Best homescreen replacement/ launcher app for 2.1?
I just wanted to know what launcher everyone is using on 2.1. I myself am using HelixLauncher and have been impressed, but would like to find out if there is anything else out there that i might be missing out on.
I like HelixLauncher or GDE. I like GDE it seems to run a little smoother on my phone, I just wish it allowed you to put the little icons by the drawer like on helix launcher
I tried PandaHome back when I still had 1.5 and hated it. Helix Launcher is my favorite now. It's not too complicated and it doesn't bog the phone down. I'll have to try GDE.
Device(s): HTC EVO 4G
Samsung Moment (deactivated)
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I have OpenHome but haven't re-downloaded it since I got official 2.1. It just slows things down too much. I found the apps I want on the 3 screens I have, and work with it. Kind of sucks, but I'd rather have a faster phone than a pretty one.
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As time goes on, I'm becoming more confident in my assertion that Sprint Store reps have no idea what they're talking about.
I have OpenHome but haven't re-downloaded it since I got official 2.1. It just slows things down too much. I found the apps I want on the 3 screens I have, and work with it. Kind of sucks, but I'd rather have a faster phone than a pretty one.
Try crazy home. It gives 3 desktops with 5 screens each. It does lag a little when switching desktops but not when scrolling within one. Theres a lite version so you can try it out before making a decision. I've used almost every one if them out there and this is my home of choice. I did miss the icon bar from helix but having a home for "work" "home" and "play" is worth it.
Just do a search for GDE its the top one (it might be a EURO DL but I can't verify since I have already purchased.).
anyways some cool things about it is it allows 7 desktops, endless scrolling (i.e going from desktop 7 back to 1), and some pretty cool themes you can download for it, the stock one is pretty ugly.
I have replaced Helix with TagHome. It's like having Helix and App organizer built into one.
I started out with PandaHome on 1.5. Loved the features. Dockbar was indespensible. The lag was unforgivable. It had to go.
Flashed to DD10 and gave Helix a try. After 2 force close loops, I was forced to remove it.
Then went on to N1. Was nice for a while. Loved the screen indicator. But reeeaaaally wanted the launchbar from Helix. The lag was also killing me.
Now finally on DE03 and went back to Helix. Love it. Do get the occasional force close but at least it's not looping. Everyone says stay away from Helix 2 so I'll deal with the force closes.
I found apps organizer and now can't live without that. If taghome can give the best of both worlds then I'll just be too thrilled.
Device(s): Motorola Droid X, Samsung Moment,
Asus EEE Pad Transformer
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I loved Helix, but it would only work for a few hours before I would get force close loops. I'll have to try one of these others. I can live with the three screens, but I'd prefer not to.
Launcher pro is what im using as well. Sooooo zippy. The pre-docked short cuts don't bother me, because those are the same things I docked in helix anyway.
Zeam is also another promising alternative. Give it a looksie
Used a few, am on LauncherPro for now, because it is fast, for me this is the most important thing, if it is slower than stock, I don't want it .
Custom dock items are coming but not here yet, I like the silhouettes and hope allowing custom icons doesn't mean I have to use stock icons as some like stock Android contacts is butt-ugly.
Wow, I also dl'd Launcher Pro last night. So fast! I am glad it lets you configure the SMS icon to a 3rd-party SMS app if you want, but I wish you could do the same with all the icons. I'd actually love it if there were, say, a dozen or so built-in icons that you could drag around and reconfigure and assign apps to. Would look prettier than default icons and it would set it apart from Helix.
I was looking forward to using Helix after my 2.1 upgrade and while it is fairly good it wasn't great, so I started looking at others.
I tried LauncherPro but it doesn't handle rotating to landscape mode, I wanted different shortcuts in the bottom row, and there still wasn't any visual indicator of what is the current desktop.
Then I tried Tag Home, and I think this one is what I'll stick with, for a while at least.
The main home screens are much like Helix or LauncherPro with the four extra shortcuts at the bottom, plus it adds a set of dots that indicate which is the current screen. (I use the small dots option so it doesn't take up much space.) The real cool feature is in the app drawer, where you can assign tags to applications, and then view the items in the drawer by tag. You can also export the items with a tag to a folder on the home screens. Since I usually organize apps into folders anyway then tagging items in the app drawer was a natural next step for me. Being able to organize things this way means that now I mostly have widgets and shortcuts on the home screens, and use the tagged groups in the app drawer in place of how I used folders before.
Last edited by RobinD; May 18th, 2010 at 02:47 PM.
I have to agree with you guys on LauncherPro! i think that once this thing leaves beta its going to be thee launcher of choice. But it does need support in landscape mode without the keyboard being open and the waterfall effect in the app drawer would be nice.
I like the Helix launcher. I've been using it for about two weeks now and haven't had a force close yet. Maybe I'm just lucky. I have none of the issues that other Moment owners have.
I always hated that there was so much wasted space on the stock launcher. That's why I love Helix. I still use three home screens.
I might be unusual, but I prefer the stock vanilla launcher. I don't use many widgets since most of them just hog battery and system resources. I also find that having to scroll more than one screen right or left is no easier than scrolling up and down through the drawer.
I've tried all the options mentioned here and yet I always end up coming back to stock.
Spent some time researching and I installed HelixLauncher2 today. Love it. Haven't had any issues or force closes. Love the interface and options.
Droid only having 3 screens is a killer for me. Seven screens are awesome.
Main home screen for most used icons.
Screen for nothing but direct-dial shortcuts
Screen for nothing but web-shortcuts.
Full screen widget for Calendar program.
Screen for games
Screen for tools, reference, and GPS.
One more screen... not sure what for yet.
I'll wait for Launcher Pro to come out of beta. I just gotta be able to customize the four shortcuts. I won't get rid of Helix just for that. I want to try Helix 2 but when the dev says in the description "IF YOU WANT SPEED, SEARCH FOR HelixLauncher INSTEAD" that makes me a lil hesitant. Tag Home sounds ok but that app drawer button is hideous. I couldn't look at that thing every day.
Device(s): Motorola Droid X, Samsung Moment,
Asus EEE Pad Transformer
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Looks like none of the home replacements work for me for very long. I like both helixlauncher and the N1 launcher, but helixlauncher puts me in a force close loop, which is tons of fun, and N1 launcher seems to have a memory leak or something. It works for a while, but then I get a force close loop, and I have to reset the phone. Once I reset the phone it works for a 1-3 hours before I'm forced to reset again.
Looks like my favorite, simply due to the fact that it actually works, is the stock home. *Sigh*
I decided to stick with the default home since somehow my icons changed when I customized them in dxtop. All I wanted were custom icons so I'm happy. Just wish they were changed in the drawer too, instead of just on the desktop.
Device(s): Motorola Droid X, Samsung Moment,
Asus EEE Pad Transformer
Thanks: 2
Thanked 14 Times in 13 Posts
To follow up on my last post, it looks like it wasn't the home replacement that was giving me trouble. Later in the day yesterday, I had the same issue with the stock home. It appears as though setcpu was giving me trouble. I removed it, and now I've been using the N1 launcher for the past 15 hours, or so, with not force closes. Before, it only took 2 or 3 hours to have problems. It looks like my battery life went way up, too.
FYI: to those users running SetCPU widget, I (and other members) have noticed that this bogs down the launcher, whether its Launcher Pro, Helix, N1, whatever (I think even stock)... checked this with OSMonitor while I had SetCPU widget on one of the homescreens, and sure enough it would spike the launch from 2% cpu load to 45%+ and back down, then up... took out the widget and the cpu acted as normal...
also, I use Launcher Pro, as I don't really care for the pull menu for the apps... plus it resembles the N1 launcher without the lag (although I haven't tried it since getting DE03 and joeykrims v2.0 kernel up and running)...
One thing odd about launcher pro is that it makes my tray black. I have polymod theme because I like the clear tray, but there is some conflict. Black is better than white, though.
I use TagHome...I use to have open home and panda home both run slow on the moment, then i tryed Helix ran smooth but wanted one where i could hide unwanted apps from the drawer. So TagHome is what im sticking with and I use Live Wallpaper no laggg.....
I use TagHome...I use to have open home and panda home both run slow on the moment, then i tryed Helix ran smooth but wanted one where i could hide unwanted apps from the drawer. So TagHome is what im sticking with and I use Live Wallpaper no laggg.....
All this time I've been using Tag home & just realize there were all those categories in the drawer.. I for the longest only thought there were jus the 4 u see when u open it up... this has now kept me from havin to hav Apps Organizer...
OK I've finally jumped on the Launcher Pro bandwagon. The most recent update did it for me. Seems stable and quick. AND I can customize those shortcuts now!!
I was previously on Helix 1.4 beta. The force closes were getting really annoying. Let's see how launcher pro does.
On another note, those of you using Apps Organizer, check out Folder Organizer by the same dev. Lots more features.
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Best homescreen replacement/ launcher app for 2.1?
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