Google Pixel Launcher tweaked design

Google Pixel Launcher : Everything you need to know 

The Pixel Launcher offers a unique experience, although it isn't without its critics. Some users love it, others not so much. Its distinctive features aren't entirely exclusive. You can still enjoy a close experience on other Android phones. Google is rolling out a small redesign of how the Pixel Launcher displays web and local (app) search results to make things a bit more uniform. This applies to phones and tablets. One reason many choose a budget Android phone over an iPhone is the freedom to customize. App launchers like the Pixel Launcher let you tweak your phone's look and feel with new icons, layouts and themes. Following are the details about the Pixel Launcher, its features and how it improves the user experience.

Similar to Samsung's One UI, the Pixel Launcher, developed by Google, serves as the home screen experience for Pixel devices. Introduced with the first Google Pixel in 2016 as a replacement for the Nexus launcher, the Pixel Launcher is known for its minimalist design. You won't find the cluttered interfaces typical of other launchers. For starters, suggested queries from the web are now labelled as such. “Web Search” appears at the top with an arrow at the right that opens the Google app. This replaces the Dynamic Colour-themed magnifying glass icon. This design favours text over icons, which does make the Pixel Launcher a little cleaner. It applies to all other result categories, including Play Store, Settings, Search in apps, Contacts, Pixel Tips etc. In the case of inline Google Play search, app icons are now placed in a circle. This also applies to when applications and their app shortcuts appear, which has the benefit of showing one more shortcut. Meanwhile, the high-level “From your apps” grouping has been removed. This redesign of Pixel Launcher search rolled out via a server-side update in recent days on both Android 14 stable and the Android 15 Beta.

Features

The Pixel experience has a certain magic to it, thanks to several layers of engineering. Although third-party developers can imitate the design and icons, some exclusive features are unique to Google's programming.

Outlook

While not a Pixel-specific feature, Google devices work best with the At A Glance widget, and improvements often come to Pixel phones first. At A Glance is an interactive widget that intelligently changes based on important information. It displays the current date and weather conditions, syncs with your calendar to show upcoming events, and offers real-time updates on traffic conditions for common routes. Plus, it provides real-time updates on flight statuses, alerts for your alarms and notifications, and personalizes content like sports scores and news. The aim is to centralize key information in one place where it can be quickly accessed.

Universal Search

The Pixel Launcher received a fantastic update with Android 12. It allows Web searches to be initiated from the home screen without opening a browser. It also retrieves data from the internet, such as news, definitions and weather forecasts, providing real-time updates. The search bar was transformed into a universal tool, allowing users to search for apps, contacts, settings, calendar events, music files and more. Additionally, this Universal Search extends to Google's web search, providing a thorough and seamless search experience.

Quick Tap

On Google Pixel devices, the Quick Tap feature offers a smart way to execute customizable actions with a simple double-tap on the back of the phone. You can fine-tune the sensitivity, ensuring the device's sensors pick up the intended gestures without accidental activations. Set up Quick Tap to take screenshots, access your digital assistant, play or pause media, view notifications, see recent apps or launch a specific app.

Images and text selection from the Overview screen

When you swipe up from the bottom of the screen or tap the square navigation button (depending on your navigation settings), you access the Overview screen. This screen displays all apps currently open in a carousel format. On the Overview screen, press and hold text and images within any app previews. The system recognizes and highlights text or images, allowing you to copy, share, or perform web searches. Swipe up from the bottom of the screen or tap the square navigation button (your choice) to open the Overview screen, where all open apps appear in a carousel format. On this screen, if you press and hold on text or images within any app preview, the system intelligently detects and highlights them. This lets you quickly copy, share or perform web searches with the selected content. This feature also functions on non-Pixel phones. Sometimes, it works; other times, not so much. That's why we generally view it as a Pixel-centric feature.

Cinematic and Emoji wallpapers

During the Google I/O 2023 keynote, we were introduced to some exciting new features, including Cinematic and Emoji wallpapers. The Emoji wallpaper offers a creative way to use emojis to design animated backgrounds. Experiment with a palette of colours, patterns and over 4,000 unique characters to make your wallpaper pop. Meanwhile, the Cinematic wallpaper offers something different. It lets you turn any picture into an interactive 3D wallpaper for your Android home screen.

Auto-name folders

If you organize apps into a folder using the Pixel Launcher, it smartly proposes a name based on your grouped apps. This feature works best with familiar app combinations like Spotify with YouTube Music or Google Messages with WhatsApp. Drag one app onto another to activate this. You'll see suggestions like "Messages" for communication apps or "Productivity" for apps like TickTick and Google Keep.

Suggestions about App 

A consistent UI with neatly organized apps is great, but our app needs often vary depending on the time, location, and situation. The Pixel Launcher addresses this with its App Suggestions feature. By applying machine learning to analyse how frequently and in what contexts you use your apps, it intelligently predicts and suggests apps that suit your current needs. You'll find these suggestions on your home screen, where they take over the bottom row of icons for easier access, and at the top of your app drawer. There are also options for customizing it and turning it off altogether, giving you the final say over your device's interface.