End of life for Google Now Launcher, OEMs left with choice to make

The Google Now Launcher is done for, but will be maintained for those using it for the foreseeable future. What's next for manufacturers?

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Google sparks panic over vanishing app drawer – is this our Android N future?

Update: Google has addressed the video saying that it portrayed an inaccurate version of its UI and that it does not forebode future software changes.Our original story is below.What did the humble, eminently useful Android app drawer ever do to attract such animosity? A key component to the way many of us access software on our phones, all of a sudden it feels like the app drawer is persona non grata in 2016, and

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Google Now Launcher picks up auto-rotate, scales icons for consistency

One of the great things about being an Android user is having your pick of launcher, and you’d better believe that we’ve tried a lot of them. If you like rocking that pure-Android Nexus look, you may have equipped your phone with Google’s own Google Now Launcher. While it’s a pretty clean, useful tool, its UI has still shown a few rough edges here and there (and some of us are still getting used to

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Google Now Launcher gets a makeover with vertical scrolling, quick app search

Last year, Google started making an effort to bring the Google Now Launcher that debuted with the Nexus 5 to a host of other devices, first starting with the usual Nexus/GPe crowd, before expanding to the majority of Android hardware. We’ve been keeping up with the launcher in the months since, even in the wake of new challengers, but

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Google Now on Tap preview, Android 6.0 launcher aesthetic in Google app update

We don’t know how many of you out there have the Android M preview installed, but if you do, this could be our first public taste of what Google Now On Tap will do for us once Android 6.0 Marshmallow comes around. This is all wrapped inside an update to the Google app, version 5.3 for Android 4.4 or above.You will need ...

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Top 5 Android Launchers in 2015 (Video)

From cruise control to do-it-yourself, the amount of control users can have over Android Back in late 2013, we covered an extensive range of Android launchers for the different people who might have wanted something a little different from their phone’s native skin. Hell, even before then, we were all up in Launcher Wars.  This was back when Android 2.2 Froyo was out and HTC’s Sense UI was ...

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Google Now Launcher now supports a lot more devices

Last month we heard how ZTE was planning to really get down with Google’s vision for Android and hook its upcoming phones up with the Google Now Launcher. So far, you haven’t had a shot at the launcher unless you were running the Nexus 5 (on which it debuted), or a short list of other Nexus or Google Play edition models. Was this new ZTE effort a sign that its exclusivity was about to really start ...

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ZTE embraces Google Now launcher for upcoming phones

A tide may be turning in Android waters, as heavy manufacturer skinning gives way to demand for cleaner, pure Google offerings. While in the past that meant going with a Nexus device, last year brought us the Google Play edition of handsets, not to mention near-stock efforts from companies like Motorola. And now with Android One on the horizon, this trend is set to continue. Today we learn about another OEM that’s looking to get in on some of this action in its own way, as ZTE reveals plans to feature ...

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Turn your Nokia X into a real Android (video)

The Nokia X is a great little device, although it’s a bit under-powered compared to what we’ve become accustomed to recently. It also has a very interesting launcher, and by “interesting” we mean “weird”. What would happen if we could put a Google experience onto the Nokia X? Today we’re going to do just that! To get started you’ll need to root your little Nokia which brings with it a certain amount ...

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