Since the Nothing Phone (1) has launched globally on July 12, 2022, consumers will be able to get their hands on the phone soon. However, a fair amount of sceptics aren’t entirely convinced regarding the brand’s claims. Nothing has stated that the Nothing Phone (1) would come with a minimalist version of Android 12, dubbed the Nothing OS. Apparently, the Nothing OS integrates with the Glyph Interface to provide multiple customisation options to the user. While it’ll be difficult to test that until the phone goes on sale via Flipkart on July 21, consumers can still catch a glimpse of the Nothing OS. The brand has released a Nothing Launcher that can be used on any Android phone to get a feel of what Nothing OS would be like. So, this article will tell you how to use the Nothing launcher to make any Android smartphone feel like Nothing OS.
Let’s get started with the steps!
Before we start
The Nothing Launcher will only work with Android smartphones sporting Android 11 or higher. This makes sense as the Nothing OS itself is based on Android 12. However, remember that this is only a glimpse of how the OS and user interface might feel. Total integration of the Nothing OS will only be possible with the Nothing Phone (1) itself. This is due to the fact that the OS is said to seamlessly integrate itself with the new smartphone’s Glyph Interface. So, while you can get a basic feel of Nothing OS, you’ll have to wait for the smartphone itself to get the most authentic understanding.
Also read: Nothing Phone 1 Launch Event Wrap Up: What You Should Know
How to install Nothing Launcher?
If you’ve used launchers on your Android smartphone before, this will be relatively easy for you. Even if you haven’t used any launchers, Nothing has made the process fairly easy to follow. So, let’s take a look at the steps:
- Go to the Google Play Store. Type “Nothing Launcher” in the Search bar. The Launcher should pop up. If you can’t find it, you can click here.
- Install the launcher onto your Android smartphone.
- After the installation is complete, you’ll have to activate the launcher.
- Go to the Settings app on your phone.
- Navigate to the Apps section in the Settings tab.
- Open the Default apps setting, and tap on the Home app option.
- Select the Nothing Launcher option. This will change your phone’s launcher to the Nothing OS-based launcher.
Also read: Nothing Phone 1 – Don’t Keep High Expectations
How to return to the original launcher?
If the Nothing Launcher doesn’t suit your sensibilities, you can return to the smartphone’s original launcher. Here’s how:
- Go to your phone Settings tab.
- Navigate to the Apps segment and select the Default apps option under it.
- Now, you can select the default launcher for your phone. You’ll only see extra options if you’ve used launchers before. If not, the default launcher should be the only other launcher available.
- Return to your home screen, and you’ll find that the original launcher has been restored.
What does the Nothing Launcher bring?
While you won’t be able to get the entire Nothing OS experience with the Nothing Launcher, there are a few nice additions to go through. You get a Nothing-based wallpaper and three widgets, which are the Clock and Weather widgets, branded in Nothing’s aesthetic.
You can also access some wallpapers and ringtones that aren’t available with the Launcher itself. To access these, you can use this link to check into a public Dropbox folder that’s issued by Nothing. Apart from changing the icon sizes, there’s an icon pack that you can download from the Google Play Store. However, despite these goodies, the launcher is limiting in some ways. For example, you can only use a single home screen. Other features of the Nothing OS, such as multiple home screens and Google Discover, aren’t accessible through the Nothing Launcher.
Also read: How To Buy The Nothing Phone (1) In India? Check Out The Details!
Summing up
As you can see, while this is a nice touch by the Nothing brand to introduce more people to their philosophy, the Nothing Launcher has its limitations. However, if you’re excited about the smartphone and haven’t been able to get your hands on it yet, the Nothing Launcher can be a good gateway to the Nothing OS experience. Hopefully, now you know how to use Nothing Launcher with your Android smartphone. Tell us how you feel about the Launcher and the new smartphone in the comment section!
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