to know about the features and customizations, now let us not waste any time and check the top Android launchers that will give a whole new look to your smartphone.
1. Poco Launcher 2.0 – Best Launcher App For Android
Poco Launcher is the native launcher for Poco smartphones, which is fast and light-weight. Designed for Android phones, it has a beautiful design and provides high performance. You can set the home screen wallpapers from the home screen, change the icons, fonts size, and much more. The Launcher was selected as one of the 15 best Android apps released in 2018 by Android Authority.
The ability to change the icons and size makes it one of the best launchers for Android, which is free and doesn’t have any premium services. Poco Launcher is free from any advertisement.
2. Nova Launcher – Best Launcher App For Android
One of the best and the first Android Launcher app, which has the best customization launcher application features. It has made its way throughout the years into the app store, and with each update, Nova Launcher has made its name in the mobile industry. There are many customization features like customization of the app’s look and feel, gesture support, themes, icon pack support, and much more.
I have been using this launcher for Android for a very long time and even purchased the Nova Launcher Prime to support the developers, but the free version does the work pretty well. Over the years, the developer team kept updating the app and implemented many new features, which helped in fixing bugs and errors.
The best thing about Nova Launcher is that you can take a backup of the layouts, icons, etc. and restore it to a new Android device. The restoration process is pretty simple when you install the Launcher for the first time, it will ask you to restore a previous backup, or from the Nova settings menu, you can restore an old backup. However, you must keep in mind that the current layout might be removed if you haven’t saved it.
The paid version has features such as gesture controls where you can swipe, pinch, double-tap, etc. Notification badges in the form of numerical or a dot are present in this launcher. Hide certain apps from the launcher, custom swiping actions for app shortcuts, and folders.
3. Apex Launcher – Best Launcher App For Android
One of the best-customized launcher apps that changes the entire user interface of the stock Android and also implements some new features out of the box, which is in good measure. The features like scrolling habits, scrolling dock, and transition animations are just amazing.
The app launcher for Android has many themes and icon packs that can be downloaded for both free and paid from the Google Play Store. One of the unique features of Apex Launcher is that it sorts the application in the app drawer according to the installation date, as per title, or how frequently a particular app has been used.
The paid version of Apex Launcher has some premium features such as notification counts on app icons, icon gestures, transition effects, customizations, enhanced folder support, etc.
4. ADW Launcher 2 – Best Launcher App For Android
The predecessor of ADW Launcher is now known as the ADW Launcher 2, while the previous version did a fantastic job, the newer version was added with an updated user interface, icons which have been well-optimized for the latest hardware and Android version.
You will find many new features such as the extension, launcher shortcuts, and a lot of other shortcut options. The best feature of the ADW launcher app is that it has the best customization launcher app that lets you create your own widget for the home screen, which comes for free.
5. Microsoft Launcher – Best Free Launcher For Android
The Microsoft Launcher for Android has been a user favorite among many Android Launcher users. It offers a very easy way to access the stuff on an Android smartphone. Apps like calendar to-do lists and sticky notes are the best features of this Android launcher. With the support of Cortana, the Android smartphone becomes more productive as it helps you read the unread text messages, calendar notifications, and much more.
Just like the Google Assistant, the digital assistant on Microsoft Launcher for Android is an add-on to this app, which stands out to be different from others.
The launcher is very helpful for those who have migrated from a Windows-based smartphone; it helps the user get the direct access to the calendars, documents, contacts, etc. from a Microsoft account associated. It also synchronizes all the Windows-based devices from desktop to tablet.
6. GO Launcher – 3D parallax Themes & HD Wallpapers – Best Theme Launcher For Android
Go Launcher is one of those launchers that provides tonnes of customizations. The launcher is at the Play Store for a long time and has over 10,000 themes, and 1,00,000 free HD wallpapers support. The themes and wallpapers are categorized under games, cartoons, celebrities, anime, etc.
Go Launcher Android has a unique feature that offers screen 3D effects and widgets that can be customized in different ways from the home screen to the lock screen.
One of the impressive parts of Go Launcher is that it has an independent 3D Engine built by the developers that make it the fastest Android launcher. It is secure and boosts the transitions quickly, even on a low-end smartphone. Go Launcher is well-optimized for Android tablets.
7. Action Launcher: Pixel Edition – Best Launcher App For Android
Action Launcher offers the best features of a Google Pixel smartphone, where the user interface looks like Pixel Launcher. The app has plenty of customization features that enhance the overall user experience of an Android smartphone.
The best part of Action Launcher is that it lets you import the layouts of Google Now Launcher, Apex Launcher, Nova Launcher, and much more. You can even change the icons using any icon manager.
8. Evie Launcher – Best Free Launcher For Android
With excellent gesture controls comes this light-weight launcher for Android. Evie Launcher multiplies the speed of the launcher and user experience. One of the unique features of this launcher is that you can back up the layout of the launcher to Google Drive.
Evie Launcher has many customization options that include swipe down to open notifications, app-sized personalized interface, and gesture control to open a particular app. Being a free Launcher for Android, this app offers way beyond what its competitors offer.
Recently, Evie developers in an update added a new feature that lets users select a search engine from the list provided by them, show more local search results, lock the home screen icons, and much more.
Download Evie Launcher
9. Lawnchair Launcher – Best Fastest Android Launcher App
Lawnchair launcher is for those users who wish to get the features of a Pixel device. This open-source launcher application has many things to offer for free to the users. Many custom ROMs are packed with this Launcher by default as it is light-weight and fast.
The app gets regular updates under the influence of a volunteer team where bugs and errors are fixed instantly. Inspired by the Pixel launcher app, it has many similar features and gesture controls that make it a favorite among many users.
The best thing on Google Play Store about this app is that it is listed among the top Android launchers and is free from any advertisement or premium services in the app.
10. Smart Launcher 5 – Best Free Launcher For Android
Smart Launcher is entirely customizable as it supports many paid features out of the box, such as the search for contacts, content from the web, apps, etc. from the home screen.
The launcher supports tons of themes and icon packs from the app menu; the home screen style can be changed in numerous ways and patterns.
There is a dedicated community for Smart Launcher, where the users help report bugs and ask for new features. One of the reasons why there are regular updates and supports for all the Android APIs and devices.
Benefits of Third-Party Android Launchers?
Third-party launcher for Android apps comes with many features and customizations that the default launcher doesn’t provide. Many third-party launcher apps offer to change the home screen style, notification icons, app drawer, etc. There is numerous amount of customization available for the end-user.
- Ability to change icons.
- Ability to change the fonts.
- Notifications for unread messages.
- Change the wallpaper from the home screen.
With more usage, third-party launcher apps have adopted a new set of environments where the users are provided with the best outcome.
Disclaimer! We have not judged any particular launcher. The selected of the launchers are based on the number of downloads and user’s feedback. You can try any other launcher according to your wish.
Which is the Best Launcher App For Android?
Selecting a particular best launcher app for Android is a big confusion among all the Android smartphone users. If we talk about the best, then we would select Nova and Poco launcher as it has been fast and met our demands.
Microsoft Launcher, on the other hand, offers many customizations and the ability to sync the Microsoft account direct access to calendars, contacts, etc. which is notably good. But, if you are a fan of themes and HD wallpapers, then Go Launcher would suit you the best. In the end, we cannot say which is the perfect launcher for Android. It all depends on the user’s choice and demands.