Android 17 introduces app name hiding on Pixel; guide ranks top launchers

Google’s Android 17 update, rolled out on June 16, adds a new home‑screen option for Pixel devices that lets users hide the labels under app icons. After updating to Android 17, users can press and hold a blank area of the home screen, select Wallpaper & style → Icons → Names and toggle off Show app names, removing the text from home‑screen icons while keeping names in the app drawer.

A separate guide reviews the five best Android launchers for 2026—Nova Launcher, Microsoft Launcher, Niagara Launcher, Smart Launcher and Octopi Launcher—highlighting each app’s strengths such as deep customization, productivity integration, minimalist design, privacy features and performance on foldable devices. The guide explains how launchers replace the default home screen, app drawer and gestures without rooting the device and can be switched in under five minutes.