Tired of the home screen on your Android device? Try replacing it with a different launcher.
The Google Play Store has dozens of them (from Action Launcher to Zeam Launcher), each with a wide range of features – grid size customization, skins, transition effects, app drawers, widgets, status bars et cetera. Some are free, some charge to enable certain features.
Some are for Android tablets only, while others are for Android smart phones.
Patrick Nelson of LinuxInsider tried Nova Launcher Prime – the paid version – from TeslaCoil Software for his tablet. It needs Android 4.0 and above.
The bad news is there’s no step-by-step setup, so users will have to search around for some settings.
On the other hand, Nelson writes, “visual effects are almost overwhelmingly customizable.”
Among the features is the ability to hide apps, have a scrollable dock with up to seven icons per page and to start apps with gestures.
Launchers are a way to go beyond replacing the desktop of a device. As always before buying an app you need to research the software and the company behind it.