 "How to install Android 4.4 KitKat launcher on any Android phone")
If you’re an Android user, then no doubt you’re itching to get your hands on 4.4 or KitKat as it’s fondly known. Nexus 4 users are in luck as Google will be officially rolling out 4.4 very soon but what about the rest of us that aren’t rocking a Nexus. It will be an easy couple of months before OEMs begin seeding this to their flagship handsets and God knows how long before it trickles even further down. Rather than ditch your ROM for custom 4.4 builds, there’s a quicker and safer option to satiate your sweet tooth. The good folks over at XDA Developers have already ported the KitKat launcher from Nexus 5 and is now available in an easy to install APK file.
Warning: While there is little to no risk in damaging your phone during this process, proceed at your own risk as we are not responsible for any issues that may occur with your device.
Now, before we proceed, this will only work as long as you have Jelly Bean 4.1 and above. If you do have it, then here’s what you need to do:
- Download the following file ‘launcher4.4.zip’.
- Once downloaded, unzip the file and you’ll have 3 APKs inside – ‘GoogleHome.apk’, ‘PrebuiltGmsCore.apk’ and ‘Velvet.apk’.
- Next, transfer all the APKs to your phone. You can place them in the root or create a new folder for them, doesn’t matter.
- Use a file manager to browse to these APKs from your phone and install them in this order – PrebuiltGmsCore.apk, Velvet.apk and GoogleHome.apk. All these files have to be installed in order for the launcher and Google Now to work correctly.
- Now, simply select the launcher by pressing the ‘Home’ button and you’re all set.
The launcher also comes with new KitKat wallpapers
We tried this on the HTC One and it worked just fine. We had an issue while installing the first file, ‘PrebuiltGmsCore.apk’. In case you’re unable to install this, simply go to Apps and uninstall the updates to ‘Google Play Services’. Now try installing the APK and it should install just fine. After this, you can proceed to install the other APKs. You’ll probably have to enable Google Now after this as it wasn’t enabled by default when we tried it. To do this, simply search for anything in using the search bar on the home screen, then scroll down and go to settings to enable Google Now.
If you’re facing any issues or have any queries, feel free to voice them below. You can also browse through the XDA thread for answers.
 "Russian drones over Poland: Trump’s tepid reaction a wake-up call for Nato?")
 "As Russia pushes east, Ukraine faces mounting pressure to defend its heartland")
 "Why Mossad was not on board with Israel’s strike on Hamas in Qatar")
 "Turkey: Erdogan's police arrest opposition mayor Hasan Mutlu, dozens officials in corruption probe")
 "Russian drones over Poland: Trump’s tepid reaction a wake-up call for Nato?")
 "As Russia pushes east, Ukraine faces mounting pressure to defend its heartland")
 "Why Mossad was not on board with Israel’s strike on Hamas in Qatar")
 "Turkey: Erdogan's police arrest opposition mayor Hasan Mutlu, dozens officials in corruption probe")
