6 Android launchers to refresh your home screen

The home screen launcher is the interface you use to run apps, view notifications and personalize your phone. Android phones ship with different default launchers, but most devices can install alternatives from the Google Play Store. Some launchers are device-specific and won’t run on other phones, and you should keep your original launcher installed as a fallback; storage space also limits how many you can keep at once.

Here are six noteworthy options. Olauncher offers an extremely minimal home screen, showing only time/weather and a named app list; a Pro Launcher is in development with an “Interrupt Apps” feature, and Olauncher is free. Niagara Launcher presents a compact, adaptive app list with appointments and embedded notifications; Niagara Pro adds calendars, weather widgets, icon packs and more for $9.99 per year or $29.99 lifetime.

Microsoft Launcher is highly customizable with pinned contacts, a personalized feed, Continue on PC, global search and gesture options, and it’s free.

android, launcher, home screen, olauncher, niagara launcher, microsoft launcher, pro launcher, niagara pro, interrupt apps, app list