Search giant Google has launched its latest smartphones for 2017; Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL. I’ve been a fan of Pixel devices since they were released last year as they offer the best pure Android experience. For me, Pixel devices are as much about the software experience as it is about the hardware. I especially love what Google has done with Pixel Launcher, which makes Android easier and more intuitive. With the Pixel 2, the beloved Pixel Launcher is getting a major overhaul that makes it better than ever. However, as Pixel phones are premium products, not many of us can afford to buy one. Therefore, it is a pity that many Android users will not be able to experience the new Pixel Launcher. This is not entirely true. You may not get the original Pixel Launcher, but you can customize your Android phone to look and act like it. In this article, we will show you how you can do the same. If you thought about how to get this new Pixel 2 Launcher, you can:
note: I’m using my Nexus 5X for this tutorial. However, this method will work on any device running on Android. However, if your device does not support on-screen navigation buttons, obviously they will not be visible on the screen.
Get Pixel 2 Launcher On Any Android Device
If you have ever followed our website in the past, you must know that we love Nova Launcher. Nova Launcher adds a ton of functionality and is always the first to port features from newer Android versions to older devices. In addition to carrying these features, the launcher also allows you to customize every aspect of its look and feel. Today, We will use Nova Launcher to show you how you can customize your home screen to look and behave just like Pixel 2 Launcher. This will be a little longer than our usual how-to steps, so go through the steps to get the new Pixel 2 Launcher.
1. As you can imagine, the first step is to install Nova Launcher. If you’re already using it, great, if not, click Download Launcher. this link. You can get most of the functionality using the free version of Nova Launcher, but some customizations require the paid version. I will mention the customizations that are limited to the paid versions separately so that you can easily decide whether you want them or not.
2. Now start the app and follow the steps mentioned in the app to install the Launcher. Don’t read too much as we’ll customize it later. So just Keep tapping next until your launcher is set. Also, make sure to make this your default Launcher when your smartphone prompts.
3. Now, to make sure everyone is on the same page, we will clear everything from home screen, so we all have a clean slate to start with. Long press the icons and remove them one by one until nothing is left on your home screen.
4. Now let’s move on to “Nova settings” and make the necessary changes. Firstly, long press on home screen and tap on “Settings”. Here we will make all the changes.
5. First, we’ll make sure we have “swipe up to open app drawer gesture” like in Pixel 2 Launcher. To do this, Tap on “App & widget drawers” and then Enable “Slide to open” and disable the “Slide” indicator. Now return to the main menu.
6. As you must have noticed, Pixel 2 Launcher has no “app tag” on its home screen. To get a clean look and remove app tags Tap on “Desktop” and then Choose “Icon layout”. Disable the “Label” option here. Your icon will no longer have a label on the home screen.
7. While you are in Desktop settings, we will make a few more changes. First, we set height and width padding. Tap on “Height Fill” and then select the “Mid” option. Do the same for the “Width Padding”. This will ensure that all your icons and widget (which we will put on the home screen) are aligned correctly and mimic the look of Pixel 2 Launcher.
8. We need to make one more change while in the desktop settings, Scroll down to find “Page indicator”, tap on it and then select “None”.
9. Now return to the main settings menu from the Desktop. Here, tap on “Dock”. Select “Dock Background” and then Set “Transparency” to 100%.
10. That’s it, we’re pretty much done with the Settings. Now go back to the home screen and long press on it. Here, select widgets and then find “Quick Search Bar” Select the widget under Nova Launcher and add it to your home screen.
11. Long press the widget and select “Resize”. Now, resize the widget to fit the width of your screen.
12. Again, long press the widget but this time, Select the “Edit” option. Here, select the first option under “bar Style”. Now scroll down to find “Logo Style” and select the colored “G” icon. Also while you’re here Enable “Search as overlay”. This will give you the smooth animation effect you get in Pixel 2 Launcher.
13. Now go back and drag the widget to the bottom of the screen. Now add your favorite app icons above the widget to make your home screen your own. Moreover, download Choose Pixel 2 wallpaper and set it as your default wallpaper to give your home screen a real Pixel 2 look.
14. There is one more thing to do. We you need to add that awesome “At a glance widget” Shows your calendar events along with other information such as time and weather. To do this, firstBusiness Calendar 2” app from Play Store. Now launch the app and quickly complete the installation process by granting the necessary permissions and tapping the next arrow.
15. Now long press to select widget option on your home screen and Add the business calendar 2 widget to your home screen. Now, just like we did with the Google search widget first long press on it to resize it to fit the width of the screen. When you’re done resizing, click the gear icon in the top right corner of your widget.
16. Tap on the “Colors” menu here and then set opacity to 0%. Then press save. The widget won’t look exactly the same as on the new Pixel phones, but it’s very close to it. Also, as you can see in the pictures below, it performs the function properly.
As you can see, my nexus 5X seems to be running the new Pixel 2 Launcher. However, the above steps are compatible with the Pixel 2 Launcher’s appearance. Apart from a change in aesthetics, Pixel 2 Launcher also brings much more functionality as it is based on Android Oreo. “Notification Dots” is one such highlight. If you want to bring these features to your device, you can do that too, but you will need the paid version Nova Launcher. We have already covered the Notification Dot feature in a previous article and you can learn how to enable it by clicking it. here. Also if you want to bring the enhanced search functionality of Pixel 2 Launcher to your phone here To learn how to do this. I’ve included an image showing the two side by side for our launcher to compare with Pixel Launcher.
SEE ALSO: Google Pixel 2 FAQ: Everything You Need to Know
Get the Pixel 2 Look on Your Android Device
The images above compare the image we created using both the original Pixel 2 Launcher and the Nova Launcher. You may find some minor differences, but the look remains more or less the same. The process is a little long, but definitely worth it. Try it and let us know how it works for you. Also, if you think the article is missing any Pixel 2 Launcher features, let us know and we will include those features in a future update. Finally, I’d like to hear your thoughts on the “Made by Google” event. Did you love or hate? Drop all your thoughts in the comments section below.
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