Pixel 3 launcher is here for your phone

By Chris Burns/Oct. 10, 2018 2:28 pm EST

This week the Google Pixel 3 was made available for pre-order, some review units were handed out, and BANG! The APK for the Pixel 3 Pixel Browser was released, as well. Not officially, mind you – Google isn't about to give away their big Pixel 3 experience to all users that easily. But in APK form, some users can take part in the Pixel 3 fun well before the device is available to the public.

If you're already using a Google Pixel 2 or Pixel 2 XL and have the latest version of the Pixel launcher (before this one), not much will change. Some rather important tiny tidbits do make a slight switch. There's a Google Assistant logo in place of what is blank and was once a microphone icon in the search bar, for instance. That'll be a new branding elsewhere too, one might expect.

This update forces the use of Adaptive Icons on all apps. Because of this, all icons will have a lovely circular look to them. You might have flashbacks back to the early days of 3rd-party launcher oddities here, what with the circles on every single app. Now is the return of the winter of your discontent – unless you love uniformity.

A bit more smooth service in animations between screens is here with the update, especially if you're on Google Pixel 3. There's a new carrot above the search bar if you're on your app switcher, and there's a new way to watch your options when you tap any icon in this switcher. Watch the material flow!

NOTE: This launcher might not work 100% as planned if you're not running Android 9 Pie. If you want to experiment with what works and/or doesn't work as such, feel free to do so. This experience was built for Pixel phones, and might not function at all elsewhere.

Via Android Police, to get onboard with this newest Pixel experience, you'll have to head over to APK Mirror and hit the download button. Note that whenever you leave SlashGear – be it to APK Mirror or anywhere else – you take your fate into your own hands. Any action you take before, after or even during reading SlashGear is your own responsibility!