10 Best Launchers for Android (2023)

The best thing about Android is you get complete freedom to customize your phone. And with the help launcher, you can change the way your phone looks and functions.

For instance, if you have lots of apps on your device, you can use a launcher to automatically categorize them into folders or use it to hide certain apps. So after spending time with all the top contenders, here are the 10 best free Android launchers you should use in 2023.

10 Best Android launchers (2023)

1. Nova Launcher
2. Microsoft Launcher
3. Niagara Launcher
4. Rootless Pixel Launcher
5. Smart Launcher 6
6. Alpha Hybrid Launcher
7. Launcher iOS 16
8. Olauncher
9. AIO Launcher
10. POCO Launcher 2.0

1. Nova Launcher

Also featured in – Must-have Apps for Android

If you’re looking for an Android launcher, that’s easy to use and gives you more control over how your device looks, then Nova Launcher is the top Android launcher on this list. It has a wide variety of customization features available that most launchers lack. Not only can you customize your home screen but also your app drawer, folders, icons, animation speed, and so on.

There is also a night mode feature that can change the search bar, app drawer, and folders to a dark color. And if you want to access the full features of the nova launcher, you can download their paid version.

Some Notable Features of Nova Launcher Prime are:

• You can use many useful gestures like swipe up, double tap, two-finger swipe, etc., to open apps, shortcuts, or other functions.
• Create custom tabs or folders in the app drawer.
• Option to hide apps from the app drawer without uninstalling.
• Customize the size of icons according to your smartphone screen.
• Enable notification badge with many customization options available.

Download Nova Launcher from the Play Store

Download Nova Launcher Prime from the Play Store

ALSO READ: 10 Top-Rated Wallpaper Apps for Android

2. Microsoft Launcher

If you need an Android launcher that is deeply integrated with Microsoft services, then there is no better launcher than Microsoft Launcher. It comes with a personalized feed page where you can see all your data from Microsoft services like a calendar, To-do lists, sticky notes, documents, and more.

In addition to that, it also has a separate tab for news where you can read news from many categories like Entertainment, Sports, Money, Technology, and so on.

Other features of Microsoft Launcher are:

• Set Bing Daily Images as wallpaper
• Option to customize your home screen, dock, and app drawer
• Useful gestures like a double tap, swipe up, pinch in, and much more to launch apps, shortcuts, or other functions.
• Ability to hide apps

Download Microsoft Launcher from the Play Store

ALSO READ: 6 Amazing Keyboard Apps for Android you should try

3. Niagara Launcher

Niagara Launcher is a unique Android launcher on this list. Unlike a typical launcher, it doesn’t come with an app drawer. Instead, there is an alphabetical list to access everything from the home screen itself. And because of that, it will give your phone a fresh and minimalistic look.

There are also a few customization features like widgets, icon packs, text color, fonts, app icon size, etc. In my usage, the app was working fine and there was no lag in the app animation or scrolling through all the app lists. Overall, Niagara Launcher is one of the best launchers for Android and you should definitely try it once.

Download Niagara Launcher from the Play Store

4. Rootless Pixel Launcher

If your phone’s performance has decreased or has low storage or running on an outdated version of Android, then you should definitely try Rootless Pixel Launcher. It is one of the lightest Android launchers in the Play Store.

Its size is merely 1 MB and consumes very little RAM. As a result, you will see faster performance and smooth animations on your smartphone.

The launcher has a stock Android design and comes with a few decent features like notification dots, at a glance, themes (light/dark/transparent), and third-party icon pack support.

Download Rootless Pixel Launcher from the Play Store

5. Smart Launcher 6

Smart Launcher 6 is one of the most customizable Android launchers in the Play Store. You can customize things like icon appearance, font style, accent color, grid layout, and more. You can also use themes to change the overall look & feel of your home screen and app page.

If the built-in themes didn’t impress you, you can always download Smart Launcher-supported themes from the Play Store.

The main USP of this launcher is it automatically sorts all your apps into categories, so you don’t have to waste your precious time organizing all of your apps. This also makes it easy to find your apps if you have many apps on your phone.

There are also some familiar features included in the launcher, such as news feed, gestures, widgets, auto-hide unused apps, and wallpapers.

Download Smart Launcher 6 from the Play Store

ALSO READ: 10 secret apps to hide photos & videos on your Android phone

6. Alpha Hybrid Launcher

Alpha Hybrid Launcher is the coolest-looking Android launcher on this list. It has a sci-fi-style design with many amazing customization options. For starters, it has a huge catalog of free and premium themes, wallpapers, and live wallpapers. You can even change the color of the theme’s elements to your liking.

Some other features include:

• Font style
• Home page and app drawer animation speed
• App locker
• Fullscreen mode

And if you want to use this launcher at its best, then you should purchase their premium pack, which will remove all the Ads, unlock premium themes, wallpapers, & live wallpapers, and some other features.

Download Alpha Hybrid Launcher from the Play Store

7. Launcher iOS 16

If you love iPhone’s home screen design and want the same on your Android device. Then you’re in luck here. The launcher iOS 16 almost looks like a replica of the original iOS 16. You even get the iOS-like feed where you can add widgets like clock, weather, calendars, favorite contacts, batteries, and app suggestions.

You can also customize things like icon appearance, hide apps, wallpapers, animations, and notification badges. To give your home screen even more iOS touch, you can install a lock screen, control center, and assistive touch app from the same developer. There are many iOS-inspired launchers in the Play Store, but for me, Launcher iOS 16 is the best Android launcher.

Download Launcher iOS 16 from the Play Store

8. Olauncher

If you are a fan of minimalistic design then trust me you will love Olauncher. In this launcher, you are only allowed to set your favorite apps on the home screen that too in text style only. This gives your android phone a very minimalistic look and also helps you reduce screen time on your device and focus more on productivity.

You even get free wallpaper each day so you don’t have to go around the internet to search for new wallpapers for your phone. There are also some basic features like double-tap to lock the screen, app hider, and gestures support. The best part is the app is open-source, small in size, and completely free with zero ads.

Download Olauncher from the Play Store

9. AIO Launcher

AIO Launcher is quite different from the rest of the launchers. It uses the home screen to show various information that matters to you the most. Such examples are system info, frequently used apps, notifications, news feeds, calendar events, weather, and many other things.

You can even add or remove widgets from the home screen. And by holding on to the search button, you can go to the launcher setting for further modification of the home screen interface that includes themes, wallpaper transparency, animation speed, gestures, etc.

All in all, AIO Launcher gives your phone’s home screen a unique and fresh look and it deserves to be on our list of best Android launcher apps.

Download AIO Launcher from the Play Store

10. POCO Launcher 2.0

POCO Launcher was first seen on POCO devices and ever since they launched the launcher in the play store, over 100 million users have downloaded it until now. The launcher offers a clean home screen and app drawer design with no annoying ads or bloatware apps.

In addition, the launcher automatically sorts out all your apps in the app drawer into categories like photography, shopping, games, entertainment, and so on.

There are also many customizations available, such as changing icons, transition effects, notification badges, and hiding apps. Other than that, you can also enable double tap to lock the screen, which is a pretty handy feature. So if you are looking for an ad-free Android launcher with a minimalist design and decent features, then the POCO Launcher is the best Android launcher without ads.

Download POCO Launcher 2 from the Play Store

FAQs

Which Android launcher is best?

Nova Launcher is the best Android launcher even among tech enthusiasts. It has everything that an average user might need, such as minimal UI, deep customizations, and an Ad-free experience.

Which is the lightest launcher?

Olauncher and Rootless Pixel Launcher are among the lightest launchers for Android in the Play Store.

What is the most customizable launcher for Android?

When it comes to customization, no Android launcher can come closer to the Nova launcher. There are many launchers that offer a wide range of customization features, but the level of customization features Nova launcher offers are insane. And with its premium version, users can further customize the look and feel of their Android phone.

Which is the fastest launcher for Android?

Smartphones these days have become so good that no matter which launcher you install, they all will run smoothly on your phone. However, if you’re using a phone that has a weak processor and less RAM, I would recommend you to go with either Olauncher or Rootless Pixel Launcher as they are lightweight, uses fewer animations, and has limited customization which overall makes the user experience faster.

Do launchers drain the battery?

Most launchers don’t cause severe battery drain unless you are using one that comes with animated widgets or live wallpapers or uses lots of animation effects.