I used HyperDroid to make my Android devices look and feel like Windows 11 – and don’t regret it
I used HyperDroid to make my Android devices look and feel like Windows 11 – and don’t regret it
https://www.zdnet.com/article/hyperdroid-android-launcher-made-phone-tablet-look-like-windows-11/
Publish Date: 2026-06-12 15:05:00
Source Domain: www.zdnet.com
Jack Wallen/ZDNET
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ZDNET key takeaways
- If you’re a fan of Windows 11, there’s an Android launcher for you.
- HyperDroid looks and feels just like the Windows UI.
- HyperDroid is free to use and install, but is best suited for tablets.
Have you ever wondered why a developer hasn’t bothered to create an Android launcher that transforms the UI into that of, say, Windows 11? Well, wonder no more, because the unthinkable is now not only thinkable, but also a reality.
Thanks to HyperDroid, you can transform your Android phone into something quite desktop-like. I didn’t believe it until I witnessed it. Upon installing HyperDroid, I launched it and was immediately taken aback.
Also: 6 Android launchers that are better than your default home screen (and most are free)
Wow, the developer nailed it: the look, the feel — my Pixel 9 Pro looked like it waltzed off the Microsoft campus, ready for action.
Outstanding performance
OK, I can’t lie: I’m not a fan of the Windows UI (even though I did give it the old college try), but if you’ve followed me long enough, you know that. Even so, this is impressive. You have a taskbar, desktop menu, desktop launchers, search, system tray, and pretty much everything you’d expect from a desktop environment, all while running on an Android phone.
I took this one step further and installed HyperDroid on a Nubia Pad Pro tablet to see how well it played out on a slightly larger display, and I was all the more impressed. You can add apps to the desktop for quick access, add widgets, theme the UI, and access quick settings from the system tray.
Also: How to clear your Android phone cache – the 30-second routine every user should be doing
There are some features that don’t seem to function as expected, such as the widgets.
For some reason, every widget claims there is no access to the internet, and eventually, no matter what widget I attempted to add, it seemed to think it was either AP News…
