Get Google’s Pixel Launcher on any Android
DON’T HAVE A PIXEL PHONE? NOT A PROBLEM. WE SHOW YOU HOW TO GET THE FEATURE-RICH PIXEL LAUNCHER ON YOUR ANDROID DEVICE NOW!
ONE OF THE first updates for non-Nexus or Pixel phones is the excellent Google Now launcher. But Pixel owners get their own special launcher that isn’t available for download on other Android devices. Of course, savvy individuals quickly figured out how to get it running on older versions of Android — no root needed. But now Google has released the developer preview of the upcoming Android O, complete with even more Pixel Launcher features. For those who want to give it a try, it’s possible to sideload the new launcher on most Android devices running Marshmallow or newer.
WHY PIXEL LAUNCHER?
Aside from the exclusivity, the Pixel Launcher has some cool features not available to the stock launcher. The app drawer button is gone and, inside, touching the little arrow above where it used to be, or swiping up on the bottom of the screen, opens up your app list. The bonus here is getting space for a fifth app on the bottom dock. Up top, the Google search bar is replaced with a truncated button that pops out as a search bar when tapped. The Pixel launcher also adds a non-removable icon that shows the current weather and opens up more info if tapped. The Google Now Feed remains the same — available by swiping off to the left. Sure, it’s not a massive difference, but it’s fun to play around with, and a good intro into sideloading apps.
DOWNLOAD PIXEL LAUNCHER
Keep in mind that the entire process is not set up to be overly user friendly, and while straightforward, is best attempted by those with a bit of experience. The app needs to be sideloaded, so isn’t a normal Google Play download. You can read more about the Pixel Launcher build, and download the APK file, over at the xda developers forum (
It’s worth noting that, if you have an existing version of the Pixel Launcher, it must be uninstalled before you load up the new one. We installed the app on a Nexus 6P, but different phones may have slightly different procedures and menus.
SIDELOADING
If you haven’t done it before, sideloading an app is rather easy. First up, you need to allow installation of apps from sources other than the Google Play store. This is turned off by default to improve security, as this gives Google a lot more control over the quality of the apps on the store. Sideloading itself does not cause any issues, but you need to ensure any installed apps don’t contain malware. To allow sideloading, head to ‘Settings > Security’,