{"package_name":"com.google.android.apps.nexuslauncher","label":"Pixel Launcher","device_count":20,"observation_count":73,"user_facing_count":0,"first_seen":"2025-05-04T16:17:28Z","last_seen":"2026-11-01T22:26:21Z","guidance":{"summary":"Google's home screen app for Pixel devices. Its English label on this site is \"Pixel Launcher\" (a few English observations record plain \"Launcher\"), and it is recorded on 18 device entries: 17 under the Google make (Pixel 6 through Pixel 10 Pro, plus three sdk_gphone emulator images) and one Samsung SM-F971B entry at API 37. Where this site holds signer data, which is 9 of those 18 entries and all of them Google-make, the key is classified as Google and is not one that also signs the Android framework. The aggregate signer record additionally lists HP as a make, which does not appear in this package's device list; that discrepancy could not be explained here. Google publishes no source for this package, so what follows describes the AOSP code it is treated as a variant of rather than a documented account of Google's binary.\n\nThe open source counterpart is Launcher3, package com.android.launcher3. Its manifest declares the main launcher activity with the HOME category, and its Quickstep manifest adds com.android.quickstep.TouchInteractionService (behind the action android.intent.action.QUICKSTEP_SERVICE) and com.android.quickstep.RecentsActivity. The platform's default configuration names com.android.launcher3/com.android.quickstep.RecentsActivity as the component \"presenting the Recents UI\" and tells builders to change it when using a different default launcher. A LineageOS tooling script that resolves the targets of Pixel resource overlays maps com.google.android.apps.nexuslauncher to com.android.launcher3, which is a community reading of the relationship rather than a Google statement. The permission list this site records for the Google package includes START_TASKS_FROM_RECENTS, REMOVE_TASKS, MANAGE_ACTIVITY_TASKS and STATUS_BAR_SERVICE, all of which the Quickstep manifest also requests. This site aggregates permissions across observations rather than per build. Taken together this suggests the Pixel package carries the recents and gesture components as well as the home screen, but which component a given Pixel build configures for recents could not be sourced.\n\nVersion note: this site records version names from 13 to 17 on builds from API 31 to API 37. No change to the package's role across those releases could be sourced.\n\nFor Android Enterprise, EMM and kiosk use, the Android Management API documents kioskCustomLauncherEnabled, which \"replaces the home screen with a launcher that locks down the device to the apps installed via the applications setting\". That is the documented way to take the home screen away from this package on a dedicated device, and it does not involve disabling it. If this package also provides the recents and gesture components on a given build, as the evidence above suggests, disabling it could affect those as well as the home screen; the result could not be established here. Treat it with caution and make sure another home app is in place before considering it.","safe_to_disable":"caution","sources":[{"title":"Launcher3 AndroidManifest.xml (main launcher activity, HOME category) - Android source","url":"https://android.googlesource.com/platform/packages/apps/Launcher3/+/refs/heads/main/AndroidManifest.xml"},{"title":"Launcher3 Quickstep AndroidManifest.xml (TouchInteractionService, RecentsActivity) - Android source","url":"https://android.googlesource.com/platform/packages/apps/Launcher3/+/refs/heads/main/quickstep/AndroidManifest.xml"},{"title":"Framework config.xml (config_recentsComponentName) - Android platform source","url":"https://android.googlesource.com/platform/frameworks/base/+/refs/heads/main/core/res/res/values/config.xml"},{"title":"dev/rro/target_package.py (overlay target package map) - LineageOS scripts","url":"https://github.com/LineageOS/scripts/blob/be7611c989852c9fe66b539c9573099b4c8cf923/dev/rro/target_package.py"},{"title":"enterprises.policies (kioskCustomLauncherEnabled) - Android Management API reference","url":"https://developers.google.com/android/management/reference/rest/v1/enterprises.policies"},{"title":"Package provenance for com.google.android.apps.nexuslauncher - Android System App Database","url":"https://sysapps.bayton.org/api/packages/com.google.android.apps.nexuslauncher"}],"last_verified":"2026-10-08T00:00:00Z"},"labels":[{"label":"Pixel Launcher","locale":"en-us","count":45},{"label":"Pixel Launcher","locale":"nl-NL","count":27},{"label":"Pixel Launcher","locale":"en","count":23},{"label":"Pixel Launcher","locale":"en-gb","count":12},{"label":"Launcher","locale":"en","count":6},{"label":"Launcher","locale":"en-gb","count":4},{"label":"Pixel Launcher","locale":"en-GB","count":4},{"label":"Pixel Launcher","locale":"","count":3},{"label":"Pixel Launcher","locale":"nl-nl","count":3},{"label":"Launcher","locale":"en-us","count":1},{"label":"Pixel Launcher","locale":"en-au","count":1},{"label":"Pixel Launcher","locale":"en-ca-u-fw-mon-mu-celsius","count":1},{"label":"Pixel Launcher","locale":"en-de","count":1},{"label":"Pixel Launcher","locale":"en-us-u-fw-mon-ms-ussystem-mu-fahrenhe","count":1}],"seen_on_pagination":{"paging_mode":"complete","limit":20,"offset":0,"has_more":false,"next_offset":null,"after":null,"next_after":null,"total":20},"seen_on":[{"device_id":9194,"make":"ASUS","model":"ASUS Googlebook 14","os_api":"37","observation_count":1,"user_facing_count":0,"last_seen":"2026-10-12T17:29:23Z","provenance":{"classification":"google","sha256":"a86bdb059f28f265162d64ce6c8d9772901d227e741581d1f04a5ed132a574d0"}},{"device_id":9405,"make":"Dell","model":"XPS Googlebook","os_api":"37","observation_count":2,"user_facing_count":0,"last_seen":"2026-11-01T22:26:21Z","provenance":{"classification":"google","sha256":"a86bdb059f28f265162d64ce6c8d9772901d227e741581d1f04a5ed132a574d0"}},{"device_id":325,"make":"Google","model":"Pixel 10 Pro","os_api":"36","observation_count":1,"user_facing_count":0,"last_seen":"2026-03-26T19:19:08Z","provenance":{"classification":"google","sha256":"a86bdb059f28f265162d64ce6c8d9772901d227e741581d1f04a5ed132a574d0"}},{"device_id":358,"make":"Google","model":"Pixel 10 Pro","os_api":"37","observation_count":1,"user_facing_count":0,"last_seen":"2026-11-01T22:09:43Z","provenance":{"classification":"google","sha256":"a86bdb059f28f265162d64ce6c8d9772901d227e741581d1f04a5ed132a574d0"}},{"device_id":63,"make":"Google","model":"Pixel 6","os_api":"31","observation_count":1,"user_facing_count":0,"last_seen":"2025-06-22T21:31:08Z"},{"device_id":203,"make":"Google","model":"Pixel 6","os_api":"36","observation_count":1,"user_facing_count":0,"last_seen":"2025-10-13T09:58:56Z"},{"device_id":9,"make":"Google","model":"Pixel 6 Pro","os_api":"35","observation_count":9,"user_facing_count":0,"last_seen":"2025-06-23T14:09:38Z"},{"device_id":313,"make":"Google","model":"Pixel 7","os_api":"33","observation_count":1,"user_facing_count":0,"last_seen":"2026-02-19T22:30:10Z","provenance":{"classification":"google","sha256":"a86bdb059f28f265162d64ce6c8d9772901d227e741581d1f04a5ed132a574d0"}},{"device_id":318,"make":"Google","model":"Pixel 7 Pro","os_api":"36","observation_count":1,"user_facing_count":0,"last_seen":"2026-03-09T09:38:09Z","provenance":{"classification":"google","sha256":"a86bdb059f28f265162d64ce6c8d9772901d227e741581d1f04a5ed132a574d0"}},{"device_id":93,"make":"Google","model":"Pixel 8","os_api":"36","observation_count":4,"user_facing_count":0,"last_seen":"2026-06-03T19:01:11Z"},{"device_id":198,"make":"Google","model":"Pixel 8a","os_api":"35","observation_count":1,"user_facing_count":0,"last_seen":"2025-10-05T18:31:57Z"},{"device_id":6,"make":"Google","model":"Pixel 9 Pro XL","os_api":"36","observation_count":21,"user_facing_count":0,"last_seen":"2026-03-29T03:46:05Z","provenance":{"classification":"google","sha256":"a86bdb059f28f265162d64ce6c8d9772901d227e741581d1f04a5ed132a574d0"}},{"device_id":348,"make":"Google","model":"Pixel 9 Pro XL","os_api":"37","observation_count":2,"user_facing_count":0,"last_seen":"2026-10-26T00:10:46Z","provenance":{"classification":"google","sha256":"a86bdb059f28f265162d64ce6c8d9772901d227e741581d1f04a5ed132a574d0"}},{"device_id":47,"make":"Google","model":"Pixel 9a","os_api":"35","observation_count":1,"user_facing_count":0,"last_seen":"2025-06-15T16:13:40Z"},{"device_id":108,"make":"Google","model":"Pixel 9a","os_api":"36","observation_count":6,"user_facing_count":0,"last_seen":"2026-06-02T15:57:40Z","provenance":{"classification":"google","sha256":"a86bdb059f28f265162d64ce6c8d9772901d227e741581d1f04a5ed132a574d0"}},{"device_id":3574,"make":"Google","model":"Pixel 9a","os_api":"37","observation_count":1,"user_facing_count":0,"last_seen":"2026-07-16T23:51:20Z"},{"device_id":222,"make":"Google","model":"sdk_gphone16k_arm64","os_api":"36","observation_count":5,"user_facing_count":0,"last_seen":"2026-09-02T19:10:01Z","provenance":{"classification":"google","sha256":"4b4d9abde8f3d6987558c76e261e6fe9d3c7cc299ebef22d56df6321dbae3562"}},{"device_id":51,"make":"Google","model":"sdk_gphone64_arm64","os_api":"36","observation_count":5,"user_facing_count":0,"last_seen":"2025-12-02T01:02:14Z"},{"device_id":91,"make":"Google","model":"sdk_gphone64_x86_64","os_api":"31","observation_count":7,"user_facing_count":0,"last_seen":"2026-10-10T09:32:23Z","provenance":{"classification":"google","sha256":"4b4d9abde8f3d6987558c76e261e6fe9d3c7cc299ebef22d56df6321dbae3562"}},{"device_id":8826,"make":"HP","model":"HP Googlebook 14","os_api":"37","observation_count":2,"user_facing_count":0,"last_seen":"2026-10-10T11:49:52Z","provenance":{"classification":"google","sha256":"a86bdb059f28f265162d64ce6c8d9772901d227e741581d1f04a5ed132a574d0"}}],"intelligence":{"insights":["Signed by Google's own signing key (the same key Google uses across devices), so it is a Google-provided preinstall that updates independently of the system image, though 2 different Google signing keys appear across the fleet. This certificate spans 4 device makes - the hallmark of a globally distributed Google key.","Its largest observed manifest declares 73 permissions: 5 runtime (user-granted), 35 signature or system-level, 9 install-time and 24 vendor or uncatalogued.","APK size ranges from 9.7 MB to 18.0 MB across the reporting device profiles, so the build differs substantially between them.","Never reported as user-facing, so it runs as a background or system component rather than an app the user opens."],"device_profiles":13,"signer_count":2,"signer_consistent":false,"max_permission_count":73,"min_size_bytes":10152158,"max_size_bytes":18913358,"min_target_sdk":30,"max_target_sdk":10000,"oldest_version":"12","newest_version":"17","has_third_party_preinstall":false,"genuine_third_party":false,"play_eligible_count":0,"signers":[{"sha256":"a86bdb059f28f265162d64ce6c8d9772901d227e741581d1f04a5ed132a574d0","classification":"google","observation_count":57,"makes":["ASUS","Dell","Google","HP"],"signs_framework":false,"global_make_count":4,"global_package_count":1,"global_observation_count":57},{"sha256":"4b4d9abde8f3d6987558c76e261e6fe9d3c7cc299ebef22d56df6321dbae3562","classification":"google","observation_count":2,"makes":["Google"],"signs_framework":false,"global_make_count":1,"global_package_count":1,"global_observation_count":2}],"permissions":[{"permission":"android.permission.ACCESS_CONTEXTUAL_SEARCH","description":"Signature or privileged system permission.","official":false},{"permission":"android.permission.ACCESS_HIDDEN_PROFILES_FULL","description":"Signature or privileged system permission.","official":false},{"permission":"android.permission.ACCESS_NETWORK_STATE","description":"Allows the app to view information about network connections such as which networks exist and are connected.","official":true},{"permission":"android.permission.ACCESS_OUT_OF_PROCESS_RENDERING","official":false},{"permission":"android.permission.ACCESS_SHORTCUTS","description":"Signature-level system permission, for platform-signed apps.","official":false},{"permission":"android.permission.ALLOW_SLIPPERY_TOUCHES","description":"Signature or privileged system permission.","official":false},{"permission":"android.permission.BIND_APPWIDGET","description":"Signature or privileged system permission.","official":false,"doc":{"title":"Build a widget host","url":"https://developer.android.com/develop/ui/views/appwidgets/host"}},{"permission":"android.permission.BIND_QUICK_SETTINGS_TILE","description":"Signature-level system permission, for platform-signed apps.","official":false,"doc":{"title":"Quick Settings tiles","url":"https://developer.android.com/develop/ui/views/quicksettings-tiles/index"}},{"permission":"android.permission.BROADCAST_CLOSE_SYSTEM_DIALOGS","description":"Signature or privileged system permission.","official":false,"doc":{"title":"Behavior changes: all apps","url":"https://developer.android.com/about/versions/12/behavior-changes-all"}},{"permission":"android.permission.CALL_PHONE","description":"Allows the app to call phone numbers without your intervention. This may result in unexpected charges or calls. Note that this doesn't allow the app to call emergency numbers. Malicious apps may cost you money by making calls without your confirmation, or dial carrier codes which cause incoming calls to be automatically forwarded to another number.","official":true},{"permission":"android.permission.CHANGE_WIFI_STATE","description":"Allows the app to connect to and disconnect from Wi-Fi access points and to make changes to device configuration for Wi-Fi networks.","official":true},{"permission":"android.permission.CONTROL_REMOTE_APP_TRANSITION_ANIMATIONS","description":"Signature or privileged system permission.","official":false},{"permission":"android.permission.DEVICE_POWER","description":"Signature-level system permission, for platform-signed apps.","official":false},{"permission":"android.permission.EXECUTE_APP_FUNCTIONS_SYSTEM","official":false},{"permission":"android.permission.EXPAND_STATUS_BAR","description":"Allows the app to expand or collapse the status bar.","official":true},{"permission":"android.permission.GET_ROLE_HOLDERS","official":false},{"permission":"android.permission.GET_TOP_ACTIVITY_INFO","description":"Signature-level system permission, for platform-signed apps.","official":false},{"permission":"android.permission.INTERNAL_SYSTEM_WINDOW","description":"Signature-level system permission, for platform-signed apps.","official":false},{"permission":"android.permission.LAUNCH_DEFAULT_SEARCH_ENGINE_SETTINGS","official":false},{"permission":"android.permission.LOCK_APPS","official":false},{"permission":"android.permission.MANAGE_ACCESSIBILITY","description":"Signature-level system permission, for platform-signed apps.","official":false},{"permission":"android.permission.MANAGE_ACTIVITY_TASKS","description":"Signature-level system permission, for platform-signed apps.","official":false},{"permission":"android.permission.MANAGE_KEY_GESTURES","description":"Signature-level system permission, for platform-signed apps.","official":false},{"permission":"android.permission.MONITOR_INPUT","description":"Signature-level system permission, for platform-signed apps.","official":false},{"permission":"android.permission.OBSERVE_ROLE_HOLDERS","description":"Signature-level system permission, for platform-signed apps.","official":false},{"permission":"android.permission.PACKAGE_USAGE_STATS","description":"Signature or privileged system permission.","official":false},{"permission":"android.permission.PERSONAL_CONTEXT_HOST_INSIGHT_SURFACE","official":false},{"permission":"android.permission.PERSONAL_CONTEXT_PUBLISH_HINTS","official":false},{"permission":"android.permission.PERSONAL_CONTEXT_READ_SETTINGS","official":false},{"permission":"android.permission.PERSONAL_CONTEXT_RECEIVE_INSIGHTS","official":false},{"permission":"android.permission.POST_NOTIFICATIONS","description":"Allows the app to show notifications","official":true},{"permission":"android.permission.QUERY_ALL_PACKAGES","description":"Allows an app to see all installed packages.","official":true},{"permission":"android.permission.READ_CONTACTS","description":"Allows the app to read data about your contacts stored on your phone. Apps will also have access to the accounts on your phone that have created contacts. This may include accounts created by apps you have installed. This permission allows apps to save your contact data, and malicious apps may share contact data without your knowledge.","official":true},{"permission":"android.permission.READ_DEVICE_CONFIG","description":"Signature-level system permission, for platform-signed apps.","official":false},{"permission":"android.permission.READ_EXTERNAL_STORAGE","description":"Allows the app to read the contents of your shared storage.","official":true},{"permission":"android.permission.READ_FRAME_BUFFER","description":"Signature-level system permission, for platform-signed apps.","official":false},{"permission":"android.permission.READ_REMOTE_TASKS","official":false},{"permission":"android.permission.READ_SEARCH_INDEXABLES","description":"Signature or privileged system permission.","official":false},{"permission":"android.permission.READ_WALLPAPER_INTERNAL","description":"Signature or privileged system permission.","official":false},{"permission":"android.permission.RECEIVE_BOOT_COMPLETED","description":"Allows the app to have itself started as soon as the system has finished booting. This can make it take longer to start the phone and allow the app to slow down the overall phone by always running.","official":true},{"permission":"android.permission.REGISTER_STATS_PULL_ATOM","description":"Signature or privileged system permission.","official":false},{"permission":"android.permission.REMOVE_TASKS","description":"Signature-level system permission, for platform-signed apps.","official":false},{"permission":"android.permission.REQUEST_DELETE_PACKAGES","description":"Allows an application to request deletion of packages.","official":true},{"permission":"android.permission.REQUEST_TASK_HANDOFF","official":false},{"permission":"android.permission.ROTATE_SURFACE_FLINGER","description":"Signature-level system permission, for platform-signed apps.","official":false},{"permission":"android.permission.SET_ORIENTATION","description":"Signature-level system permission, for platform-signed apps.","official":false},{"permission":"android.permission.SET_UNRESTRICTED_KEEP_CLEAR_AREAS","description":"Signature or privileged system permission.","official":false},{"permission":"android.permission.SET_WALLPAPER","description":"Allows the app to set the system wallpaper.","official":true},{"permission":"android.permission.SET_WALLPAPER_HINTS","description":"Allows the app to set the system wallpaper size hints.","official":true},{"permission":"android.permission.START_ACTIVITIES_ON_LOGIN_SCREEN","official":false},{"permission":"android.permission.START_TASKS_FROM_RECENTS","description":"Signature or privileged system permission.","official":false},{"permission":"android.permission.STATUS_BAR","description":"Signature or privileged system permission.","official":false},{"permission":"android.permission.STATUS_BAR_SERVICE","description":"Signature-level system permission, for platform-signed apps.","official":false},{"permission":"android.permission.STOP_APP_SWITCHES","description":"Signature or privileged system permission.","official":false},{"permission":"android.permission.SYSTEM_APPLICATION_OVERLAY","description":"Signature-level system permission, for platform-signed apps.","official":false},{"permission":"android.permission.USE_ON_DEVICE_INTELLIGENCE","description":"Signature or privileged system permission.","official":false},{"permission":"android.permission.VIBRATE","description":"Allows the app to control the vibrator.","official":true},{"permission":"android.permission.VIEW_INSTANT_APPS","description":"Signature-level system permission, for platform-signed apps.","official":false},{"permission":"android.permission.WAKEUP_SURFACE_FLINGER","description":"Signature-level system permission, for platform-signed apps.","official":false},{"permission":"android.permission.WRITE_CONTACTS","description":"Allows the app to modify the data about your contacts stored on your phone. This permission allows apps to delete contact data.","official":true},{"permission":"android.permission.WRITE_SECURE_SETTINGS","description":"Signature or privileged system permission.","official":false},{"permission":"com.android.systemui.permission.LAUNCH_ACCESSIBILITY_SHORTCUT_CHOOSER_DIALOG","official":false},{"permission":"com.google.android.apps.miphone.aiai.matchmaker.overview.service.BIND_SERVICE","official":false},{"permission":"com.google.android.apps.nexuslauncher.DYNAMIC_RECEIVER_NOT_EXPORTED_PERMISSION","official":false},{"permission":"com.google.android.apps.nexuslauncher.permission.GRID_CONTROL","official":false},{"permission":"com.google.android.apps.nexuslauncher.permission.HOTSEAT_EDU","official":false},{"permission":"com.google.android.apps.nexuslauncher.permission.QSB","official":false},{"permission":"com.google.android.apps.pixel.relationships.permission.LAUNCH_MAIN","official":false},{"permission":"com.google.android.apps.pixel.support.LAUNCH_PC","official":false},{"permission":"com.google.android.apps.wallpaper.permission.RECENT_WALLPAPERS_PROVIDER","official":false},{"permission":"com.google.android.as.allapps.SUGGESTION_CONSUMER","official":false},{"permission":"com.google.android.finsky.permission.DSE","official":false},{"permission":"com.google.android.launcher.permission.READ_SETTINGS","official":false}]},"previews":{"labels":{"kind":"preview","limit":60,"total":14,"truncated":false,"collection_url":"/api/packages/com.google.android.apps.nexuslauncher/labels"}},"collections":{"labels":"/api/packages/com.google.android.apps.nexuslauncher/labels","seen_on":"/api/packages/com.google.android.apps.nexuslauncher/seen_on"}}