There are many Android launchers with a lot of promise, but some are not quite ready for prime time. But a handful are worth mentioning for their unique features, which could be of great value to some.
The Lynx Launcher is a new launcher based on the Gnome Shell, and might be great for anyone particularly devoted to the Linux thing. Themes are available for Lynx that emulate other distributions, like Mint. Ratio has subpar reviews, but is worth mentioning for its threefold home pages that emphasize messages, cards, and apps. The BIG Launcher isn’t the only one made for seniors, but it’s the best-received among the few launchers focusing on visibility and readability. Wide Launcher has a unique, wide interface. It’s also known for its applets. The launcher has quite good reviews at 4.3 stars. The Apex Launcher has good reviews (4.1 stars) and 10 million downloads. It’s known for its focus on personalization and performance, but can be visually underwhelming, and a few years ago was under fire for its app recommendation ads.
Some launchers have great reviews, but we feel they need just another version or two to fully mature. The POCO Launcher is a well-regarded launcher designed for Xiaomi phones, but it works on most Android devices. It’s also fast, lightweight, and uncluttered, and has 4.5 stars. Before Launcher is a highly regarded (4.6 stars) minimalist launcher, but still has relatively few downloads. The Olauncher‘s tagline is “Minimal AF Launcher,” and it is. This open-source launcher is focused on eliminating distractions, possibly to the point of annoying some users. The ARC Launcher‘s developers say it’s not just about sci-fi movie looks, and the launcher features advanced applets and widgets, and can (for example) boost phone RAM by using the Ram Clean icon on the home page. But it might be mostly about the launcher’s sci-fi movie looks, which are great.
