Top 5 best Android launcher apps of 2017

Action Launcher 3

[Price: Free / $3.99]

Action Launcher has long been a favorite of our readers and it deserves a spot on this list. It comes with a stock Android kind of look but with several unique features baked in. Some of these include Quicktheme which uses your background to determine the theme accents, Covers which is a unique take on folders, Quickpage which is like a hidden home screen you can access almost anywhere, and plenty more. It has a long history of being stable with frequent updates. You can also follow developer Chris Lacy on Google+ by clicking here for news about updates.

ADW Launcher 2

[Price: Free / $3.49]

ADW Launcher was on this list when we first wrote it years ago. We had to drop it after the developer stopped updating the project and now the app makes its triumphant return. ADW Launcher 2 is a wholly modernized version of the iconic launcher. You’ll find up-to-date features like the launcher shortcuts included in Android 7.1 Nougat. Additionally, you’ll find a variety of theming and customization options. That includes one of the coolest make-your-own-widget features we’ve seen in a while. It’s a solid option with ideas and features that others don’t have. It has retaken its rightful place among the launcher elite. You can download it for free or pick up the pro version as an in-app purchase for $3.49.

Apex Launcher

[Price: Free / $3.99]

Apex Launcher has been around for a very long time and remains one of the most iconic Android launcher apps ever. Like Action Launcher, it aims to give a stock Android look and feel with a few extra features thrown in for good measure. Among those include the ability to alter things like transition animations, scrolling habits, and there is even a scrolling dock where you can lay plenty of icons. Apex Launcher also includes a theme engine with many themes available on the Google Play Store and it also supports icon packs. It’s also quite stable on pretty much any device.

Arrow Launcher

[Price: Free]

Microsoft’s Arrow Launcher had mixed reviews when it was first released, but it seems to have grown into one a really good Android launcher. The idea with Arrow Launcher is that you get a home screen to put your apps and such. From there, you have a variety of pre-set home screens that will show you things like frequent contacts, reminders (powered by Wunderlist), recent documents, and your frequent apps. It takes a minute to set up, but anyone that’s ingrained into Microsoft’s ecosystem should definitely consider checking this one out.

Atom Launcher

[Price: Free / $1.99]

Atom Launcher is another newer Android launcher app that seems to be moving in the right direction. It comes with a theme maker and you can find a variety of themes for it on the Google Play Store as well. It also comes with gesture controls, a hidden dock with extra settings, built-in widgets, icon pack support, and various other settings and customizations. It’s light and efficient, but has enough features to make it competitive. You can download it and use it for free to see if you like it enough to pay for the full version.

Top 5 best Android launcher apps of 2017