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Forums › Android › Google Launcher now available to Android 4.1 devices and up


BDFL - Memuneh
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Topic # 150762 2-Aug-2014 10:52
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Google Launcher is now available to all android 4.1 devices and up.



Download Google Launcher.




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  Reply # 1100550 2-Aug-2014 11:28
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yeah, M8 but not the M7 (yet) :-(

Edit: I take it back. Using your link I was able to find and download on my M7. Wouldnt do it from within Play Store initially. Thanks Mauricio!

Edit,edit: Thanks MF am trying it now. Certainly news items only mentioned the M8.




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  Reply # 1100551 2-Aug-2014 11:29
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I just installed it on my HTC One M7.




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  Reply # 1100552 2-Aug-2014 11:30
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how do u find it.

any difference from Nova launcher ? 

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  Reply # 1100556 2-Aug-2014 11:36
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sep11guy: how do u find it.

any difference from Nova launcher ? 


I had to use Mauricio's link in the first post. Wouldnt find it on its own.




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  Reply # 1100560 2-Aug-2014 11:46
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Installed it on my Galaxy Note 2 (stock)

It's, err, bare bones.

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  Reply # 1100574 2-Aug-2014 11:52
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So the first thing is that it appears to be listening for "OK Google" any time the home screen is active. Can't remove the G Search widget. As before, can't select "launch google now from any app" if the default system language is NZ English. This could be fun to play with the Tasker/Autovoice/GoogleNow setup I have.




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  Reply # 1100575 2-Aug-2014 11:52
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Dingbatt:
sep11guy: how do u find it.

any difference from Nova launcher ? 


I had to use Mauricio's link in the first post. Wouldnt find it on its own.


yeah its not visible on the market, but on your browser you can say "install in on your x device " and boom next second its happening on your phone 



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  Reply # 1100577 2-Aug-2014 11:56
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muppet: Installed it on my Galaxy Note 2 (stock)

It's, err, bare bones.


That's why I like it. Launch apps, supports widgets, has search. 

Dingbatt: So the first thing is that it appears to be listening for "OK Google" any time the home screen is active. Can't remove the G Search widget. As before, can't select "launch google now from any app" if the default system language is NZ English. This could be fun to play with the Tasker/Autovoice/GoogleNow setup I have.


Can't removed the G Search Widget because it's the foundation of the launcher.




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  Reply # 1100580 2-Aug-2014 11:59
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muppet: Installed it on my Galaxy Note 2 (stock)

It's, err, bare bones.


Very much so. Think I'll stick with Action Launcher Pro for the Note. Will maybe install the Google launcher on an old tablet though for now.

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  Reply # 1100612 2-Aug-2014 13:22
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Does it rotate to landscape on phones? Specifically the S5 if anyone knows, but interested in an answer for phones in general.



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  Reply # 1100615 2-Aug-2014 13:37
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Not on my HTC One M7.




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  Reply # 1100616 2-Aug-2014 13:39
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OK, thanks. I think I'll stick with Go Launcher until they enable this feature, otherwise I would've been very interested.

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  Reply # 1100651 2-Aug-2014 14:11
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I think I'll continue with Apex as my daily driver. But will play with the GNL from time to time. It's just a bit basic when you are used to configuring your launcher to the nth degree. There doesn't seem to be any way to change things like the number of rows and columns, have infinite scrolling, select a default home screen, how the app drawer scrolls, gesture control. In fact the only thing it really has going for it is its Google Now integration. It has rekindled my interest in a floating search widget and "okay google" voice launch capabilities. Always listening for "ok google" on anything other than the Moto X must hit your battery life though.

You end up with a handset that's so tricked up it's hard to remember how limited the stock offerings are.




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  Reply # 1100676 2-Aug-2014 15:38
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I like it , I am not savy at all with any of this and when I first installed the launcher I thought I had lost all my apps as all the icons disappeared. After playing around with it manged to suss things out and got all my main app icons back on screen.
Will be interesting to see how much it effects the battery I guess.




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  Reply # 1100688 2-Aug-2014 16:19
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People expecting lots of customisation I don't think really understand what the Google Launcher is aiming to do. It's essentially Google's version of a standard launcher, meant to be a potential substitute for things like TouchWiz and Sense, not Nova/Apex/Go etc. The idea being it has a simple easy to use interface, and easy access to Googles standout features e.g. Google Now

That's my opinion anyway

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