Why Octopi Launcher is my new essential application for foldable phones

Foldable phones are marketed as flexible and adjustable, but their software is often not the case, especially with regard to their launchers. You use either the first part launcher, which generally has personalization limitations, or a third -party alternative that is designed with several devices in mind. I faced this problem with the Vivo X Fold 2, but I think I finally found a solution with Nickname.

I have been the development of this launcher for over a year, and it has recently become available in beta version on the Play Store. Even during his Alpha test phase, he was promising. Although this is not yet a finished product, it is one of the most exciting Android launchers that I have used for years, especially for multi-screen devices.

Most of the Android third launchers were created years ago for traditional single screen phones, which do not translate well when adding a much larger secondary screen. With the foldables, the smaller cover screen and the larger foldable screen benefit from different arrangements. I prefer to have immediate access to essential applications on the first and a more complete selection on the second. The launchers I tried on my foldable, including Nova and KVAESITS, do not offer unique arrangements for each screen. However, Octopi does.

This is the out -of -competition function of the launcher. It allows me to configure each screen in each orientation for various purposes. When you include portrait and landscape modes, these are four separate layout possibilities.

For example, I can configure the outdoor screen with productivity applications only. When I open the vivo, I access multimedia applications like YouTube, Twitch and my usual widgets. The screen rotation replaces these applications and these widgets with those specific to travel such as cards and Uber. With the possibility of adding several pages to each layout, the possibilities are large.

This feature is a winner alone, but the ease of Octopi to create new layouts really seized me. After having installed and executed the configuration screens, the launcher promptly prompted me to create specific arrangements for each screen configuration. He suggests various options, such as padding and density of icons, so you don’t have to think about it too much.

Alternately, you can use the Personalize Button for more detailed adjustments. He also does it transparently. If there is a layout that you have not yet configured, the launcher will alert you when you enter it. You can also copy the provisions of one orientation to another if you prefer consistency.

Beyond its killer functionality, Octopi offers all the essential elements that you expect from a modern launcher. You can choose a traditional dispersed application approach on the home screen or a more conventional quay. The launcher also includes a free position mode, allowing a thinner placement of items on the home screen, similar to (but not as chaotic as) the Home Up features of an IU 7. You can also adjust the icon scale for the home screen and the application drawer, delete labels and adjust vertical and horizontal padding.

The launcher facilitates the implementation and positioning of widgets and elements on the screen. The screen grid is independent of the size of the icon grid, so you can extend or reduce widgets without affecting the size of application icons on your home screen. For example, with Nova, I often use a 12 × 12 grid to integrate widgets into the corners and corners of the screen, but this makes the icons tiny. With Octopi, I don’t have to worry about this embarrassment.

Adding to his pace for widget lovers like me, Octopi also supports the widgets that overlap and stacked. The displacement of one widget on another automatically creates a battery and resize the moved widget to the new form. This makes a heavy layout of the widget on the cover screen quite possible.

This focus on flexibility also extends to Octopi application drawer options. You can choose forms of traditional icons or, my favorite tiles, which place the name of the application alongside the icon in larger rectangles. This design is neat and makes the search for applications a breeze. And because Octopi is designed for several arrangements, I can have a 4 -wide tab grid on the larger screen and an icon provision only smaller on the display of the blanket.

As I mentioned earlier, Octopi Launcher is not quite finished. It is a beta product, and it shows in certain regions.

His gesture library is not as extensive as I wish. Although you can define different gestures for each screen arrangement, Octopi offers only three options: Swipe from the first screen, slide down and double. Other launchers have more complex gesture options, and I hope that Octopi finally includes them.

The Octopi’s research system is also far too basic. Although you can quickly jump into the applications even if the search chain partially corresponds, it cannot search the settings, the files, the shortcuts and other intentions of the device. This is a shame because a deep search system on the device scale would make the Octopi would stand out both like a foldable and traditional launcher.

Maybe the biggest octopi gap is: I only liked to use it on a foldable phone. I’m sure it would serve tablet users, but there are better launchers for unique screen smartphones. Of course, you can always use the multi-layout system of Octopi on a traditional phone, but I rarely use, if never, my launcher in the landscape to launch applications.

Nevertheless, I know that the Octopi launcher is far from complete. There are several shortcomings that the developer must fill, but what we have so far is very promising, and updates continue to become thick and fast. I constantly refine my arrangements on each phone that I use, and having a tailor -made option built for my foldable is great. Octopi Launcher seems to be made for heavy customers, that’s why I like it so much.

Keep an eye on this next launcher in the coming months. I will certainly do it.