I’m sure many of you have had doubts when trying to bring the ‘Stock Android’ experience to your device. The key to doing so is choosing a good launcher. That’s why plenty of people have attempted to bring the interface from devices like Google Pixel to other devices. Although initially, the old Google Now Launcher was limited to certain devices, many users have attempted to modify it to make it universal. Among the many options available, Rootless Pixel Launcher is one of the best. However, since there are a few different options out there, we’re going to try to help clarify which version you should install.
The developer Amir Zaidi reverse engineered the original Pixel Launcher to later take all its features to the AOSP Launcher, known by most as Launcher3. This APK shared the same name as the original launcher package so if you wanted to install it, you’d have to get rid of any other versions you might have, original or not, of the Google launcher to avoid possible conflicts. The app is the talk of the town once again, since a new version was just released with a different package name, and has even been posted in Google Play.
This is why right now there are two launchers that, despite being from the same creator, have some differences: Rootless Launcher and Rootless Pixel Launcher 2. We already analyzed the second one in depth in our blog, including practically all the features of the latest version of the original Pixel Launcher like the floating search bar in the lower part of the screen instead of at the top, along with the notification widget with the date, temperature, and notifications of upcoming events on your calendar. All this without having to install extra widgets.
Rootless Pixel Launcher 2 also has a customization section with extra features like the possibility to hide apps from the drawer, force round icons so that they all look uniform, and get rid of the translucent gradient of the dock. The only downside, as we’ve already mentioned, is that you have to first get rid of all other launchers based on the Google launcher that you may already have installed.
Rootless Launcher, on the other hand, is the version that was just released by the same creator on Google Play. Although it may not be as complete as the other one, it doesn’t cause any conflicts with other launchers you have installed since it has a unique package name and also doesn’t need to be downloaded from unknown origins. Although if you’re reading this in the Uptodown blog and you’re still not sure about downloading apps from us, then you’re probably in the wrong place.
To go along with this last one, the author has also released an icon package to use with Rootless Launcher to change the system icons for the original Stock Android ones, although you can use them with any launcher you have.
