Settings #

Tweaks and customizations can be made from within the settings page. The settings can be opened by binding the Settings action to a gesture (this is especially useful when configuring μLauncher for the first time) or from the settings icon in the app drawer.¹

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 #

These settings effect the clock shown on the home screen (or on widget panels). If the clock is removed, the settings are not used.

Font (home screen) #

Set the home screen font for date and time. This setting does not affect the font of other components.

type: dropdown

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

Color #

Set the color for the home screen date and time.

Accepts an 6 digit RGB or or 8 digit ARGB color code characters.² Note that on Android the ARGB color format is used, i.e. the alpha component is specified first. This differs from the more common RGBA, which is used in web development.

type: ARGB

Use localized date format #

Adapt the display of dates and times to the specific conventions of a particular locale or region as set by the system. 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 while searching the app list to launch a web search.

type: toggle

Start keyboard for search #

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. Private space apps can be accessed using a separate app drawer which can be opened with the Private Space action.

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