What's your preferred way of accessing apps on Android devices?

posted by Daniel P.

Nov 27, 2015, 6:10 AM

What's your preferred way of accessing apps on Android devices?

App drawers might be going the way of the dodo bird, at least if you ask Chinese makers, as very often their Android overlays consist simply of an endless homescreen carousel where apps are placed in neatly arranged grids or folders, with no app drawer to be seen or found anywhere.

Adding insult to injury, most launchers these days, stock or third-party, offer the ability to categorize your apps in folders automatically, thus easing the trend that the vast majority of your most used apps get launched directly from the home screen in a tap or two. Moreover, as an alternative way to run apps you rarely use, Android offers you the ability to search for them, again directly from the bar on the homescreen. Most often you need to only key in the first two or three letters of an app name, and then tap on the suggestion to launch it.

Scrolling through an endless list or pages upon pages in the app drawer to find and start the app you need, is hence becoming less and less needed, that is why we wanted to ask you what is your preferred, most used method for accessing and launching apps on your Android device. Take your pick below. and tell us how you usually combine those methods in the comments.

What's your preferred way of accessing apps on your Android device?

I mostly use search

3.75%

I usually launch them from my homescreen(s)

58.12%

I access them through the app drawer

38.13%

Options

24 Comments

25. SupermanayrB

Posts: 1188; Member since: Mar 20, 2012

Scrollable dock.

posted on Nov 28, 2015, 5:01 PM 0

24. TrackPhoneUser

Posts: 256; Member since: Oct 21, 2015

I used an app called Home2 Shortcut which lets me open specific apps by double tapping home, tapping home->back. Quite useful, although not perfect.

posted on Nov 28, 2015, 4:12 PM 0

20. darkkjedii

Posts: 31817; Member since: Feb 05, 2011

I pace the ones I use most on the main two home screens, and my email widget on the third. The rest, app drawer, or by voice with Google+. On the 6S Plus, all home screen :(

posted on Nov 27, 2015, 3:17 PM 0

18. joevsyou

Posts: 1093; Member since: Feb 28, 2015

i like to have one main home screen with my main apps i use. I can't stand flipping through pages or scrolling finding stuff. Now for those app i rarely need then yes the app drawer is fine

posted on Nov 27, 2015, 1:31 PM 0

17. shahrooz

Posts: 792; Member since: Sep 17, 2013

Arrow launcher, nough said.

posted on Nov 27, 2015, 12:42 PM 0

13. carlemillward unregistered

Lockscreen.

posted on Nov 27, 2015, 9:03 AM 0

12. Nathan_ingx

Posts: 4769; Member since: Mar 07, 2012

Same here... Manual on the home screen. But I'm stuck with 4.3...sucks! Thought of flashing Cyanogen several times but I didn't know the process well so I chucked the idea. *For #11 Buccob

posted on Nov 27, 2015, 8:48 AM 1

14. buccob

Posts: 2982; Member since: Jun 19, 2012

Well what I meant by "forcefully" is that I have avoided Lollipop on my Z3C like the plague... and I am hopeful that M would not suck on it... There are many things I dislike about Lollipop that in my opinion were Google's mistakes, and then there are other things that I fear to get, because of Sony's update... Right now on KitKat my phone is still great, I consistently get over 5 hours of SOT, and that is with an average of 70% screen brightness, automation apps in the background, Lifelog and google now also running... I like my screen lock widgets, and my 16 Settings shortcuts in the notification bar (with Sony's L, you can only get 12 tops) and the fact that I can long press most to access the related setting page... something you can't do on L, besides Wifi and BT. The only things that I would like to update is apps on the SD card, and Screen Rotation on Homescreen...

posted on Nov 27, 2015, 9:07 AM 1

11. buccob

I have 5 Homescreens ordered like this: Games < Productivity < HOME > Multimedia > Social & Navigation My Main 4 apps icons are: Phone Dialer / Whatsapp / Folder with Emails and Hangout / Shortcut to Camera in Manual Mode My Widgets are (by homescreen page order): Games: Google Keep Personal account (so I can see my TO-DO's before wasting time on a game) Productivity: Google Keep Work account (this whole page is mostly work-related) HOME: Clock/Alarm widget and also shortcuts to direct call my closest relatives. Multimedia: Sony Camera Widget for faster access to 4 modes (SA, Timeshift Video, Timeshift Burst, 4K video Recording)... Also I made a couple of folders with Shortcuts to direct Playback of my favorite Artists and Albums. Social & Nav: Calendar Widget with upcoming appointments. FINALLY, my Lock Screen Widgets (I'm still forcefully on KitKat): Clock Google Now SoundHound

posted on Nov 27, 2015, 8:30 AM 1

19. joevsyou

why not just have 5 folders on one home screen. This will stop you scrolling until you get to that page, instead of swiping X to the right you can just click once and click again to open the app you like

posted on Nov 27, 2015, 1:33 PM 0

10. plasteek

Posts: 265; Member since: Jun 07, 2015

Everything in homescreen(s)and useless/can't remove=hide !

posted on Nov 27, 2015, 7:28 AM 0

8. mixedfish

Posts: 1579; Member since: Nov 17, 2013

Home screen is for widgets and shortcuts, not apps.

posted on Nov 27, 2015, 7:08 AM 1

7. IgorEfremenko

Posts: 110; Member since: Nov 30, 2011

As an android boy (android smartphone, android wear watch, chromecast, etc.), I was really surprised when I installed an iOS-style launcher and found it extremely pleasant to use. So, I'm now always launching apps from my homescreen, except for when I'm using google now in my car.

posted on Nov 27, 2015, 7:03 AM 0

5. EC112987

Posts: 1216; Member since: Nov 10, 2014

I use the home screen for my browser and communication apps. Everything else I store away in the all drawer

posted on Nov 27, 2015, 6:41 AM 0

3. duartix

Posts: 311; Member since: Apr 01, 2014

Most of the times I launch them from a context. Most common apps (like phone a contact, message a contact, chat a contact with Skype/Facebook, drive to a contact address or set up a meeting with a contact) are all launched from Drupe with two quick swipes, which usually won't take me more than 2 seconds... Apps without context (browser, media apps, etc) and frequent use, are usually in one of my home screens.

posted on Nov 27, 2015, 6:31 AM 0

16. jontaylor07

Posts: 169; Member since: Oct 12, 2015

I had about 5 apps on my homescreen, since I liked to be able to see my background. I would launch everything else from the app drawer.

posted on Nov 27, 2015, 11:16 AM 0

1. WeezyF

Posts: 155; Member since: Jul 09, 2015

im used to accessing my apps from the app drawer.

posted on Nov 27, 2015, 6:12 AM 0

2. itsdeepak4u2000

Posts: 3718; Member since: Nov 03, 2012

Here is my answer: Frequently used apps - I usually launch them from my homescreen(s). Used sometimes - I access them through the app drawer. Rarely used or once in awhile - I mostly use search.

posted on Nov 27, 2015, 6:21 AM 16

6. Nathan_ingx

My home screen consists of camera, phone, messenger and music. Other frequently used apps on my left and right of home screen. The rest on my app drawer. There are applications I never use which cannot be removed...that is a pain in the a$$°