Top 8 Android Launcher Apps To Customize Your Device

If there’s one thing that Android users will always have when it comes to advantages to be held over the heads of their iOS counterparts, it’s customization. Customization is really the key to setting Android devices apart, and is part of the reason that so many people will stick with Android over other platforms, no matter what. Part of this customization comes through launcher apps, which provide tons of different options, themes, icons and a whole lot more for your handset. Not only this, but these launcher apps offer almost complete control over what happens in the background, or at the base level of your phone. What apps are currently open, which screens are displayed, and a whole lot more. If there’s one thing that most users don’t really have control over these days, it’s the inner workings of their phone, which is part of the reason why battery life seems so limited these days. Android launcher apps give you full control over everything happening on your device, so you will be able to better share that juice.

8. Apex Launcher (Free)

Let’s start with Apex Launcher, which is one of the most popular launcher apps out there when it comes to customization in particular. The options here are really endless, with full control over the home screen an d apps. There is a paid version as well as this free option that adds even more options to your fingertips. Personally, I prefer the launcher apps that lean towards the functional and the economical rather than offering tons of different customization apps, but to each their own! This is the launcher app to pick if you love being inundated with choice. – Download from Google Play

7. C Launcher (Free)

If there’s one way these launcher apps can really benefit the average smartphone user, it’s when it comes to monitoring device usage and working out exactly what it is your device is doing at all times. Different launcher apps do things differently, but C Launcher is one of the best when it comes to tracking the things that are happening on your device. It will also then provide you with contextual suggestions to help you improve this usage, as well as a cleaner that will help you to keep your device from being cluttered. There are lots of themes to help you customize your device, you can either pick from one of these or create your own unique theme using the step by step guide that comes with C Launcher itself. – Download from Google Play

6. Buzz Launcher (Free)

Customization is obviously a big part of these launcher apps, and Buzz Launcher in particular has seen the importance of user input when it comes to this. Rather than offering users a stock list of different customized themes to pick from, Buzz Launcher has instead used its excellent Android loving community to come up with a range of professional looking themes for your device. The looks it comes up with are bold and different to what you might see through other launcher apps, and the detail in these themes makes you think that they couldn’t have possible been downloaded and added to your phone but must have been created from scratch. There is also a Buzz Widget app which works as a great companion to this. – Download from Google Play

5. APUS Launcher (Free)

APUS is one of the more popular launcher apps on the Android platform at present, and part of the reason for this is the Pinko theme. It boasts a range of excellent features that set it apart from similar launcher apps, and we love the animations in particular. There are better options out there when it comes to customization in particular, but APUS Launcher is currently one of the more unique. It has its own voice as a launcher app, and that’s part of the reason it belongs on this list. – Download from Google Play

4. Smart Launcher 3 (Free)

If you’re looking for an entirely new layout for your Android device, and are sick of the old menus with their basic icons, then check out Smart Launcher. Rather than rows and boxes, Smart Launcher instead gives you a basic screen with different rings for your most used apps nd services. There are vertical cascades of apps that can be accessed with a single tap so everything will be at your fingertips with no problem at all. Though, it hides these away to ensure that your home screen is not cluttered. Personally, we love this minimalistic approach, and it’s very functional, too. Smart Launcher is linked to the app manager within your device, meaning that the removal of a single icon will actually remove the app from your phone, so you don’t have to spend time cleaning up afterwards. – Download from Google Play

3. Hola Launcher (Free)

If there’s one thing that lets some launcher apps down, it’s the fact that they try to do to much. The whole concept behind these apps is to unclutter your phone and make it easier to manage what’s going on behind the screen, while at the same time making it more functional. Some of these apps  seem to forget this point, indundating you with different themes and icons to pick from. Hola Launcher has made some kind of name for itself due to offering wha is essentially the opposite. An economical effort that strips away much of the artiface to leave you with something more simple and pleasing. The download of the app is around 1MB, which is a good indication of this. – Download from Google Play

2. Action Launcher 3 (Free)

One for the Windows fans, the Action Launcher 3 app has done well to fully embrace Android Lollipop, which is something that other launcher apps can’t always say with a straight face. I say that Action Launcher 3 is one for the Windows fans because its main feature is this bar in the centre, similar to the Windows Start Menu, which provides you instant access to all your favorite apps. It’s a great central feature, and is a nice way to keep all of your favorite apps close at hand without having them cluttering up the home screen. This All Apps list can be customized to your heart’s content, meaning that you can alter the layouth, change the colors, the icons and lots more. – Download from Google Play

1. Nova Launcher (Free)

Nova Launcher is undoubtedly the reigning king of launcher apps for Android devices, and most people by now will have grabbed it at some point. At least, the Play Store page for the app currently boasts millions of downloads at the time of writing, which shows how popular it is among launcher apps. There are a lot of extra features here that have made it an instant hit with both launcher app fans and regular, casual users alike. Our favorite of these is the icon normalization feature, which basically ensures that all your icons look the same in an aesthetic sense. It seems quite a simple feature and obviously a no brainer if you want your home screen to look neat and tidy, but the algorithm that goes into making this happen is surprisingly complicated! – Download from Google Play