Since the Android interface is the same for all, customization options can be limited. To get around this issue, Launchers for Android can help big time, these apps not only allow you to design your own home screen, but they also give your phone a unique look. In this guide, we have compiled a list of the best free launcher apps for Android.
Best Android Launchers Apps of 2023
Many Android users often wish to customize their smartphone UI and keep it in since with their personal style. There are a number of launchers on the Play Store with a diverse set of features that can help you do innumerable things on your Android devices.
1. Nova Launcher
With ultimate customization and seamless performance Nova Launcher is the top contender among the best Android launcher apps. Designed to cater to every user’s needs, Nova Launcher offers a plethora of powerful features while maintaining its user-friendly interface. Let’s have a look at the features that makes Nova one of the best Android launchers among other apps.
- Custom Icon Themes: Personalize your device with thousands of icon themes from the Play Store.
- Night Mode and Dark Theme: Automatic night mode or a sleek dark theme.
- Customizable App Drawer: Fine-tune your app drawer with vertical or horizontal scrolling and immersive options.
- Subgrid Positioning: Achieve precise icon and widget placement like never before.
- Backup and Restore: Seamlessly move between devices or experiment with new setups using Nova’s backup and restore feature.
- Speed Optimization: Enjoy smooth animations and a fluid experience, even on older devices.
2. Evie Launcher
Evie Launcher is a lightweight and one of the fastest Android launchers considered for its simplicity and speed With its intuitive design and unparalleled performance, Evie Launcher offers a user-friendly experience that takes your smartphone to new heights and makes it one of the best Android launchers in the crowd of countless apps.
- Customizable Layouts: Create folders, group apps, and adjust icon sizes for a personalized touch.
- Icon Pack Support: Third-party icon packs are available on the Google Play Store.
- Lightning-Fast Performance: Optimized for a seamless user experience with minimal lag.
- Universal Search: Easily search for apps, contacts, and more, saving you time and effort.
- Gesture Controls: Launch apps, access settings, and perform tasks with simple swipes and taps, adding convenience to your daily routine.
Also Read: How to Enable Google Feed in Nova Launcher
3. Smart Launcher
Smart Launcher provides fully customizable support and is filled with a whole lot of options one can think of. This launcher automatically organizes your apps into categories, offers a powerful search engine for quick access, and even adjusts its theme colors to match your wallpaper. It is one of the best free unique launchers for Android.
- Automatic App Sorting: Automatically categorizes your apps, saving you time and effort.
- Ambient Theme: Dynamically change theme colors to match your wallpaper.
- Responsive Built-in Widgets: Benefit from a range of responsive widgets that seamlessly integrate with Smart Launcher.
- Extensive Customization: Customize theme colors and fonts, offering infinite possibilities for personalization.
- Smart Search: Find contacts, and apps, or perform actions like web searches, adding contacts, or calculations directly from the Smart Launcher search bar.
- Adaptive Icons: Customizable shapes and larger icons, fully supporting Android devices.
- Gestures and Hotkeys: Customize gestures and hotkeys to perform actions such as screen lock or opening the notification panel.
- App Protection: Keep your apps secure by hiding and protecting them with a PIN code.
4. Microsoft Launcher
Microsoft Launcher is one of the best free Android launcher apps for Android that can personalize and organize every aspect of your device, making it uniquely yours. With features like dark mode, custom icons, beautiful wallpapers, and improved performance, Microsoft Launcher elevates your Android experience to new heights.
- Personalized News: Consistent news reading experience across all your devices.
- Beautiful Wallpapers: Fresh Bing image daily or choose your own photos to personalize the home screen.
- Dark Theme: Use your phone in low-light environments compatible with Android’s dark mode settings.
- Improved Performance: Faster loading times, lower memory usage, better battery efficiency, and fluent animations.
- Landscape Mode: Enhance your viewing preference with support for both vertical and horizontal orientations.
5. Lawnchair 2
Lawnchair 2 is the ultimate Android launcher app that revolutionizes your device’s home screen experience. With a host of powerful features and support for adaptive icons, allowing your app icons to seamlessly blend with your chosen theme.
- Flexible Desktop, Dock, and Drawer: To suit your preferences and workflow, providing a personalized touch.
- Drawer Categories (Tabs & Folders): Create tabs and folders for easy app access and management.
- Automatic Dark Mode: Experience a comfortable viewing experience in low-light conditions with Lawnchair 2’s automatic dark mode that adjusts to your surroundings.
- Contextual Data in At a Glance: Stay informed with contextual data displayed in the At a Glance widget, providing quick access to relevant information at a glance.
- Notification Dots: Never miss an important notification with notification dots that indicate unread messages or pending actions.
- Integration with Google Feed and Homefeeder: Stay updated with personalized news and content through seamless integration with Google Feed and Homefeeder.
Also Read: Best Android Apps on Google Play Store
6. Action Launcher: Pixel Edition
Action Launcher, also known as the Swiss Army launcher, was developed by a devoted and dedicated person by the name of Chris Lacy. It has been recognized as one of the best Android launchers of 2022 by respected publications such as Android Central, Android Police, and Android Authority.
- Quicktheme: Material You-style theming to match your wallpaper or choose your own colors.
- Fully Customizable Search Box: Personalize your search box to suit your preferences.
- Widget Stacks: Swipe through multiple widgets without cluttering your home screen.
- Action Search: Search the web and your device directly from your home screen.
- All Apps Folders: Organize your apps in intuitive folders.
- Covers: Tap to load an app, and swipe to reveal folder contents for quick access.
- Shutters: Swipe to reveal widgets like inbox or Facebook feed without opening the app.
- Quickedit: Instantly get alternative icon suggestions without digging through icon packs.
- Google Discover Integration: Stay updated with personalized news and content.
- Quickdrawer: A hyperfast-scrolling A to Z list of all your apps.
7. Niagara Launcher
Introducing Niagara Launcher, the ultimate Android launcher app designed for ergonomic efficiency and streamlined usability. Niagara Launcher is ad-free, ensuring an uninterrupted and immersive experience. Lightweight and lightning-fast, this launcher runs smoothly on all devices, utilizing minimal space.
- Adaptive List Layout: Enjoy a dynamic and adaptive list layout that accommodates media players, messages, and calendar events.
- Wave Alphabet Navigation: Easily navigate your phone with a satisfying wave animation, designed for one-handed use.
- Embedded Notifications: Read and respond to notifications directly from your home screen, eliminating the need to open apps.
- Streamlined and Minimalist Design: Declutter your home screen, reduce distractions, and enjoy an intuitive and user-friendly interface.
- Material You Theming: Adopting Android’s expressive design system, Niagara Launcher instantly themes around your chosen wallpaper.
8. Apex Launcher
Apex launcher is one of the best free Android modern lightweight launcher apps for Android, it can be used on both smartphones and tablets. With AppLock integration it allows you to lock apps with patterns or passwords. AppLock allows you to lock popular apps like Facebook, Whatsapp, Gallery, Messenger, Snapchat, Instagram, SMS, Contacts, Gmail, and more.
- Picture and Video Hiding: Keep your private pictures and videos hidden from prying eyes.
- Customization: Customize your home screen with personalized themes, icon packs, and labels for shortcuts and folders.
- Visual Effects: Enjoy fancy transition effects such as tablet, cube, and more.
- App Hiding: Hide apps from the app drawer for added privacy.
- Gesture Operation: Conveniently navigate your home screen with gestures like pinch, swipe up/down, and double tap.
- Backup and Restore: Safeguard your settings and data with the ability to back up and restore.
9. Hyperion Launcher
With a wide range of features and options, Hyperion Launcher allows you to create a truly unique and immersive home screen experience. With intricately designed themes, including the stunning Deep Darkness Theme by Manuel Möllmann, you can customize the launcher and accent theming to suit your style. Along with other apps in the list, Hyperion is easily one of the best Android launchers to use in 2023.
- Iconography: Change desktop, drawer, and dock icons with options for size, label size, text color, text shadows, and adaptive icon shaping.
- Widgets: Access the Google Search Widget and the Google Smart Widget without the need for a launcher plugin.
- Custom Gestures: Set one or two fingers double tap, swipe-up, and swipe-down gestures for custom actions.
- Animations: Control launcher animation speed, app launch animation, fade on swipe transition and bounce physics.
10. Poco Launcher 2.0
POCO Launcher 2.0 is one of the best free launchers for Android designed to provide a minimalist and lightweight experience for your device. Poco launcher was designed in 2018 when Poco FI, a budget handset, was introduced into the smartphone market by its Chinese manufacturer Xiaomi who also invented K20 Pro & Redmi K20 handsets.
- Personalization: Resize the home screen layout and app icons to your liking. Use third-party icon packs to give your device a fresh new look.
- Convenient Search: Enjoy app suggestions, icon color categories, and various customizable features that enable you to find what you need quickly.
- App Management: Group your apps automatically by category or create custom groups, ensuring easy access.
- Fast and Smooth: POCO Launcher is optimized for breakneck speeds, delivering a simple and fast user experience.
- New additions: Android Q Compatibility, dark mode, notification badge customization, screen lock, etc.
Also Read: 13 Best Animation Apps for Android
11. ADW Launcher 2
ADW Launcher 2, is the iconic and feature-rich launcher that has stood the test of time. With its recent update, ADW Launcher 2 offers a plethora of customization options that are designed with a non-linear, non-subjective viewpoint which gives you the freedom to personalize every aspect of your device.
- New icon effects: With a wide range of image filters and compositions for stunning visual effects.
- Dynamic UI coloring: Using wallpaper colors, creating a seamless and visually pleasing experience.
- Improved management of screens, widgets, and shortcuts for effortless organization.
- Desktop transitions and configuration options for a smooth user experience.
- Innovative wrap folder mode that allows launching the first app in a folder on tap and revealing folder contents on swipe up.
12. BaldPhone Launcher
BaldPhone is a goodwill launcher for the elderly who suffer from dyspraxia which is a problem with cognitive skills and motor learning difficulties like vision, judgment, memory, coordination, movement, etc. i.e., the elderly suffering from Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD). It is one of the best free unique launchers for Android.
- Smart Interface: Larger, simpler, and more accessible interface designed for seniors and elderly users.
- Special Keyboard: Special keyboard for individuals with typing difficulties.
- Advance Features: Essential features include a launcher, alarms, pill reminders, a dialer, contacts, photos and videos, a notifications area, and more.
- Affordable: Completely free and open source, with no ads or charges.
13. Phone 14 Launcher, OS 16
Experience the best of both worlds with Phone 14 Launcher, OS 16, a remarkable Android launcher that brings the iPhone experience to your Android device.
- Smart Search: Quickly access apps and information with a smart swipe-down search screen.
- Lock Screen Display: Enhance security with passcode and pattern lock support on the lock screen.
- Convenient Search Gesture: Swipe down anywhere on the home screen to effortlessly search for apps and content.
- Smart Toggle: Control silent mode, airplane mode, and Bluetooth with ease. Customize the style, size, color, position, and vibration settings.
14. Before Launcher | Go Minimal
With its clean and clutter-free interface, this launcher allows you to open your phone 40% less, reducing distractions and enhancing productivity. Say goodbye to unnecessary interruptions with the notification filter that intelligently manages notifications, ensuring that only important ones reach you, easily putting it as one of the best Android launchers among other apps.
- Minimal home screen: Quick launch your most important apps with a configurable layout.
- Customizable look: Choose from a variety of photo, gradient, and solid themes or create your own style.
- Favorite, folder, and hide apps: Group apps into folders, pin apps to the top, and hide unwanted bloatware (pro version).
- Filtered notification drawer: Less important notifications won’t interrupt you, reducing distractions.
- Privacy-focused: No ads, no data tracking, and the option to disable anonymous analytics.
- App icon customization: Personalize your app icons with our styles or use third-party icon packs.
Also Read: Top 11 Best Disney Wallpaper Apps for Android
15. AIO Launcher
AIO Launcher is a unique and feature-packed home screen replacement that stands out from the crowd. This launcher prioritizes functionality over aesthetics and doesn’t collect personal data, ensuring your privacy.
- Information at a glance: Get instant access to crucial information such as weather forecasts, notifications, messenger conversations, music playback controls, frequently used apps, dialers, emails, and more.
- Customizable themes: Choose from several different themes to personalize the look and feel of your home screen.
- Icon packs and shapes: Customize the appearance of icons with support for icon packs and various shapes.
- Widget and plugin support: Enhance your home screen with widgets and plugins for added functionality.
- Gestures: Configure gestures to perform specific actions for efficient navigation.
16. Total Launcher
Total Launcher is a feature-rich and customizable launcher for Android devices. With its extensive customization options, you can transform your home screen into a personalized and visually stunning interface.
- Customizable Themes: Choose from a wide range of pre-installed themes or create your own custom themes to give your home screen a unique look.
- Widgets: Enhance your home screen with a variety of widgets, providing quick access to information and functions right at your fingertips.
- Shortcut Creation: Create custom shortcuts to your favorite apps and actions, allowing you to launch them with a single tap.
- Layout Control: Take full control over your home screen layout, including grid size, icon placement, and widget positioning.
- Gestures: Configure gestures to perform specific actions, such as swiping to open apps or pinch gestures for zooming.
17. Olauncher
Olauncher is one of the best free Android minimalistic launcher apps designed to enhance your Android experience by focusing on what truly matters. Unlike other apps, with its clean and clutter-free interface, Olauncher makes one of the best Android launchers that helps you reduce screen time and stay focused on important tasks.
- Text Resize: Adjust the text size to your preference for better readability.
- App Renaming: Personalize your app names to make them more meaningful and easier to find.
- App Hiding: Hide unused apps from the app drawer to keep your home screen tidy.
- Daily New Wallpapers: Discover fresh wallpapers daily to refresh the look of your device.
- Work Profile/Dual Apps: Seamlessly switch between work and personal profiles with support for dual apps.
18. Holo Launcher
Holo Launcher is one of the best Android launchers and is far more advanced than other similar apps. It is a versatile Android launcher that brings the classic Holo design to your device. Designed to work on Android 4.1 and above, Holo Launcher provides a full material design experience with a range of customization options.
- Custom Desktop Pages/Grid: Customize the home screen with up to 9 desktop pages and a 10 x 10 grid for arranging apps and widgets.
- Scrollable Dock: Supports up to 7 icons per page and up to 3 pages.
- Gestures: Launch apps quickly by using swipe gestures on the desktop.
- Customizable Shortcut/Folder Icons: Personalize your shortcuts and folders with custom icons and adjust the color of icon labels to match your preferred theme.
- Icon Packs: Apply icon packs, including the ADW icon pack and Launcherpro icon pack, to give your device a fresh look.
Also Read: Top 27 Best Illegal Android Apps Not on Play Store
19. Lightning Launcher
Lightning Launcher is one of the best free unique Android launcher apps for Android that goes beyond being a simple launcher and offers an unparalleled level of customization to create your perfect home screen.
- Highly Customizable Desktop: Adjust various elements such as font, size, color, wallpaper, grid lines, folder options, status/navigation bar colors, layouts, scrolling, zooming, gestures, and more.
- Multiple Desktops: Create and manage multiple desktops tailored to different purposes.
- Combined Grid and Free Positioning: Utilize the grid to align apps easily, and freely position and customize the size, rotation, and position of items, including widgets.
- Pinned Items: Keep specific items in place while scrolling through pages, enabling the creation of docked elements at any location on the screen.
20. APUS Launcher
APUS Launcher is a popular Android launcher with its fast and efficient performance, small size, and stylish design, APUS Launcher is a great choice for users seeking a theme launcher. It provides a variety of stylish and beautiful mobile themes, including options inspired by movies, TV shows, cartoons, and more. Its rich and advanced features stand out from other apps and make it one of the best Android launchers.
- Smart Folder: Automatically categorizes your apps based on their functions or categories.
- Hide Apps: Protect your privacy by hiding specific apps from the app drawer with a simple gesture.
- Transition Effects: When navigating between screens and apps.
- APUS Search: Allowing you to find what you need with speed and convenience.
- APUS Know: Stay updated with news, weather, traffic, and more with a single swipe on your home screen.
21. BIG Launcher
BIG Launcher is one of the best free unique launchers for Android designed for seniors, visually impaired individuals, and those with motor problems. It provides a fast and simple interface with enlarged buttons and text for maximum readability and ease of use. It also includes an SOS button, providing added safety and potentially saving lives.
- Stress-Free Navigation: Offers a controlled and error-free user experience through single-touch interactions, reducing the likelihood of mistakes.
- Multiple Screens: Supports multiple screens, accessible through swiping or button presses, providing additional space for organizing and accessing apps and content.
- BIG Apps Suite: Includes a collection of simple apps designed for seniors and individuals with vision problems, offering a 100% accessible experience.
- High Contrast Color Schemes and Font Sizes: For improved visibility without glasses.
Also Read: 8 Best Phone Cleaner Apps for Android
22. C launcher
C Launcher is one of the best free Android launcher Apps that offer a range of features and customization options. With its wonderful themes, minimal power consumption, and speedy phone searches, C Launcher stands out from other apps making it one of the best Android launchers.
- Automatic Organization: Automatically organizes your apps into folders based on their functions.
- Widget Launch Center: Offers automatic widgets interface for quick access to weather, news, search bar, and more.
- Customizable Interface: Allows you to customize the interface with thousands of categorized themes, wallpapers, and icon packs.
- DIY Feature: This enables you to create your own customized themes.
- 3D Effects: Enhance your screen interaction with 3D effects and customizable features.
The competition among developers has led to a diverse array of options, catering to various preferences and styles. Whether you prioritize customization, performance, or unique features, the apps listed above showcase the best Android launchers available in the market today. As technology continues to evolve, these launchers are sure to keep up with the latest trends and innovations, ensuring that your Android device stays at the cutting edge of personalization and efficiency.
