Everything you need to know about Android launchers

Josh Miller/CNET

One of Android's best features is that you can design your phone's interface. Unlike the iPhone, where Apple dictates how iOS looks and feels, you can personalize your Android home screen or app drawer with almost no effort. All you need is a launcher, also called a home-screen replacement, which is an app that modifies the software design and features of your phone's operating system without making any permanent changes.

That lack of permanency makes launchers much different than aftermarket firmware replacements, commonly referred to as ROMs, that have guided Android's customization spirit since the operating system's early days. More than just an app, a ROM is essentially a different version of the Android operating system that's meant to replace the operating service that came with your phone.

While they offer a robust way to make sweeping changes to the way your phone looks and works, there are also disadvantages to using a ROM. The installation process can be daunting and long, and you will very likely void your phone's warranty along the way. Also, there's a small chance you could brick your phone, which renders it unusable.

As a result, ROMs have dropped in popularity in recent years, and launchers have taken their place. That shift has a lot to do with how easy launchers are to install -- you just download them from Google Play like you would any other app. It also helps that the effects of a launcher can easily be undone.

Almost every launcher falls into one of two categories: design or "smart." Design launchers focus on letting you change the entire layout of your Android phone's home screen, creating simple designs or more elaborate ones that look like carved wood or a collage of photos. You also can add custom gestures to your phone, such as double-tapping the screen to open a specific app.

"Smart" or adaptive launchers seek to put the most relevant information front and center throughout your day, as you wake up, head out on your commute, work at the office, and spend a night on the town or at home watching TV. I prefer to call "smart" launchers home-screen replacements because they replace your normal home screen setup with a new experience. Just remember that you often cannot modify your phone's design using a home screen replacement. Below, I'll discuss both categories in more detail.

Themer, a design launcher. Screenshot by Sarah Mitroff/CNET

Let's first take a look at design launchers, which were the first type of launchers to really take off in the Android community. These apps are used to modify or completely overhaul your Android home screen, which you reach by tapping your phone's home button or hotkey. This is where your wallpaper and widgets live, and where you can store shortcuts to apps.

Design launchers act as a foundation that you can build upon with icon packs, widgets, and wallpapers. These apps serve to "unlock" existing design limitations, such as how many apps you can fit on individual home screens, to allow for deeper modifications. You can make some changes to the look and feel of your phone with these apps alone, but the fun really starts when you download icon packs, play around with widgets, and hunt for unique wallpapers. Icon packs change how the icons for some or all of the apps look on your phone. Most packs are free or cost a few bucks, and you need a launcher on your phone to use them.

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Everything you need to know about Android launchers