Action Launcher v47 update brings iOS-style widget stacks to Android

Update 1 (03/26/2021 @ 06:56 PM ET): Action Launcher v47 has exited beta, bringing with it a new iOS-style widget stack feature. Click here for more information. The article, as published on February 5, 2021, is preserved below.

In a not so distant past, Android enthusiasts used to have hot debates over what they thought was the absolute best Android launcher, with users often divided between camp Nova and camp Action Launcher. We don’t see such fervent debates anymore as most launchers have matured to a stable feature set. But to this date, both Nova and Action Launcher remain top picks for anyone who wants to take their homescreen customization game to the next level. And the best part is that both launchers keep adding new features to keep users up-to-date with the latest customization trends. Take, for example, this new update to the Action Launcher, which now brings iPhone-style widget stacks to all Android phones.

Widgets have been part of Android since the Eclair days. It was only with the latest iOS 14 update that Apple finally brought them to iPhones, letting iOS users enjoy something that Android had for a good decade at that point. However, Apple’s implementation has one nifty touch that its Android counterpart doesn’t have: the ability to stack different widgets on top of each other for easier access. With the Action Launcher v47 beta 2 (via Android Police), you can finally do that with your Android widgets as well. Widgets stacks make for a much cleaner homescreen as you don’t have to allot a chunk of screen real estate for each widget.

The idea is very simple: you drop an empty container on your home screen and then start layering your favorite widgets one by one in it. You can then swipe vertically on the box to cycle between them, as you can see in the demo below.

The Stacks Widgets feature is now live in the latest beta of Action Launcher but it requires the Plus version. If you’re not on the beta channel, you can join the program here.

Action Launcher v47 Beta 2 Update Changelog:

• Introducing widget stacks! Layer widgets on top of each other, and page through them with a vertical flick! Select “Widget Stack” from Action Launcher’s widget list and get stacking!
• 2021 Supporter Badge! This year’s bonus goodies include 6 awesome wallpapers!

Action Launcher: Pixel Edition (Free⁺, Google Play) →

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Update 1: Action Launcher v47 now out of beta

As we reported last month, Action Launcher v47 added iOS-style widget stacks, a feature that lets you layer widgets on top of one another and scroll through them with a vertical flick. In a blog post, Chris Lacy, the developer of the custom launcher, announced that v47 is now out of beta. Here’s a GIF that shows the new feature in action:

To create a widget stack, simply open Action Launcher’s widget list and begin adding as many widgets to a stack as you’d like. According to Lacy, Action Launcher’s widget stack implementation can even handle vertically scrolling on widgets that themselves scroll (eg. Gmail or Google Calendar). Swiping the left or right edge of the widget stack will scroll to the next widget while swiping in from the edge scrolls the widget itself (if supported).

The post Action Launcher v47 update brings iOS-style widget stacks to Android appeared first on xda-developers.

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