Android 8.0 Oreo update is the most-anticipated software release for millions of Android users around the world, but not everyone's lucky enough to get it. The first preference, of course, is given to Google's own Pixel series, followed by some Nexus smartphones before being rolled out to third-party smartphones.
The flagship smartphones released this year, like the Samsung Galaxy S8 series, Galaxy Note 8 series, LG G6 and OnePlus 5, will be updated sooner than other phones, but it is a tradition to mark calendars in the anticipation of new Android software. In fact, there are many companies still rolling out Android Nougat to their smartphones, so anyone can assess the extent of the wait here.
For the impatient lot, one way to get Android Oreo is to buy a Pixel smartphone and another is to root the phone (void its warranty) and install a custom ROM based on Android Oreo. But those are not convenient options, so here's an alternative, which works quite favourably to all Android smartphones.
Since not every unrooted Android smartphone is eligible for Android 8.0 Oreo, it is rather easier to get a taste of Android Oreo without upgrading or risking your phone from getting bricked.
How to get Android 8.0 Oreo experience on any smartphone
Popular developer Amir Zaidi, who has brought Pixel-like features to other smartphones in the past, has updated the recently-released Launcher 3-based Pixel Launcher port with Android Oreo customisations. This is the closest any Android smartphone user can get to Android Oreo without rooting the phone or owning a compatible device.
Zaidi's Pixel Launcher v2.1 is available on GitHub. You can download the launcher from your Android smartphone, go to Settings then Security and enable Unknown Sources option. If you have a previous version of Pixel Launcher installed on your phone, make sure it is uninstalled.
Then go to Downloads app, and tap on the APK file and hit Install.
Once the installation is complete, go to home. Select Launcher3 from the list of apps and select Always to make it your default launcher. Once that's done, you have the updated Launcher3 on your phone, complete with Android Oreo customizations.
Launcher3 features:
- Pull down for notifications
- Oreo theme backported to older OS versions with Pixel Blue accent colour
- Notification dots backported to Marshmallow
- Automatically prompts for notification access so you won't have to dig through settings menus
- Fix Android 8 checks so Nexus devices can use all new features
- Show icon shapes on Android 8 without developer settings enabled
- Pressing the date widget opens the default calendar app
- Keyboard properly closes when returning to the home screen from any app
- Symmetrical hotseat
- Filter Google Now Launcher from the apps list
- Pinch to overview
- Samsung Secure Folder compatibility
- Backport of circle icons
