Customization, which has always been a distinctive feature Android and favorably set it apart from the background iOS, was presented in two guises. Users could either customize the appearance of the OS themselves, tinkering with the code, or use a ready-made solution called a launcher. But while some launchers were generally available, others remained exclusive to smartphones from specific brands. OnePlus Launcher belonged to the latter for a long time. However, just the other day, enthusiastic developers dissected the launcher's program code and made it available for download on almost any smartphones on Android.
The OnePlus Launcher can now be downloaded by everyone. Almost
I think you may have seen OnePlus Launcher on Google Play multiple times. However, only owners of OnePlus smartphones could download it from there. No, this does not mean that they were shipped from the factory naked, just the manufacturer placed the launcher in the Google catalog in order to be able to update it more quickly and then distribute it among users just as quickly. However, now this is in the past, because users of all devices running Android 8.0 and newer can try to install OnePlus Launcher.
How to install OnePlus Launcher
- Download the installation file from this link directly to your smartphone;
- Go to the 'Downloads' section and launch the OnePlus Launcher APK;
- Follow the installation instructions presented on the screen;
- Exit the setup menu and use the OnePlus Launcher.
Despite the fact that the OnePlus Launcher was originally intended only for OnePlus smartphones, users who have already decided to install it note that all the functions of the launcher are fully operational. And to want to install it, frankly, there is a reason. It supports the so-called game mode, which allows you to turn off all notifications and calls during games so that nothing distracts you, the ability to hide any applications, customize the interface in different ways, and also has a high level of performance compared to competing launchers.
Why OnePlus Launcher won't install
However, there are still restrictions on the installation – they are not only software in nature, but also hardware. As I found out from my own experience, OnePlus Launcher cannot be installed on smartphones Huawei and Samsung intended for sale in the Russian market. The reason is the unique hardware: the devices Huawei are equipped with Kirin processors, and Samsung – with Exynos chips, while OnePlus' own smartphones operate only on the basis of Snapdragon stones. Therefore, I would suggest that you will not be able to install the launcher on devices with processors MediaTek, in addition to the above devices.
However, if you fit the conditions for installing OnePlus Launcher, remember that the proposed version of the launcher, although it has an original origin, is still hacked. That is, independent developers undermined its protection and, on the one hand, made it so that now it will work on almost all devices, not only on OnePlus smartphones, but, on the other hand, obviously disrupted the work of the mechanisms responsible for security. Therefore, such a launcher can be dangerous both for the presence of vulnerabilities that can be exploited by hackers and the potential presence of malicious scripts that could be deliberately hidden by developers in the program code.