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How to install the new Google launcher and apps from Android 4.4 KitKat (keyboard, Hangouts, camera, wallpapers)

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By Daniel Petrov

Updated: Nov 05, 2013, 7:49 AM

How to install the new Google launcher and apps from Android 4.4 KitKat (keyboard, Hangouts, camera, wallpapers)

The new Google Experience Launcher in Android 4.4 KitKat comes with a bunch of improvements over the previous stock version. There is a new color scheme, new icons, new default apps and new functionalities like the ability to evoke Google Now with a simply swipe gesture on the homescreen.

Wallpapers go full screen now, and if you sport something like the Nexus 5, you will be able to call Voice Search directly from the homescreen by just speaking out "OK, Google". If you are interested to take it for a spin, here are the three APKs you have to download and install:

PreBuiltGmsCore (Google Play Services 4.0)
Velvet (Google Search)
GoogleHome (Google Launcher)

If Google Search force closes on you when you try to use it, try changing the search language, reboot, start the new launcher, then go back to the language of choice you had initially. Users are reporting the least troubles with this procedure on the Note 3, so if you are a lucky owner, you can give it a try.

As for the new Hangouts app that threads your IM, text and MMS messages together, the new 25% more accurate Google Now, the new keyboard with Emoji, the new Camera app and the wallpaper collection, click on the links below to get them:

Downloads Google Hangouts APK (v2.0.012)
Download new Google Now APK (3.0.17.886092)
Download Android 4.4 Keyboard APK (v2.0.19003.893803a)
Download Android 4.4 Camera APK (v2.0.001)
Download Android 4.4 Wallpapers

source: Phandroid via XDA-Devs (GEL) & Phandroid (Hangouts v2)

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Daniel, a devoted tech writer at PhoneArena from 2010 to 2025, has been engrossed in mobile technology since the Windows Mobile era. His expertise spans mobile hardware, software, and carrier networks, and he's keenly interested in the future of digital health, car connectivity, and 5G. Beyond his professional pursuits, Daniel finds balance in travel, reading, and exploring new tech innovations, while contemplating the ethical and privacy implications of our digital future.