The best way to use the Pixel launcher to be extra productive in your cellphone

Personalizing your cellphone together with your favourite apps is among the defining options of smartphones and is accessible on principally any of those you should buy: Android, iOS, or in any other case. Past that, your capacity to customise your cellphone can fluctuate. 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 facet of Android gadgets specifically is their capacity to run launchers — the software program that governs how your own home display screen features and the way you set up and cargo into apps — aside from those they ship with.

Altering your launcher is among the greatest adjustments you possibly can alter how your cellphone feels to make use of. There are dozens of great third-party Android launchers, however you might need all the things 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 aid you really feel extra productive and fewer hooked up to your cellphone with the precise setup. Here is how I am leveraging the Pixel launcher on my Pixel 9 to be a bit extra productive at work, and steerage on how you need to method 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 specifically is that you need to alter your own home display screen and lock display screen in order that they serve what it’s essential do in your cellphone and never the opposite method round. You must begin there, as a result of even on a cellphone with tons of of apps on it, you continue to spend a number of time wanting on the app grid or notifications in your lock display screen. If you will get away with solely hanging on the market and never diving into an app, you need to.

The primary place you will wish to head to start out organising your Pixel is “Dwelling settings,” which you’ll simply entry by long-pressing on your own home display screen and tapping on “Dwelling 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 info from throughout its companies everytime you want it most, be it your Calendar, your Gmail, or simply the climate. It is not flashy, however you possibly can’t declare it would not work.

I might additionally alter the next choices:

• Flip Swipe to entry Google app on to entry information proper from your own home display screen.
• Flip Add app icons to house display screen off so you possibly can resolve when and if you wish to add an app to your own home display screen.
• Flip Notification dots on so you realize in the event you 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 Dwelling settings. Relying in your cellphone’s greatest guess of what app you want sounds a bit of regarding, however each iOS and Android are fairly good at suggesting apps and once they’re fallacious, the friction of discovering what you truly need may very well be sufficient to get you off your cellphone when you do not should be on it.

With that in thoughts, inside Ideas, activate Ideas in all apps listing and Ideas on Dwelling display screen to start out seeing the apps your Pixel thinks you need to open. As a rule of thumb, I go away one spot within the backside row of apps on my house display screen open for these solutions. You will additionally wish to head into Search settings and make it possible for Swipe as much as begin search and Internet search are each on. That method, you possibly can simply look issues up instantly from your own home display screen.

So far as your lock display screen and the overall aesthetic of each your lock display screen and residential display screen go, a number of it may be left as much as private desire. Within the Settings app, the primary sections you will wish to concentrate on are the Show & contact and Wallpaper & type sub-menus. As you would possibly anticipate, you can also make your cellphone suit your visible aesthetic underneath Wallpaper & type. Google has a pleasant number of wallpapers, however I’ve admittedly had extra enjoyable enjoying with its software for creating AI-generated ones (the extra summary and pattern-like the wallpaper could be, the higher). On this identical menu you need to activate Present notifications on lock display screen and resolve what you need your lock display screen shortcuts to be. I take advantage of the flashlight and Do Not Disturb mode, however there are different choices like Google Pockets or the Google Dwelling app, too.

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

Most apps solely should be glanced at

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

I wish to have an entire display screen dedicated to an enormous Google Calendar widget I can test on a whim and one other web page with no matter job tracker my employer makes use of, on this case Asana, with every other glanceable info I believe could be helpful, just like the battery lifetime of my Pixel and Pixel Buds. It is price experimenting with what works greatest for you, however my technique is to have your first display screen solely embrace 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 hold the necessities (and what your Pixel thinks you would possibly use) close by.

The Pixel launcher provides you simply sufficient

You most likely 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 in the event you’re sincere with your self, you most likely will not use a lot of the options of a extra sophisticated Android launcher anyway.

As this information hopefully exhibits, you actually do not want lots to arrange a cellphone that works for you fairly than towards you. The launcher preinstalled in your cellphone will most likely do the trick with the precise settings enabled. In case you are nonetheless curious about exploring different launchers, Pocket-lint has a list of some of the best. Should you’d as a substitute like one thing much more centered on conserving your cellphone use easy, you may additionally take into account learning more about Niagra Launcher.