How to make Android look like iOS
If you’re mostly happy with your Android phone but long for a more iPhone-like look to the software interface, there’s an app for that. Called launchers, they can revolutionize the look and feel of your phone’s operating system. Some of them specialize in iOS aesthetics and can transform your Android device to look almost identical to Apple’s.
As interesting as that sounds, keep in mind that this is just a surface-level change, so you won’t suddenly get FaceTime or iMessage on your Samsung. Your apps and system settings remain the same, and data like contacts and text messages remain unchanged.
Once you install and set it up, the launcher wraps everything in a different interface so you can enjoy the polished design of iOS without having to pay for your own iPhone or sign up for Apple services.
And if you change your mind along the way and want to get back to your Android ways, know it’s easy to reverse the process.
How launchers work
Android is known for being more customizable than iOS, and launchers are a good example. Essentially, they take over whenever you boot up your phone or return to the home screen, controlling the layout of your apps, what your notifications and lock screen look like, and even how you navigate screens and menus.
[Related: 4 ways to know if iOS or Android is better for you]
But all of these changes are happening on Android, so think of launchers as new coats of paint for your phone’s interface. You still have the same apps underneath, and the settings you configure (e.g. do not disturb modes) work the same.
You can easily switch between launchers, but the option doesn’t appear until you install a third-party. Select in settings applications, Default Appsand then home app to make your choice. If you no longer want to use a particular launcher app, you can easily uninstall it: tap and hold its icon in the app drawer, then drag it to the Uninstall button above.
Launcher iOS 16
As the name suggests, Launcher iOS 16 is updated with the latest iOS 16 look, but it doesn’t have all the features yet, so you won’t see the lock screen changes in this launcher, for example. What you get are iOS-like icons, widgets, and app folders.
Installing the launcher gives you a long list of customization options to set up, from the size of the app icons on your home screen to having the launcher mimic the app library feature on iOS. It can even make your standard Google app icons look like standard Apple app icons, making the Google Meet icon look like it’s FaceTime, for example.
In the launcher, you can tap control center to change how you access this iOS-like settings panel and what options appear on it. Going through all the available configurations will take some time, but the app gives you full control over how the software interface looks.
Launcher iOS 16 is free to use but you have to watch some ads.
Phone 13 launcher
Another iOS launcher option is the somewhat confusingly named Phone 13 launcher. This is another comprehensive iOS-style launcher that gives you an app grid, wallpapers, lock screen options, and search options to copy what Apple has done on its own smartphones.
Start by choosing your wallpaper and then focus on arranging your apps on the home screen however you like. The launcher can replace Android icons with their iOS equivalents – for the main Settings app, for example – and has a very authentic-looking control center that you can access with a swipe.
There are even options such as scroll effect and font style to really dig deep into the details of your iOS-like interface, and you even get Apple-style notification badges over the app icons if you so choose.
Phone 13 Launcher is also free to use, but just like the previous entry on our list, it comes with some ads.
The app is particularly good at putting widgets on your home screen that look just like the ones you get for things like weather and battery life on the iPhone. Launcher iOS 15 is also capable of updating standard Android app icons to look like their iOS equivalents, it comes with its own versions of the Control Center and App Library, and you can also choose between dark and toggle light modes.
Even the main settings panel for the app looks like iOS: it covers everything from the size of the navigation bar (via writing desk) to the folder management system for apps (via App Library).
As with the other options in our list, the app is free and ad-supported.