How to add the Android Marshmallow app tray to any phone
Step 1. Launch the Google Play app on your phone and search for, download and install the Google Now Launcher.
Step 2. Open the Google Now Launcher and you’ll be prompted to decide whether you want to use it Just once or Always. You can choose Just once if you’re not sure you’ll like it, but it’s easy to revert to the way you had things by uninstalling the Google Now Launcher if you instead choose Always.
Step 3. Immediately you’ll notice a change to your app tray, whereby all your apps are listed alphabetically and on a clean white background. But this isn’t quite Android Marshmallow-style just yet. Also see: When will my phone get Android Marshmallow?
Step 4. Next you need to download and install the latest Google App by sideloading its APK file. You can do so by plugging the phone into a PC or Mac and copying the APK file to its Downloads folder, then opening it on a File Manager app on your phone and tapping Install. (Note that you’ll need to enable the ability to install apps from unknown sources in the Settings, Security menu first.)
To get the latest Google App APK file you can do a simple Google search, or you can directly download from Google Play the latest version. To do so you’ll need to be running the Google Chrome browser with the APK Downloader extension installed. Navigate to the Google App on Google Play and hit the Download APK button. (NOTE: It has been brought to our attention that the APK Downloader extension has been removed from the Chrome store, but there are several like it that should do a similar job. Check the Chrome Store for an APK Downloader here.) Also see: Best Android apps and Best Android games.
Step 5. Now on your phone go to Settings, Apps, Google Now Launcher and tap Clear Cache. Do the same for the Google App. Also see: Android N UK release date and feature rumours.
Step 6. Open your app tray and you should now see your frequently used apps listed at the top, and an alphabetical list of the other apps installed on your phone below.
Read next: Best Android phones 2015/2016 Follow Marie Brewis on Twitter. Marie is Editor in Chief of Tech Advisor and Macworld. A Journalism graduate from the London College of Printing, she’s worked in tech media for more than 17 years, managing our English language, French and Spanish consumer editorial teams and leading on content strategy through Foundry’s transition from print, to digital, to online - and beyond.
