I’m a big fan of the Pixel Launcher. So much so, that I actually ditched Nova Launcher when I switched from OnePlus to a Google phone. However, while I appreciate its clean, simple UI and great features, I think there’s definitely room for improvement.

Nova Launcher has a wealth of features, and there are several that I miss and would love to see on Pixel phones. I’ll guide you through the main ones.

All things app-related

Many of the Nova Launcher features I like are app-related. For example, I’m very fond of the ability to create Drawer groups, which allows me to sort apps within the app drawer based on their purpose. I generally have a simple system set up, separating work-related apps from everything else.

I don’t have a ton of work-related apps, but I still need easy access to them. A dedicated Work tab in the app drawer is the perfect solution, allowing me to access all those apps in one place with just a tap or two — without manually searching through a list of all the apps I have installed on my phone. My home screen is generally filled with just the essential apps I need for personal use, as I don’t want any work-related ones cluttering it.

The option to customize the grid size on both the home screen and the app drawer is another feature I really like. My Pixel has this option, although only for the home screen and not the app drawer. However, the choices are limited, with the grid size of 5×5 being the most you can go for.

With Nova Launcher, there are tons of possibilities. I can select how many apps I want vertically and horizontally, so I can customize my home screen — as well as the app drawer — exactly to my liking. I like the option of extending the vertical grid to seven apps, since my display is quite tall and can easily accommodate them without looking too cluttered. Packing more apps on one screen has a big benefit for me, as I need fewer home screens in total and can find apps in the app drawer faster.

Then there’s the dock on the home screen, which I really like and use to place my most important and used apps. Granted, the Pixel Launcher has a dock as well, but the customization options are slim to none. It’s a different story with Nova Launcher, as I can customize just about anything. For example, I can change the size of the icons, making them bigger than the other ones on the home screen so they stand out more. I can select to display or hide the app names, set the padding, and the number of apps I want the dock to hold. I can even change the color of the dock and the radius of the corners for a softer look. I generally keep it simple, but you can go crazy with it if you want. I can even remove the search bar from the dock, which can’t be done on my Pixel.

Back to the app drawer, Pixels only offer vertical scrolling, which I’m not a big fan of. I prefer horizontal scrolling. It always felt more natural to me, as I can flick between pages just like on my home screen. There are also all sorts of animations to choose from if that’s your thing. I have them turned of since they irritate me, but they are there if you need them.

Pixels also lack proper gestures. I love the ones offered by OnePlus, and it’s the biggest thing I missed when switching to a Pixel. With Nova Launcher, gestures become even more powerful. I can open an app, pull down notifications, and perform tasks like locking the screen with various gestures. These include swiping in various directions, tapping, pinching in and out, and more. You can even set up shortcuts. To give you an example, you can double-tap the screen to open your browser in incognito mode.

I have several gestures set up. The classics include swiping down to expand the notification menu and swiping up to open the app drawer, which are standard on Pixel phones anyway. A double tap turns off the screen for me, while swiping right opens up a new task in my task management app Todoist. To bring up the weather radar for my region to see if it will rain and when, I swipe down with two fingers.

It does take some time to learn all the gestures you set up, especially if there are many, but muscle memory takes over after a week or so.

I’d love to see Pixel implement a similar gesture system. It doesn’t have to be as robust as Nova Launcher’s, but at least give us something, Google.

There are a bunch of smaller customizations offered by Nova Launcher that I absolutely love. You can really make every part of the UI your own. I can change the corner radius of a folder, for example. Whether I want a perfect square or something with softer edges, Nova Launcher has me covered. I can also change the folder’s appearance, which includes the icon layout.

I can change the design of icons from round to square and everything in between. These small changes add up, and by implementing them, the UI can look completely different. It’s a breath of fresh air after using a phone for a long time. A new color scheme, new icon design, and other details make it feel like I have a brand-new phone. I can even choose the size of notification badges and icons. For a cleaner look, I can hide app names so I see only the icons.

These are the small things that would elevate the Pixel experience in my mind. I know Google is all about simplicity, which is why it avoids excessive customization options. But Pixel users are generally people who know and love their phones, and I think they — with me included — would benefit from these extra options.