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Nova Launcher for Android
Editors' Review
Teslacoil's Nova Launcher replaces your Android device's home page with a highly customizable front end. Its Dock launches your most-used apps, while stuff you don't need as often goes in the Drawer (just like your real desktop). You can customize just about everything about Nova Launcher, from background colors to horizontal or vertical scrolling, 3D effects, and more. Nova Launcher is free and runs best in Android 4 or better. At 2.04MB, it's compact, especially considering its versatility. A premium upgrade adds app grouping as well as gestures and scroll effects.
We didn't notice much difference between our usual home page and Nova Launcher until we swiped the screen, flipping through pages with a smooth 3D rotating effect. Nova Launcher's main tools are its Dock, a customizable toolbar, and the Drawer, a tabbed, flippable series of pages accessing Apps and Widgets. We added a flashlight widget to our main screen from the alphabetized Widget pages and then opened the Nova Settings from a menu that also accessed our device's System Settings, Wallpaper, and Application Manager. An important feature is highlighted in red: Previous Launcher clears other launchers from your system's memory and history. Nova Launcher has so many options that it takes time to go through them all. We could change the Dock's width, height, scrolling action, and more. When changing the Dock's shape or transparency, be sure to swipe the "On" button as well as checking "Enable Dock."
Nova Launcher lets you customize your phone or tablet where you need it most, at its "business end." Few free tools of its type do as much.
Full Specifications
What's new in version 5.5.4
*5.5.4 May 12*
Fix blank app drawer on Android P DP2 Preview
Minor fixes and optimizations
General
Operating Systems
Popularity
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$2.99/months for a 3-year planDeveloper's Description
The highly customizable, performance driven, home screen
Accept no substitutes! Nova Launcher is the top launcher for modern Android, embracing full Material Design throughout.
Nova Launcher replaces your home screen with one you control and can customize. Change icons, layouts, animations and more.
For my money, Nova Launcher is the best of the AOSP-style launchers available in Android. --Android Police
Nova Launcher has some very capable hands behind it --Phandroid
Our favorite is Nova Launcher, which strikes a great perfect balance between incredible performance and high customizability without getting too gimmicky and difficult to use --Lifehacker
Chock full of features you won't find in the stock launcher, and comes highly recommended --Android Central
-bIcon Themesb - Find thousands of icon themes for Nova Launcher on the Play Store
-bSubgrid positioningb - Much greater control than standard launchers, Nova Launcher allows you to snap icons or widgets half way through the desktop grid cells
-bColor controlsb - for labels, folders, unread badges, drawer tabs and backgrounds
-bCustomize App Drawerb - Custom tabs, Vertical or Horizontal scrolling, Custom effects
-bImproved Widget Drawerb - Widgets grouped by app makes it much faster to use
-bInfinite scrollb - Never far from your favorite page, loop through the desktop or drawer continuously
-bBackupRestoreb - Sophisticated backuprestore system allowing you to backup your desktop layout and launcher settings
-bScrollable Dockb - Create multiple docks and scroll between them
-bWidgets in dockb - Place any widget in your dock, such as a 4x1 music player widget
-bImport Layoutb - No need to rebuild your desktop from scratch, Nova Launcher can import from most popular launchers. Including the one that came with your phone.
-bFastb - Nova Launcher is highly optimized to do it's work quickly and quietly, keeping the animations smooth and letting you use your phone as fast as you can move your fingers.
Unlock the following extras by purchasing Nova Launcher Prime
-bGesturesb - Swipe, pinch, double tap and more on the home screen to open your favorite apps
-bUnread Countsb - Never miss a message. Unread count badges for Hangouts, SMS, Gmail and more using the a href="https:play.google.comstoreappsdetails?id=com.teslacoilsw.notifier"TeslaUnread plugina
-bCustom Drawer Groupsb - Create new tabs or folders in the app drawer
-bHide Appsb - Keep a clean app drawer by hiding never used apps
-bIcon Swipesb - Set custom actions for swiping on app shortcuts or folders
-bMore scroll effectsb - Such as Wipe, Accordion, and Throw
This app uses the Device Administrator permission for optional screen off/lock functionality.