Poco- the sub-brand of Xiaomi has released its exclusive launcher on Google Play Store allowing every Android user with a smartphone on Android Lollipop or above to experience its launcher. The POCO Launcher (as listed on Play Store) weighs 16MB in size, although the size might differ with different versions of Android. Usually, smartphone brands keep their customised launcher or apps exclusive to their smartphones, but Poco by Xiaomi is following a different route by making them available for other smartphones as well. Notably, the Poco Launcher is way different from the Xiaomi's MIUI launcher which comes pre-loaded with all the Xiaomi smartphone running MIUI. If you want to download the Poco Launcher, head over to the Google Play Store and search for the app.
Poco Launcher: Features
The Poco Launcher, as mentioned above, differs a lot when compared to the standard MIUI launcher. Talking about the key features, it offers a clean home screen as we get an App Drawer which keeps all the apps. Then there's a Convenient Search option which displays app recommendations, icon colour categories and lots of other customisable features which allows a user to find what they need much faster.
Like any other launcher present on the Google Play Store, the Poco Launcher also allows users to group apps by category automatically or create custom groups. One of the best features which I loved with the Poco Launcher is the ability to customise app icons. Yes, you heard it right; The Poco Launcher allows users to make use of third-party icon packs. And it comes with privacy protection feature as well, which keeps your apps private by hiding their icons. And as you might be aware of, Poco is all about Speed and they're marketing the Poco F1 as 'Master of Speed.' So, expect the Poco Launcher to be snappy and fast all the time on your smartphone.
Poco Launcher: What's Missing?
A key feature which is missing on the Poco Launcher is the Google Feed integration on the home screen. Generally, launchers from HMD Global, Google, Motorola and other brands have the Google Feed integration which can be accessed by swiping left on the home screen. This feature is missing on the Poco Launcher and there's no way you can enable it now. Hopefully, Poco adds this feature in the future.
MIUI Launcher vs Poco Launcher: What's Different?
The Poco Launcher brought in several new features compared to the standard MIUI Launcher. For starters, the home screen is very clean because the Poco Launcher comes with app drawer, something which is absent on the MIUI Launcher. In Poco Launcher, you can access the app drawer by swiping to the top.
Next change on the list is the app categories. After visiting the app drawer, you'll immediately notice app categories on top of all the icons- Communication, Entertainment, Photography and so on depending on the apps installed on your smartphone. Poco has added a search bar on the bottom of the app drawer allowing users to quickly search for the app they're looking for. It also allows users to group apps based on their icon colours, something which is a new feature and absent on the MIUI Launcher.
The Poco Launcher has already been made available for Xiaomi users long back, and it's now available for every Android smartphone user.
