Best, lightest, and most awesome Android launchers

Ah, Android and its beauty! Without a shadow of doubt, it has the upper hand when it comes to flexibility and customizability - its biggest rivals (iOS and Windows Phone) literally don't stand a chance in this one-horse race. Thanks to this fundamental aspect of Android, almost any manufacturer out there usually snaps a home-brewed user interface suite on their devices. HTC's Sense and Samsung's TouchWiz are probably the most popular custom UIs for Android, but let's face it – not everyone likes the looks and the bag of features that these come with.



Fortunately, you can easily modify the interface looks of your Android device and make it suit your liking. Probably the easiest way to do so is by installing a custom 3rd-party launcher. Not only custom launchers provide you with different looks, they also come with a wide range of nifty customization features and options that are rarely found in stock UIs. What's more, most of the 3rd-party ones are usually a whole lot lighter and smoother, which is always welcome, isn't it?



Okay, but... how does one change the launcher of their device? It's pretty simple and straightforward. Installing it is easy, but setting it as the default launcher requires an additional tap or two. Android will automatically ask you which one of the installed launchers to be the default one when you press the home button of your device for the first time after the installation has been completed. Most launchers will also guide you through the process of setting them as default ones. In addition, if your device is running Android 4.4 KitKat or higher, you can also select the default launcher via the Settings menu – just head there and look for the Default Applications submenu.



While we are on the subject of home screen replacements, we decided to delve in Google Play and pick some of the best and most popular Android launchers. Check them out and don't forget to tell us which one is your favorite!



Note: The launchers below are sorted in no particular order.

Nova Launcher

Nova Launcher is one of the lightest and most feature-packed AOSP-like launchers out there. It's often lauded as being the best all-around launcher for Android. It now comes with even more features than before and really sets itself apart from the competition. It already supports Google's Voice Search hotword ("OK, Google), allows its users to greatly alter the layout of their home screen, as well as the transition animations, icon shortcuts, etc. The paid version of Nova, Nova Launcher Prime, will provide you with even more customization features.



Download: Nova Launcher (Android)