What is a Custom Launcher? Android 101

Video Description

Are you familiar with what a custom launcher is on Android? Because if not, I'm here to explain everything. ~~~~~ Hi! Don't forget to like the video, subscribe to the channel, and hit the "Thanks" button on this video, if you can, and join our channel community here - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnowc_KHgjVNj3Y-E-oQ8aw/join Video Description ~~~~~~ I want you to take a moment, and look at your phone screen. We look at this grid of icons dozens of times a day. And for many of us, we assume this is just... what the phone is. But have you ever noticed how rigid it is? Google Pixel owners can’t move that search bar. And it was only recently, that Google added a way to remove the At a Glance Widget from up here. Honestly, it makes it feels like the furniture is glued to the floor. But it doesn’t have to be that way. On Android, this screen isn't hardware. It’s actually just an application that most of us call a home launcher. And the best part, you can actually switch this to something completely different if you wanted to So today, we’re talking about Custom Launchers for Android. The best way to understand what a launcher is on Android, is to think about where you live. Right now, your phone is like a furnished rental apartment. The landlord. . .which is Samsung, or Google, or Motorola in this example, they decided where the couch goes. They decided the search bar goes at the bottom. They decided the icons should be circles. It’s functional, sure. You can live there. But you can’t change the structure itself. Installing a "Custom Launcher" is like getting permission to renovate. You aren't rebuilding the foundation of the house, so your battery, your camera, and your processor stay exactly the same. You’re just changing the interior design. You can take out the carpet. You can paint the walls. You can make it yours. Mostly, for comfort. Phones are huge now and reaching that top row of apps is actually physically difficult for most of us. A custom launcher can move everything to the bottom of the screen if you wanted to Right where your thumb naturally rests. So a good launcher for you can make the phone easier to hold. Or, maybe you want peace and quiet. Standard phones are designed to be bright and loud to keep you looking at them. A minimalist launcher strips all that away, turning your phone back into a simple tool. Now, usually, when I tell people to change their phone software, they get nervous. They tend to ask important questions like "Will I lose my photos? Will my texts disappear?" The quick answer here, is no. Because it's just the launcher for the smartphone. You can also think of a launcher like an outfit. If you change from a business suit to gym clothes, you are still the same person underneath. Your memories and your data don't change. You’re just wearing something different. By switching to a custom launcher on Android, you are changing the lens through which you view your data . . .not the data itself. If you want to try it, it’s honestly perfectly safe to do. You simply download a launcher from the Play Store, like any other app. But instead of just opening it. . .we change a setting first. Because you have to tell the phone which launcher is the boss. And to do that, we first dive into the Settings application From here, I like to search for the word "default" as that does a good job of showing me where I can set my default apps for the smartphone. In this list, you'll see an entry labeled Home So tap on that and you'll see a list of all the compatible home launchers you have installed on the device. That's why its important to install a launcher from the Play Store before we look here. Because once we're able to change our default home launcher. . .we're basically done. Now, you have the opportunity to customize the layout Move app icons around. . .move clock or search widgets around. . . Customization really is key when it comes to using a custom launcher on Android. You have not lost any of your data at all. Because you always have the ability to come back to this Default Apps page and switch your launcher back to the app that shipped with your phone. This will even bring back your home screen layout exactly as you had it before because again. . .we haven't deleted anything here. No harm, no foul #android #android101 #androidapps some popular custom launchers I can recommend right now include Niagara Launcher, Smart Launcher, Lawnchair Launcher, and Octopi Launcher. As an Amazon associate, I may earn a commission on sales from the links below. The Gear I Use ~~~~~ 5W "Slow" Charger - https://amzn.to/2OaUMV8 Fast Charger - https://amzn.to/3rtBsC6 MicroUSB Cable - https://amzn.to/38dkpeM USB-C Cable - https://amzn.to/2OqlTvi TPU Cases - https://amzn.to/38g9b9w USB-C to 3.5mm Dongle - https://amzn.to/3rVt7c3 USB-C to 3.5mm DAC - https://amzn.to/3CyksSJ NVIDIA Shield TV - https://amzn.to/4cZFaJz Telescopic Controller - https://amzn.to/3uDrvY9