Recently, I've started feeling rather disappointed with the direction Android seems to be headed, particularly with Google pushing on with plans that could see sideloading lose most of its appeal. It's to the point where, if those plans go ahead the way everyone fears they will, I might just switch to iPhone.
If I'm forced to use a phone that puts users at the mercy of the whims of a giant tech company, I'd be better off picking the one that actually takes the topic of user privacy seriously. Then again, I'd be a lot happier about an Android-to-iPhone switch if Apple could steal one final Android software feature and bring it to iOS: Launchers.
There are so many things I dislike about iPhone software, and the ability to choose a new launcher could solve the vast majority of them.
Android launchers: The pinnacle of mobile software customization
Android has always been the mobile OS that gave you the freedom to do more — or at least it has been for as long as I've been using it. The idea that you had more control over what your phone looked like and what was installed on it was incredibly liberating compared to using iOS.
Android launchers are, of course, that same attitude pushed to the extreme. It's not just about controlling where your app icons and widgets are placed — a launcher can give your phone a whole new look. Pick the right one, and you can change just about everything about how your phone runs.
App icons, navigation shortcuts, the look and feel of your home screen — the possibilities are endless. Launchers can even add an app drawer on phones that don't offer them.
The only thing that launchers won't interfere with is the system settings. That can be kind of a pain, especially if you don't like how your settings menu is laid out, but it still beats having no choice in what your phone looks like.
While I personally prefer to pick a launcher that has a recognizably Android look, you're not limited to that. The best Android launchers let you do all kinds of crazy things, from keeping your phone as minimalist as possible to making it look like a completely different phone. If you miss the look of Windows Phone 8, for example, there is actually a launcher that might be able to help scratch that nostalgic itch for you.
Plus, using a launcher isn't like installing a fresh new operating system, and you are effectively just running a separate skin over the pre-installed software. So it's super simple to set up, and easily reversible if you ever change your mind.
The ultimate hurdle of design freedom on iPhone
The past several years have seen Apple grow a little less strict with what people can do with the look of iOS. One of the biggest changes came with iOS 18, which allowed you to significantly customize the look of your home screen.
From being able to change the color of app icons to finally breaking free of the shackles of Apple's strict grid format, it felt like a very Android update for an Apple product. Rather than telling people how they were going to experience the iPhone, as it felt like in the past, Apple handed its users the reins to figure things out for themselves.
That said, while iOS may be a little more flexible than it used to be, a lot of things are still firmly under Apple's control. There won't be a true chance for user personalization until Apple brings something akin to Android's launcher over to iOS. Even if it comes with a different name, it'll allow users to really make their phone feel like it belongs to them — rather than just something you're borrowing from Cupertino.
I couldn't tell you what an iPhone launcher might look like, since there's already such a huge amount of diversity in third-party launchers on Android phones. But it would open up the possibility for app developers to express their vision of what iPhone software could look like, whether that's an ultra-minimalist look, something distinctly un-iPhone-like, or offering software that adapts to what it thinks the user needs at any given time.
And since these would just be regular apps available from the App Store, Apple would have all the same opportunities to verify and approve potential launchers before they land in the hands of regular users.
Bottom line
For someone like me, who takes issue with various aspects of how iOS runs (albeit less so than I did five years ago), having access to launchers would be one of the things that would make switching back to iPhone an actual possibility.
It wouldn't change the myriad of issues I have with the layout of Apple's Settings app, but having that extra bit of freedom in customizing the design would be a massive step forward for Apple — and my opinion of its phones. Combine that with the fact Android seems to want to drive all its users away, and it could very well see me buying an iPhone for the first time since 2009.
Plus, it's not like flagship Android phones are significantly cheaper than iPhones. Not like they used to be, anyway.
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