Launcher question

[brattyc]

I'm new to the change the launcher area, which ones are considered the best and easiest to use? I'd like to be able to change the icons to something different than the default ones. I tried a few and got totally lost, maybe I was making it hard on myself-lol. Any help would be greatly appreciated

 

[Citizen Coyote]

I'd say that Nova and Apex are probably the two most popular on devices running 4.0+. I use Nova Launcher myself and absolutely love it.

To change individual icons in the dock (at least in Nova), long press on the one you want to change and select Edit, then tap on the icon image itself. You'll get a window with a variety of options. An easier thing to do would be to download a compatible theme from the Play Store (there are literally thousands), and select the theme from within the launcher's settings menu. This will change the look of all the icons on your device, and some themes include multiple options for each app (although you'll probably have to change them individually if you want the alternates).

Have fun!

 

[brattyc]

Thanks for the help! Looks like I have my day planned

 

[FitzAusTex]

Agreed that Nova and Apex are really good. I prefer Apex, myself.

Posted via Android Central App

 

[brattyc]

Thanks, guess I'll have to check things out on both. I love research

 

[brattyc]

Which version do you guys use, the free one or the pro version and is there much difference between them? Thanks again.

 

[TraderGary]

I use Nova Prime. Read about the additional features on Google Play.

Sent from my Nexus 7 (2013) via the Android Central App.

 

[brattyc]

I've been doing some checking, it seems Nova is the better one according to the reviews that are posted. I will check into the Prime version.

 

[Citizen Coyote]

Which version do you guys use, the free one or the pro version and is there much difference between them? Thanks again.

I just use the free version, but there is definitely something to be said about the prime version outside of the added features; I've been thinking about upgrading simply to show the developer some love.

 

[Gbsa]

I'm new to the change the launcher area, which ones are considered the best and easiest to use? I'd like to be able to change the icons to something different than the default ones. I tried a few and got totally lost, maybe I was making it hard on myself-lol. Any help would be greatly appreciated

Also with nova launcher I was able to do a google search for pics downloaded the ones I liked and used those as icons. Totally changed my fb, internet and contacts icon.

Sent from my galaxy tab sch i800

 

[brattyc]

I just use the free version, but there is definitely something to be said about the prime version outside of the added features; I've been thinking about upgrading simply to show the developer some love.

I tried that one...and a few others and for some reason couldn't get the hang of it :-[ But I'm going to give it another try today -lol. I'll wait til I get things figured out before committing on a paid version.

UPDATE: Finally got Nova loaded and set up..it's great, a lot better than the default launcher.

Thanks everyone for your help!

 

[brattyc]

I've been trying to add a new wallpaper and no matter what I do Nova won't let me resize it to the size I need, it keeps enlarging it even if I use the crop tool. Is there a secret to fixing this? I really like the Nova launcher but it's making me crabby


LOL, never mind, I figured it out

 

[Gauhar Mahmood Azeem]

Does the launcher slow down the Tablet? Does the original launcher keep running if we install a new launcher? is it worth it?

 

[brattyc]

Does the launcher slow down the Tablet? Does the original launcher keep running if we install a new launcher? is it worth it?

No, it doesn't slow it down, as a matter of fact I think it runs better. No, the original launcher is not the default launcher now, but it is waiting should you ever decide to go back to it. The only problem I was having was getting Nova to hold the size of a new wallpaper. I'm using the free version of Nova so there was no cost involved, it's just getting used to how things are set up. I loaded in some new icons which was fun to use and they look great too.

Here's the ones I'm currently using:

Free Nova launcher
https://forums.androidcentral.com/e...ls?id=com.teslacoilsw.launcher&token=xiBvZ4-u

Icons
https://forums.androidcentral.com/e...com.czarnomorski.theme.dcikonz&token=NM6z2jCJ

Wallbase Wallpapers
https://forums.androidcentral.com/e...s/details?id=com.citc.wallbase&token=hh45OqkT

Hope that helps

 

[Citizen Coyote]

Does the launcher slow down the Tablet? Does the original launcher keep running if we install a new launcher? is it worth it?

Most alternate launchers do not impact the speed of a device, and some may actually improve the speed depending on what they're replacing. For the N7 and the stock launcher, you probably won't notice a difference. The stock launcher does not run in the background if you have a replacement installed and running, but it's still there if you want to go back to it as noted above.

Is it worth it? I certainly feel it is. Launchers like Nova look almost identical to the stock launcher with default settings, but they allow you to tweak things that you would be otherwise unable to change under the stock launcher. Examples include moving and resizing the persistent Google search bar, altering all icons with one action, changing screen transition animations, and changing the app drawer scrolling behavior. That's just a tiny selection of minor things, and of course you can do all sorts of big tweaks with alternate launchers. I personally can't live without a launcher like Nova.

 

[hallda01]

I wasn't going to download a new launcher because I was worried it would gut me of all the settings and things that I liked from the onboard launcher I had. After using Action Launcher for a month now, I can tell you it's totally worth it. I can do a lot of things a lot more quickly because of it.

I used to say that after a while, my old Bold 9930 felt like an extension of my right hand. I think that my S4 Active has become that now too. Choosing a new launcher can just make a phone feel right. So best of luck on your launcher search. When you find the right one it should make it so that the phone fits your use like a glove.