How To Set Nova Launcher As Default On Fire Tablet

The Google Now Launcher runs on my Amazon Fire Hd 8.

Update, v/two/2019:LauncherHijack, mentioned in the mail service below, has abruptly stopped working. As the posters to this XDA Developers forum thread determined, Amazon has apparently blocked any package by that specific name from running, and working around it is every bit elementary every bit rebuilding the package with a new proper name. At that place's a link to a renamed and rebuilt APK file in the thread, and I've tried information technology and it does work—though the usual cautions most installing packages from unverified sources apply.

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I've enjoyed using my Fire Hard disk 8 tablet as my "main" Android tablet these last few months, but I finally got fed up with some of the annoyances of the built-in Burn launcher. There weren't anyhuge annoyances, which is why information technology took so long to get fed up, but finally I got tired of the lack of an app drawer where I could access an app correct abroad if I couldn't remember what folder I'd put it in. I also missed having access to launcher widgets, and the ease of swiping left to get to the Google Assistant.

The problem is, Amazon doesn't provide any easy mode to alter launchers. Some launchers volition let y'all run them manually—but my favorite launcher, the Google Now launcher, won't. It helpfully told me I needed to change the launcher setting in my settings menu, but that'due south a setting that the Fire's settings carte du jour doesn't have.

Fortunately, as with many Fire annoyances, clever Android hackers out there take come up with a manner around information technology, and you lot don't even demand to root your tablet to go far work. Hither'southward how you practice it.

1. Information technology should go without maxim, but if y'all're going to want to add a new launcher from the Play Store, you first accept to install the Play Store on your Burn. Remember, you may likewise accept to register your Fire with Google to get it to let you log into the store.
2. Install the launcher y'all desire to use, and make certain it will run on your Fire at all. (Or, in the example of Google Now, that information technology volition tell y'all to change your launcher setting.)
3. Install the latest version of LauncherHijack. You tin download information technology here. Only utilise your Fire to scan to that link and tap on the file that ends with "APK."
4. Go into your Fire'southward Settings -> Accessibility menu, scroll downward to the very bottom, and make sure that "To detect habitation push button printing" is set to "on." (This selection won't appear until yous've installed LauncherHijack, so practise that first.) It may warn you lot that this type of option can allow someone to steal anything you type in, such as credit card numbers—that's a standard alarm for any plug-in that can intercept device input, such equally a custom keyboard, so don't pay it too much heed.
5. Run LauncherHijack, and tap on the launcher y'all want to use. If the launcher doesn't appear on the listing, y'all may need to restart the tablet and try over again. On some tablets, I've had to restart a couple of times before it started working.
6. If you desire to change launchers back, run LauncherHijack and tap the triple-dot "options" icon at the top right. Uncheck the box to hide system files and the Fire'southward default launcher, "Home," should appear in the listing.

And that should be that. For more information, see LauncherHijack's homepage on the XDA Android hacking forums.

Changing the launcher brings the Fire up to virtually 90% as useful as a "real" Android tablet. There are still a few little differences in the manner the Burn down does things—the settings menus and link-sharing dialogue are still FireOS's, amidst other things—but if you've been frustrated that you couldn't get the launcher to act like you wanted it to, this should allow you to modify that.

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Source: https://teleread.org/2018/07/07/how-to-install-a-new-launcher-on-amazons-fire-tablet/

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