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Help Need help with folders while switching launchers

Shulamit

Shulamit

Newbie
Rather than start a new topic I'm gonna ask this question here; and no I didn't search first but welcome any relevant URL referrals.
Launchers - Yay or Nay?

I get they allow for customized front ends but if a launcher can do it; can't I do it myself? Just take the time to learn Android settings etc...?

Having asked that; I installed Google Now Launcher months ago. I have to reselect it as Use Always quite often. I want to stop using it but I lose all my folders I've created if I do. Is there a config file I can save off somewhere, uninstall the launcher, copy configuration file back? Or do I just suck it up and recreate the folders? chalk it up to lesson learned.
 
The launcher is basically the desktop and the graphical control part of your phone - every phone comes with one and it's perfectly ok to use another, either as a matter of taste, features, performance or just because. I use Nova myself, it has different/preferable-to-me features than that that came with my phone, and I have enjoyed a number of others.

That it's coming up needing to be repeatedly selected as the Use Always default means that your system is for some reason tossing out so much while running that when it tries to go back home, it's already ejected the launcher you added (yep - Android is free to any app so you can run what you're asking for) and then forgetting the default. I've had that on a crowded phone myself. Nova has an option to basically keep it memory (sorta like a "clean up last" sign on the doorknob for housekeeping) so I use that.

So far as I know, app drawer and on-screen folders created with one launcher don't translate to use with other launchers. Whenever switching launchers, I've had to recreate mine - but - not a launcher expert, maybe someone else knows better?

PS - made you your own thread, no problem. :)
 
Shulamit said:
Rather than start a new topic I'm gonna ask this question here; and no I didn't search first but welcome any relevant URL referrals.
Launchers - Yay or Nay?

I get they allow for customized front ends but if a launcher can do it; can't I do it myself? Just take the time to learn Android settings etc...?

Having asked that; I installed Google Now Launcher months ago. I have to reselect it as Use Always quite often. I want to stop using it but I lose all my folders I've created if I do. Is there a config file I can save off somewhere, uninstall the launcher, copy configuration file back? Or do I just suck it up and recreate the folders? chalk it up to lesson learned.
Click to expand...

There's a lot more that you can get out of a Launcher. If it was always just something you could change in the settings, there wouldn't be a need for different email clients, SMS clients, keyboards, etc...

Whether you want the fancy, flashy 3D launcher like SPB Shell 3D, or just the ability to resize widgets, like Nova and a few other launchers will let you do, it's nice.

Personally, I recommend Smart Launcher. 2 months ago, it would have been Nova all of the way, but I finally realized that I didn't ever use the 5 or 6 screens that I would set up. Smart Launcher has just one screen(And a separate 'Widgets' section), and you can set how many shortcuts are on that screen. It's nice, streamlined, and the best launcher I've used, and this is coming from someone who is constantly removing, installing, tweaking, removing, installing, etc., every component that I can change on my phone. I may not ever use another launcher. Looks great, works well, and is very organized(Even sorts your apps into different categories in the drawer, and you can change and move these around.).
 
I use Nova. It is a very feature rich launcher. The ones that I use enable me to cut down the number of home screens I need from 7 to 5. I got rid of the annoying dock and add more rows to my home screen. I also use the overlapping widget feature where you can put one widget over top of another. I use this for my weather widgets. I use 2 weather apps as each have some features I like that the other doesn't have. I superimpose the smaller widget over top of the other app's larger widget. I did this mainly because the smaller widget's app has more accurate current weather info than the larger widget's app.
 
And a nice thing about Nova @Shulamit is an advanced setting to help it perform better and if the system allows it, to stay in memory a bit more reliably.

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I use mine the opposite of @Stuntman - I load up my dock and keep my home screens to a minimum - I just have 3 - one for my big clock/weather, one for a full month view of my calendar (both widgets set to kinda transparent because I like that) and the third screen just has a few shortcuts to my settings (I hardly use it, and often just to have a place to try out sample widgets and play around with things).

Point being - Android is all about choice, there's no right or wrong way about your preferences.

Some launchers are very flexible, like Nova (and really not confusing in my opinion), or simply smart and adaptive like Smart Screen - and you can get that Windows tiled look with Launcher 8.

Search the Play Store for launcher, see what you like (watch out for ones with built-in ram cleaners lmao!).

If you don't like one after trying it, uninstall - and your stock launcher, just as you set up it - will come right back to you. It's a no-sweat deal. :)
 
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