ZDNET’s key takeaways
- Prefer the look of iOS but have an Android phone? There’s an app for that.
- Smart Launcher looks and feels like the iOS home screen.
- This free app includes ads, but they’re not nearly as pervasive as other launchers.
Recently, I set out to find an Android home screen launcher that could resemble iOS. I knew it was going to be a challenge to find something that even came close. But I had no idea just how hard it would be.
The majority of Android home screen launchers that resemble the iPhone GUI are so riddled with ads that they become nearly unusable. How pervasive were the ads? At times, I’d have to sit through two minutes of video ads just to open a configuration option in the home screen’s settings page. And most of those launchers didn’t even offer a paid version to get rid of the ads!
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I wound up testing nine launchers until I finally came upon one that did a serviceable job of looking like iOS. It wasn’t perfect, but in the end, it was actually kind of elegant.
The launcher is called Smart Launcher 6.
You can install Smart Launcher for free with ads (although not nearly as pervasive as the other launchers). You can also pay to remove the ads, which was quite the relief.
I’m glad I had to go through this mini nightmare — so you don’t have to.
What’s a home screen launcher?
If you’re new to Android, the home screen launcher might not be familiar. Essentially, it’s like the desktop environment on your PC or laptop: the launcher allows you to interact with the installed software and, well, do things. Without a home screen launcher, you wouldn’t be able to do things with your phone.
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On Android, there are tons of available home screen launchers to choose from. On the Google Play Store, you’ll find minimal launchers (such as AIO Launcher), and launchers with plenty of personality (such as Mango Launcher).
Smart Launcher is actually kind of a love child of the iOS UI and Android, offering the best of both worlds.
Screenshot by Jack Wallen/ZDNETWhat you see above is my configuration of Smart Launcher. Although I’ve seen launchers with a lot more options, Smart Launcher’s limited configuration options are, I believe, a good thing — especially for those migrating from an iPhone to Android.
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You can swipe to the right to see a news feed (which allows you to select the sources you want to view), which borrows a bit from the Pixel launcher, but also looks iOS-inspired.
Screenshot by Jack Wallen/ZDNETSwipe to the left and you get a blank page where you can start adding widgets and/or app launchers.
Widgets and a dock!
One of my favorite aspects of Smart Launcher is a hideable dock. You enable the dock from within the Smart Launcher settings page (accessed via a long-press on the home screen).
Screenshot by Jack Wallen/ZDNETAfter enabling the dock, you can long-press the home page, tap, swipe up to access all settings, tap “Gestures and hot keys,” tap “Double tap,” and then select “Show or hide dock.”
Now, when you double-tap the screen, the dock will either hide or appear. You can hide it to make more room for widgets and then show it when you need to launch an app.
Screenshot by Jack Wallen/ZDNETThere are several Smart Launcher-specific widgets, which is nice because they adhere to your theme. Other widgets follow a different color scheme (sometimes not matching the look and feel that you’ve crafted). You can play around with this to get just the right look you want. Even with the dock revealed, the launcher still looks fairly iOS-y.
Screenshot by Jack Wallen/ZDNETNormally, I prefer a much more minimal home screen on my Android devices, but the more I use Smart Launcher, the more I’m enjoying what I see.
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There’s a lot to like about Smart Launcher, especially if you’ve grown tired of the same old Android home screen and would like something a bit more elegant. And even though this launcher might not have the largest collection of options, the configurations it does offer allow you to make your home screen uniquely you.
What about those ads?
As I mentioned earlier, there are ads with the free version, but unlike the other iOS-like options I tested, these ads aren’t nearly as intrusive. You’ll run into the ads when you open the Settings page, but it seems random when they appear. When an ad does show up, you can simply swipe it away.
Screenshot by Jack Wallen/ZDNETThe Pro version
As far as pre-built themes, there are two options available to the free version: Ambient theme and Material You. If you pay for the Pro version, you get the addition of Frosted Glass, Opaque Glass, and Liquid Glass. As to the cost of the Pro version, you can go monthly ($4.49), yearly ($11.99), or lifetime ($29.99).
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The Pro version also gets you smart widgets, blur effect, wallpaper 3D perspective, cross-device licensing, ultra-immersive mode, folders in the App page, pop-up widgets, no ads, and more. The Pro version is an in-app purchase.
Who should try Smart Launcher?
This app is geared toward a specific type of user, one who wants their Android device to look more like an iPhone but still have Android’s functionality and flexibility.
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Of all the third-party home screen launchers I’ve tried, Smart Launcher very well might usurp Mango Launcher as my favorite. It’s a tight race, but I’ll have to keep using Smart Launcher to make the final decision.
Give Smart Launcher a try; you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how well it blends the Android and iOS UIs.
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