Action Launcher is my favorite home screen replacement app of all time. I’ve been using it for years and never thought it switching to another. Yesterday, Action Launcher developer, Chris Lacey, announced a massive update with a plethora of features. The biggest draw is, of course, the integration of Google Feed (formerly known as Google Now). Let’s see how we can integrate Google Feed in Action Launcher.
Earlier this year, Action Launcher (known as Action Launcher 3 then) added the support for Google Feed. But, the catch was that your device needs to be rooted for it to work. Plus, it required you to convert Action Launcher into a systems app. In short, lots of work. Not for everyone.
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Everything changed last month when Kevin Barry, the developer behind Nova Launcher, came up with a simpler method to integrate Google Feed in Action Launcher or into his custom launcher. Well, it was evident the same would be coming to Action Launcher soon. And, it did.
With version 26.1, Action Launcher, now, officially supports Google Feed without the requirement of rooting. And, the trick is as simple as it gets. All you have to do is download and sideload an APK file called Action Launcher Google Plugin from APK Mirror which is uploaded by the developer himself and it’s linked here. Make sure that you are running the latest version of Action Launcher. You also don’t have to be a plus user to use this feature as it is available for everyone. Once installed, simply swipe inwards from the left edge of the home screen to access the Google Feed – just like you would do on the Google Now Launcher or the Pixel Launcher.
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And there is more: The latest update also brings a bunch of Android O features along with a few refinements. Two of the coolest changes include notification dots and notification previews. Here’s the complete changelog:
- Google Now integration for all! Requires installation of the Action Launcher Google Plugin application.
- Full Notification Dots support!
- Long-pressing a shortcut will display a preview of app’s notifications and allow notifications to be dismissed ala Android O. Available when using either Notification Dots or Unread Count.
- Unread Count support extended to all apps that have a current notification.
- Android O style App Shortcuts panel.
- Allow granular control as to which apps display Notification Dots/Unread Count.
- Android O style widget picker, which displays all relevant widgets for a given shortcut.
- Directly engage Action Launcher’s Quick edit panel via a shortcut’s long-press popup UI.
- Dedicated “Icons & App Shortcuts” settings page, which is home to all icon related settings.
- When Google Pill widget is on the left screen edge and Google Now integration is enabled, display a tinted edge background as per Pixel Launcher.
- Option to adjust the scale of icon indicators.
- Revamped interface for selecting the apps that are hidden from app drawers.
So, now you can easily enable Google Feed in Action Launcher on unrooted Android devices.
[googleplay url=”https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.actionlauncher.playstore”/]Read Next: Switch to a Smart App Drawer on Your Favorite Launcher
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