I always change the launcher on my Android phone: this is why

Personalized launchers have been a must for the customization experience of Android for years. Although their popularity may have decreased, they always offer a higher experience that the stock launcher of most devices. Over the past decade, I have used hundreds of premium Android phones and headlights performing almost all popular Android skin. However, I always come back to a personalized launcher. Although personalization is a key reason behind this, the use of a personalized launcher has other advantages.

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More functional integrated research

Find what you need quickly

Most Android phones include an integrated system -intended search option, but it is often slower and less powerful than the search feature offered by personalized launchers. On my Google Pixel 8 Pro, I can use the integrated search function to go through contacts or do a search on the cards or youtube.

Although practical, this feature is not as powerful as the research tool on most personalized launchers. In Smart Launcher, the search for a contact reveals its name and provides shortcuts to send them a message on Telegram or Whatsapp, or start a dating call. If you use Google Messages, you can launch a conversation from the search results.

Likewise, the launcher’s search function analyzes my calendar and displays relevant events linked to the term research. It is faster than opening WhatsApp or the Calendar application, then doing a search.

Nova Launcher and most third -party launchers offer just as powerful research on a system scale. When you get used to the searching tool for a personalized launcher, there is no going back, as it can save you unwanted steps.

4

Quick entertainment

Do not let the smooth animations slow you down

With SuperFast Chipsets and smooth system animations, Android phones do not feel slower. You can perform several tasks and run several applications in the background or a split shape without significant slowdown.

However, as a long -standing personalized launcher user, I find that the stock launcher on most Android phones is the slowest. It is not due to their performance but rather to their relaxed animation speed. Long animations look good when you get the phone for the first time. But over time, they become boring and can slow you down.

Personalized launchers like Nova or Smart Lancenner are shipped with faster animation speeds out of the box. In addition, you can dive into their settings to speed up or slow down the animation. You can also move on to another animation that is better for your taste.

3

Gestures

Make your home screen more useful

As an Android long -standing user with more than a decade of experience using personalized launchers, gestures have become integrated into my workflow. They help make the home screen of my phone more useful, ensuring that I don’t have to clutter it with unwanted shortcuts.

The launcher on most Android phones supports the basic gestures, such as sliding on the home screen to access the quick setting panel or a number. Likewise, a scan raises the application drawer. With most personalized Android launchers, I can assign actions to a scanning gesture on each application shortcut on my home screen.

On Smart Launcher, I can define scanning gestures, down, left and right for each shortcut on my home screen. For example, sliding on the shortcut of the telegram opens my conversation with my wife. A left stroke makes my group cat appear with friends, while a forehand launch my conversation with a personalized bot that I created for work. That’s not it. While a sweeping to a finger reveals the notification panel, a two fingers sweep open the panel of the quick parameters.

Personalized gestures have become a major reason why I cannot return to the stock launcher on most Android phones. Configure them takes time, but there is no turning back after that. They accelerate access to my most used applications and shortcuts, making daily navigation more quickly.

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Unlimited personalization options

Your imagination is your limit

I continue to return to a personalized launcher because I can configure the home screen and the drawer of the application of my phone as I want. They offer unlimited personalization options, beyond the capacity of the stock launcher of an Android phone.

It is not only a question of adjusting the size of the grid or using personalized application icons. It is also a question of being able to modify the font of the application label and the shape of the application icon, create dense home screen arrangements with more than 10 lines of icons, and more. That’s not it. In Smart Launcher, my current personalized launcher of choice, I can use the Companion Icon Pack Studio application to create a set of personalized icons of variable shapes and sizes.

It takes time and efforts to create beautiful house screens. However, if you are ready to do the work, a personalized launcher is a better option. In addition, after installing a layout, you can create a backup and restore it on your future devices.

Another advantage of using a personalized launcher is the familiarity it brings. I pass between the phones of various manufacturers, all with Android skins and different launchers. With a personalized launcher, I can restore my backup and access my shortcuts and widgets as I wish. This guarantees that I do not spend an additional time configuring my home screen when going to a new device.

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Each personalized launcher is different

Just like Android

There are not two identical Android phones. Even with the same chipset, the OnePlus 13 and Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra offer distinct experiences, each offering its own unique vision of Android. This same theory applies to personalized launchers. A handful of them are available on the Play Store, and all are distinct from each other.

For years, I used Nova Launcher as my personalized launcher on my main Android phone. After briefly using the original pixel launcher and the Microsoft launcher, I went to the smart launcher. All have their advantages and disadvantages, with their style and their unique look. I prefer the intelligent launcher for the varnish level it brings, elegant widgets and theme capabilities.

If you prefer a non -traditional home screen, try Niagara Launcher or Square Home. Or, if you want to reduce screen time and unwanted distractions, try a minimum launcher like Olauncher.

This varied experience shows the beauty of Android and personalized launchers. A few months later, when I bored with Smart Launcher, I can go to Hyperion or Niagara Launcher for a different experience.

Android OEMs must better treat personalized launchers

The biggest drawback of using a personalized launcher on Android is that many manufacturer’s skins do not support them completely. If you use a personalized launcher on Xiaomi phones, you cannot use navigation gestures. You must use the navigation bar. The use of a personalized launcher on OnePlus phones breaks the animation of the scanning gesture to return to the home screen.

Several underlying problems in Android can cause third-party launcher glins. Given their improvement in the user experience and add flexibility, it is disappointing that Google has not fully adopted them or collaborated with the manufacturers of devices to solve these problems. Despite this, the advantages of using a personalized launcher prevail over its drawbacks.