Third-Party Launchers No Longer Suck On Pixels Thanks To Latest Update
Rita El Khoury / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Google has taken a massive step towards fixing the animation issues that have plagued third-party launchers on Pixel phones for years.
- The fixes are currently rolling out as part of the March 2025 update.
- In our tests, animations are now far smoother on Niagara and Nova Launcher, however, some issues remain.
Third-party launchers have never felt smooth on Google’s Pixel hardware. Whether by design or due to technical issues, there always seems to be a massive animation quality gulf between them and Google’s own Pixel Launcher. However, with the March 2025 update, the company is finally addressing this issue with third-party launcher transitions.
As detailed in the update changelog, the company has issued two notable fixes:
- Fix for issues with switching between apps when using third-party launchers in certain conditions.
- General improvements for performance and stability in certain UI transitions and animations.
Out of curiosity, I compared Nova Launcher and Niagara Launcher’s animations before and after installing the update on my Pixel 8. And yes, whatever Google has tinkered with in the background has improved the overall quality of third-party launcher animations, especially when switching between apps and the home screen.
It’s a significant step in the right direction, but it isn’t a home run. Pixel Launcher remains markedly smoother and swifter, even after this latest update. While animations have always been reasonably fluid for me when using Niagara, Nova still feels decidedly jittery.
Additionally, some clear hitches are noticeable. My screen would occasionally flash black when switching between the apps list and home screens of both launchers. It’s arguably more noticeable after the update, too.
Get a feel for Nova Launcher pre-update above and post-update below.
Don’t just take my word (or video proof) for it. Other Pixel users have noted improvements, too. Redditors running Niagara and Nova have also claimed that animations are now fixed on their respective devices. Other popular launchers, like Lawnchair, are also benefitting from the update.
If you own a Google Pixel 6 or newer and run a third-party launcher, I’d advise installing the update as soon as possible. Head over to Settings > System > Software update > System update to receive the latest package.
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