This is the Nova Launcher features I want to see on pixels

I’m a big fan of Pixel Launcher. So much that I actually ditched Nova launcher When I switched from OnePlus to a Google phone. However, while I appreciate the clean, simple user interface and good features, I think there is definitely room for improvement.

Nova Launcher has a wealth of features, and there are several that I miss and would like to look at Pixel phones. I will guide you through the most important.

All things approved

Many of the Nova Launcher features I like are approved. For example, I am very fond of the opportunity to create drawer groups, which allow me to sort apps in the app drawer based on their purpose. I generally have a simple system set up and separate work -related apps from everything else.

I don’t have lots of work -related apps, but I still need easy access to them. A dedicated work tab in the app drawer is the perfect solution, so I can access all the apps in one place with just a tap or two – without manually searching through a list of all the apps I’ve installed on my phone. My home screen is generally filled with just the important apps I need for personal use, as I don’t want any work -related that rotate it.

The alternative to customizing the web size of both the home screen and the app drawer is another feature I really like. My pixel has this option, although it is only for the home screen and not the app drawer. However, the choices are limited, with the net size of 5 × 5 as the most you can go for.

With Nova Launcher there are many opportunities. I can choose how many apps I want vertically and horizontally, so I can customize the home screen – as well as the app drawer – exactly to my taste. I like the ability to expand the vertical grid to seven apps, since my display is quite high and can easily meet them without looking too messy. Packing several apps on a screen has a great advantage for me, as I need fewer home screens in total and can find apps in the app drawer faster.

Then it’s the quay on the home screen, which I really like and use to place my most important and used my apps. Admittedly, Pixel Launcher also has a dock, but the adaptation options are slim to none. It’s another story with Nova Launcher, as I can customize just about anything. For example, I can change the size of the icons, making them bigger than the others on the home screen so they stand out more. I can choose to view or hide the app names, enter the padding and the number of apps I want dock to hold. I can even change the color of the dock and the corner radius for a softer look. I generally keep it easy, but you can go crazy with it if you want. I can even remove the search box from the dock, which cannot be done on my pixel.

Back to the app drawer, pixels only offer vertical rolling, which I am not a big fan of. I prefer horizontal rolling. It always felt more natural to me, as I can turn between pages just like on the home screen. There are also all kinds of animations to choose from if it is your thing. I have them turned on since they annoy me, but they are there if you need them.

Pixels also lack the right gestures. I love those offered by OnePlusAnd that’s the biggest thing I missed when I switched to a pixel. With the Nova launch, gestures become even more powerful. I can open an app, pull down notifications and perform tasks such as locking the screen with different gestures. These include swipe in different directions, tapping, squeezing in and out and more. You can even set up shortcuts. To give you an example, you can tap on the screen to open the Incognito mode browser.

I have several gestures set up. The classics include swipe down to expand the alert menu and swipe up to open the app drawer, which is nevertheless standard on Pixel phones. A double pressure turns off the screen for me, while sweeping to the right allows for a new task in the task management app my Todoist. To bring up the weather radar for my region to see if it will rain and when I swipe down with two fingers.

It takes some time to learn all the gestures you set up, especially if there are many, but the muscle memory takes over after a week or so.

I would like to see Pixel implement a similar gesture system. It doesn’t have to be as robust as Nova Launcher, but at least give us something, Google.

There is a bunch of smaller adjustments offered by Nova Launcher that I absolutely love. You can really make all parts of the user interface to your own. For example, I can change the corner radius of a folder. Whether I want a perfect square or something with softer edges, Nova Launcher has me covered. I can also change the appearance of the folder, which includes the icon layout.

I can change the design of icons from round to square and everything in between. These small changes are setting up, and by implementing them, the user interface can look completely different. It is a breath of fresh air after using a phone for a long time. A new color scheme, new iPesign and other details make it feel like I have a whole new phone. I can even choose the size of notification marks and icons. For a cleaner look, I can hide app names so that I only see the icons.

These are the little things that will lift the pixel experience in my mind. I know Google is about simplicity, which is why it avoids excessive adaptation options. But Pixel users are generally people who know and love their phones, and I think – with me included – will benefit from these extra options.