Google Pixel phones come preinstalled with Google Pixel Launcher. But you can install other third-party launchers like Nova Launcher on your Pixel phone too. You may wonder, “What’s the difference between Pixel and Nova Launcher?” That’s what we will help you with. Here we will tell you how Nova Launcher differs from Pixel Launcher. Let’s get started.
Table of Contents
Availability and Price
One of the primary differences between the two launchers is availability. Nova Launcher can be downloaded and used on any Android phone. Be it Pixel, Samsung, OnePlus, Redmi, or any other brand. Its functionality will also remain constant across all these devices. However, the same isn’t true for Pixel Launcher as it can be used on Google Pixel phones only where it comes pre-installed.
Moreover, all the features of Pixel Launcher are available for all Pixel users. There is no paid version of Pixel Launcher. But the same isn’t true about Nova Launcher as it has a paid version that offers features like gestures, notification badges, the ability to hide apps, and other things.
Customization
Nova Launcher is the supreme leader when it comes to the customization of launchers. Think of any feature and Nova Launcher will have it. So if you love customizing your Android phone, Nova Launcher has a lot to offer.
Here are some key differences in terms of customization between the two launchers:
Icon Style
Nova Launcher lets you customize the icon shapes and choose from squircle, flowers, rounded squares, and more. You can even add new icon packs and choose items that appear in the pop-up menu after long-pressing an app icon on the home screen. You can also change the icon size and the label size and color.
While Pixel Launcher doesn’t let you change the icon shape, it offers adaptive app icons that change color based on the wallpaper. You can do it from phone Settings > Wallpaper & Style.
Tip: Learn how to hide Android status bar icons.
Home Screen and Dock
When it comes to the home screen, you can only change the app grid size on Pixel Launcher and that too is limited to the set of options offered by the launcher itself.
On the contrary, Nova Launcher lets you create a custom app grid size. You can also set padding on the home screen in Nova Launcher. And if you love creating folders, Nova Launcher lets you customize those too.
Furthermore, you can customize all the aspects of the dock in Nova Launcher. For starters, you can disable the dock or change its background. You can even choose the number of icons or pages that show in the dock. On Pixel Launcher, you cannot do anything else other than removing or adding icons (limited to 5) in the Dock.
Tip: Learn how to make Samsung One UI look like Stock Android.
Searchbar
On Pixel Launcher, you get a permanent search bar at the bottom below the dock. This is neither customizable nor you can remove or change its position.
On the other hand, Nova Launcher lets you change the position of the Google search bar or even disable it completely. You can also customize the search bar style. For instance, you can change its color, transparency, items that appear on it, and other things.
Tip: To turn off At a Glance widget in Pixel Launcher, go to Pixel Launcher Settings and tap on the At a Glance text. Tap on Turn off.
App Drawer
Nova Launcher offers a huge bunch of features for customizing the App Drawer as well. You can change the app drawer style from vertical, horizontal, or even a list. You can also customize the app grid size independently of the home screen. Further, you can change the background color, icon layout, and other things in App Drawer in Nova Launcher. None of this is possible in Pixel Launcher.
Transitions and Gestures
Nova Launcher is also popular for wallpaper scrolling, transition effects, page indicators, and animations. Furthermore, it offers many customizable gestures. The only drawback is that those features are limited to the Nova premium version only.
Tip: Check the best gesture navigation apps for Android phones.
Notification Badges
One of the areas where Pixel Launcher comes ahead of Nova Launcher is in the notification badges. In Pixel Launcher, you can easily enable or disable notification badges. For the unaware, these are the tiny dots or numbers that show up on the app icon when you receive a new notification. However, Pixel Launcher only shows dots and not numbers.
On the other hand, notification badges are available in the paid version of Nova Launcher only. But once you get the premium version, you can customize the badges according to your wish such as switching between numbers or dots, changing color, etc.
Google Feed Integration
What would a Pixel Launcher be if it didn’t have Google Feed integrated into it? All you need to do is swipe right on the first page of your home screen to open Google Feed in Pixel Launcher. You can even disable it if you don’t want it.
Sadly, Nova Launcher doesn’t support Google Feed by default. However, you can add it using workarounds.
Tip: Check out the best Android launchers that support Google Feed.
Backup and Restore
The availability of Nova Launcher on any Android phone makes it easier to back up and restore launcher data while switching between phones. Nova Launcher has a built-in feature for that. This is not available on Pixel Launcher.
Nova Launcher or Pixel Launcher
As you saw above in the Nova Launcher vs Pixel Launcher comparison, Nova Launcher is all about customization. So if you want to customize every aspect of your Android phone, Nova Launcher is a good choice. But if you are looking for something simple, Pixel Launcher won’t disappoint as it’s quite fast and well-integrated with Pixel devices.
