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Pixel launcher to finally display full app names in Android 15

By Johanna Romero

Published: Jun 20, 2024, 8:54 AM

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Android Google

Pixel launcher to finally display full app names in Android 15

Image credit — PhoneArena

Google Pixel phones come standard with the Pixel Launcher app as the default home screen. It's a popular choice among users, thanks to its seamless integration with Google's universal search feature. However, it is far from perfect, and there are features that users wish it had which are currently found on third party launchers — like the ability to display full app names, instead of truncating them.

Currently, the Pixel Launcher shortens app names like "Adobe Acrobat," "Amazon Shopping," or "Niagara Launcher" to fit four icons per row in the app drawer. This can be inconvenient for users trying to locate specific apps, as it can sometimes not be clear enough what the name of the app is just by looking at the icon. The issue extends to search results and the home screen, where space constraints are less of a concern.

Thankfully, Google has been working on a solution to this problem for some time. According to this report, a hidden feature allowing for two-line app labels was discovered in early 2022 with the release of Android 12L's second beta. While it was briefly available in Android 14 QPR2 Beta 2, it was disabled in the stable release. Now, as spotted by Android expert Mishaal Rahman, it seems Google is ready to reintroduce this feature as an optional toggle in the Pixel Launcher's settings for Android 15.

"Show long app names" toggle in Home Settings disabled versus enabled and showing full app names in the App Drawer | Image credit — PhoneArena

In the Android 15 Beta 1.2 update, a new "show long app names" toggle has been found under the "apps list settings" page. Enabling this toggle will display app names on two lines in both the app drawer and search results, although not on the home screen. This change seems to vary depending on the screen size and resolution of the device you are enabling it on. For example, in the screenshots above, enabling the setting on a Pixel 6a applied this change to the "Niagara Launcher" app in the app drawer, but somehow didn't affect "Nano Teleprompter." In contrast, on the Google Pixel, toggling the setting didn't affect app names in the drawer at all, perhaps due to the unusual aspect ratio of the device.

This seemingly small change could have a significant impact on user experience, making it easier to identify and launch apps. It's just one of several updates coming to the Pixel Launcher in Android 15, and while these are still in beta and could still use much refining, we're very excited to see them fully fleshed out.

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Johanna 'Jojo the Techie' is a skilled mobile technology expert with over 15 years of hands-on experience, specializing in the Google ecosystem and Pixel devices. Known for her user-friendly approach, she leverages her vast tech support background to provide accessible and insightful coverage on latest technology trends. As a recognized thought leader and former member of #TeamPixel, Johanna ensures she stays at the forefront of Google services and products, making her a reliable source for all things Pixel and ChromeOS.

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