launcher/docs/settings.md

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Launcher Settings

Tweaks and customizations can be made from within the Launcher Settings page.

These settings let you change wallpapers, change colors and fonts, enable monochrome app icons, change the app drawer layout, and much more.

In the following documentation, 'app drawer' will be used to refer to the 'All Apps', 'Favorite Apps' and 'Private Space' views.

Appearance

Choose a wallpaper

This triggers Android's mechanism to change the wallpaper using a photos app, file explorer, or native wallpaper setting app. µLauncher uses the system-wide wallpaper, i.e. this change also affects other launchers.

Font (in-app font)

Set the font used within the app settings. This setting does not affect the date/time home screen font.

type: dropdown

options: Hack,System default,Sans serif,Serif,Monospace,Serif monospace

Text Shadow

type: toggle

Background (app list and setting)

type: dropdown

type: Transparent,Dim,Blur,Solid

Monochrome app icons

Remove coloring from all app icons. Can help decrease visual stimulus when enabled.

type: toggle

Date & Time

Font (home screen)

Set the home screen font for date and time. This setting does not affect the in-app font.

type: dropdown

options: Hack,System default,Sans serif,Serif,Monospace,Serif monospace

Color [bug]

Set the color for the home screen date and time.

Accepts a HEX color code (consisting of a '#' followed by three sets of two alphanumeric (letters and numbers) characters. A fourth set of two alphanumeric characters may be added to set the transparency of the color.

Color wheel picker

type: HEX,RGBA

Use localized date format

Adapt the display of dates and times to the specific conventions of a particular locale or region. Different locales use different date orders (e.g., MM/DD/YYYY in the US, DD/MM/YYYY in Europe).

type: toggle

Show time

Show the current time on the home screen.

type: toggle

Show seconds

Show the current time down to the second on the home screen.

type: toggle

Show date

Show the current date on the home screen.

type: toggle

Flip date and time

Place the current time above the current date on the home screen.

type: toggle

Functionality

Launch search results

Launches any app that matches user keyboard input when no other apps match.

As you type inside the app drawer, the app narrows down the list of apps shown based on the app title matching your text input. With the 'launch search results' setting, once only one matching app remains, it is launched immediately. Usually it suffices to type two or three characters the single out the desired app.

This feature becomes more powerful when combined with renaming apps, effectively letting you define custom app names that could be considered 'aliases' or shortcuts. For instance, if you want the keyboard input gh to open your GitHub app, you could rename GitHub to GitHub gh, gh GitHub, or simply gh. Assuming no other installed apps have the gh combination of letters in them, opening the app drawer and typing gh would immediately launch your GitHub app.

Press space to temporarily disable this feature and allow text entry without prematurely launching an app. Useful when combined with the Search the web feature.

type: toggle

Search the web

Press return/enter while searching the app list to launch a web search.

type: toggle

Automatically open the keyboard when the app drawer is opened.

type: toggle

Double swipe gestures

Enable double swipe (two finger) gestures in launcher settings. Does not erase gesture bindings if accidentally turned off.

type: toggle

Edge swipe gestures

Enable edge swipe (near edges of screen) gestures in launcher settings. Does not erase gesture bindings if accidentally turned off.

type: toggle

Edge width

Change how large a margin is used for detecting edge gestures. Shows the edge margin preview when using the slider.

type: slider

Choose method for locking the screen

There are two methods to lock the screen and unfortunately both have downsides.

  1. Device Admin

    • Doesn't work with unlocking by fingerprint or face recognition.
  2. Accessibility Service

    • Requires excessive privileges.
    • μLauncher will use those privileges only for locking the screen.
    • As a rule of thumb, it is not recommended to grant access to accessibility services on a random app. Always review the source code before granting accessibility permissions so you familiarize yourself with what the code might do.
    • On some devices, the start-up PIN will no longer be used for encrypting data after activating an accessibility service.
    • This can be reactivated afterwards.

    type: text buttons

    options: USE DEVICE ADMIN,USE ACCESSIBILITY SERVICE

Apps

Hidden apps

Open an app drawer containing only hidden apps.

Don't show apps that are bound to a gesture in the app list

Remove certain apps from the app drawer if they are already accessible via a gesture.

Reduces redundancy and tidies up app drawer.

type: toggle

Hide paused apps

Remove paused apps from the app drawer. For example an app belonging to the work profile is paused when the work profile is inactive.

type: toggle

Hide private space from app list

Remove private space from app drawer.

type: toggle

Layout of app list

Changes how the apps are displayed when accessing the app drawer.

  • Default: All apps in the drawer will show in a vertically-scrolled list with their app icon and title.
  • Text: Removes the app icons, shows only app titles in the drawer as a vertically-scrolled list. Work profile and private space apps are distinguished by a different label instead of a badge.
  • Grid: Shows apps with their app icon and title in a grid layout.

type: dropdown

options: Default,Text,Grid

Reverse the app list

Enable reverse alphabetical sorting of apps in the app drawer. Useful for keeping apps within easier reach from the keyboard.

type: toggle

Display

Rotate screen

type: toggle

Keep screen on

type: toggle

Hide status bar

Remove the top status bar from the home screen.

type: toggle

Hide navigation bar

Remove the navigation bar from the home screen. Enabling this setting may make it difficult to use the device if gestures are not setup properly.

type: toggle

Additional Settings

App Drawer Long Press on App

Access additional per-app details and settings. To use, open the app drawer and long press on any app.

type: dropdown

options: App Info,Add to favorites,Hide,Rename,Uninstall