Credit: Rita El Khoury / Android Authority
A decade ago, I couldn’t imagine using an Android phone without installing a custom launcher to transform my home screen setup into exactly what I wanted it to be. Bit by bit, though, my reasons to use a custom launcher have disappeared.
There are apps now, like Shortcut Maker, that let me create any action shortcuts I want — a feature I used to rely on Nova Launcher for. I can hide unwanted apps in Private Space, change the shape of all my icons, or cram 5×5 icons on the home screen, and even apply funky theme packs. And, if I wanted, I could completely remove At a Glance or use SmartSpacer to stack widgets behind it, and customize the Google Search widget bar.
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