As the owner of the Android mobile operating system, it’s only natural that Google has built out its own native launcher experience. Known as the Pixel Launcher, this piece of software sits atop the OS and provides access to fundamental user interface elements like the home screen and the app drawer.

With the Pixel Launcher, it’s clear that Google’s aim is to provide a clean and simple interface that gets out of the way and that doesn’t bombard the user with clutter. Unlike many third-party OEM Android skins or launcher replacement apps, the Pixel Launcher doesn’t offer much in the way of customization tools. I can appreciate Google’s approach of balancing simplicity and flexibility, but I do feel that the company’s launcher is in need of just a few more home screen settings in order to reach its full potential.

Here are six missing elements within Google’s Pixel Launcher that I’d love to see implemented in a future software update, in order to achieve feature parity with much of the competition in the Android space.

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1

Third-party icon packs don’t work

Considering the diverse ecosystem of Android icon packs, Pixel’s lack of support is a missed opportunity

The Google Play Store is filled to the brim with high-quality icon packs from third-party developers. These icon replacement apps come in all shapes and sizes, allowing you to effortlessly switch up the aesthetic of your Android’s home screen. Most launchers integrate flawlessly with icon packs, as do some skins from hardware makers. Others, like Samsung, have elected to implement their own custom theming engines rather than supporting base-level icon packs.

I’d love to see Google tap into the existing icon pack ecosystem with the Pixel Launcher, which would likely bring icon packs further into the mainstream (and perhaps compel Apple to support icon theming on the iPhone). As it currently stands, you can only apply an underbaked tinted icon design on Pixel phones, with the option to change icon shapes potentially coming sometime down the road.

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2

At a Glance and Google Search are mandatory

I should be able to strip back my home screen to the essentials if I so desire

One of my biggest contentions with the out-of-box Pixel software experience is the inability to remove Google’s At a Glance and Search widgets from the first home screen page. I have no problem with these being here by default, but I should have the option to toggle them off if I feel inclined to do so. While you can turn At a Glance off, it doesn’t actually remove the widget — the date remains permanently affixed to the top of the screen, taking up space for no reason.

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3

Apps can’t be easily hidden from view

Why do I have to fiddle with the cumbersome Private Space feature?

The ability to quickly hide installed apps from view within the home screen and app drawer interfaces is a staple across most Android launchers. Not so with the Pixel: there’s no way to natively obscure an app without jumping through hoops. Google does offer a Private Space feature that sits within the app drawer and that hides apps behind a lock, but it creates a second instance of each app, and setting it up requires the user to dig deep within the system’s settings app. By contrast, on a Samsung Galaxy phone I can hide apps via the dedicated home screen settings menu, and on an iPhone it only requires a quick long press to reveal the function.

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4

Apps can’t be pinned to the app drawer

I’d love the option to pin apps and folders to the top of the main apps list

In the past, I would’ve considered the ability to pin apps and folders to the top of the app drawer to be a superfluous option at best, but I’ve recently become a major fan of the concept. As a quick-and-easy way to place apps for quick access without taking up space on the home screen, the app drawer fits the bill perfectly. On Nothing OS, for example, I’ve pinned Google Authenticator, Find Hub, the Play Store, and Essential Space to the top of my drawer — all are apps that I use semi-frequently, but not enough to justify earning a slot directly on my home screen.

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5

The home screen layout can’t be locked

A small-but-useful setting that’s sorely missing from the Pixel experience

A simple quality of life addition found across most Android devices, the ability to lock or freeze your home screen layout is entirely absent from the Pixel home experience. If you’re like me and sometimes accidentally muck up your layout of apps and widgets without realizing it, locking everything in place adds just enough friction for peace of mind. This setting can be especially useful if handing a device to a young child, preserving every aspect of the home screen exactly as organized.

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6

Home screen management is lacking

Dragging and arranging apps on a Pixel phone is an exercise in frustration

Surprisingly, the Pixel Launcher is lacking in the app and home screen management departments. Dragging apps is a one-at-a-time process, and moving loads of apps quickly becomes a tedious process. It’s also not possible to rearrange existing home screen pages, view pages in a birds’ eye view, or set a specific home screen as the default first page. In Google’s quest to make Android approachable, I feel the company has overcorrected on this one. Even Apple offers the ability to manipulate home screen pages and to move multiple apps at the same time, and my HTC Wildfire S from 2011 could do the same thing, too.

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