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2012 Nexus 7 Discussion Forums (1st Generation) => Nexus 7 General Discussion => Topic started by: nexusNovice on February 27, 2013, 01:28:49 PM

Title: Launchers
Post by: nexusNovice on February 27, 2013, 01:28:49 PM
On my rooted android 2.3.4 phone I've used several launchers to replace the stock launcher. On the nexus 7 the stock launcher is quite good but I wonder how many people have replaced it?

Any suggestions that work well on the nexus?

I've used Go Launcher Ex, ADW, Lightning, etc. on my phone and then settled on ADW because of limited phone memory.

Curious what other nexus 7 users do?

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Title: Re: Launchers
Post by: bjs229 on February 27, 2013, 01:36:51 PM
I am using Nova at the moment.

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Title: Re: Launchers
Post by: S.Prime on February 27, 2013, 02:06:10 PM
I like the features in Nova Launcher Prime.

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Title: Re: Launchers
Post by: nexusNovice on February 27, 2013, 03:02:10 PM
I have not tried nova. Will check it out.

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Title: Re: Launchers
Post by: loociddreemr on February 27, 2013, 03:37:56 PM
Apex works well too. I like its similarities to Trebuchet, the cyanogenmod launcher.

Sent From my Dual-boot Razr Maxx (RaZR3Ds.JB.ROM.FiNaL.v3-R3Ds) via Tapatalk 2
Title: Re: Launchers
Post by: fxsarge on February 27, 2013, 03:57:54 PM
ADW FTW! I hardly see anyone else using ADW and in don't know why. I think its the best launcher out there.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Xparent BlueTapatalk 2

Title: Re: Launchers
Post by: Jamieb158 on February 27, 2013, 05:10:12 PM
Nova prime for me as well,  just works well

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Title: Re: Launchers
Post by: loociddreemr on February 27, 2013, 06:13:34 PM
Here's a suggestion for those rooted users using a third party launcher. Use Titanium to convert your launcher to a system app. This will protect it in the event you do a factory reset. This way you do not have to set up your widgets again.

Sent From my Razr Maxx(stock .211, waiting for the MFN soak test) via Tapatalk 2
Title: Re: Launchers
Post by: nexusNovice on February 27, 2013, 07:20:29 PM
ADW FTW! I hardly see anyone else using ADW and in don't know why. I think its the best launcher out there.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Xparent BlueTapatalk 2
I really liked Go Launcher Ex but it is a heavy on memory and my android 2.3.4 phone is limited in memory. ADW is indeed very good.
How does one use titanium to convert nova to a system app?

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Title: Re: Launchers
Post by: SheerluckSherlock on February 27, 2013, 07:26:30 PM
Im using Apex Pro

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Title: Re: Launchers
Post by: loociddreemr on February 27, 2013, 07:55:48 PM
Download Titanium Backup from Google play. I highly recommend the pro version. When the app loads, grant su permission. Click on backup/restore, should be the tab in the top center. Scroll through your installed apps and find the one you want. Long press until a menu pops up. Scroll to the bottom and select convert to system app. That's all there is to it. It should turn red in the list of apps.

Sent From my Razr Maxx(stock .211, waiting for the MFN soak test) via Tapatalk 2
Title: Re: Launchers
Post by: nexusNovice on February 27, 2013, 09:31:08 PM
I already own the pro version and used it for a long time to do backups in my phone.  I never knew it could also do that. Thank you.

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Title: Re: Launchers
Post by: bjs229 on February 27, 2013, 10:32:30 PM
ADW FTW! I hardly see anyone else using ADW and in don't know why. I think its the best launcher out there.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Xparent BlueTapatalk 2
I really liked Go Launcher Ex but it is a heavy on memory and my android 2.3.4 phone is limited in memory. ADW is indeed very good.
How does one use titanium to convert nova to a system app?

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2
hold your finger on the app in.Titanium and wait for the menu..option should be toward the bottom .

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Title: Re: Launchers
Post by: JayJ on April 28, 2013, 11:28:28 PM
I use Nova Prime, I've used many launchers in my 3 years of Android. ADW and Launcher Pro were great in their day but are based on the Gingerbread launcher so dated now, Nova, Apex, Holo and Action Launcher are the best 4.x.x launchers.

Sent from my Paranoid Nexus 4

Title: Re: Launchers
Post by: LeoRex on April 29, 2013, 07:34:18 PM
I've tried two on the 7; Go and Nova...  I've moved everything I had to Nova though, it performs more like an enhancement of the stock launcher rather than a replacement.

If you like the stock launcher with 7, try Nova.

Sent from my SCH-I200

Title: Re: Launchers
Post by: engineer on April 30, 2013, 01:55:26 PM
I use Nova Prime, I've used many launchers in my 3 years of Android. ADW and Launcher Pro were great in their day but are based on the Gingerbread launcher so dated now, Nova, Apex, Holo and Action Launcher are the best 4.x.x launchers.

Sent from my Paranoid Nexus 4

I can't find a head to head comparison of the different available launchers and would therefore love to learn from your experience. (Though fun,  it takes a lot of time to setup each new launcher just to put it through its paces) .

I am currently using ADWLAUNCHER EX. What would you say that Nova or Apex launchers do "better" or "more" than ADWLAUNCHER EX?

Thanks

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2



Title: Re: Launchers
Post by: Melliejoy on May 01, 2013, 04:51:46 AM
I used Tile Launcher for a while because it felt nice  and smooth. But now + 1 for Nova Launcher, mostly for its ability to hide apps. (Stock launcher, Y U No do this?)
Title: Re: Launchers
Post by: JayJ on May 03, 2013, 03:09:26 AM
I can't find a head to head comparison of the different available launchers and would therefore love to learn from your experience. (Though fun,  it takes a lot of time to setup each new launcher just to put it through its paces) .

I am currently using ADWLAUNCHER EX. What would you say that Nova or Apex launchers do "better" or "more" than ADWLAUNCHER EX?

Thanks

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2

As LeoRex stated both Nova and Apex are extensions of the stock launcher, most of the features found in Nova and Apex are found in ADW but Nova and Apex are current and still being innovated. There are many themes available for ADW buy not so many be ones being made whereas new Nova and Apex themes, which are compatible, appear regularly.
I haven't used ADW in some time but Apex and Nova have features specifically for Android 4.2 like gesture for Quick settings and 4.x fodder support.
I did use ADW about 4 months ago because my Nexus 4 had to be returned and whilst waiting for a replacement I had to use an SE Xperia X10 Mini running Android 2.1 so Nova and Apex wouldn't work, I felt accustomed to Nova and missed it sorely, was glad when my N4 replacement arrived.
It's personal choice really, if your happy with ADW then stick with it but Nova and Apex are great additions to Android 4.2.


Sent from my Paranoid Nexus 4

Title: Re: Launchers
Post by: engineer on May 03, 2013, 07:29:17 AM
Thank you. Good explanation. ADW does have folders too. I have tried both nova and apex. I guess it comes down to what you get used to.

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Title: Re: Launchers
Post by: LeoRex on May 03, 2013, 09:51:45 AM
Yep..  there are subtle differences between them... just find the one you like and go with it

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Title: Re: Launchers
Post by: fxsarge on May 12, 2013, 05:30:44 AM
Jay you should take a look at adw again because its been getting some serious updates. Here is a screen shot of mine.

(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/05/12/7azyzy7y.jpg)

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Title: Re: Launchers
Post by: JayJ on May 13, 2013, 01:51:17 PM
I just can't bring myself to use a Gingerbread based launcher on Android 4.x...
Nova and Apex have both just had updates and are even better...

Sent from my Paranoid Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

Title: Re: Launchers
Post by: engineer on May 13, 2013, 05:45:46 PM
I'm playing around with Nova. I'm hitting a problem that maybe is not unique to this launcher.

I'm trying to add bookmarks I have in Boat Browser, I get the error saying "no more room on this homescreen". If I try to add the bookmark directly from the home screen I am given only the Bookmarks available in Chrome which is not where my bookmarks are. Is there a way around this?

Thanks

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Title: Re: Launchers
Post by: LeoRex on May 13, 2013, 05:53:04 PM
It's a weird quirk... launch your stock launcher and clear out a couple of icons on the home screen...  not sure why, but I think Google play doesn't know about the 3rd party launcher, so it seems it to the stock one.

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Title: Re: Launchers
Post by: engineer on May 13, 2013, 08:26:12 PM
I had read up on it before asking, so I already did that. I opened the stock launcher and removed all the shortcuts on all its pages. Problem persisted. So, I rebooted to clear the memory and then tried again after setting nova as the default launcher but the problem / bug persists. It keeps telling me I have no more room and unlike earlier episodes, it doesn't add the shortcut to the homescreen.

Hope there is a work around.

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Title: Re: Launchers
Post by: engineer on May 13, 2013, 08:32:50 PM
Additional information:
Even though it says there's no more room, it adds the shortcut -  but to the stock launcher homescreen.

So, I. I'm going back to adw launcher on which I at least have the shortcuts set up.   :'(

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Title: Re: Launchers
Post by: JayJ on May 13, 2013, 08:34:53 PM
What grid size do you have Nova set too?

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Title: Re: Launchers
Post by: engineer on May 13, 2013, 08:57:27 PM
I just checked. The grid is 6 and 6. I don't think I changed it from the default.

When I added the Bookmarks they got added once to the stock launcher and once to adw even though in both cases nova was set as default.

Q: On the nova homescreen, long press/add bookmark only lets you add chrome bookmarks. Is there a way to make nova see other browser bookmarks?

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Title: Re: Launchers
Post by: engineer on May 14, 2013, 10:48:00 AM
Fwiw, Apex (which I believe is also based on the stock launcher) does not have this problem. So it may be a bug in nova. I wrote to the author and he said he would look into it.

If anyone knows a way around it please let me know.

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Title: Re: Launchers
Post by: JayJ on May 14, 2013, 02:15:03 PM
Sorry I can't help here because primarily I use Chrome and secondary I use a modded older Android browser with flash so not sure about the  widget thing. My suggestion was going to be contract the developer but look like you've already done that, maybe they can fix it...

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Title: Re: Launchers
Post by: engineer on May 14, 2013, 03:34:37 PM
Thank you. Yes I contacted the developer.

Just for the record, the problem is not with widgets but with shortcuts of bookmarks.

I was getting to like nova so I too hope he fixes it.

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Title: Re: Launchers
Post by: fxsarge on May 16, 2013, 05:27:43 AM
ADW isn't based on Ginger bread anymore jay. Its really slick man.

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Title: Re: Launchers
Post by: engineer on May 16, 2013, 08:45:54 AM
Adw ex actually has many more features than nova. Features for icons, folders, transitions, etc. Also I'm finding bugs in nova that I find annoying.

(I have no connection with adw or its author. Just like the end product) .

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Title: Re: Launchers
Post by: Melliejoy on May 29, 2013, 01:31:55 AM
I'm actually currently using SF Launcher on my N7 at the moment. It's a really sexy Google Now-themed launcher that is as simple as it is pleasant-looking.

It's still very much a Beta launcher and not feature-heavy but I love it. ^_^