8 Best Launchers for Galaxy S20 in 2024

Custom launchers have been around for quite some time now, and the choices have only multiplied over the past few years. If you recently purchased the Samsung Galaxy S20, you will know that it comes with the company’s default One UI 2 launcher. This is designed for Samsung phones and can offer the best experience possible. But are there better options that you should check out? Well, of course there are.

Today we take a look at some of the best galaxy s20 launchers available in the marketplace, namely the Google Play Store. The beauty of these launchers is that you can customize them deeply, thus giving you a streamlined experience as per your preferences.

Best Launchers for Galaxy S20

1. Nova Launcher

One of the mainstays among custom launchers, Nova has been around for a long time. Thankfully, the developers have updated it frequently to keep up with the changing landscape of the Android platform. One of its best features is the fact that you can even customize individual icons with over 150 icon packs to choose from.

Given the emphasis on Night Mode among mobile manufacturers, Nova is offering this feature on its launcher as well. Users can enable Night Mode manually, or set it to automatically turn on/off at sunrise or sunset. The app drawer on Nova Launcher can be customized as well with the option to choose from vertical or horizontal scrolling.

If you’re switching over to the galaxy s20 from an older phone, Nova Launcher will remember your default settings when you install it on the new phone. However, this will require you to conduct a backup of your old launcher and then restore it on the new device. The developers mention that Nova is designed for fluidity and speed, so users should have no trouble with regard to scrolling.

The best part about Nova Launcher is free to download, and has no ads or in-app purchases. Those who want additional features on this launcher can check out Nova Launcher Prime.

Download It Now: Google Play

2. Action Launcher

This launcher is designed to offer users a pure Android experience. It is built on top of the standard Pixel launcher, but the developers have added some additional features to make it stand out from the competition. This launcher is recommended to those who like a refined and streamlined user interface without clutter on their screens.

Customization options are also available in abundance here. Users can edit or modify the way their default Android search bar looks, which is a feature that not all launchers offer.

Something known as Quicktheme cleverly blends the homescreen with the color of your stock wallpaper. Moreover, all icons on Action Launcher are resized as per Material Design principles. What’s even better is that Action Launcher lets you bring your customized settings from another launcher, so all your settings remain unchanged on the new device.

Although Action Launcher is not updated frequently, it still comes with all the features that you could ask for, including a free version. This brings us to the bad news. Although this launcher is free to download, it comes with ads and in-app purchases. This app is compatible with devices running Android 5.0 and up.

Download It Now: Google Play

3. Microsoft Launcher

Microsoft has been the sole flagbearer of the Windows platform for several years now. However, the company has been wise enough to understand the importance of having a presence on Android, something that ultimately killed brands like BlackBerry. The Microsoft Launcher brings together all your favorite Microsoft experiences in one place, turning your phone into a full-blown Microsoft device.

However, the experience here is tailored for Android, so you will find all your favorite features built-into this launcher. Users can customize the homescreen to view documents, calendar entries, news, and other relevant information in a glance. The developers talk about “improved functionality” for Microsoft apps using this launcher. In terms of productivity, the launcher allows you to make calendar entries on your homescreen that will then sync across your devices.

In terms of appearances, Microsoft allows you to choose light, dark or transparent themes. Wallpapers are refreshed daily on your homescreen thanks to a large collection of high-resolution images accessed by Bing. Microsoft’s launcher also lets you add custom icon packs, thus expanding the customization experience a great deal.

Download It Now: Google Play

4. Smart Launcher 5

Without a doubt, Smart Launcher 5 ranks among the most popular custom launchers that we come across. This is thanks largely to the wide range of features it offers by default, making it an excellent alternative to your galaxy s20 stock launcher. This launcher brings Adaptive Icons, which was enabled by Google with Android 8.0 Oreo and allows for deeper customization of icons.

This launcher also makes it easier to use your phone with one hand as all the features are available on one side of the screen. This launcher also brings something known as Ultra Immersive Mode which lets you hide the navigation bar to utilize more space on the home screen.

You don’t need to search for a decent clock widget, as Smart Launcher 5 comes with one by default which can offer up to date information on the weather as well. However, this may require you to provide location data, which can also take a toll on battery life. One of my favorite features on this launcher is its ability to lock individual apps with a PIN or password.

Smart Launcher 5 is a free download on the Play Store. It has ads and in-app purchases as well.

Download It Now: Google Play

5. ASAP Launcher

Just as the name suggests, this launcher is designed to make things faster for you while making sure you have quick access to all your favorite apps and services. As a consequence, what you get is a streamlined and smooth experience, with no lags or slowdowns while scrolling. It uses gestures to provide quick information rather than crowding your home screen with too many widgets or icons. Features like Search, Music, Contacts, To-Do, Weather, Clock, and so on are available in this mode.

Developers refer to this as cards, with many more expected to be added with subsequent updates. The icon collection is pretty big too, so you can customize each app as per your preferences. You will also find a pinned section with your recently used apps, which is a handy feature on any smartphone.

It’s worth mentioning that ASAP Launcher will offer a slightly different experience on older hardware, although it should run pretty smoothly on the galaxy s20. Users can choose from light or dark themes, thus giving you maximum flexibility with regards to customization. If you like keeping your home screen organized, ASAP Launcher is highly recommended. This launcher is free to download and is ad-free. But it has in-app purchases to unlock premium features.

Download It Now: Google Play

6. Evie Launcher

While not many may have heard of Evie Launcher, that’s not a reflection on this exceptionally designed custom launcher for Android. Having won praise from multiple reputed sources, Evie Launcher sets out to make lives easier for its users, and does a pretty good job. What makes it one of my favorites is the fact that it lets you create quick shortcuts for practically anything, including calling a specific contact.

The launcher offers universal search which can not only look for your apps and files, but also within them to give you a detailed look inside your phone. You can also quickly pull up the app drawer with a swipe up from the bottom of the screen. While most developers offer the ability to modify home screen icons, Evie goes a step ahead and lets you customize the lockscreen icons as well.

Users can also enable double tap to lock for apps, or even go with a time-based lock feature that automatically locks predetermined apps or folders after a period of time. If you have chosen to hide some of your apps, they won’t show up in the frequently used apps section, which is a neat privacy feature.

This launcher allows users to pick their search engine with choices including Google, Bing, and DuckDuckGo. Evie Launcher is one of the few galaxy s20 launchers that is available for free with no ads or in-app purchases.

Download It Now: Google Play

7. Ace Launcher

Ace Launcher is an underrated offering but serves as an excellent alternative to some of the apps we’ve discussed above. This brings all the features that you would expect from a modern-day Android launcher, including a highly customizable home screen layout and grid. Naturally, users can also customize home screen icons as well as fonts.

The developers use a series of gestures here to give users quick access to some of the core features of their devices. There are handy double-tap and two finger swipe features included as well. For example, double tapping your screen can quickly lock or unlock your screen, which saves you the trouble of having to press the hardware power button.

The app also comes with an elaborate weather data service, providing up to 15 days of forecast as well as the air-quality index (AQI) for your region. However, this feature may not be displayed in rural areas. Users can hide their apps and files just like every other new launcher in the market today.

It supports multiple search engines and comes with an elaborate universal search feature, letting you glimpse into individual apps, contacts, or messages from one search bar. This app is free to download but comes with ads on board. There are no in-app purchases, however.

Download It Now: Google Play

8. Apex Launcher

This launcher has been around for quite some time now with millions of downloads to its name. Naturally, an app can’t be around for so long without being good. Apex Launcher comes with features like quick search using gestures, enhanced security of your apps and files with the ability to lock apps at a specific time.

It also offers a smooth scrollable dock with up to 10 icons in a page and up to 5 pages. Icon size and graphics can be modified thanks to the custom icon pack offered by the developers. Users of Apex Launcher will also like the ability to control transition effects and tone them down if necessary.

Users can also hide the search bar if they want to utilize the screen real estate more efficiently. Moreover, handy gestures like swipe and pinch will definitely change the way you use your phone. The company mentions that this app is optimized to work with both smartphones and tablets, making this ideally suited for your galaxy s20. Apex Launcher is free to download and offers ads and in-app purchases.

Download It Now: Google Play