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Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
63,490
30,731


A popular launcher on the Google Play Store that looks to recreate the iOS experience on Android smartphones has surpassed 50 million downloads as it gets updated with design changes and features coming to the iPhone with iOS 16.

ios-16-android-launcher-1.jpg

The app is not new to the Google Play Store and has been recreating the iOS experience on Android for the last three years. Starting with iOS 13 and for every subsequent major iOS release, the app has been updated to reflect changes made to iOS.

The copycat iOS launcher, named "Launcher iOS 16," recreates the iOS Home Screen, dock, Force Touch menus on apps, "jiggle mode," App Library, iOS-styled widgets, and more. The launcher also replaces app icons with iOS icons, such as Messages, Notes, Camera, and even the Play Store has Apple's App Store icon.

In standard Android nature, the launcher provides users with customization features not even offered to iPhone users, such as being able to customize the categorization of apps in App Library, tweak home screen animations, easily rename apps, and more.

ios-16-android-launcher-3.jpg

The app, clearly well known in the Android community, was given additional exposure on Twitter earlier this week. The largest change to iOS 16, the redesigned Lock Screen, made headlining news following Apple's WWDC in June. The widespread coverage of the new Lock Screen may have prompted additional downloads for the launcher from users eyeing to try out Apple's latest design. Unfortunately, this launcher does not sport the iOS 16 Lock Screen, at least not yet.

For those unfamiliar with Android launchers, they're programs that run on the device's home screen with their own design, personalization features, and options other than those offered by the device's original maker. As a matter of fact, casually browsing the Google Play Store, dozens of launchers promise to recreate the iOS experience on Android, with the vast majority having over one million downloads each.

Article Link: Copycat iOS Launcher on Android Surpasses 50 Million Downloads
 

Unggoy Murderer

macrumors 65816
Jan 28, 2011
1,151
3,983
Edinburgh, UK
What are you guys talking about? "Buy an iPhone" I can think of dozens of reasons why somebody would like to trial iOS (admittedly, a much, much worse version), mainly if they already have a working functional phone.
Almost all of the brilliant things on iOS are the things you can't dress up.

If people want to trial an iPhone, go to a phone store and play with a real one. Or, just buy one and if it's not for them, return to Apple within 14 days for a full refund.
 

Frankras

macrumors regular
Mar 9, 2012
221
150
Almost all of the brilliant things on iOS are the things you can't dress up.

If people want to trial an iPhone, go to a phone store and play with a real one. Or, just buy one and if it's not for them, return to Apple within 14 days for a full refund.
It's not all countries where You can use an iPhone for 14 days and then return it.
 

-BigMac-

macrumors demi-god
Apr 15, 2011
2,478
2,805
Melbourne, Australia
Apple should 1000% sue the developers of iOS launchers.

I mean, an Apple logo, which resembles an APPLE which is a FRUIT, will get sued to the f***ing ground.
But copying half their Operating System, down to the actual App icons doesn't?

Can someone shed some light onto it for me? The decision making here doesn't make sense...
 

ph001bi

macrumors 6502a
May 26, 2015
592
1,334
London


A popular launcher on the Google Play Store that looks to recreate the iOS experience on Android smartphones has surpassed 50 million downloads as it gets updated with design changes and features coming to the iPhone with iOS 16.

ios-16-android-launcher-1.jpg

The app is not new to the Google Play Store and has been recreating the iOS experience on Android for the last three years. Starting with iOS 13 and for every subsequent major iOS release, the app has been updated to reflect changes made to iOS.

The copycat iOS launcher, named "Launcher iOS 16," recreates the iOS Home Screen, dock, Force Touch menus on apps, "jiggle mode," App Library, iOS-styled widgets, and more. The launcher also replaces app icons with iOS icons, such as Messages, Notes, Camera, and even the Play Store has Apple's App Store icon.

In standard Android nature, the launcher provides users with customization features not even offered to iPhone users, such as being able to customize the categorization of apps in App Library, tweak home screen animations, easily rename apps, and more.

ios-16-android-launcher-3.jpg

The app, clearly well known in the Android community, was given additional exposure on Twitter earlier this week. The largest change to iOS 16, the redesigned Lock Screen, made headlining news following Apple's WWDC in June. The widespread coverage of the new Lock Screen may have prompted additional downloads for the launcher from users eyeing to try out Apple's latest design. Unfortunately, this launcher does not sport the iOS 16 Lock Screen, at least not yet.

For those unfamiliar with Android launchers, they're programs that run on the device's home screen with their own design, personalization features, and options other than those offered by the device's original maker. As a matter of fact, casually browsing the Google Play Store, dozens of launchers promise to recreate the iOS experience on Android, with the vast majority having over one million downloads each.

Article Link: Copycat iOS Launcher on Android Surpasses 50 Million Downloads
https://www.macrumors.com/2022/08/19/copycat-ios-launcher-android-50-million-downloads/
A few years back one of my favourite game was changing the launchers on Android phones and tablets by one of these while browsing in a shop. The face on the next customer or the sales guy looking at the device afterwards, priceless. I used to carry around a mini usb stick with Stardock on it. The PCs would reboot with what looked like MacOS. I clearly had too much free time back then.
 

unrigestered

Suspended
Jun 17, 2022
879
840
so what? some people use Grand Canyon images as their desktop backgrounds, yet they aren't living there... and maybe haven't even been there once?

it's not a bad thing at all. i wouldn't want to make my system copy the look of another too, but at least there are means to change the look (and behavior) to whatever one likes (or simply keep the stock one, which is also perfectly fine)
iOS users are just restricted to the latter option though, even if they liked to have a custom look / or OS behavior
 
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