I installed the Google Experience Launcher twice after sideloading 4.4. The first time I got none of my homescreens populated but my task bar had my settings, including the folders I had set there. I uninstalled and tried again, this time my second page, not my Home page icons were on the new Home page, none of my Home page icons/folders were there. Do I really have to start from scratch with this launcher or did I get the wrong APK from the article I found it on? Did I mess up on the setup? I never saw the blue prompts that I have seen on the articles about the setup, maybe I have the wrong APK file downloaded. I'm not sure what the thrill of the new launcher is but I want to make sure I have the right one before deciding. I just got the latest 4.4 update to my sideloaded 4.4 tonight so I might uninstall and try again.
Google Experience Launcher - Has anyone tried it?
- Thread starter chuckr01
- Start date
http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2013...piciously-receives-support-for-other-devices/
Take look at this article.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using AC Forums mobile app
I installed an APK that I found on some post. It works, I'm just not thrilled with what it does. Did I get the wrong one or is it really lacking?
Legobricke
Well-known member
I am currently running the GEL on my Nexus 7 (2012) and it works great...
I did have to do a little clean up and add back the widgets I wanted, but for the most part it is working flawlessly for me...
Coming from the Nova launcher, I am still debating if I want to stay with the GEL or go back...
The only thing I miss from Nova is the fact that I can adjust my widgets... Although GEL let's you adjust, I have a few widgets that just will not.
Not a deal breaker.... Certainly since I have the Google Now search on at all times and it is very responsive.
Lego
I did have to do a little clean up and add back the widgets I wanted, but for the most part it is working flawlessly for me...
Coming from the Nova launcher, I am still debating if I want to stay with the GEL or go back...
The only thing I miss from Nova is the fact that I can adjust my widgets... Although GEL let's you adjust, I have a few widgets that just will not.
Not a deal breaker.... Certainly since I have the Google Now search on at all times and it is very responsive.
Lego
I love the new launcher! At last it treats photos in a sensible way when you set them as wallpaper - I used to hate the way the old launcher distorted my photos.
It seems to make the leftmost homescreen the default which is a bit weird but I guess it's so Google Now is always a swipe to the right.
It seems to make the leftmost homescreen the default which is a bit weird but I guess it's so Google Now is always a swipe to the right.
IMO, most launchers including GEL make sense if you are the type of person who only makes use of 2 or 3 home screens and uses the app drawer otherwise. I have tried several launchers in the past including Nova and I just tried GEL last week. It was kind of interesting for a few minutes, but I unstalled shortly thereafter.
I use many home screens (5-7 depending on the device) to organize my apps and widgets by function (communication, news, media, calendar, etc.,). I use a large widget on almost every screen. I don't really see the point of having cool resizable widgets like Google Currents, Google Keep, and AccuWeather if you are just going to use your phone like an iPhone and tap 1x1 app icons to view content that you could have seen directly from the home screen without launching into an app.
Surprisingly (to me), I know very few Android users who actually make use of more than 2 or 3 home screens. My wife only really uses her main apps on the main homescreen with a sprinkling of overflow on the home screens to the left and right. The rest of her touchwiz default seven home screens are empty or only contain apps by error. The only widget she uses is the lousy 2x4 clock weather widget that came loaded on the main home screen by default.
This is not to say that there aren't some really great launchers out there that can make your tablet/phone look like a brand new device and still make use of the cool widgets. I just haven't found them compelling enough to pay for.
I use many home screens (5-7 depending on the device) to organize my apps and widgets by function (communication, news, media, calendar, etc.,). I use a large widget on almost every screen. I don't really see the point of having cool resizable widgets like Google Currents, Google Keep, and AccuWeather if you are just going to use your phone like an iPhone and tap 1x1 app icons to view content that you could have seen directly from the home screen without launching into an app.
Surprisingly (to me), I know very few Android users who actually make use of more than 2 or 3 home screens. My wife only really uses her main apps on the main homescreen with a sprinkling of overflow on the home screens to the left and right. The rest of her touchwiz default seven home screens are empty or only contain apps by error. The only widget she uses is the lousy 2x4 clock weather widget that came loaded on the main home screen by default.
This is not to say that there aren't some really great launchers out there that can make your tablet/phone look like a brand new device and still make use of the cool widgets. I just haven't found them compelling enough to pay for.
Bazza1
Well-known member
I moved to GEL and yes, there were a couple of widgets that needed repopulating on my Main Home screen, but otherwise, I am okay with it. And I do prefer that Google Now lives on a Home Page of its own. A hiccup or two with GEL in landscape mode, but not insurmountable and doubtless noted and will be dealt with 'in the fullness of time' by Google.
Speaking to repligation's post above, I have widgets only on my Main Home page - items I wish to view regularly and at a glance (Time & Weather, Monthly Calendar, Calendar Events, Google Keep for a scratch pad and a 'remote control' to my music player) as well as a handful of icons in the drawer.
I have three Home screens beyond that - one catering to my 'daily' interests, another to 'work' and the third, to a few regularly-accessed maintenance tools - and none of these have widgets on them.
Speaking to repligation's post above, I have widgets only on my Main Home page - items I wish to view regularly and at a glance (Time & Weather, Monthly Calendar, Calendar Events, Google Keep for a scratch pad and a 'remote control' to my music player) as well as a handful of icons in the drawer.
I have three Home screens beyond that - one catering to my 'daily' interests, another to 'work' and the third, to a few regularly-accessed maintenance tools - and none of these have widgets on them.
As time permits I have tried to set up GEL with my homescreen folders similar to the default launcher. All went well until I tried to paste internet bookmarks to the homescreen. Out of 8 or more that I tried to add, only 4 made it there and everything went to page 2. After multiple attempts I gave up. When I went to the default homescreen they were all there. I also had Nova running at the time and all of these went to the Nova homescreen too.
Overall, besides not being able to create my folders the way I want them, the whole organization of GEL is counterintuitive. I have a Note 2 and a Note 8 and I would like them all to behave in a similar manner. Having the main home screen on the leftmost screen by default is not what I am used to with my other devices and I end up in Google Now when I don't intend to go there. The icons are bigger and seem washed out with the white background in the folders instead of black. The transparent notification bar seems like it would disappear into the woodwork if someone had a light colored wallpaper, the symbols stand out clearly on the black bar in the default launcher. I think I'm about to pull the plug on it, maybe an update will come out to make it more usable for me.
Overall, besides not being able to create my folders the way I want them, the whole organization of GEL is counterintuitive. I have a Note 2 and a Note 8 and I would like them all to behave in a similar manner. Having the main home screen on the leftmost screen by default is not what I am used to with my other devices and I end up in Google Now when I don't intend to go there. The icons are bigger and seem washed out with the white background in the folders instead of black. The transparent notification bar seems like it would disappear into the woodwork if someone had a light colored wallpaper, the symbols stand out clearly on the black bar in the default launcher. I think I'm about to pull the plug on it, maybe an update will come out to make it more usable for me.
Similar threads
- Question
Trending Posts
-
[Chatter] "Where everybody knows your name ..."
- Started by zero neck
- Replies: 53K
-
-
-
Question Verizon unlocked, international dual sim
- Started by Michael Palyszeski
- Replies: 2
-
News Bill to ban TikTok signed into law, but there's still time- Started by AC News
- Replies: 0
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram