Since I got myself an Android phone, I had little urge to get an iPhone or anything Microsoft put out in the last few years. However, I must admit that the live tiles and the way Windows Phone 8 works is pretty slick. The other day I was looking through the Google Play Store and came across some apps and themes to make my Android look like Windows phone 8. Then I came across Ariku Launcher.
Ariku Launcher is a cool launcher with a lot of different settings to give you the look of a Windows 8 device. Let’s take a look at how it works.
Starting out
You will need to head over to the Google Play Store and download the launcher and install it. To start messing around the launcher, press the home button and make it the default launcher. If you are just trying it out, depending on the Android version you are using, you could use the “Just once” option.
You will be at the default layout. Your wallpaper will remain the same, but the screen will be covered mainly by the tiles. With the tiles, it is pretty hard to see so possibly changing it to a solid color might lend to a more appealing layout. From here you can make changes like most home screens to customize it how you’d like to use it.
You should see a wrench in the bottom left corner. This is where you get to the settings. If your device has a menu button, it will get you there too. The settings menu lets you change all kinds of goodies. Click on the tab for what you’d like to make adjustments to.
The tiles tab lets you adjust colors and transparencies. The desktop tab lets you make adjustments like having a screen lock (locking the tiles to the screen) , scroll effect and the wallpaper transparency.
The Preferences offers a lot of things to change. What will be useful is to take a look at the gestures. Swiping up with two fingers gets you to the app drawer, down with two fingers gets you to the Preferences. To change what the gestures do, tap on the option and choose a new action for it from the list.
The tiles
The tiles are the biggest part of what makes Windows 8’s look unique. When adding an app to the home screen, the process is the same. However, when the shortcut is added, you can make some changes to it. Mainly the size. You may have a lot of room on the screen and you’d like to have it taken up by a Gallery shortcut. Press and drag the arrow in the bottom right corner to resize it. To change the color, press the pencil at the top left.
Widgets can also be added to your home screen in the same manner. edited similarly too. Further customizing can be done using Apex/Nova/Go/Adw icon packs.
What’s cool too is, you can have different home screen layouts and save them. Once saved, you can restore them later on with a few clicks.
Final thoughts
While Ariku Launcher is only cosmetic, it offers a good way to add the Windows 8 look to your Android without sacrificing all of the features you’ve come to know and love about the Android OS.
What are your opinions on the Windows 8 devices? Let us know in the comments below.
Trevor is a freelance writer covering topics ranging from the Android OS to free web and desktop applications. When he is not writing about mobile productivity, He is coaching and playing the world’s greatest game… Soccer.
Our latest tutorials delivered straight to your inbox
