Pixel launcher now available for non-rooted Android phones

When Google launched the Pixel range of smartphones last year, its launcher was liked by Android fans alike. Many popular third-party launchers started emulating the Pixel launcher, with Google rolling out its own version later in the year. However, the official Pixel launcher is limited to select devices in the PlayStore. However, through a clever tweak, the Pixel launcher is available for use on any Android device, thanks to Reddit user, AmirZ.

The developer has managed to get some of the features from the Pixel Launcher on other devices. He analysed the method by which the Pixel launcher features were available on eligible smartphones and then found a way to patch those changes to existing buggy Pixel Launcher APK, existing on the web as Launcher3 APK.

With this APK, most of the features from the launcher work on a normal smartphone – the G pill search bar, Google Now and the weather/time widget. The launcher can be installed from the APK and set as the default launcher. Note that if the smartphone is rooted and has the Pixel Launcher installed as a system app, users will need to uninstall it before getting AmirZ’s version.

The Pixel launcher is due for a design overhaul with the launch of the next Google flagship with the upcoming Android O. Google hinted at this year’s I/O conference that they intend to expand the search option with the ability to search Android Instant Apps and other helpful features. The new launcher could also feature adaptive icons for the dock and the app drawer.

(Source)