We type a lot on our mobile devices. We
constantly text people, browse the web, type up documents, and so much
more. Therefore, keyboards have become one of the most important apps on
your device, so it’s important to be using one that you like the most.
Plenty of recent Android devices come with the Swype keyboards,
which, if you like the swiping mechanism which it uses, is perfectly
fine. However, if you still like to tap on letters instead of dragging
your finger around on your screen, the default keyboard has room for
improvement. However, they’re meant to be rather simple, so you’ll have
to look for third-party keyboards to get the job done.
What
does your Android launcher say about you? Is it really the best
launcher for you, or maybe there’s a better one waiting just around the
corner? The Play Store has a multitude of launchers, some popular and
even some you may never have heard of.
For
the uninitiated, a launcher is an app that lets you customize the look
of your homescreen (or “desktop”, in the traditional sense) as well as
your app drawer (the place where you see apps when you hit the Home
button).
Now, given the huge number
of launchers available, there’s something for everyone. So here are the
best app launchers for particular needs:
If
this is your first time changing your Launcher, then Nova Launcher is
your best bet. It’s fast, it’s easy to use and it never crashes —
something other launchers can do from time to time. It offers a wide
variety of customizations and we think it’s better than the default Android 4.0 Launcher. And it’s the only one of the launchers that is as seamless on a tablet as on a phone.
Hits:
- Set number and arrangement of homescreens, grid size, margins, search bar on/off, transition effects, widgets, etc.
- Horizontal and vertical style of app drawer, infinite scroll.
- Pagination in dock, infinite scroll.
- Customizable color theme, icon theme, animations.
- Backup and Restore Nova settings.
- Great tablet support.
Misses:
- Gestures are mostly paid, requiring Nova Prime to unlock.
- ‘Unread count’ notification on icons is paid.
Buzz
Launcher changes the game when it comes to homescreen. The onus is no
longer on you to create a beautiful screen. Instead, you can browse
through the Homepack Buzz service for dashing designs made by other
users. When you find something you like, just download it to get that
look on your Android. The themes that use third-party widgets and apps
not installed on your device will prompt you to get those services. In
essence, Homepack Buzz is a forum to create and share themes that anyone
can use — perfect for those who aren’t great at customizing but like
their phone to have a unique look among friends. And yeah, you can
upload your own themes too.
Hits:
- Fantastic UI, the best of the lot.
- Crowd-sourced themes.
- Imports settings from Apex, LauncherPro, Nova.
- Gesture support: home key, swipe up/down, double tap, long press, two-finger swipes.
- Unread count on icons for missed call, messages, Gmail.
- Customizable effects for single screen or multiple screens in homescreen.
Misses:
- Crashed thrice in tests.
- Like Apex Launcher, is sluggish on older hardware and comes with the option to reduce redraws by always keeping it in memory.
- No search function for themes, can only browse through categories.
- Doesn’t work well on tablets.
For Windows Phone 8 Fans: Launcher 8
LauncherPro is among the oldest Launchers on Android. At this point, it’s dated when compared to modern Launchers, but it does have one thing going for it: support for older hardware and firmware.
Hits:
- Supports Android 2.0 and upwards.
- Runs well on even phones with a single-core processor.
- Customizable shortcuts in Dock to direct dial or direct message someone, even on WhatsApp.
- Infinite scroll in app drawer.
Misses:
- No customization options at all.
- Animation effect when starting the app drawer isn’t nice.
- No backup or restore.
- Have to uninstall through Settings->Apps, no option to drag icon to trash can.
Like
the tiled interface of Windows Phone 8? Wish you could have that on
your Android? Meet Launcher 8, an app that skins your homescreen to look
like WP8. The recreation is pretty faithful, letting you adjust the
size of tiles and swipe to access the app drawer.
Hits:
- Customize applications to bind to tiles.
- Set tile name and color.
- WP8-like animations.
Misses:
- No built-in widgets to complement the theme.
- Gets slow with usage.
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