Easy methods to use the Pixel launcher to be extra productive in your cellphone

Personalizing your cellphone together with your favourite apps is likely one of the defining options of smartphones and is offered on mainly any of those you should purchase: Android, iOS, or in any other case. Past that, your capability to customise your cellphone can differ. Each cellphone maker will allow you to change your wallpaper, however not all of them will allow you to change the core fundamentals of how your cellphone works. A novel side of Android units particularly is their capability to run launchers — the software program that governs how your private home display capabilities and the way you arrange and cargo into apps — apart from those they ship with.

Altering your launcher is likely one of the largest modifications you’ll be able to modify how your cellphone feels to make use of. There are dozens of great third-party Android launchers, however you may need the whole lot you want with the one your cellphone shipped with. The Pixel launcher that comes on all of Google’s first-party telephones and tablets is not flashy, nevertheless it has sufficient built-in options that it may well enable you really feel extra productive and fewer hooked up to your cellphone with the fitting setup. This is how I am leveraging the Pixel launcher on my Pixel 9 to be a bit extra productive at work, and steering on how you must strategy the Pixel cellphone in your pocket.

Let the launcher do the be just right for you

Make your cellphone self-sufficient

My basic logic for private devices and smartphones particularly is that you must modify your private home display and lock display in order that they serve what you should do in your cellphone and never the opposite method round. It is best to begin there, as a result of even on a cellphone with lots of of apps on it, you continue to spend a whole lot of time wanting on the app grid or notifications in your lock display. If you may get away with solely hanging on the market and never diving into an app, you must.

The primary place you will need to head to begin organising your Pixel is “House settings,” which you’ll simply entry by long-pressing on your private home display and tapping on “House settings” within the contextual menu that pops up. I wish to allow a number of settings in there, like At a Look, Google’s widget that pulls and shows data from throughout its companies everytime you want it most, be it your Calendar, your Gmail, or simply the climate. It isn’t flashy, however you’ll be able to’t declare it does not work.

I’d additionally modify the next choices:

• Flip Swipe to entry Google app on to entry information proper from your private home display.
• Flip Add app icons to dwelling display off so you’ll be able to resolve when and if you wish to add an app to your private home display.
• Flip Notification dots on so you realize for those who even must faucet on an app within the first place.

Upon getting these taken care of, there are just a few different choices I wish to tweak within the sub-menus of House settings. Relying in your cellphone’s finest guess of what app you want sounds slightly regarding, however each iOS and Android are fairly good at suggesting apps and once they’re incorrect, the friction of discovering what you really need may very well be sufficient to get you off your cellphone when you do not have to be on it.

With that in thoughts, inside Options, activate Options in all apps checklist and Options on House display to begin seeing the apps your Pixel thinks you must open. As a rule of thumb, I depart one spot within the backside row of apps on my dwelling display open for these solutions. You will additionally need to head into Search settings and be sure that Swipe as much as begin search and Net search are each on. That method, you’ll be able to simply look issues up immediately from your private home display.

So far as your lock display and the overall aesthetic of each your lock display and residential display go, a whole lot of it may be left as much as private desire. Within the Settings app, the principle sections you will need to concentrate on are the Show & contact and Wallpaper & type sub-menus. As you may count on, you may make your cellphone suit your visible aesthetic below Wallpaper & type. Google has a pleasant number of wallpapers, however I’ve admittedly had extra enjoyable taking part in with its device for creating AI-generated ones (the extra summary and pattern-like the wallpaper may be, the higher). On this similar menu you must activate Present notifications on lock display and resolve what you need your lock display shortcuts to be. I exploit the flashlight and Do Not Disturb mode, however there are different choices like Google Pockets or the Google House app, too.

Lastly, head to Show & contact after which faucet on Lock display to allow the Now Playing feature so you’ll be able to establish songs with out having to ask Google Assistant or Gemini. You must also make sure that Dynamic Clock is on and At all times present time and information is disabled to avoid wasting additional battery life. Tweak any remaining settings primarily based in your desire and concern for privateness. On the whole, although, the extra you are able to do with out unlocking your cellphone, the higher.

Most apps solely have to be glanced at

With these fundamentals set, I like to consider workflow. I primarily use my Pixel 9 for work (each for calls and e mail, and as a Android system to check issues on) whereas my iPhone 16 acts as my private cellphone. The apps I need to be instantly accessible on a piece cellphone are apps that contain work duties, like Gmail, Slack, or Chrome. The remainder of my cellphone I attempt to depart as widgets — issues I am monitoring, however needn’t recurrently work together with.

I wish to have a complete display dedicated to a large Google Calendar widget I can examine on a whim and one other web page with no matter activity tracker my employer makes use of, on this case Asana, with another glanceable data I feel could be helpful, just like the battery lifetime of my Pixel and Pixel Buds. It is value experimenting with what works finest for you, however my technique is to have your first display solely embody what you want, leaving the remainder of your app icons to be reached for within the app drawer, and solely when you really want them. That method, you keep away from the temptation of randomly checking apps and solely maintain the necessities (and what your Pixel thinks you may use) close by.

The Pixel launcher provides you simply sufficient

You in all probability want fewer options than you suppose

Google’s launcher is distinct from conventional Android, nevertheless it’s not precisely bursting with stylistic thrives or wild options. It is restrained. And for those who’re trustworthy with your self, you in all probability will not use a lot of the options of a extra difficult Android launcher anyway.

As this information hopefully exhibits, you actually do not want quite a bit to arrange a cellphone that works for you moderately than in opposition to you. The launcher preinstalled in your cellphone will in all probability do the trick with the fitting settings enabled. In case you are nonetheless fascinated about exploring different launchers, Pocket-lint has a list of some of the best. When you’d as an alternative like one thing much more targeted on protecting your cellphone use easy, you may additionally take into account learning more about Niagra Launcher.