The latest update of the Android system is Android 7 Nougat, released for a few months now, but still not available for most phones that are not the Google Pixel and the Nexus 6. Although Android 7 N has numerous new features, the most important and most visible one on Google Pixels is, of course, the new application launcher, exclusive to this phone, very nice graphically, which works in a decidedly innovative way making it very comfortable and simple not only the search for apps, but also the interaction with the Google Now virtual assistant.
We have seen that it is possible to try the launcher and the Pixel icons on Android phones, but there is a better method to transform each smartphone into a Google Pixel with Android 7 using the latest version of Nova Launcher .
For those who do not know it, Nova Launcher is the number one launcher for Android, which I personally always recommend to everyone to install and use, available in a free version (which for the purpose of this article is sufficient) and also in a paid version with the name Nova Launcher Prime.
Thanks to this transformation, a clean main screen is obtained, with a fixed Google icon, to be touched to open the search bar at the top left, the fixed weather at the top right, the central button at the bottom to open Google Now and the possibility to open the application list only by swiping your finger up from the central position at the bottom of the screen.
The advantage of using Nova is that, in addition to the fact that the transformation in Android 7 is practically perfect, you can then customize it as you want, adding shortcuts, quick gestures or changing the function of the buttons.
Below, all the steps and options to be changed in the Nova Launcher settings to implement this transformation into Android 7 that you can really do on every Android smartphone, be it a Samsung, a Huwei, a LG, a Motorola or any other ( if you can install Nova, you can do it).
To open the Nova settings, after activating it, just hold down with your finger on an empty space on the screen.
Scrolling through the options from top to bottom, change the settings as follows:
- Home screen
Home screen grid : edit by placing 5 rows and 4 columns and press OK
Icon layout : Change the size by putting 120% (this is the only thing that cannot be done with the free version of Nova Launcher), set the label to " condensed " and change the size by moving it to the second click starting from the left in the bar; tap the back button.
Margin Width : Medium.
Margin Height : Large.
Fixed search bar : activated.
Search bar style : choose the G logo, set the bar color to white and scrolling down, tick the Weather option and choose the Celsius as the unit of measurement.
If the "Weather" option is not present, you must activate it by going to the Nova settings home page and holding the volume down key.
At this point, in the Nova settings, a new menu of experimental functions appears at the bottom from which you can activate the fixed display of the Weather.
Scroll effect : Simple.
Page Indicator : None.
- App menu
App menu grid : put on 5 and 5 and tap on OK.
Icon layout : put on 120%, then on condensed font and size at the second click on the bar.
Frequently used apps : activated
App menu style : vertical
Tabbed wallpaper : disabled
Swipe to open : activated
Scroll indicator : activated
Background : set it white and then put as transparency 0%
Show Scrollbar : activated
Scroll bar color : aqua green (the first dot on the fourth row).
Search bar : activated
Scroll effect : simple.
- Dock
Dock style : set as Rectangle shape, as white color and as 85% transparency, also activate the Draw option behind the navigation bar .
Dock icons: 5
Icon Layout: 120%
Margin Width: Medium
Margin Height: Large
- Folders
Folder preview : grid
Folder background : N Preview
Background : White with 0% transparency
Icon layout : Icon size 120%, Condensed font, size at the second click of the bar.
- Appearance (these changes are optional)
Change the icon theme to one that is identical to that of Android N on Google Pixel.
There are many to download from the Android store, the one chosen by me is Pixel Icon Pack.
After installing this application, you can open the Nova settings menu, go to the Appearance section and select the installed Pixel Icon Pack as the Icon Theme.
- Gestures and actions (optional)
In Gestures and Actions, on Android 7, the Home button opens Google Now.
This can be changed if you prefer another option.
At the end, it will be possible to add your favorite apps and useful widgets on the screen as I did (visible in the figure above, add the Google News widget, the analog clock and a button to turn off the screen provided by Nova.
If you prefer, you can import the whole configuration by downloading this zip file, extracting the .novabackup file, applying it on the Nova settings in the Backup and recovery> Restore section .
To get the new Android N icons, then install the app recommended above.
Personally I am very satisfied with these changes, even if it takes a moment to get used initially and it seems to have a new smartphone in hand.
Surely this is one more reason to prefer Nova Launcher over any other Android launcher
