Fast and beautiful 3D launcher for Android. The best free launcher for Android

Today, many people get tired of the standard interface on their phone or tablet, and they search the Internet for launchers for Android. These are applications that completely change the design of all elements, including panels, buttons and, of course, the splash screen on all screens.

Rice. No. 1. Unusual theme on a smartphone

Each user can have their own background, screensaver and other individual elements on their Android device. As for which is the best launcher, it is definitely impossible to answer this question, because everyone has their own preferences and someone may really like what an application offers, while others will consider it absolutely nondescript and uninteresting .

Therefore, the only objective criterion in in this case is the rating of the program on Google Play. Based on this criterion, 5 launchers were selected. And which one is the best, decide for yourself - perhaps you will like one of them the most.

1. Nova Launcher Prime

Interestingly, there is simply Nova Launcher on Google Play, which is also popular. But the Prime version has the highest rating among all launchers - 4.8. In fact, it is estimated to be the best launcher for Android. But Nova Launcher Prime is paid and costs about $10.

Rice. No. 2. Key Features of Nova Launcher Prime

This launcher has a very unusual design and many non-standard elements that are sure to attract attention regular user. In addition, this application is constantly updated and literally every month the developers add something new to it.

Features of Nova Launcher Prime:

Unread messages and other notifications are displayed on the screen using the TeslaUnread plugin. It all looks very impressive and beautiful.
The user can group applications depending on their purpose. On the Home screen, each group will appear as one shortcut.
Rarely used applications will not be displayed on the main screen. Interestingly, the launcher itself decides which applications are used and which are not. Some applications gradually become less used.
You can scale the screen as you like, change the design, screensavers, sizes and do many other operations that help make this or that device truly yours, special and unique.
Much attention is paid to security - with this launcher, attackers will have very little chance of getting to your personal information.

As for how to delete a theme, all this is done very simply - you can install a new one in the settings or completely remove the launcher from the device’s memory and then it will return to the standard theme. These instructions on how to remove a theme are relevant for all launchers.

2. ZenUI Launcher

This is already a completely free application and its rating is 4.7. It turns out that ZenUI Launcher is the best free launcher on Google Play, based on user ratings. It also allows you to customize the interface and all screens on your phone or tablet. There are a variety of styles and fonts for this - much more than in any standard launcher.

Rice. No. 4. Interface features in ZenUI Launcher

Deserves special attention main screen. The user can easily organize applications (for this there are so-called single-layer and double-layer modes), group applications the way he wants, block them and make them invisible to strangers.

Other features of ZenUI Launcher are:

All settings are available after scrolling up the screen.
There's a quick search feature that lets you find popular apps, themes, and other content in seconds.
IN standard collection The launcher has a huge number of wallpapers, screensavers and styles - you don’t have to download anything additional. Perhaps this is also the best launcher for Android in terms of richness of styles.
The support service is very good - just write to This email address is being protected from spambots. You must have JavaScript enabled to view it. and already in next update

The developers use all your recommendations and wishes.

3.CM Launcher 3D

Just by the name you can understand what makes this launcher different - it has very bright and impressive 3D screensavers and HD wallpapers. The rating for this application is 4.6. There is a huge collection of 3D clocks, effects, wallpapers, widgets and other interface elements. Moreover, this collection is updated literally every day.

At the very least, you can definitely download new wallpapers, widgets and themes every week. Particular attention is paid to widgets - there are a huge number of them. They relate to weather, device resource usage, news and other information that may be of interest to the user. Navigation and screen settings are also very convenient.

It has its own acceleration system that works without consumption system memory– everything works on internal resources. This is useful, first of all, because all other applications and even pages on the Internet will open many times faster.
All topics in standard set free. Moreover, there is a so-called DIY mode in which each user can apply their design skills and create their own theme.
In addition to animation, each 3D effect also has sound. It all looks very cool!
This launcher saves up to 30% battery power every day. And this despite the fact that it itself uses a lot of the device’s graphic resources.
It has its own protection system, which also performs very well.

4. Evie Launcher

In the description, the developers write that their product allows you to radically change the appearance of the device. This is very close to the truth. This app is rated by Google users Play is 4.6. This launcher is distinguished by elegance, simplicity of details and sophistication.

Rice. No. 8. Evie Launcher Interface

You won't find any flashy themes or screensavers here. All this does not prevent users around the world from customizing their device. By the way, Evie Launcher has its own community where everyone can find a new theme or suggest their own.

Features of Evie Launcher:

It also has its own mode in which you can create your own unique themes. This way, the user can take their images, customize the size and appearance of the icons on the screen, and make a theme out of it all.
This launcher allows you to change the contents of the main screen. You can display any element on it, even an entry in the phone book. This is done by long pressing on one or another element.
With each update, developers change many functions, and Evie Launcher becomes more convenient and practical.
Evie Launcher also has a quick search feature for applications, recordings, files, and even supporting information. For example, some music file has Additional Information about the artist, which is displayed in the player. Using Evie Launcher you can search in it too.

5. Solo Launcher

This is a very popular launcher that became so a few years ago. Its rating is not too high, 4.5, but among other similar programs with the same rating, Solo Launcher can rightfully be considered the best. The developers themselves write that they used the so-called “material design”, which now has version 2.0.

Rice. No. 9. Features of Solo Launcher

Although the name doesn't sound very impressive, the design looks really good. In addition, Solo Launcher has a large number of additional functions such as clearing the cache, speeding up the device, clearing memory. All this is done automatically and much faster than in other launchers.

Other features of Solo Launcher:

There are more than a thousand in the collection various topics, widgets and wallpapers.
With the help of special plugins, a high degree of security is achieved - attackers have no chance of stealing your personal data.
Solo Launcher also has a search engine for all possible files and programs. It works very well.
There is also a DIY mode here, which, among other things, allows you to install photos instead of standard icons.
There is a mode customization gestures and actions towards them.

An overview of Solo Launcher can be seen below.

What is an Android launcher? We tell you how launchers change the interface and operation of a smartphone, as well as which launchers for Android is better!

Launchers for Android - third party applications, changing the system interface and, in some cases, the way the user interacts with an Android smartphone. Android launchers do not require, do not affect the warranty and are not a flashing of the smartphone. We tell you which launcher for Android is better, how to install and how to remove the launcher from an Android smartphone.

What is a launcher for Android

Launcher ( English launcher) allows you to simulate various interfaces, turning Android smartphones into Windows devices or Apple devices running iOS.

The best launcher for Android should have the following characteristics:

change backgrounds, icons, process of interaction with the device
do not affect the operation of the system
do not show advertising to the user
ideally be free

There are two types of launchers:

operating system simulators, using GUI Windows, iOS or other Android versions.
fundamentally new shells, changing the appearance and increasing the level of comfort between the user and the mobile device.

Both types of launchers can be downloaded in the “Personalization” section of the store Google applications Play. In addition, to search for such programs, you can simply type the word “launcher” or “launcher” into the appropriate line of the market. But not all shells can be called truly the best and interesting shells that are worth installing on your smart phone.

The best launchers for Android

A good launcher redraws icons, changes the menu structure, adds new widgets and wallpapers. The best launcher for Android optimizes memory consumption and processor load, prevents viruses from entering the device using a special kernel, and protects personal data.

Not all applications posted on Google Play fall under the definition of the best launcher. The Five-Inches editors have chosen the three best launchers that deserve the attention of our readers:

Best of the Best – Action Launcher 3

Chosen by 5 million users. The application is compatible even with the fourth version of Android. Once installed, the launcher changes the Android interface, including a curtain, an updated list of apps sorted alphabetically (A to Z), and an improved Google search bar. In addition, the phone will have new folder covers, icons and wallpapers.

At the same time, Action Launcher 3 does not overload the phone's desktop - it offers the maximum useful functions, occupying a minimum of space. Moreover, the OS interface receives an update in the style Material Design, bringing Android Nougat closer even to those users who will not see the seventh version of Google’s operating system on their phone under any circumstances.

The main advantage of Action Launcher 3 is a very interesting and convenient graphical interface that offers ample opportunities to control your smartphone and applications.

Main disadvantage– access to most of the tasty features requires purchasing the advanced version of the program, which costs about $5. However, the basic version will allow you to enjoy a qualitatively improved interface.

Launcher with the best interface - Google Now Launcher

Google Now Launcher interface ( aka Google Start ) is recognized by users as the best. Classical Google design Now Launcher was thought through by the creators operating system Android. This launcher responds to “OK Google”, launches a prompt on any screen and does not overload the smartphone’s hardware. In addition, there are multi-page folders and alphabetical lists applications, and the Google Now launcher interface is understandable even for children. Google Now Launcher has been appreciated by more than 50 million Android users.

The main advantage of Google Now Launcher– this is ultra-stable operation and compatibility with any Android smartphone starting from version 4.1.

Main disadvantage– constant hints and lists begin to irritate over time.

The best launcher for choosing settings is Nova Launcher

Rebuilds the standard operating system interface beyond recognition. Nova Launcher offers new icons, widgets and desktops, binds buttons to a specific location on the screen and saves backup copies of settings, accepts imported installation packages, adapting to any design, and does not overload the phone's hardware. Because of this, Nova Launcher was chosen by more than 10 million users, with about 730 thousand people giving this launcher a well-deserved “5” score on Google Play.

The main advantage of Nova Launcher– a very flexible settings system that allows you to customize your interface.

Main disadvantage– all functions are unlocked only by the paid version of Nova Launcher Prime.

How to install or remove a launcher from an Android smartphone

In order to install the launcher on your smartphone, you just need to download it from Google Play and install it as a regular Android application.

How to remove launcher from Android? The course of action is standard:

Open “Settings”, go to the “Applications” section.
Find in the list of programs installed launcher and click on its icon.
In the menu that opens, select the “Delete” option.

That's all. After that, you can download another Android launcher or continue to use the standard interface of the Android operating system. Let us remind you that the warranty is not violated when installing the launcher. The launcher is not an unauthorized modification of the software provided by the manufacturer. Root rights are not required to install the launcher.

For a long time now, special launcher applications have remained an important part of the process of using an Android smartphone.

If you don't like the way your home screen looks or functions, you can simply download an app to change it.

There's no doubt that Android launchers have a far more diverse set of features than any other genre of app, and that you can do some amazing things with a launcher.

Let's look at the best of these apps!

Action Launcher 3

Action Launcher has been a long-time favorite among our readers, so it deserves a place on this list.

However, there are some additional functions which add uniqueness to it.

Quicktheme allows you to customize the colors of your interface based on your wallpaper. Tabs allow you to check out an app widget without having it installed on your home screen.

It even has theme and customization elements to make your phone look more like Android Oreo.

There is also support for icon packs, frequent updates and much more.

ADW Launcher 2

We stopped following this launcher after the developers stopped updating the project, but now the launcher is making a triumphant return.

ADW Launcher 2 is a completely modernized version of the legendary launcher.

You'll find modern features like shortcuts from Android 7.1 Nougat. In addition to this, you will also find a range of themes and customization options.

This bundle includes the coolest widget creator we've seen in a long time.

This launcher is a decent option that has features that others don't have. He has regained his rightful place among the “elite” of the launcher world.

Apex Launcher appeared a long time ago and still remains one of the most famous launchers for Android.

Among them is the ability to change the animation of transitions, the style of scrolling pages, there is even a special scrolling page on which you can place many icons.

Apex Launcher also uses own themes, the collection of which can be replenished in Google store Play, it also supports icon sets. At the same time, the launcher is quite stable on almost any device.

The application has undergone Big changes in 2018. Now it looks much more modern.

AIO Launcher

AIO Launcher doesn't work like many others. It replaces the standard home screen with an information-packed list of options.

It shows things like your latest SMS and missed calls, your media player, your system information ( RAM, battery, memory, etc.).

And even things like news, Bitcoin price, Twitter and more. The paid version also includes integrations for Telegram and your regular widgets from other apps.

Not everything has to look like stock Android launchers.

The app used to be Arrow Launcher. Microsoft rebranded the application in mid-2017.

The application has integration with many Microsoft services, including calendar, email, a to-do list app and direct integration with Microsoft computers.

It also has customization and gesture control features. This is back in beta after rebranding.

Thus, on this moment, some errors may probably occur. However, it is something different and is especially useful for those who want better PC integration.

Setting up these screens takes a couple of minutes, but anyone who can no longer imagine their life without Microsoft platforms, I just have to try this launcher.

Evie Launcher was released in 2016 and it managed to go unnoticed by us.

The launcher has a fairly typical home screen layout, along with universal search, customizable shortcuts, and plenty of personalization options.

The dock is a little more customizable than most standard launchers on most phones.

You can also change things like icon sizes, app bar, and other things.

The launcher manages to remain simple, easy and useful for people. This is possibly the best free Android launcher on the market.

Hyperion Launcher

Hyperion Launcher is a new player among launchers for Android. It fits nicely between heavier launchers like the Action and Nova, and the standard Lawnchair.

The user interface certainly looks no frills. There is a lot of room for customization though.

These include support for third-party icons, an icon changer, theming elements, and some other useful things.

It supports Google Feed, but requires a separate download like most other launchers.

This is a new product, but it already occupies a favorable position among the best Android dlch launchers.

Lightning Launcher

Lightning Launcher is not the most popular on this list, but it has one of the highest ratings.

This launcher can be described in just a few words: its goal is to use as few resources as possible on your device.

Its feature set is pretty sparse, but some of them are impressive - the ability to create an infinite number of home screens, add and move icons wherever you want, and the minimum system requirements make it a great launcher for older and budget devices.

It's worth a look if you need something fast and undemanding.

Lawnchair Launcher

Lawnchair Launcher is one of the new Android apps. This is an open source project source code, which mimics much of the look and feel of Pixel Launcher.

It has many similarities to Pixel Launcher functions, as well as several others. These features include support for icon packs, Android shortcuts Oreo and notification dots, Google Now integration (with additional and free plugin), adaptive icons and various other settings.

It is still very new and is in beta. However, it already performs better than most launchers. It's also free, with no ads or in-app purchases.

Nova Launcher

It's unlikely you'll find anything much better than Nova Launcher.

Like Apex Launcher, Nova appeared back in the “good old” days and still remains not just a current launcher, but one of the best among those present on Google Play today.

It has a huge number of customizable features, such as support for gestures, the ability to change the appearance and functionality of the interface, support for icon sets, themes, and much, much more.

This app is also updated at a record frequency, which means bugs are fixed instantly and new features are constantly being added.

This launcher also allows you to backup your desktops in case you suddenly get a new smartphone.

Smart Launcher 5

Smart Launcher 5 is significantly different from Smart Launcher 3. Fortunately, in a positive way.

It has a modern user interface, themed environment features, modern features like responsive icons, and more.

It even has a weather and clock widget, as well as gesture controls. It is not as powerful as Nova Launcher or similar launchers.

However, it has enough features to be quite enjoyable. It feels like it's directly competing with Action Launcher and similar applications when it comes to customization and usability.

Solo Launcher

Solo Launcher is positioned as a highly customizable solution for those who prefer to have maximum control over your device.

It uses Material Design version 2.0, which means that in terms of design, your device will meet all modern standards.

The launcher has countless customization options and its appearance can be changed in almost any way.

It also has various topics, gesture control, weather widget, alarm widget and much more.

It's really worth a look if you need something compact, fast, and customizable.

Lean Launcher is another one of the new Android launchers. It gives you a healthy dose of standard Android minimalism with support for popular, new features.

This includes notification dots, app shortcuts, icon shapes, Google Now, and more.

The app also comes with some easy customization features, double tap to lock feature and more.

Considering how new the app is, it's still very good. It's also completely free, at least as of this writing.

Poco Launcher

Poco Launcher is basic program for the popular (and cheap) Pocophone.

It's actually available for most Android devices, which is surprising considering Google won't even release them.

This is a pretty simple launcher. It has a basic, standard Android layout with icons on the home screen and an app drawer for quick access.

You can customize elements such as the home screen grid and app background. It also has a privacy option that hides icons from the bottom menu if desired.

TSF Launcher

TSF Launcher is one of the unique applications for the home screen. It has many settings including full support gestures

He can do a lot of things that look really cool.

Some of the additional features include 3D animations, unlimited pinning bar, batch selection of things like home screen icons, widgets, and more.

It is completely free to download and use. It also has an additional plugin that adds application icons.

Rootless Launcher

Rootless Launcher standard program for Android, released in 2018.

You get a standard external Android view with some additional elements settings.

Some features include icon pack support, adaptive icon pack support, icon shape selector, themes based on your wallpaper, and you can change the search bar layout.

You can also set up Google Feed to work with this launcher, but like most others, it requires an additional download and installation of a plugin.

A site with instructions can be found in the description on Google Play.

Which launcher do you think is the best? If there is something missing from our list, please let us know in the comments!

Nova Launcher rightfully tops this list. It has everything that you might have been missing from stock: full control over the appearance of icons, folders and other interface elements, vertical and horizontal organization of the application catalog, various transition animations, night mode and much more.

You can configure various nuances of managing the desktop and other sections of the interface. In addition, Nova boasts excellent performance and stability. The paid version of the launcher, among other things, allows you to use new gestures and hide preinstalled programs that you don't need.

2. Go Launcher Ex

Go Launcher may seem redundant to many. The fact is that the developers of this project are trying to build their own ecosystem inside Android. Their arsenal includes a locker, browser, calendar, weather application, task manager, special widgets and many other applications integrated with each other. And if you like at least a few solutions from GOMO Limited, if you accept this ecosystem, then the launcher will serve as its basis for you.

3. Buzz Launcher

Buzz Launcher is suitable primarily for customization lovers who do not want to spend long hours on setting up various programs. With this launcher, you can see the most beautiful home screens customized by other people, and add copies of them to your device in one tap. Moreover, everything necessary for this - widgets, icons and background images- will be installed automatically.

4.Action Launcher

As you know, gadgets from the Google Pixel series are the first to receive the latest versions of Android. Owners of most other devices do not receive updates at all. This problem is partially solved by Action Launcher. Its authors are the first to copy best chips, which appear in Android interface updates, including icon options and program display mode, and quickly add them to Action Launcher.

If you like the way Android looks on Google Pixel, then this is the launcher for you. But if you just want a quick launcher with lots of customization options, Action Launcher might also appeal to you.

5.Microsoft Launcher

Mobile operating room Microsoft system failed. Nevertheless, many of the company's products are very successful, including on Android devices. Microsoft Launcher is one of them.

It not only allows you to customize the appearance of your home screen, but also conveniently integrates with popular Microsoft services. For example, you can view events and contacts from Outlook, tasks from Wunderlist, and files from Microsoft package Office directly on your smartphone desktop. And thanks to cloud synchronization, the launcher allows you to quickly open documents and photos on your PC screen.

Hello to all dear and inexpensive users of the best mobile portal called Treshbox.ru. It so happened that suddenly I was given a new topic for editorial material and I sat down to actively write another cool article. Since we are actively updating the tops of the best applications of various categories for the Android operating system, why not touch on the topic of third-party shells or so-called launchers - I think this topic will be of interest to many. That is why today I will tell you about the seven best launchers according to the editors.
Once again, I will note that I will not put numbers next to the names and thereby will not evaluate any of the selected ones in any way. I just want to provide you with a list of creations of various eminent and no enthusiasts, with the help of which you can every day transform the desktop of your smartphone or tablet beyond recognition. By the way, the user interface of the Android operating system has come a long way in just a few years. difficult path, but still continuing to walk, he turned from, frankly speaking, an ugly duckling into a completely usable bird.

Of course, many users, among whom there are beginners or those switching to a green robot from completely different mobile platforms, like and enjoy what the stock Android launcher has to offer, but there are also individuals who choose third-party applications from the most different developers. I can say with confidence that most of these shells repeat the tech giant Google's vision of the desktop, offering only individual improvements and some additional functions. But there are, on the contrary, others who are trying to capture a person’s attention with a completely new, different approach to organizing the workspace.

Thus, with such a good start, I announce the seven best and most popular launchers for Android. Let's get started, I guess.

Nova Launcher

Nova Launcher deservedly heads today's top of the best launchers for Android. The developers of this shell simply took the stock launcher of the now Android 4.4 KitKat version and tried to bring the functionality to incredible levels, and this is really so. The shell boasts many things that you may not find in other launchers: unlimited amount desktops, complete customization of the appearance of icons and folders, vertical and horizontal organization of the desktop and application directory, a variety of transition animations, the ability to change the font, icon size and much more. First things first.

Externally, the launcher is no different from that in the operating system Android versions 4.4 KitKat. The same transparent navigation and status bars, the same block of main icons in a row, the same search bar at the top of the screen, which, by the way, can be modified or completely removed from the desktop, which cannot be done in the Google Start launcher. The application menu is slightly different from the chocolate version, because here the appearance is more reminiscent of the version of the green robot numbered 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, where the “Applications” and “Widgets” tabs were also shown, thereby making them “in different corners”. For some, this may seem even more convenient, but for those who do not like such excesses, they can simply remove this panel.

The launcher settings are simply pleasing to the eye - various fans of tinkering with different things will be to their taste, because the settings of this particular shell are incredibly rich and there really is room to roam around. There you can customize the desktop, the application menu, the dock bar (by the way, you can make not 5 icons in a row, but 3 or more than five), and the appearance of the folders, and the full design of the launcher, where functions like color scheme, icon themes, icon size, font style or scroll speed, and overall animation.

I'm glad that you can install gestures. Thanks to them, you can simply swipe your finger to open a menu, application, status bar, or much more that you can choose yourself in the settings. It’s also nice to see that there are extensions for the shell, but they already work in the Prime version and this time I didn’t download pirated version in order to demonstrate all the delights of this creation of the developers. All I can say is that the extensions will allow you to set icons for the dock bar, applications, icons, and folders. This is just convenient, as you will see the number of unread messages, missed calls or unviewed messages on any social network.

Overall, Nova Launcher is truly multifunctional and it rightfully starts today's top. I believe that even for free version The number of functions in it is only pleasing and simply cannot disappoint, but we should not forget about those for whom this will not be enough. If we talk about such functionality, you can pay attention to its competitors - Apex Launcher and Holo Launcher, but you are unlikely to notice any difference. In any case, discussions can begin on this topic, but I don’t want that, so let’s move on.

Google Start

Previously, it is worth noting that Google did not have a separate launcher application as such, but after some time it decided to freely distribute proprietary software, offering users applications from services such as Hangouts, Gmail, YouTube, Maps, Quickoffice and many others, including The list now also includes a branded launcher, which will be discussed further - or rather, already now.

Speaking from the point of view of a user who uses this launcher every day, I will say: its functionality is enough for me and I don’t need more. But from the point of view of the wild punisher of operating systems or common man who wanted something new - Google Start, I’ll say right away, is never an option. Stock Google shell contains only settings for wallpaper, widgets and system settings, the icon of which you can find in special menu, tapping for a long time on the free space of the desktop.

On the other hand, it’s worth mentioning such an interesting thing as the multifunctional assistant service Google Now, which is built into this launcher as a standard. Again, I will say from my point of view: such a separate desktop, showing the user daily only the information he needs, is necessary and useful. Not all shells can boast of this. HTC BlinkFeed has similar functionality, but there is a separate desktop as a personal news aggregator, showing only news and updates social networks, but nothing more, unfortunately.

You probably know the application menu of the Google Start launcher - a simple grid of application icons measuring 4x5 (on the LG Nexus 5 smartphone) and nothing else. As the previous two times, I will say: I don’t need more, but some others will probably not like this idea. It also happens that the user simply needs to separate application icons and widgets - they just need them to be separate and that’s it. Others may create their own separate "Downloads" tabs to make navigating the menu environment more intuitive.

Google Start, on the one hand, will seem like a kind of golden mean to many, but others will sorely miss such a small functionality. The launcher is visually beautiful, and its performance is absolutely fabulous - everything runs like clockwork. Let's continue and move on to the next hero of the occasion.

Aviate

It is no coincidence that Aviate is here today. This shell has an interesting and long history, which I will briefly tell you.

So, this launcher was originally released by people from Google - this happened in mid-October last year. Main ideology new shell- smart desktop. Its intelligence lies in the automatic categorization of all your applications and further restructuring of the desktop throughout the day, making information and applications dynamic in certain period time. For example, you are at work and having unlocked your smartphone, the launcher will already provide you with the corresponding desktop with the necessary applications and needs - this is really convenient. The launcher is based on your location and the apps you frequently use.

It is worth noting that the shell is based on the Google Now service, the functionality of which, as you know, is wide and incredibly broad. In the morning, for example, when you just wake up, the launcher will provide you with information about the weather, activities planned for today, and applications that you would open only when you get out of bed - it’s just amazing, isn’t it? The user practically does not need to do anything, because the shell itself knows everything in advance. Aviate's design is made in the style of cards similar to Google Now, but it cannot be said that it is ugly and inconvenient by any means.

Now, on the one hand, about the sad, but on the other hand, about the good (depending on whom): in January 2014, Yahoo, a company probably known to you, officially announced the purchase of the Aviate launcher, which has become popular, as part of the International Consumer Electronics Show. The head of Yahoo, Marissa Mayer, named the reason - tracking mobile trends. As she noted, Yahoo services used by more than 400 million people a month, and the most popular is the proprietary weather application. So, following mobile trends, the most popular of which at that time was the Aviate launcher, that’s why the company acquired it. And now it’s up to you to decide whether it’s bad or not. I will only say that the shell confidently showed itself with best side.

Action Launcher

This user interface for the Android operating system made it to my top today for a reason. In a fairly short period of time since its appearance in the Google Play app store, Action Launcher has established itself as an excellent, beautiful and convenient launcher with some interesting functions at first glance, which I will discuss in more detail below. To be honest, I liked the design of the launcher from head to toe and overall it deservedly receives positive ratings. Well, let's get down to detailed consideration.

Having launched the Action Launcher, we see the following before our eyes: at the bottom of the screen there are ordinary application icons, the number of which does not exceed 4, and at the top there is a very convenient location of such important functions, like search, Google Play (for example, I look at it almost every day due to the fact that Google applications are constantly updated), settings and the application menu. At first glance, nothing special, but that's only at first glance. By clicking on the “Menu” button, you will see a sliding panel, which includes both applications and widgets - you will agree, a convenient solution. The same is done with widgets, which can be placed in a separate pull-out menu on the right. This way, you don’t have to place anything on the desktop - you simply don’t have to do it.

Of course, if you want to organize your desktop space as usual, you can place your main and favorite widgets on the desktop. I would also like to draw attention to the search and Google Play application store buttons at the top of the screen - I find this arrangement more convenient for everyday use than if the icon is located on the desktop. Here you will save space and convenience to a higher level. At least, this is my opinion and it may not coincide with yours - this is what happens. Shell performance high level: icons are sent to the desktop without delay, desktops scroll through perfectly and you won’t see animation in “frames”.

In terms of settings, I won’t tell you anything special, but there is still a piece worth telling about. So, by clicking on the button called “Settings” (the launcher interface language is mostly English), we get to the settings. There you can find tabs such as “Display”, “Quickdrawer and Quickpage”, “1-Swipe (Pro)”, “Shortcuts”, “ Backup and import" and "Labs". In the first you can find options for selecting icons (in the Pro version), displaying active panel(which is located at the top of the screen), display (in Android styles 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich or Android 4.4 KitKat) or complete shutdown dock bar, setting grid size, icon size and number of desktops.

In the second tab, basically the functions will become available for use only in the Pro version. There you will find features such as choosing the style of backgrounds (Tinted, Black, Holo Dark and Holo Light in beta). Let me remind you that the functions will only be available in full version applications, so let's move on. The third tab, guess three times, is available in the full version. The fourth is responsible for gestures. There you will find functions for selecting gestures for opening the status bar, manager open applications, as well as what the search in the active panel will be responsible for (only voice search, Google Now and quick search), enabling toggle and notifications. A tab called “Backup and import”, I think you know what it does, and if not, then I’ll say - for backup ( backup copy) and import (restore) data from any other launcher you used previously.

To summarize, I can say that Action Launcher is praised by users for good reason - it is fast, convenient, has quite a lot of settings and looks quite appetizing. Last but not least, I will say about the latter: the launcher is able to open application widgets by simply clicking on their icon - +100 to usability. Icons, by the way, that can open widgets without going to the corresponding menu, are displayed with a special symbol (judging by the Android operating system, we can say that this is a settings symbol (three stripes, dots, or something else). So, icons with such symbols will display widgets in a pop-up window as soon as you click on them. I consider this a plus and you will not find such functionality anywhere except Action Launcher. I think that’s enough about it, so let’s move on.

To the huge community of users of the Android operating system, this shell may seem somewhat heavy and even overloaded. This opinion stems from the fact that the project developers intend to create their own entire ecosystem on Android based. If you don’t know, the GO Dev Team has in its arsenal a proprietary lock screen, browser, calendar, weather application, task manager, special widgets and many others various applications. And if you like at least one solution from the previously named team, if you accept this ecosystem, then GO Launcher EX will serve as its natural foundation. By the way, it is worth noting that the GO Dev Team is one of the leaders in the Google Play app store both in terms of the number of downloads and the amount of money earned. Largely thanks to its proprietary shell.

GO Launcher EX perfectly combines the most the most important factors when choosing a shell for the Android operating system: smooth and stable operating speed, pleasant appearance, wide flexibility of settings and ease of use. It’s unlikely that anyone will be able to tell about everything, even me, but I will try to focus my writing talents only on the most basic and important things, so I’ll tell you about the main features.

So, the launcher has an excellent catalog of installed applications (there you will also find a search bar if necessary and several display methods (by alphabet, novelty and frequency of use)). There is also a tab there open source software, which allows you to switch to what you want, close it, or all at once, which, by the way, is very convenient. Now the second thing: the dock bar, which can contain up to 15 of the most frequently used applications by scrolling. In addition, I would like to note the support for gestures. It can play a role both for system actions and for launching certain applications.

Continuing the theme of the launcher’s rich functionality, I’ll tell you about a few more features. The desktop is very convenient and its customization is incredibly simple, you want to scroll through desktops again and again - it is very smooth, it is possible to combine application icons into folders (if you put a folder in a folder, they will merge and all nested applications will be located in one folder, and not in a folder that is in a folder) and widgets, many of which are personalized specifically for this launcher. As I explained earlier, flipping through desktops is very smooth, plus you can install one of the many different transition effects - I won’t name the exact number.

The latest features include excellent Russification, as well as a huge number of options, settings and themes, with which the user can change the design of all elements with one swipe of a finger. These include: dock bar, icons, wallpapers, widgets, application menu and much more. If you like to get wild with customization, then for such users in the Google Play app store there is simply an incredible number of launcher design options, most of which are free - this is simply a paradise for a lover of customization. To everything else, I’ll add optimization that helps the launcher work quickly even on old devices (devices based on the Android 2.0 Eclair operating system and higher are supported). Bottom line: if you want to freshen up your smartphone, start with GO Launcher EX. It is possible, by the way, that your experiments may end there.

Themer

Surely you know such a popular site called MyColorScreen. There, users mainly of the Android operating system, but not only it, publish their created user interfaces, which they use via a smartphone or tablet. Very, very often you can find interfaces there that are incredibly beautiful, and sometimes you’re simply amazed that Google’s brainchild is capable of this. Naturally, making a beautiful, minimalistic or vice versa interface with your own hands is not so easy. Considering that the authors of unique desktops publish not only screenshots, but also the means by which they achieved this, setup can sometimes take even several hours for an untrained user. As you know, few people will spend so much time setting up a desktop that you are unlikely to use every day, because they are simply too lazy to do it. That's why the developers of MyColorScreen released the Themer application - with it you can create incredible desktops every minute.

Make your own working space drop dead cool and beautiful using this application is very simple. In the gallery after installing Themer you will be given a huge number various user interfaces - from iOS design 7 to the Terminator operating system. To change your desktop beyond recognition, the user needs to do just a few steps and it will take about a minute - just select the interface you like, download and install it, and then enjoy using it. True, the settings are there for a reason, so it will still be necessary to change or change something. For example, in any case you will have to establish a correspondence between icons and applications. So you choose standard applications to use certain functions.

As for the application menu, here you will not see the “garbage dump” that is in the Android operating system in its naked form. Themer breaks your apps into categories (similar to the Aviate launcher), which many will find much more convenient than the standard solution out of the box. Unfortunately, this is where all the advantages of this launcher end and the critical disadvantages begin, which I will discuss further.

With Themer, the interface works noticeably slower, especially when it comes to opening and closing a variety of applications, from lightweight to simple ones. As I understand it, this disadvantage is due to the fact that the theme works from under the application and after minimizing other applications, Themer is launched first, and then the installed theme is loaded. Anyway, I could be wrong, but the interface does indeed run significantly slower.

Also, from time to time Themer crashes and you are faced with the standard user interface of the Android operating system - the way Google sees it. Departures occur with noticeable frequency and in the first half hour of operation this happened 2 times. In addition, it is worth saying that the Themer shell is capable of working with icon packs from various developers, which is good, but you cannot completely remove the pre-installed ones, which is bad. Of course, for some this may not be a minus at all, so this is a moot point.

Well, the results are as follows: it is likely that all the disadvantages I have listed are the costs of the fact that the application currently has the status of open beta testing, in which it, by the way, has been for quite a long period of time. By the way, Themer is a free application that you can install right now through the Google Play app store and by installing you will not incur any material losses. The last thing I would like to say is that the choice of interfaces is really wide, so you will probably be able to find what you may have been looking for for so long.

Buzz Launcher

Buzz Launcher in its functionality is a direct competitor and analogue of Themer, which I talked about earlier. It is suitable for those who love customization and endless novelty, but at the same time do not want to delve into a bunch of settings and functions, spending long hours in vain. With this launcher you can view the coolest and most beautiful desktops and immediately install them on your mobile device in literally one tap. Everything you need, including widgets, utilities, icons, wallpapers and more, is downloaded and installed automatically and you don’t need to do anything.

When you launch it for the first time, the launcher prompts you to restore data from another launcher installed as the standard one. Of course, if you don’t want to, you can create an original desktop yourself, or even more than one. For example, you can do separate interfaces for games, morning reading with a cup of aromatic coffee, car, home and much more. Again, if you don't want to do it yourself, you can install a ready-made user interface, apply it and use it without any problems. In total, up to 9 desktops can coexist.

The launcher application menu looks exactly the same as the stock version in the Android operating system starting with version 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. You won't see anything new, but the features are the same: viewing frequently used and recently installed applications. In addition to the myriad various settings The developers have also added support for gestures. Among the advantages of the application, I can note an extensive library of themes, independent desktop settings and a custom application for creating unique widgets. On the downside: the launcher interface can cause some difficulties for inexperienced users, to access downloaded design options, you must be connected to world wide web and the application menu does not look original in any way. I think by looking at the pros and cons of this creation, you will be able to decide whether this solution is right for you or not. The choice is yours.

On this pleasant note I would like to end my long story about best launchers for the Android operating system. Today, of course, not all solutions from various popular developers were presented to you, but, as you can see from the title, the editors of the best mobile portal selected the best. I hope that you were able to find for yourself what you may have been looking for for a long time. Absolutely every launcher has its own right to life and, accordingly, can boast of wider functionality and settings, or vice versa. The choice will obviously be difficult and I just told you about those that really deserve more attention than the rest. Good luck guys and don't forget to share your opinions.