Launchers are one of Android’s most powerful and unusual features — and yet, they’re also one of the platform’s least understood elements.

Ask an average Android phone owner what launcher they’re using, and odds are, you’ll get little more than a quizzical look (and maybe a swift kick to the shin) in return. Ask a power user about their launcher preferences, though, and you’re likely to launch yourself into a 45-minute conversation about the merits of all the latest options.

Me? I’ve always fallen into that latter camp (which comes as a huge surprise, I’m sure). I’ve loved the presence of Android launchers since way back in the days of Froyo — a dated and nerdy enough reference at this point that if you understand it, you’re probably a fan of Android launchers, too. And in case you aren’t familiar with Android launchers yet, they’re specialty apps that replace your entire home screen and app drawer environment with something different — something that’s typically more customizable and often less cluttered than your phone’s default setup.

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