How do launchers work?

**Grumple** · 09-19-2011, 10:27 AM

I am interested in changing the launcher on my phone, but I don't really get how it works. Is it separate from my regular launcher? Will the changes I make on the new launcher affect my stock one? For instance, if I install Launcher Pro and get it all set up and decide I don't like it, will my phone be exactly as it is now when I uninstall it, home-screen layouts and all?

**Meiji** · 09-19-2011, 11:44 AM

Let's go in parts:

Is it separate from my regular launcher?
-Yes

Will the changes I make on the new launcher affect my stock one?
- No

For instance, if I install Launcher Pro and get it all set up and decide I don't like it, will my phone be exactly as it is now when I uninstall it, home-screen layouts and all?
- Yes

The new launcher you install will be separate from your stock one, and actually, you can have many launchers installed to test which one you like the most and each one of them will be customized independently from the others. Android will let you jump from launcher to launcher if you want, or leave one as your definitive one (of course, you can change it later if one day you decide you didn't like it and/or want to try another).

Cheers! =)

**Grumple** · 09-19-2011, 11:48 AM

Awesome, thank you for the quick reply!

**Meiji** · 09-19-2011, 12:17 PM

Welcome!! ^^ Testing a new launcher is always fantastic since you'll find out how powerful and customizable Android can be! So, enjoy! =D

**soothslyr** · 07-05-2012, 08:56 PM

Sorry to necro the thread, but it seemed to be the only one that answered my question. However, it lead to me having another.

In ios, when you install UI tweaks (using dreamboard which is essentially a new launcher), it sets it up on top of the stock UI (launcher), is this the same in android?

If I run a custom launcher, what happens to the stock one? Is it replaced (stored only in factory image), or is it still running in the background (using resources, but not being seen as the main UI)?

Again, sorry for necroing the thread. It just seemed the closest to a solution to my question.

**Devinator** · 07-06-2012, 11:32 PM

That's a good question. Doesn't look like it. I just looked in my running apps and don't see the stock Launcher running. When I short press the stock Launcher it shows no memory usage.

**soothslyr** · 07-07-2012, 07:05 AM

thanks for your response, but i am still a bit unsure. guess i'll just have to try and find out

hope it's not running on top though. i'd much prefer my device have as few extraneous processes running as possible. the K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple, Stupid) method at work!

**Devinator** · 07-07-2012, 08:36 AM

No problem. But, I'm not sure why you are unsure. Look in your running tasks for the stock launcher (mine was literally called Launcher). Mine was not running and showed no memory usage. Not really sure how it could be running.

**Rukbat** · 07-07-2012, 02:36 PM

The launcher is an app, just like any other app. If you're running a launcher you downloaded (from Play or somewhere else), the stock launcher isn't running. (Unless you run the stock launcher, then run the new one - Android doesn't kill a program as soon as you run another one, it only kills the older program if the memory space is needed for something else.) So it won't use memory, CPU or any other resources (except storage - like an app in Windows will be using disk space when it's not running).

**Devinator** · 07-07-2012, 02:42 PM

Originally Posted by Rukbat

(Unless you run the stock launcher, then run the new one -

Yea, this is really the only scenario I can think of where both would be running. When you first download and run the Launcher, both are probably running. But, after that if you are booting into the new Launcher and the stock one shouldn't be running.