Launchers are one of the most visually appealing and versatile tools on an Android device. They allow us to change the appearance of our Android's home screen (the desktop, the one containing widgets), and also the app drawer, where we find all the apps on our device. So, let's review what are, in my opinion, the three best free launchers we can get for our little Android device. GO Launcher EX , Launcher Pro , and ADW Launcher are my three picks.
GO Launcher EX, a lot of style and very complete
Of all the launchers available for Android, GO Launcher EX is undoubtedly my favorite. Initially, during its early development stages, it was a bit slow, but over time they managed to make it lighter, and since then it runs quite smoothly. In terms of customization, I find it the most complete. It has many themes adapted for the launcher itself, which can be downloaded from the Google Play Store. In addition, you can add widgets specifically developed for GO Launcher EX , which are very well adapted and optimized, and whose style changes depending on the theme you install. Features offered by versions like Ice Cream Sandwich and Jelly Bean have been available in GO Launcher EX for some time, such as widget resizing.
You can change the size of the grids, both of the main screens and the application drawer, making them 4 × 4, 5 × 4, 5 × 5, etc. instead of being 6 × 5. Another of its important features is that it comes in Spanish, so we will have no problem taming the configuration, or customizing it as we wish. As we have already mentioned, the customization options are endless, from the way in which the transition between screens should take place, to the smallest indicators that are shown on the screen, through the icons themselves.
Perhaps the only drawback of GO Launcher EX is that it requires more resources than other launchers, although, as we've already mentioned, it has been optimized to be lighter. My recommendation, if you've never changed your launcher, is that you install GO Launcher EX and try it out. If it runs smoothly on your phone, you probably won't go back. If it's been a while since you last used it, I still recommend it, as it has improved considerably. GO Launcher EX is free and can be downloaded from Google Play.
Launcher Pro, elegant and very light
Many people think that launchers slow down the system because they use more resources than the phone's default launcher. Launcher Pro will change their minds. It's undoubtedly one of the lightest launchers you can install on your phone. It greatly speeds up phone usage, especially when navigating menus and apps. It also offers a fair number of customization options, although it's not as comprehensive as some others. It does include the typical menu transition options and app drawer style. One drawback of Launcher Pro is that it's only available in English. However, it's not difficult to use.
If your Android phone is a bit slow when navigating menus, Launcher Pro is the best solution, as it works very smoothly, even on less powerful models. It can be downloaded for free from Google Play.
ADW Launcher, the most balanced option
We've saved the best for last: the most balanced option of all. If you like GO Launcher EX, but it runs a bit slow on your phone, and you want something with more customization options than Launcher Pro, then ADW Launcher is the one for you . It also has themes to personalize it and a large number of options to modify and adjust to your liking. It uses less RAM than GO Launcher EX, making it faster and less likely to slow down less powerful phones.
On the downside, it lacks the folders found in GO Launcher EX, as well as the ability to hide apps from the app drawer—a useful feature when you don't want certain apps to appear, whether for aesthetic reasons, because you don't use them, or simply to keep them private. It also doesn't support custom widgets. However, it's quite good if you're looking for something lighter. ADW Launcher is free and can be downloaded from Google Play.
