Microsoft Launcher: Why I Ditched Pixel Launcher for a More Customizable Experience
I ditched Pixel Launcher for Microsoft Launcher and I don't regret it. Microsoft's overlooked Android launcher showed me everything Pixel Launcher is missing. Since receiving a Pixel 8, I’ve struggled to bend its home software to suit my needs, and I’ve learned to live with Pixel Launcher more than I have grown to love it. Even if you don’t use any Microsoft products, there's a lot to like about its Android home screen experience.
A Focus on User Options and Customization
Once it was installed, I dove right into its settings page. There’s a dizzying amount of items available to set up a completely custom environment. There’s a clear focus on providing as many user options as possible here — the apparent antithesis of Pixel Launcher. Believe it or not, Microsoft Launcher is over a decade old, but its original design philosophy remains: build an Android launcher for a Microsoft product user. However, the launcher offers much more for those seeking broad customization and functionality, regardless of their allegiance to the company’s products.
I appreciate that the default furniture on Microsoft Launcher’s home screen is removable, too. Unlike Pixel Launcher, I can move or remove items to my liking. There’s no need to compromise and force At a Glance or the Pixel search bar into my workflow. Don’t like the search bar or weather widget? Remove it! I can always trigger it using a gesture anyway.
The Abundance of Gesture Options
Let’s get right into one of my favorite aspects of Microsoft Launcher: its abundance of gesture options. Ultimately, the default Pixel option is governed by Android’s default swiping experience, but Microsoft Launcher allows up to 10 separate gesture patterns, each capable of triggering a host of launcher actions, apps, and shortcuts on the device. Plenty of gesture options makes Microsoft Launcher easier to use with one hand. For instance, I can swipe up on the home button to trigger Gemini and pinch out to view recent apps. This implementation is far slicker than even Google can manage on its own phone and makes one-handed operation so much easier on my smaller Pixel 8.
Microsoft’s Discover Alternative: Your Feed and Glance
I’ve become conditioned to swipe right to access Google Discover on my Pixel, and Microsoft Launcher has an equivalent called Your feed. It consists of two distinct parts: Glance and News. Glance is the best Microsoft Launcher feature, and I'm not sure why Google hasn't copied it yet. It draws inspiration from Google Now, offering users a selection of scrollable cards that display information from the company’s various apps and services.
The default offerings include cards for:
- Calendar and Microsoft To Do
- Documents from OneDrive
- Sticky Notes and Screen time
- Recent activities and Frequently used apps
As an experiment, I turned Glance into a Google-laden widget wonderland, and it was brilliant. I scroll right and can access my At a Glance data, favorite Keep notes, upcoming Calendar events, Google News ticker, financial watch list, and Tasks to-dos. They’re reorderable and removable, so you can trash every card if you don’t use any Microsoft service.
Comparison of Home Screen Features
| Feature | Pixel Launcher | Microsoft Launcher |
|---|---|---|
| Gestures | Limited to Android defaults | Up to 10 custom patterns |
| Search Bar | Fixed / Non-removable | Removable / Movable |
| Side Feed | Google Discover | Your Feed (Glance & News) |
| Customization | Minimalist / Rigid | Broad and functional |