After years as the Android customization go-to, things are seeming dire for Nova Launcher, and we might be saying our goodbyes to the iconic launcher that helped shape the Android platform. It was known for being one of the best of its kind, but it is officially shutting down soon.

End of the Road for Nova Launcher

The founder and developer behind Nova Launcher, Kevin Barry, recently shared that he has officially left the project. This move puts the platform’s future in question as people believe this could be the end of Android’s most iconic launcher. After Nova was acquired by Branch in 2022, Barry decided to part ways now, stating that there is barely any active development on the platform.

He further added that he was working on making Nova open source, however, he was asked to stop work on this before he left. While there were initial promises that the platform would go open source if Barry left, this development hints that this probably will not be the case. Nova Launcher was one of the biggest third party launchers that helped bring deeper customization if your Android smartphone’s original custom skin was lacking.

To recall, it allowed users to bring changes to their home screens, gestures, app drawer, and much more. Many believe that Nova helped improve the Android experience overall, inspiring new features and bringing great quality of life features even before official OS builds on certain smartphones. This is all the information we have at the moment, so stick around for more.

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The post Are We Saying Goodbye To Nova Launcher? Development Slows & No Plans for Open-Source appeared first on Gizmochina.

Android is home to seamless customization across different-sized devices including phones, tablets, wearables, and even some futuristic products. The feature-rich Operating System even powers smart cars via the optimized version – Android Auto. It has become more than just a mobile operating system offering support with new innovative technologies. The open-source nature and the ability to customize are some intuitive features among the users. We have a curated list of some best Android Home setups of this week.

Must See: Download High-Quality New OnePlus Logo Wallpapers from here

There are multiple apps and MODs that help to customize the Android Home screen easily. These days KWGT widget-maker is excelling as the best customization app on the Android platform. It supports various add ons and skins from third-party apps that help to enrich the Android Home screen with various useful widgets.

We have also used the KWGT widget to make these beautiful and useful home screen setups. We have provided the links to exact apps, skins, and wallpapers for your ease.

Note: You may need to download some third-party apps, skins, wallpapers, or setups to get the exact look on your Android home screen.

Best Android Home Setups

Below we have added some pre-requisites that you might need for some of the setups below. You can download the appropriate item for each setup.

Downloads

• Launcher – Nova or any other compatible launcher.
• Ornate KWGT Skin
• Trident 3 KWGT Skin
• LineX Icon pack
• WallsPy Wallpaper App
• The setups are built on Nova Launcher using 12 x 6 Desktop gride size.

Some of the items are paid, but you can get similar setups with some free tools. The Icon Dock is tuned off in every Android Home screen setup listed below.

Minimal Through Rocks 

It is a minimalist setup with beautiful wallpaper with rocky blue water. Minimal Through Rocks setup is a perfect blend with the KWGT widget. Precisely, we have used widget66 from the Ornate KWGT app. The Halloween search bar widget from Trident 3 resides at the bottom providing easy access to Google search.

The LineX Icon Pack is used for all the four Icons – Phone, Google Chrome, GCam Aoo, and WhatsApp. The wallpaper is taken from the internet and the credit goes to the unknown source.

Items Required

• Wallpaper
• Ornate KWGT
• Trident 3 KWGT
• LineX Icon pack

Feel Space

Feel Space is another useful setup with Day view widget on the top and icons aligned at the bottom for easy accessibility to utilities. Moreover, the Month, Date and Weather, Time, and Battery Level can be seen in a single widget present on the left side. Moreover, you can easily search with a transparent search bar.

The widget showing days in a week is a part of Trident 3 for KWGT. However, the widget on the left side is Fancy Side from Trident 3. The setup is using the Viral Icon pack.

Items Required

• Trident 3 for KWGT – Fancy Format Widget and Day Indicator Hory Widget
• Viral Icon Pack
• Search Bar – Download
• Wallpaper – WallsPy App

Sunrise in Forests

It is another minimal setup with Weather, Day, Date, and Time information at Glace. We have turned off the notifications in Nova Launcher to reduce the clutter on the Android Home screen. However, the Viral Icon Pack is present on the bottom. The Meteor search bar is part of the Trident 3 for KWGT pack. The users can easily swipe up to open the App drawer.

The Day + Time widget are named as elegant dots in the Trident 3 for KWGT. Whereas, the top Date and Weather Widget with the name Pixel to Date is available with Trident 3 KWGT. It is quite easy to setup.

Items required:

• Trident 3 for Kwgt – Pixel Date + Elegant Dots + Meteor Search
• Wallpaper – WallsPy
• Icon pack- Viral

The required files download links are provided above in the pre-requisite section.

We hope you would have liked our Android Home Setups of this week. These setups are duly created by our staff. You can subscribe to us for more in the coming weeks.

Related: [Download] MIUI 12 Super Wallpaper is now Available for All Android Devices

The post Best custom Android home screen setups that you can easily try this week [May 17] appeared first on Gizmochina.

Android is a world to endless possibilities to customize your smartphone. The users can do any customization without any limit. There are plenty of apps that can easily tailor the Android experience as per your needs. Similarly, the Zone launcher allows the users to access any app from anywhere on the Android smartphone with just a single swipe. There are plenty of launchers that carry adaptive features for every type of customer, but the Zone Launcher offers something different.

Must See: Ultimate guide to enable Dark Mode in Google Apps – Google Chrome, Calendar, Photos, News, Discover, Keep and others

Zone Launcher is the newest edition to the third-party launchers on Android. Its different approach to supplement the current home screen is magnetizing the users. It has ended the dependency of switching to the home screen for opening any new app. It establishes a new way to access the apps by eliminating useless taps from the process. Zone Launcher replicates the working of the Pie controls from various Samsung Galaxy devices.

A junior XDA member, BialyApps develop it, and he terms the app as “one swipe launcher.” It can bring forth the tray with just a single swipe from a side of the display. Apart from just launching apps, the Zone Launcher can also perform various additional features.

Zone Launcher Features

• Launch Apps with a Swipe – A single swipe either from the left or on the right side (based on the selection of hand usage) brings the full brochure of apps and zones you’ve created.
• Make drawers for different apps and shortcuts – Apart from standard alphabetical navigation, and the app allows creating custom zones to house different sets of apps.
• Customization – Zone launcher allows the user to change theme mode to dark and light. Further, it houses the ability to customize icons, accent color, background style, color, and many other features.
• Easy to use – The clear User Interface of the app makes it easy for the users to use the app.
• Less CPU and RAM usage – Advanced and optimized code makes it less prone to CPU and RAM usage.
• Opacity and blurring effect controls – The users can control the opacity of the background.
• Multiple Zones – Organise your apps into well-defined folders, aka Zones.

Steps to Access improtant apps with just a swipe on Android

1. Download and Install the Zone launcher apps from the Play Store.
2. Now, Open the App, and grant the following permission:
   – Draw on Top Permission
   – Accessibility
3. Now enable the app by toggling the switch.
4. Now, you can edit shortcuts by heading to the “Shortcuts Grid” >Select Apps, Actions, or Shortcuts.
5. Customize the UI by heading to the Appearance menu on the App’s home view.
6. That’s it.

Unlock the Additional Features using Pro version

The app is available in a free and a paid version. There are certain advantages that the Pro version carries in comparison with the free one. Here are some benefits of getting the pro version:

• Unlimited number of apps/shortcuts
• Unlimited number of zones
• Endless customizations
• Unlock all action buttons
• Blacklist and Backup/Restore features
• And the key to unlocking all the upcoming features.

We hope you have installed and using the Zone launcher app to access essential apps from anywhere with just a swipe on Android. It is a productivity hack by eliminating the home screen from our routine app’s navigation. Let us know via the comments if you get any problem while installing the app. Stay connected with GizmoChina!

Related: Best Google Maps tricks that you should try in 2019

The post Grab a new Android launcher to access important apps from anywhere with just a swipe appeared first on Gizmochina.

Nova Launcher is the popular third-party launcher for Android devices. It’s the king of launchers and brings several advanced animations, features, and enhancements to the old as well as the latest smartphones. There is a huge fan following for Nova launcher due to its compatibility with several theme engines and mods available for Android. The simplicity to customize the launcher is the primary feature of the launcher. There are various other advantages of Nova Launcher that makes it the best and the most used launcher.

Must See: Top 7 Best Value for Money Smartphones of November 2019

Advantages of Nova Launcher 

• Simple and Easy to use
• The capability of vast Customisation
• Discover Feed Integration (Dark Mode also available)
• Swipe Gestures
• Ability to create a new tab in the App drawer
• Hidden folder swipe gestures
• Quick shortcuts for app actions
• Notification badges
• Adaptive Icons

There is a freeware and a premium version of the Nova Launcher available via the Play Store. The Pro version retails for $4.99, but it’s a one-time amount to unlock unlimited possibilities. By paying the above fees, you will unlock various gestures, badges, and integrations.

We have concluded a list of best Nova launcher themes and setups that you guys can use or create yourself. Some of the setups have a backup file, which can be directly imported, but for others, you need to replicate the theme using the given icon pack and wallpaper. Before jumping into the list, follow the steps below to restore the backup on the Nova launcher theme and change icon pack.

How to restore the backup and change Icon pack on the Nova Launcher?

Please follow the steps below to restore the backup into the Nova launcher carefully.

1. Open Nova Launcher Settings by holding the tap on the home screen.
2. Now, choose Backup & import settings and select the import option.
3. Now select Backups and select browse and execute it.

Steps to change icon pack on Nova Launcher:

1. Open Nova launcher settings.
2. Select the look and feel option.
3. Now, select the theme icon pack you want to use.

List of Best Nova Launcher Themes

Minimalistic Nova theme

It uses a minimalistic artistic wallpaper and a minimalist clock. We can see how beautifully the author has utilized the sun in wallpaper by adding a clock precisely over it. However, the opacity is set to 75% on the drawer page. You can use the below ingredients to cook a similar look on your smartphone.

• Wallpaper: Minimalist wallpaper
• Icon Pack: Polycon
• Widget: Minimalist Clock

Minimal Theme

As the name suggests, it features minimal details about the widgets with neat and clean wallpaper on the background. The theme shows time, weather, calendar, and other information. To get the similar outlook, download the below-mentioned wallpapers, icons, and widgets.

• Wallpaper: Minima Live Wallpaper
• Icons: Delta Icon Pack
• Widgets: 1Weather, Month Calendar,
• Nova Settings: Search bar below the dock

Android Q

This theme use Splendid Icon Pack with a beautiful vector wallpaper. It features an elegant clock crafted using Zooper widget. The bottom placement of the search bar is making it look magnificent. You get the same look by downloading the dependencies from below:

• Widget App – Zooper 
• Widget – Ocea Zooper
• Icon Pack – Splendid Icon Pack
• Wallpaper – Qwallpaper
• Nova Launcher Backup – Download

Colorful Forest

Are you fond of dark colors? Then you will surely love to make this theme as your home screen. It uses the Aivy widget to show Time, Weather, and Date information. Meanwhile, a beautiful minimalist wallpaper with Google Widget used via Zooper is a perfect combination. The grid size is set to 10 x 7. You can get the download links of the used things:

• Wallpaper: Dark Minimalist
• Icons: Aivy
• Top widget: Aivy
• Google Widget: Premium Zooper

Halloween Theme

It is a beautiful red Halloween Theme with a lovely Time, and Date custom made KWGT theme. The search is also replicated by using Free 099 skin from Huk KGWT. However, Icon packs are also customized using the Icon Pack studio.

• Wallpaper – Elia Colombia via the Walli App
• Widget – Customized KWGT creation
• Search bar widget – Free 099 from Huk kgwt
• Icon Pack – Customized using Icon Pack Studio

Cool Screen

It is inspired by the dark green leaves placed with neatly located icons and widgets.  It can be easily installed by using the below-mentioned material. The Setup uses the Rondo icon pack and a Ghosty widget for beautiful Date and Time alignment.

• Wallpaper – InsWall
• Icons – Rondo icon pack
• Widget – Ghosty
• Desktop grid – 9×6

Red Dark Moon

A beautifully designed set up made with the help of the KWGT app. It uses Moonshine Icon pack along with a minimalistic clouds wallpaper. The clock at the top is crafted from Ornate Kwgt skin. It is a bit advanced setup, as you need some knowledge to use KWGT. Here are files you need to download to get this theme set up on your phone.

• Wallpaper – Dark Cloud
• Kwgt – Ornate Kwgt
• Icon Pack – MoonShine
• Nova Launcher Backup File – Download

Monument Valley

A blue-colored clean setup with minimal clock and app icons. The color matching perfectly suits the icons and vice versa. It is another colorful setup which you can try if you want to give a neat look to your phone’s home screen. It also uses a KWGT widget with a desktop grid of 9 x 6. You can grab the ingredients of the above setup below:

• Wallpaper: InsWall
• Widget: Noizy Icon pack
• Widget: Frosbit KWGT
• Desktop Grid: 9x 6

Dark bat

It is inspired by the bat, and the darkness around depicts the night. A beautiful icon pack is making it more realistic. How can we forget about the Ghosty Date and time widget, which perfectly matches the scene?  The interested users can easily install this theme set up by downloading the respective material.

• Wallpaper – InsWall 
• Icons – Crispy Dark Icon Pack
• Widget – Ghosty
• Desktop grid – 9×6

Astronaut

It is a perfect sci-fi setup that holds an artistic touch. Thanks to the beautiful wallpaper, which is making it more fascinating. The icon pack on the bottom gives it a minimal yet a little colorless feel. However, the dullness of the icons is covered by the date and time KWGT widget. It is a beautifully crafted setup and can be used using the things below.

• Wallpaper – Wallpaper 2
• Icons – Mix Reworking Icon Pack
• Widget – Mini for KWGT
• Desktop grid – 9×5

There are endless setups available for Nova Launcher. Everyone has their taste of design and wants to design the home page as per their own choice. Still, we have tried to bring some best and readily available custom setups for Nova Launcher on Android. If you have any recommendations, then do let us know via the comments below. Until then, enjoy these setups on your Android device.

Related: 17 Best Android tweaks for non-rooted devices you must try

The post Best Nova launcher theme setups you should try this year appeared first on Gizmochina.