The best way 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 on the market on principally any of those you should purchase: Android, iOS, or in any other case. Past that, your means 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 singular facet of Android gadgets specifically is their means to run launchers — the software program that governs how your private home display features and the way you arrange and cargo into apps — aside from those they ship with.

Altering your launcher is likely one of the greatest adjustments you possibly can modify how your cellphone feels to make use of. There are dozens of great third-party Android launchers, however you may need every thing 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 will probably aid you really feel extra productive and fewer connected to your cellphone with the precise 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 need to method the Pixel cellphone in your pocket.

Let the launcher do the give you the results you want

Make your cellphone self-sufficient

My normal logic for private devices and smartphones specifically is that you need to modify your private home display and lock display in order that they serve what that you must do in your cellphone and never the opposite approach round. You need to begin there, as a result of even on a cellphone with tons of of apps on it, you continue to spend loads 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 need to.

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

I might 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 house display off so you possibly can determine when and if you wish to add an app to your private home display.
• 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 a number of different choices I prefer to tweak within the sub-menus of Dwelling settings. Relying in your cellphone’s greatest guess of what app you want sounds a little bit regarding, however each iOS and Android are fairly good at suggesting apps and once they’re incorrect, the friction of discovering what you truly 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 Recommendations, activate Recommendations in all apps record and Recommendations on Dwelling display 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 open for these solutions. You may additionally wish to head into Search settings and guarantee that Swipe as much as begin search and Internet search are each on. That approach, you possibly can simply look issues up instantly from your private home display.

So far as your lock display and the overall aesthetic of each your lock display and residential display go, loads of it may be left as much as private choice. Within the Settings app, the principle sections you may wish to deal with are the Show & contact and Wallpaper & fashion sub-menus. As you may count on, you may make your cellphone suit your visible aesthetic underneath Wallpaper & fashion. Google has a pleasant collection of wallpapers, however I’ve admittedly had extra enjoyable taking part in with its software for creating AI-generated ones (the extra summary and pattern-like the wallpaper will be, the higher). On this identical menu you need to activate Present notifications on lock display and determine what you need your lock display 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 to allow the Now Playing feature so you possibly can determine songs with out having to ask Google Assistant or Gemini. You must also be sure that Dynamic Clock is on and At all times present time and data is disabled to avoid wasting additional battery life. Tweak any remaining settings primarily based in your choice 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 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 accessible 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 often work together with.

I prefer to have a complete display dedicated to a large Google Calendar widget I can test on a whim and one other web page with no matter process tracker my employer makes use of, on this case Asana, with some other glanceable info I believe may be helpful, just like the battery lifetime of my Pixel and Pixel Buds. It is value experimenting with what works greatest 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 approach, you keep away from the temptation of randomly checking apps and solely preserve the necessities (and what your Pixel thinks you may 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 reveals, you actually do not want lots to arrange a cellphone that works for you reasonably than towards you. The launcher preinstalled in your cellphone will most likely do the trick with the precise settings enabled. If you’re nonetheless occupied with exploring different launchers, Pocket-lint has a list of some of the best. For those who’d as a substitute like one thing much more centered on protecting your cellphone use easy, you may additionally take into account learning more about Niagra Launcher.