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Nova Launcher Guides. Are you tired of the same home screen layout you have been using since your first phone? Android’s customization possibilities are what make it so special. You can change the look and feel of your phone with simple things like wallpapers or custom icons.
A whole slew of utilities and replacement launchers have been created to allow you to customize the look of your phone. Nova Launcher, one of these apps allows you to get a stock look with a feature list that rivals the best stock launchers.
Nova Launcher Guides
Nova Launcher: What is it and why should you use it?
Nova Launcher, as the name implies, is a third-party replacement for your home screen launcher. Nova Launcher replaces your stock home screen and offers gestures, icon packs, and granular customizations that go beyond the standard feature set.
Sometimes, the default launcher on your phone is cluttered with unnecessary features that you don’t need. Some launchers do not include an app drawer, preferring to display all app icons on the home screen. You can customize the grid sizes, widget placements, app drawers, and many other features to make your phone look and feel just the way you want. Nova Launcher is a replacement launcher that allows you to bring back the features you love.
The launcher has been in constant development since 2011. It is shiny and light, making it a great choice for older devices with limited power. Even older phones can still benefit from the launcher. Nova Launcher is my preferred app for personal devices. It allows me to customize my home screen grid to my liking, down to the subpixel. I like features such as the ability to lock my home screen layout, overlap widgets, and easily restore my app layout when I switch phones.
Branch, an analytics company, recently acquired Nova Launcher. Nova Launcher will now have deep insight into the app’s usage. These insights can be used to launch experimental features to users. Nova claims that users will have to opt-in for the extra data collection. Some users may not be convinced by the inclusion of deep analytics in the launcher.
Nova Launcher Free vs Prime: Which one should you get?
Nova Launcher comes with a generous, free version that includes most of its functionality. This will allow users to customize their phones easily.
Nova Launcher Prime also offers advanced features that are only available to Nova Launcher Prime users. Gesture support is the most important feature. It allows you to initiate actions by pinching and swiping on folders or apps. Nova Launcher Prime supports notification badges, which display the number of unread notifications at the top of each app. You can also add folders to apps in the app drawer.
Nova Launcher is free for most users. We recommend that they try it out to find the right version. The premium unlocks cost $4.99. Nova Launcher Prime is often on sale. To support the developers, it would be a good idea to buy the premium version.
Nova Launcher is unique?
Although many of the features in Nova Launcher have been adopted by other launchers over the years, there are still some great features. Nova Launcher’s speed advantages over OEM skins are something I have noticed for a long time. You can adjust animation speed or remove them entirely to customize your home screen.
Nova Launcher allows you to control the grid, icon sizes, and the number of icons that you place on your dock. Nova Launcher allows you to create a full page with icons for all of your favorite apps. If you’re setting up a phone to support an elderly user, increase the icon sizes so that they fill the entire home page.
The quick search feature is a standout on the features side. It’s easy to use and implement. To quickly search for installed apps, tap the widget or search bar in your app drawer. You can also assign gestures to open the search bar from the Home Screen.
Nova Launcher is a search engine that goes beyond the standard search bar. It can launch Google Search, search the Play Store or perform quick calculations right from the app search bar. It’s easy to switch to other search engines such as DuckDuckGo through the settings.
Installing Sesame Shortcuts allows you to quickly access the most popular apps by adding shortcuts. Nova Launcher is integrated with Sesame Shortcuts for better search on the device for contacts, conversations, and other information. You will also get integration with popular apps such as Spotify and Netflix. Integrations can also learn from you and display the most used apps, routines, and, in the case of music services, playlists.
A shortcut feature for app actions that aren’t available on most launchers is another. These shortcuts can be used in the form of swipe gestures to launch specific actions such as dialing a preferred person by tapping on the dialer app. To launch a Google Maps traffic search, I use a swipe-down action in my navigation apps folder.
You should also be aware of other features
Most launchers provide notification badges in the form of numbers for unread messages, or dots to indicate unread status. Nova Launcher’s badges are dynamic and add visual flair to an otherwise simple function. Based on the notification received (e.g. a WhatsApp message, or similar indicator for Gmail), the badges are generated dynamically.
Nova Launcher offers a Night mode that changes the background color for folders, app drawers, search windows, and other elements to a darker hue. This allows you to have a more enjoyable experience when using your phone at night.
Gestures allow you to perform various tasks by simply swiping up/down or double-tapping on the screen. You can also pinch in and out on the home screen. Double-tap the screen to turn off the display and swipe up to launch Google Assistant.
The Labs feature can also be accessed by pressing down on the volume button under the Nova Launcher settings tab. These experimental features are meant to enhance functionality or add additional features before being integrated into Nova Launcher’s standard version.
Nova Launcher customization options
Let’s talk about the customization options in Nova Launcher. Most users use the Home Screen setting, which allows you to adjust the icon layout and grid on your desktop. You can adjust the padding around icons, widget corners, and scrolling for wallpapers. You can also adjust the visual indicators that indicate which pages are displayed on your home screen.
Next is the app drawer. Nova Launcher gives you a lot of options for customizing how you access it. You can choose from icons, swipe gestures, or custom action shortcuts.
You can customize the size of your dock icons, background images, or labels. Premium versions of the app allow you to hide or group similar apps.
You can also customize the look and feel of your home screen by creating a separate “Look and Feel” menu. You have options that include screen orientation, app menus, and hiding the notification bar. You can also make the notification bar transparent if you wish.
Nova Launcher in action
Nova Launcher will guide you through an easy onboarding process to set up the necessary settings. Once you are done, Nova Launcher will drop you into a clean home screen. The icons you will need to access Gmail, the photo gallery, and the Play Store are all there. The full app drawer can be accessed by swiping up from its bottom.
Pressing the home screen for a long time will reveal widget options and allow you to enter the settings page. You can swipe up to add any widget. You can edit the widgets by long-pressing them. The settings page is accessible by tapping on the tab. This allows you to access all the settings that can be used to personalize the interface. Nova Launcher is a great tool for organizing settings. The labels are easy to understand, even if you’re new to customizing your phone.
Nova Launcher Alternatives
You may find the stock look of Nova Launcher a little too simple or dissuaded by the recent analytics gathering. There are many alternatives that can either amp up the information overload or keep it minimal. While we’ve provided a list of some of the top alternatives to Nova Launcher you can also check out our feature on the best Android Launcher apps for a perfect home screen.
Action Launcher
Action Launcher is another favorite choice for those who enjoy customizing their phones. Action Launcher is another popular choice for users who love customizing their phones.
Niagara Launcher
Niagara Launcher is a great choice for minimalists. The app is designed to keep your home screen clean and clear. It displays a list of all installed apps in a scrollable list that you can quickly scroll through. The app’s integrated widgets allow you to quickly glance at the status of your conversations, as well as essentials such as weather controls and music controls.
Microsoft Launcher
Microsoft Launcher was originally called Arrow Launcher. It is distinguished by its unique look and feel. The replacement home screen pulls in popular Microsoft services and displays them on the home screen as cards. The app creates widgets from popular Microsoft services and displays them as cards on the home screen.
Lawnchair Launcher
Lawnchair Launcher, a minimalistic launcher, replicates the look of Pixel Launcher and adds essentials such as adaptive icons, icon pack support, and Google Now integration. Although it doesn’t have many features that Nova Launcher has, the app is totally free and worth a look.