How to get rid of ads on Infinix XOS Launcher

After getting rid of XOS Launcher earlier last year, and writing an article about the same, I thought that probably the numerous complains Infinix has received over its XOS Launcher has finally forced it to abandon the ads and Google Search imitated search engine. But no. The XOS Launcher has gotten worse. It is actually so bad that in the latest updates it has an entire screen dedicated to ads. The ads on Menu items are uglier. The ads in folders have become many. Actually right now there is no practical way of avoiding clicking on ads if you use your Infinix phone for any significant amount of time.

So how do you stay out of the irritating ads that come with Infinix XOS Launcher?

There are two ways actually; one way is to revert back to the default XOS Launcher that came with your Infinix phone, but this is assuming you bought the phone prior to the time they started showing ads on the Launcher. If you are able to revert back to the XOS Launcher that came with your device at purchase, then what you have to do is simple: either restore your phone to factory setting, then after you are done make sure you never ever update the Infinix Launcher. The way to do this is to disable Apps auto update on Mobile Data and on WiFi altogether. Always update your apps manually, and every time you run App updates, make sure you never update the XOS Launcher.

This is the method I have used since I ran into the problem with ads on Infinix Launcher a year ago. I reset my phone to factory setting and ensured I do not update the XOS Launcher. There is a second option that I tried and ran away from because it wasn’t really good, but after checking out what Infinix has been up to, I have rediscovered that it is the best option ever.

Replace Infinix XOS Launcher with Microsoft Launcher

The best way to get rid of Infinix XOS Launcher is to replace the damn App with the Microsoft Launcher. Microsoft Launcher is a User Interface App created by Microsoft. It has undergone a number of improvements over the years. By the time I tried it early last year, it wasn’t really as good as it is today. That’s why I preferred to go back to the Infinix XOS Launcher that came with my phone rather than continue using the Microsoft Launcher. However, the current version is way more intuitive, interesting, and useful. Actually I no longer have any reasons to go back to the poorly ad hungry Infinix XOS Launcher.

To replace Infinix XOS Launcher with the Microsoft Launcher, you first need to go to play store, search for Microsoft Launcher, and install it. After that it will ask you if you want to set Microsoft as the default Launcher. Your device may advise to remember your choice. Make sure you select that option. After you have installed the Microsoft Launcher long press at any open space on any screen to bring up hidden menu items e.g. Widgets, Wallpapers, etc. One of the Menu items is the Launcher Settings. Select that and customize the settings as you would love your Launcher to appear and function. For example under the settings you may want to change the default search engine from Bing to Google, determine what appears on screen when you press on the search bar, or even the shape of the search bar itself. What I have actually done is to remove the default search bar that appears on top of the screen by default, and replaced it with the search bar provided by Google widget.

Once you have replaced your Infinix XOS Launcher with the Microsoft Launcher, your Infinix phone will serve you just like any other prime smartphone is serving their users. I hope there won’t come a time when Infinix will make it impossible to replace their XOS Launcher with a third party Launcher like Microsoft Launcher. When such a time comes, the most appropriate thing to do will be to throw away your Infinix phone and buy a worthy brand like Huawei, Samsung, LG, or even the iPhone.

See also: Why you must avoid Infinix Phones like a plague