Develop Bugs

[Q] What is your favorite launcher and why?

I've been through a few launchers now and am still undecided as to which will be my daily driver. For a long time it was GO Launcher from the market due to the amount of options baked in for free, but it was just too buggy, so I plunked down some cash to try Launcher Pro and it was pretty similar overall, but the lack of a true home screen chaps my cheeks. Now I'm wondering (after seeing so many different screenshots of YOUR amazing setups on your Epic...) what Launcher do you prefer, and why?

ADW Launcher is my cup of tea. It is very customizable from docks, downloadable themes/icons, to the overwhelming setting options to make it just how you want it. The free version is by far superior to the other free launchers by offering more ways of customization. you could of course support the Dev by purchasing the ADW Launcher EX which jams a lot more into it. From a themer stand point the ADW is a very workable Launcher for changing things around to fit your needs for the said theme you would like it to be included in. As stated above though, once you settle into a Launcher that you decide to stick with, support the Dev by buying the full version for all their hard work in bringing it to your disposal.

GO Launcher EX. I have them all (LP, ADW and Go) . ADW is a mess when you start going into the menu's. GO Launcher seems to have taken the best from LP and ADW IMO>

ADW is by far the most customizable imo. I use ADW EX and love it. Some people swear by LP. Try them out and use what works for you. As said above support for devs hard work and time is always appreciated.
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App

Touchwiz, to me its really clean and I can't seem to stray to far from it when I change launchers.
There is a "true" gingerbread launcher out now its pretty sweet that I am currently using though...

ADW for me as well. I have the paid version but the free version is still an awesome find. Lots of great features and customizable themes and icons. I've tried just about all of them and most have a lot of the same features, but I always find myself going back to ADW.

Up until about a month ago I was using adw (free), then I upgraded to Adw EX. It's fantastic. The only complaint I had with adw was the pretty horrible menu organization...Adw EX has solved that! I will say there are a lot of fru-fru options in EX that I don't use (like changing the animation on home screen scrolling) but the dev is super helpful, found plenty of themes and on adw ex, anything I've seen in the "post your homescreen" area, I've been able to recreate.
Oh, and only other thing I didn't like in adw (free) was the inability to ovelap widgets... can do that in EX tho
Sent from my SPH-D700 using XDA App

Launcher pro, I love the scrollable dock. It keeps my homescreens clutterfree.
Sent from my SPH-D700 using Tapatalk

Launcher Pro, the 3D drawer in this is stunning.

Launcher Pro. I love the smooth 3D drawer and the included widgets are actually pretty useful!

sheltem said:
Launcher Pro. I love the smooth 3D drawer and the included widgets are actually pretty useful!
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10 Char +1

Heelfan71 said:
GO Launcher EX. I have them all (LP, ADW and Go) . ADW is a mess when you start going into the menu's. GO Launcher seems to have taken the best from LP and ADW IMO>
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Ditto here. LP is nothing special (although pretty stable) and you have to pay for ADW to get the features and customization you get for free with GO Launcher.
I've had no issues whatsoever with GO Launcher. It's been stable, fast and has more options than I even know what to do with.

Sprint ID!...LMAO, J/K!!!....I'm TouchWiz for 4ever, LauncherPro is nice, but it doesn't have the widgets I like. ADW FC's and Crashes like a cheap paper airplane, GO is a close second.

launcher pro, clean and simple yet still alot of customizing available

I really like some of ADW's features but LauncherPRO's widgets are what keeps me using it, plus the developer is working on a complete rewrite of LauncherPRO to make it more efficient and lighter.

Interesting that no one had said anything about Zeam... Yes, it is light on features, but that also means it's light on resources as well (and I don't care how fast you overclock, lighter is always better for performance). Scrolling dock, gestures, and desktop resizing; simple and sweet.
Sent from my Desire HD using XDA App

I've tried launcherpro, adw, tw, and lately Go launcher ex. Right now I'm really liking go launcher ex. Clean, fast, stable, and features that I like.

Launcher pro plus for me. Like stated above, the scrollable dock and the included widgets you get with the plus version is nice. I downloaded a themed version that has all the widgets transparent with blue highlights and all the buttons at the bottom of the widgets instead of the top and they're also more finger friendly. Check it out there are other themed versions also. You have to buy the plus version to get full benefits of launcher pro IMO.
here is the thread if you or anybody alse is intrested: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=783427

Launcher 7
Sent from XDA app with 2.2 powered Epic 4g

I just switched to adw after 8 mths of touchwiz because of cm7. Adw has tons of options. If it was fc'ing there is an option for wallpaper hack that is suppose to make it not fc. I love adw and will not go back to touchwiz.

Launcher Questions

I would like to know some of your opinions. Please I am looking for a launcher that has very little to no battery drain. Very smooth. I used launcherpro but that thing never gets updated and the update they just had doesn't fix anything. So Any Suggestions?

tcooper85 said:
I would like to know some of your opinions. Please I am looking for a launcher that has very little to no battery drain. Very smooth. I used launcherpro but that thing never gets updated and the update they just had doesn't fix anything. So Any Suggestions?
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Get adw ex great launcher and its super smooth with better features
Sent from my SPH-D700 using XDA Premium App

Adw all the way. I was a fan of luncher pro but after a lack of updates and home screen Freeze up and other bugs, I'm now a fan of adw.

I choose launcherpro, uses the least amount of RAM of all the launchers. So its the fastest when multitasking
Sent from my always stock, EB13 Epic, awaiting EC05.

zanderman112 said:
I choose launcherpro, uses the least amount of RAM of all the launchers. So its the fastest when multitasking
Sent from my always stock, EB13 Epic, awaiting EC05.
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LauncherPro is my choice as well. But, OP, you should try all of the popular free options:
- LauncherPro
- ADW
- Go Launcher (new and getting more popular)
- Zeam (fast!)
- others, but those are the big names

I personally like either Go Launcher Ex (my current favorite) or ADW. The single feature that I cannot live without is the ability to organize the App Drawer.
Go Launcher lets you create folders to move items into. Also has a nice recent list and task manager built into the app drawer.
ADW lets you create categories to assign items to. Dock is a little more feature rich.

k0nane said:
LauncherPro is my choice as well. But, OP, you should try all of the popular free options:
- LauncherPro
- ADW
- Go Launcher (new and getting more popular)
- Zeam (fast!)
- others, but those are the big names
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I'll add some of the others: Open Home 6, Launcher7, HeLauncher, dxTop. And there are some extracted from other phones here on xda like: Acer Liquid Launcher, LG Home, Xperia Arc launcher.
Sent from my always stock, EC05 Epic 4G

+1 GO launcher.

i was using zeam and it was nice but then the orientation started acting screwy...so i deleted it and got adw launcher ex and what a difference! i absolutely love this launcher and they have so many different themes (free and paid) that change your phone and icons such as an ipad theme, htc theme, mac os, gingerbread theme. really great app and i haven't seen any type of battery drain. i used launcher pro but i was really a fan. and like i said zeam started misbehaving. you really can't go wrong with adw launcher ex and it barely touches your memory if you install themes which is nice!!!

[Q] Best launcher?

Hi u guys I'm in a big debate on wether which launcher is best and fast. I want your guys opinions.
I'm running my g2 with cyanogens latest nightly build.
First off
Adw: too slow for me
Launcher pro purchased: I had been using launcher pro for a really long time but it takes forever to come up and when u swtich the launcher to landscape mode everything goes bananas.
Go launcher: was using this for about 2 months but I don't like the theme selections.
Adw ex: what imusing right now, pretty fast but also a lil unstable.
What's best for u guys?

Have you tried the stock gingerbread launcher? What it lacks in customisation options it makes up in speed and stabilty.
[sig]My mission is to hit 1000 posts by 23/05/2011[sig]

can't beat adw ex as far as I'm concerned... the new 3d drawer is perfect (literally, I can't tell the difference between it and a vanilla android launcher), theme engine is solid, customization is much more thorough than LP.
I had way more issues with stability on LP than I do with ADW ex... what ultimately made me give up on LP was the 1 minute wait time upon boot (or force close if you're impatient)... that's just plain sloppy.

Agree with both answers. But I think you can see the smoothness of stock over adw ex. At least I can for sure. I wish stock came with three screens and removed those dots at the bottom. Id be in heaven then. Have you tried zeam?
Sent from my HTC Vision using Tapatalk

popimp315 said:
Agree with both answers. But I think you can see the smoothness of stock over adw ex. At least I can for sure. I wish stock came with three screens and removed those dots at the bottom. Id be in heaven then. Have you tried zeam?
Sent from my HTC Vision using Tapatalk
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yeah, I wouldn't be surprised if on setups not as stripped as mine, the stock launcher is still much smoother.
I'm only running 1 home screen with the google quick search box and eight app shortcuts. along with no transition animations or other eye candy, it's like butter, especially now that they've fixed the 3d app tray.. used to be a little choppy but now it really is reminiscent of a vanilla GB launcher in terms of smoothness.

I been using LP plus, and say I don't really have issue and it runs great and quick for me not real bloat options,I don't have to take 20 mins to setup the launcher how I like it as adw I don't like the dots, don't like thr trash on toop don't don't like drawer slook

For me launcher pro is definitely the best and runs smooth at all times (except when charging the phone).

Go Launcher Ex is fast, smooth and the most reliable. As far as I'm concerned its the best home launcher right now. I was a long time user of Launcher Pro Plus but the bugs and lack of timely updates really irritated me.

ADW/ex both don't have good enough support for icons other than adw icons and that buff icon set. I'm having the same issue with Launcher pro, although I do like their activity options in the widget menu.
Im using EX but i really want to use another but I can't find any good ones. I liked 91 panda, I don't think it's been updated but I haven't checked either.

launcher pro plus for sure! fast, stable and some nice widgets

yeah, I wouldn't be surprised if on setups not as stripped as mine, the stock launcher is still much smoother.
I'm only running 1 home screen with the google quick search box and eight app shortcuts. along with no transition animations or other eye candy, it's like butter, especially now that they've fixed the 3d app tray.. used to be a little choppy but now it really is reminiscent of a vanilla GB launcher in terms of smoothness.[/QUOTE]
How are you able to get one home screen???? Granted I have one screen that has one widget on it, the rest are blank, but there are still 7 total. ....wait...I think you are using adw ex right?
Sent from my HTC Vision using Tapatalk

popimp315 said:
How are you able to get one home screen???? Granted I have one screen that has one widget on it, the rest are blank, but there are still 7 total. ....wait...I think you are using adw ex right?
Sent from my HTC Vision using Tapatalk
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yes, using adw ex. all of the custom launcher apps I've used allow you to choose how many homescreens you have though, shouldn't matter which one you have.

Ashaman_Kupo said:
ADW/ex both don't have good enough support for icons other than adw icons and that buff icon set. I'm having the same issue with Launcher pro, although I do like their activity options in the widget menu.
Im using EX but i really want to use another but I can't find any good ones. I liked 91 panda, I don't think it's been updated but I haven't checked either.
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you can use any icons you want as long as they're PNG (same as any other custom launcher).. creating an icon pack that will replace your app tray icons as well is a piece of cake.

pmcqueen said:
yes, using adw ex. all of the custom launcher apps I've used allow you to choose how many homescreens you have though, shouldn't matter which one you have.
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yeah. I'm a former zeam user but just got back my adw. May go with it until someone finds a way to customize stock
Sent from my HTC Vision using Tapatalk

Launcher pro for me but with the recent update. The slide out keyboard no longer opens go to landscape mode.

I like launcher pro
or you can use ADW launcher
if you like wp7's launcher, you can use 7 launcher
if you like 3D UI, you can use regina

[Q] Launcher Pro vs ADW vs Go Launcher

So, of all three which one are you using and why. Just want to get a general idea if your experience.

android4sunny said:
So, of all three which one are you using and why. Just want to get a general idea if your experience.
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I'm using QQ Launcher with the iphone theme for obvious reasons
(check my sig)
When I'm not using QQ, I run go launcher...most free themes, add ons etc. Plus its easier for me to use

I use GO because of the multiple add apps to home screen. I know this is a little thing but it makes my life easier.
On a side note ADW ex is ten cents today on the Android market.
Sent from my SGH-T989 using xda premium

I used go launcher for a long time but it isn't as snappy as ADW. So i'm back on adw for now.
Swyped from my iPhone eater
-BeastMOD
-Supercharged 1000HP

Go launcher is by far the best . Never had any issues.
Sent from my SGH-T989D using XDA App

I like go launcher because it's really smooth. Also because in the application screen you can show only the apps that are running, and close them if you want to. I also like it shows the icon dock at the bottom of the homescreen, on every screen, and it also has 5 icons (more if you scroll) so you can easily access useful apps.

android4sunny said:
So, of all three which one are you using and why. Just want to get a general idea if your experience.
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you forgot to list stock ICS launcher, which is pretty decent finally! for an android stock launcher
but of all of the 4 choices i still like GO Launcher EX better, it has all the features of every launcher combined, but free!

I've used go launcher, adw, adw ex, ics(on my ics rom and as just the launcher), and launcher pro...
Until ics is official in some form, I'm going to keep using launcher pro. It has all the features I want(I'm very no-frills and minimalist), and it feels faster than all the others. Unfortunately, it hasn't been updated in a LONG time, so that's a bummer. But like I said, I'll use this until ICS comes out, then I'll just use that.
Favorite feature: sliding dock bar. I have it setup as (dialer - app drawer - web) on one, and (sms - app drawer - gmail) on the other. This works very well for me, as it allows me to keep stuff in my dock bar without looking too cluttered.

Go launcher is very heavy on memory. It also has the best looks, in my opinion. It just looks cool. Lags at lower clock speeds, too.
Adw is fast and has lots of options to play with. It does not look as cool, but it will do.
TW is very fast. Even at very low clock speeds, it does not lag! It looks ok, but is not as customizable as the other two. It looks bright and cheerful, though.
I chose to go with golauncher. I can play with it for hours. Not as many free themes, but some good free ones. It does everything the others do combined. I have the Honeycomb theme with sphere setting for drawer.
Just download and play with them. See what you think looks better.
trying to get 10 post!

After using all, I always find myself going back to launcher pro. It is the widgets that do it for me. They are a year old and they still are the best. The dock notifications kicked ass until gmail fubared it. Does need an update as sms dock notification does not work with Go SMS but does with regular messenger.
Sent from my SGH-T989 using Tapatalk

Adw ex + android pro Widgets. Nothing compares to the smoothness.

Go launcher for me. Has more features than any other launcher and its theme-able and free...Find it really fast to and the whole Go-Suite seems to have some really nice apps. I use Go SMS also..

I had been using the TouchWiz Launcher until I saw someone mention an update for adw ex, so I redownloaded and I really liked all the new dock settings. Maybe I missed it but I don't think we could use 4 icons on the dock, minimum was 5(?) It works great with my ICS theme.
Sent from my SGH-T989

What's your favorite launcher and why?

Just trying to start a discussion on what launcher people are using and why they like them as apposed to others. This thread would be useful for many who are trying to decide what launcher to use or switch to. I know that people can and should try them out for themselves however there are MANY launchers out there and it would be nice for folks to read this thread and get an idea where to start. So who's first?
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2

Nova. Always works for me and I can restore my icon layout. Makes switching Roms take all of 10 min
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app

itpromike said:
Just trying to start a discussion on what launcher people are using and why they like them as apposed to others. This thread would be useful for many who are trying to decide what launcher to use or switch to. I know that people can and should try them out for themselves however there are MANY launchers out there and it would be nice for folks to read this thread and get an idea where to start. So who's first?
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2
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I like Nova Prime with the Missed It! add on. It adds notification counts to the icons you specify. Like messages and mail for me. It's nice to see a little bubble on the icon.

Nova Launcher for me too, I have downloaded a few ut always go back to Nova, simply for the gestures and the stability of it. Action Launcher is good but lacks a lot of customisation.

I like Go. Folders in app draw, transparent Nav and status bar support.

I've used Apex launcher for a while because it is very clean and fast with a lot of customization options.

Nova is my favorite... Fast and Stable.

I'm in the minority with this but I like stock.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2

Tried Nova, ADW, Go, Apex, Holo, and of course Stock
For now, Nova is the best IMO. Stock comes in the 2nd.

I don't believe in a favorite launcher. I believe they all of them are pretty much equal with each of them to their own uniqueness. It's more of favoritism.
I personally used Apex Launcher and switched to Nova because Nova Launcher Prime was on sale for <$1 so I switched. It also made it very easy to do because it imported my widgets and apps on home screens within one click.
Nova Launcher & Apex are both great choices. Can't go wrong with either or............ or you can use Trebuchet (CM's Launcher). Keep in mind if you use Nova Launcher, update to the latest beta!!! it helps, uses 4.2 launcher code

nova prime is my favorite. there's so much customizability, which makes it perfect for themeing. very fast and stable too. i want to get familiar with either ADW or Apex so I can toggle between themes very fast. Launcher8 has some potential too, but as of now its just too laggy.

Used ADW for a while... then switched to Nova. Nova restoring the widgets is a great feature when playing with multiple Rome.
Skickat från min Nexus 4

Ok, bit different but...
TSF Shell ..it's like butter even on my old Snapdragon 3 based phone
Next launcher.. new but good, desktop/home screens not quite as smooth as TSF
SPB 3d shell ..love it

someone make a poll! i bet over 50% of us, use nova launcher(prime)
is there beta version of Prime nova launcher optimized for JB4.21? or thats only for the NON prime version

zephiK said:
I don't believe in a favorite launcher. I believe they all of them are pretty much equal with each of them to their own uniqueness. It's more of favoritism.
I personally used Apex Launcher and switched to Nova because Nova Launcher Prime was on sale for <$1 so I switched. It also made it very easy to do because it imported my widgets and apps on home screens within one click.
Nova Launcher & Apex are both great choices. Can't go wrong with either or............ or you can use Trebuchet (CM's Launcher). Keep in mind if you use Nova Launcher, update to the latest beta!!! it helps, uses 4.2 launcher code
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Thanks mate, where can I find the beta for that?

Nova Launcher

itpromike said:
Thanks mate, where can I find the beta for that?
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nova settings - check for update - stack icon at the top right use beta

I use Apex Launcher
It is very near to stock, but still very customizable.
I also like the groups in the drawer, the reseizing of widgets to every size (which is sometimes ridicolous, but in some cases very useful) and the ability to hide the dock (that i dont need anymore because of GMD Gesture Control)
I've also tried some other launchers like Nova and Action Launcher (Really cool, too, but not as customizable as Apex) but at least I stayed at Apex.

Nova, but Apex very close
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda premium

Used to be almost 100% Nova, but now I have been using Action Launcher.
It is different from the other launchers and I quite like the way the App Drawer is implemented.
And the "Covers" setting is brilliant, for me this makes it worthwhile!!
Stewart