Database Develop

What is your favorite launcher--and why?

I've got a bunch of launchers loaded on my EVO, but my favorite ones for the G-Tab are ADW.launcher and ZEAM (XDA developed launcher).
I like both of them because they're snappy and offer a high degree of customization (e.g. being able to specify the number of columns and rows for both the workspace and the apps).
ADW.launcher seems a bit more customizable since it supports themes, but Zeam is nice because it gives you an app bar on the workspace that you can load up to 8 quick apps.

I still have a soft spot for Launcher Pro. I know that ADW has themes, but LP is fast and does what I need it to do. I have not found a reason to change, yet.

+1 for launcher pro. I liked the themes on ADW but I like the customizable buttons, configurable columns and rows and the widgets with LP.

Perchance I will try Zeam at some point, but in general I am happy with Launcher Pro.
-=Sent from my ViewSonic G Tablet (VEGAn) using Tapatalk=-

zeam cause its lightweight.

Launcher Pro here too.

I'm still playing with Sweeter Home. I like to completely customize the screen layouts. It isn't flawless in operation, but it does provide me lots of time to fidget.

LauncherPro. I like the features and being able to save/load my screen layout/setup is fantastic after flashing ROMs and reinstalling apps.

I prefer GDE but can't get it to work properly (menu's pop up flaky) on the GTab so I'm using LauncherPro.

Launcher pro. Light weight and fast.

Allways been a fan of launcher pro on my android devices it just works how i like

Do any of the themes allow more than sixteen icons per page? There is a LOT of space that more icons could go in.
Is this one of those "phone & portrait" os design constraints?

i'm an ADW fan on my Droid 1 and i tried it on my gtab but i found zeam to be better. its faster and smoother, more lightweight, and actually resizes wallpaper properly. i love adw's themes but i rather go with speed than with custom icons. also love zeam's dock, has tons of space for icons. only thing i don't like about it is that you can't save your configuration.
launcher pro i never liked. probably cuz i can get most of that stuff for free on other launchers. gotta pay to resize a widget? cmon now. also live wallpaper is really sluggish for some reason on launcher pro. keeps stuttering when i turn on the screen, no matter what live wallpaper i try.

gotwillk said:
'm an ADW fan on my Droid 1 and i tried it on my gtab but i found zeam to be better. its faster and smoother, more lightweight, and actually resizes wallpaper properly. i love adw's themes but i rather go with speed than with custom icons. also love zeam's dock, has tons of space for icons.
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Same here. Zeam Launcher + MultiPicture Livewallpaper.

thats really cool! The light effects of that background are live?

I like gde but no icons with all the the themes. But... +10 on launcher pro
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App

Iam I weird for not running a launcher? I always feel like they slow the system down a bit. I might have to start because all these cool looking home screens are making me jealous!

Launcher Pro... but I think I might try zeam after reading this thread.

I prefer Tap n' Tap for my launcher... OK, who am I kidding
Actually, I use Launcher Pro as well, but I also noticed the live wallpaper stuttering and always thought it was because every app seemed to want to reload itself upon wakeup. However, with all of the love out here for Zeam, I'm going to have to give that a try as well!

has anyone tried the go-launcher?
SInce there are several launchers around I'm curious what the pro's and con's are for each... I think tis thread is going a long way to that. Maybe once we managed to get all the info together we could start making a sticky with pros/cons for each launcher...
Just a thought

Best launcher?

So I think I tried every launcher in the market and I can't decide. I'm running fusion right no and adw fc on me all day. Launcher pro kills the battery, there's four other ones but they aren't customiable like adw or LP any ideas?

I use zeam

Josh K. said:
I use zeam
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Tried that too. I liked that one, but I couldn't change the darn icons

launcher pro is the best
next prob is open home full cut
also the cheaper way crazy home was alright

Go Launcher, Panda Home, Open Home

ADW Launcher EX

Neckrobeard said:
ADW Launcher EX
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+1. Its paid but worth it.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA Premium App

i almost always end up back with launcher pro

I started with adw on an htc magic, switched to launcher pro, kept launcher pro when I got my captivate, started using Go, and am currently running adw. Going to check out zeam, but unless it has some feature I really love, I expect I'll buy adw ex and stick with it.
Sent from my GT-I9000 using XDA App

tiuk said:
I started with adw on an htc magic, switched to launcher pro, kept launcher pro when I got my captivate, started using Go, and am currently running adw. Going to check out zeam, but unless it has some feature I really love, I expect I'll buy adw ex and stick with it.
Sent from my GT-I9000 using XDA App
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I use ADW EX and it's the best launcher I've used out of Launcher Pro (massive battery drain for me), Panda Home (laggy), Open Home (laggy), Go Launcher (not my type), Zeam (very good minimalist theme but also not my type)

goob1284 said:
So I think I tried every launcher in the market and I can't decide. I'm running fusion right no and adw fc on me all day. Launcher pro kills the battery, there's four other ones but they aren't customiable like adw or LP any ideas?
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What version of LP do you use that kills your battery? Its never been a battery killer for me.

whiteguypl said:
What version of LP do you use that kills your battery? Its never been a battery killer for me.
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Launcher pro has been known to drain battery on people's battery faster than usual. I used the latest one and silk had the same issue which made me switch to ADW EX
Sent from outer space while finding another place

Go launcher ex, Go launcher ex, Go launcher ex.
Oh, and Go launcher ex. Swipe gestures on dock icons and sorting my app drawer into folders has made it by far the best launcher I have used so far.
Herp derp Captivate XDA app.

whiteguypl said:
What version of LP do you use that kills your battery? Its never been a battery killer for me.
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0.8.3 is my version

I have tried all of the above and keep going back to go launcher ex.

dethtek said:
I have tried all of the above and keep going back to go launcher ex.
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im trying it out and so far it looks pretty good

Coak5 said:
Launcher pro has been known to drain battery on people's battery faster than usual. I used the latest one and silk had the same issue which made me switch to ADW EX
Sent from outer space while finding another place
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Has it been known to drain battery or have a lot of people that don't really know what there talking about said it does. Not sarcasim I'd actually like to know this because I don't understand why it would do it to others but not me.
goob1284 said:
0.8.3 is my version
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Hmm same as the last version I used.
Side note go launcher is really nice too.

I'm using LauncherPro (paid) for a few months now and love it.. I've tried most of the popular ones always go back to LP. Haven't tried Go Launcher EX yet though, so I'll give it a spin and we'll see!

Zeam Launcher
Zeam Launcher - first tried it on DocKitchenRoms, and then kept it. It's small, simple, fast, supports customizable up and down swipes, customizable bottom buttons/icons, custom grid settings, transparent app list, auto-rotation etc. Free. Worth trying. Crashes when selecting wallpaper, but setting sticks.
I use it with Smooth Calendar widget - also transparent with custom colors.
Battery life with it pretty good on Torch 1.5 ROM, can have up to 4 days on standby and talk.

I use ADW...
It's fully customizable.
Home Screen -
Customize your homepage icons images, size and text.
Fully customize the dock. (icon size, number of icons, hide dock bg)
Customize widget sizes.
Customize number of rows and columns.
Set homescreen scroll speed and overshoot.
Add pages.
Set any page as default homescreen.
Lots more!
App Drawer -
Custom app grouping and labeling.
Customize number of rows and columns.
Set animation time.
Fade icon labels.
Switch between pages or vertical scrolling.
Much more!
Not too bad for free!
I enjoy ADW. It's simple, effective and runs VERY stable on my Captivate. I have not had ADW Force Close on me, not once. The damn thing runs flawlessly across almost all versions of Android OS.

Home Replacements/Launchers

I found a list of replacements and launchers for android over at hubpages. Im not sure which ones work on the G.Tab but try them out and let us know which ones work. Thanks.
Here is the link to the original list I found. It has a short description of all the launchers. It also has links to most of them.
http://hubpages.com/hub/Droid-Home-Replacement-App-Comparison
Home Replacement/Launchers
PandaHome 2
ADW Launcher
LiveHome
Home++
LauncherPro
LG Home
Quick Launch Home
Go Launcher Ex
Open Home 6 (beta)
Regina 3D Launcher
Tag Home
Zeam
Helix Launcher
iHome
vLauncher
Ks Launcher
SweeterHome
Windows Phone Android Lite
Metro UI Beta
Launcher 7
Android Seven Lite
AAO.Launcher
eoeHome
Netfront Life Screen 2.0
SlideScreen
*Spark
KustHome
Crazy Home Lite
MyLauncher
Simple Home
Homescreen 3D
KeeWorld Home Lite
Launcher +
dxTop Lite
Open Gesture Lite
Open Home - Lite
HE Launcher
Gingerbread Launcher
Android 2.3 Launcher
Helix Launcher 2
VTL.Launcher
SPB Shell 3D
MX Home X 3D

Funny how any there are but I see that most people use the same ones

I'll be using VTL.Launcher even if I stop using Vegan Tab ginger... Awesome launcher.

Launcher Pro works just fine, running Vegan 5.1.1.

I've used VTL, ADW and launcher pro plus all work great
Sent from my OG Droid using XDA App

+1 VTL Launcher, settings galore!

I just started using slidescreen (beta 9 version). Very different and so far I love it.

Dueces99 said:
+1 VTL Launcher, settings galore!
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+1 as well for VTL.

I have used about a quarter of the launchers on the list for this tab. I think that the best ones are VTL( for column and row size ), Go Launcher EX, and Open Home 6 ( has best transition animations as well as opening and closing animations) Most of the rest have sizing issues that I dislike. I am currently using VTL for the potential it has.

Its more of a reference to what else is out there. I was curious of what was available. Im sure others are too. Most of these are constantly being worked on. Its good to check in on them from time to time. Right now VTL.Launcher is my favorite. Mostly because Gojimi listens to what people like and he implements it.

Another +1 for VTL.

whiplash13 said:
+1 as well for VTL.
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+1 for VTL smooth and lots of settings

I've tried many and always come back to zeam. I like vtl but I dont like the size of icons when I use it

VTL
gpzjack said:
I've tried many and always come barrrrrrrrrrrck to zeam. I like vtl bu
Your sig shows youre on BOS: doew VTLrun in there?
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gpzjack said:
I've tried many and always come back to zeam. I like vtl but I dont like the size of icons when I use it
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Click to collapse
Same here. Though I do wish that the GUI was changed to accommodate the tablet while in landscape mode (i.e. allow icons to be docked above or below instead of the right hand side).
But as far as simplicity & the use of minimal system resources goes, I love Zeam.

SevernNavy said:
gpzjack said:
I've tried many and always come barrrrrrrrrrrck to zeam. I like vtl bu
Your sig shows youre on BOS: doew VTLrun in there?
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Click to collapse
Yes, VTL will run on BoS.
Starts to look a lot like CM7 with Honeycomb Icons at that point though
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Click to collapse

Thanks, very comprehensive list.

Didn't see SPB Shell 3D listed on the list even though there's a YouTube vid of it on the g tab...

Has anyone heard of any new launchers out there? My list is pretty old now.

GO launcher vs ADW?

The only reason why I like GO launcher better is because of the Recent, and the built in easy to access task manager.
Why do you guys use the launcher you use?
What has the least amount of ram?
Customizability?

I use go launcher personally because i like the feel and look of go compared to adw
Sent from my VS910 4G using XDA

I really like Go but I won't use it anymore because it is way too bloated for me.
Try 360 launcher. It is translated in the android apps section. Not quite as much theme ability as Go but it is pretty smooth. I use adw because it averages 13 mb of ram usage and has a ton of customization.

I loved GO purely for the locker options. Young straight to sms was sweet. But damn was it hard on my battery. I haven't tried it on Broken Out yet though
Sent from my BROKEN OUT Revolution.

I used to use GO (for about 6 months), but it's all bloated with eye-candy now. I tried ADW briefly, but it didn't really impress me.
I bought the paid version of Launcher 2 (which is basically the full version of the stock LG Home launcher) a while ago and went back to using it. However, I still run GO Contacts Ex and GO SMS Pro (on Launcher 2).
The only thing I miss is the ability to group my apps. Launcher 2 only sorts them alphabetically.

I have tried ADW, launcher pro, and shell 3D, but always find myself going back to GO launcher. I really enjoy the scrolling folder widgets you can use with folder organizer and the "eye candy" transitions are tbe best. Now that I'm on Broken Out 1.1 battery hasn't been an issue.
Sent from my GalaxyTask GT-P7510 using xda premium

I am an admitted Go Launcher EX fanboy. all other launchers are just missing one thing or another. These Go guys are voracious updaters. Some call feature rich software bloated but I can't think of anything in Go Launcher that cant be turned off.
You can rest assured if you leave me alone with your device for more than 10 minutes, when you get it back it will have go Launcher EX on it.

ADW EX
For my phone, I use ADW EX. I used to be a big fan of Go Launcher EX about a year ago, but I received a widget from them that absolutely raped my battery life. Ever since then I switched to ADW EX.
For one, I think I prefer the method of putting icons on the screen on ADW EX. The dragging to a screen from a multi-screen view is a little jarring. I used to favor GO simply for the multiple app bars, but now ADW has this as well.
I guess I switched to ADW EX when I started using a modified version of ADW (VTL) on my Nook Color for its best landscape layout.
Overall, most launchers are basically the same (in portrait mode), and the ones that deviate from the basic formula (e.g. Shell 3d) end up being resource pigs with wonky functionality.

Would like to try Go Launcher. Currently running ADW on Broken Out rom. Do I have to uninstall ADW for Go to work? Or can I just install over ADW?
EDIT: Not compatible with my device? VS910 zv8

n00bzilla said:
Would like to try Go Launcher. Currently running ADW on Broken Out rom. Do I have to uninstall ADW for Go to work? Or can I just install over ADW?
EDIT: Not compatible with my device? VS910 zv8
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Click to collapse
It is absolutely compatible. You also do not have to uninstall ADW. I was talking with GO's dev and he promised me he is expanding the functionality of the dock bar to allow 4 or less icons (like home which is my preference) and to have the dock icons expand to fill the dock like adwex does. Once that feature is available I will switch.
This app is compatible with your Verizon LGE VS910 4G.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

Alternative Launcher

Would anyone recommend a different launcher to replace Touchwiz?
I've used nova launcher on my OP1 but are there any other launchers that would be recommended?

honestly i haven't used Nova since my Nexus 6p days, after Oneplus 3t i started using default launcher. the samsung one isn't that bad

I have been using Apex launcher since Galaxy S3 together with weather/time/cal widget beautiful widgets app (I found out about this thanks for flossy on youtube) it makes for a perfect experience and I set all the backgrounds to black, looks like app icons are physically above the screen.

Tried giving the stock launcher a good try. I ended up going back to Nova. I like the customization too much. The good news is it's faster then hell on this phone. Love it.
I also ended up going back to SwiftKey. It does such a good job of knowing what I want to type.

I like stock but Nova is great on this phone. Especially if you get into the sesame integration, very quick to use.
Action launcher is the only other one worth a damn IMO.
Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

I started out with Action Launcher as I backed it up on my previous phone, put that data on the Note 8 and restored after installing all my apps. Have gone back to TW, it;s not near as bad as it used to be.

I love Next Launcher 3D.

Check out lawnchair. It's a customizable Pixel launcher. Loving it so far. The black theme with Note8 screen looks amazing.
https://forum.xda-developers.com/android/apps-games/lawnchair-customizable-pixel-launcher-t3627137

I've been using Smart Launcher Pro for a couple years now. It really makes everything simple and organized for you.

Apex Launcher
I use Apex Pro, with dark matter icons. Swipe down for notification and swipe up for app drawer. Double tap puts the phone to sleep. Blacked out my nav bar so there is no burn-in buttons on the screen. Loving this phone!

Apex Launcher
I use Apex Pro, with dark matter icons. Swipe down for notification and swipe up for app drawer. Double tap puts the phone to sleep. Using xwidgets with the s8 clock widget. Blacked out my nav bar so there is no burn-in buttons on the screen. Loving this phone!

I've been using Nova Prime for a LONG time. I'm actually sticking with the stock TW for the time being (there's a "update" that allows for down swipe to pull down the notification)

Nova prime or action launcher. They both have Android O features. Most other launcher seem old or outdated. Good luck.

Lightning Launcher has no equal. I've used most including Nova (which I like), but I always go back LL. The app allows unparalleled creativity & options. Definitely the most power & complex launcher I've ever used.

stronggeek said:
Lightning Launcher has no equal. I've used most including Nova (which I like), but I always go back LL. The app allows unparalleled creativity & options. Definitely the most power & complex launcher I've ever used.
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^^^^^^This x10!!!! It still is mind blowing how little people know about it and talk about it. There isn't a launcher that comes close in customization. I guess the learning curve scares people away.............

joachimi86 said:
^^^^^^This x10!!!! It still is mind blowing how little people know about it and talk about it. There isn't a launcher that comes close in customization. I guess the learning curve scares people away.............
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I just tried this...to see if it can replace nova....
the learning curve scared me away lol

Try Flick launcher. Available in play store. This is still in Alpha stage, but an amazing launcher. One of the only launcher that allows background blur in the app drawer. This replaced Nova on my phone for now. No other launcher could do that in years!

New Microsoft launcher Beta recommend for most users, easy, simple, beautiful, easy to connect to PC. try it out. it's amazing. its free
Action launcher for power user and Advance users. paid version is better.
Textra (text message)
Gboard (keyboard) or swiftkey
Piktures (Pic gallery)
Samsung internet browser for High contrast mode (if you like black theme).

Weather widget
a4ol said:
I have been using Apex launcher since Galaxy S3 together with weather/time/cal widget beautiful widgets app (I found out about this thanks for flossy on youtube) it makes for a perfect experience and I set all the backgrounds to black, looks like app icons are physically above the screen.
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a40l, most of the launchers I have tried do not let me use the weather widget that I use with stock touchwiz. Could you tell me specifically what weather app you are talking about that gives me a good weather widget for Apex? I'm gonna give it a try. Your post makes Apex, & your configuration, sound inviting. Thanks

I use tabs in the app drawer instead of folders, so Nova Prime works the best for me. And it's still the quickest launcher around, bar none.