BIG Launcher replaces the complicated home screen of your Android phone with a simple, easy-to-read interface. Instead of small icons and confusing menus, you get large buttons with big text that are easy to see and press.
🎬 Watch: BIG Launcher Promo (English) | Promo (Czech)
Who is BIG Launcher for?
BIG Launcher works together with two companion apps:
| App | Purpose |
|---|---|
| BIG Launcher | Your new home screen with large buttons |
| BIG Phone | Handles phone calls with an enlarged call screen |
| BIG SMS | Sends and receives text messages with big text |
You need to install BIG Phone and BIG SMS separately (required by Google Play Store rules since March 2019).
🎬 Watch: Free version limitations
| Feature | Free Version | Full Version |
|---|---|---|
| Customizable buttons | Right column only | All buttons |
| Additional screens | 5 maximum | Unlimited |
| Password protection | Not available | Available |
| Call log items | 5 recent only | Unlimited |
| SMS threads | 5 recent only | Unlimited |
| Keypad during call | Disabled | Available |
| Ads in messages | Link added after 20 SMS | No ads |
🎬 Watch: How to install BIG Launcher
The first time you open BIG Launcher, a setup wizard guides you through basic settings:





🎬 Watch: How to set BIG Launcher as default
When you press the Home button, you'll be asked to choose a launcher:
If this menu doesn't appear: 1. Open System settings → Apps → Default apps → Home screen 2. Select BIG Launcher
🎬 Watch: How to set default phone/SMS app
Automatic: Open BIG Phone → tap Yes when asked to set as default.
Manual: 1. Go to System settings → Apps 2. Tap the three dots (⋮) → Default apps 3. Tap Calling app → select BIG Phone for Seniors
Automatic: Open BIG SMS → tap Yes when asked to set as default.
Manual: 1. Go to System settings → Apps → three dots (⋮) → Default apps 2. Tap Messaging app → select BIG SMS for Seniors
⚠️ Important: Only the default phone app can show incoming call screens and access call history. Only the default SMS app can send and receive messages.
🎬 Watch: How to purchase | Price info
⚠️ Important: An order receipt will be sent to your email. Don't delete it — it contains your order number. If you encounter any problems with your license in the future, you can use this order number as proof of purchase.
Remember: You need to repeat this process for each app separately — BIG Launcher, BIG Phone, and BIG SMS.
🎬 Watch: How to restore license
If you already purchased but don't see the green checkmark: 1. Make sure you're connected to the internet 2. Tap Refresh in the Buy section 3. Restarting your phone may help
When replacing your phone: - Use the same Google account as the original purchase - The license should restore automatically - If not: Preferences → "Buy the full version" → look for the green checkmark
💡 If nothing works: Contact contact@biglauncher.com with your Order ID.
To buy BIG Launcher on someone else's phone (e.g., your grandmother's) with your credit card:
The licenses remain active even after removing the card.

The home screen shows:
| Button | Icon | What It Does |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | Green | Access contacts, dialer, call history |
| Messages | Yellow | Read and send text messages |
| Camera | — | Take photos |
| Gallery | — | View your photos |
| SOS | Red | Emergency calling and texting |
| Applications | — | Access all other apps |

| Layout | Buttons | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| 3×4 | 12 buttons | Standard use |
| 3×3 | 9 buttons | Larger buttons |
| 2×4 | 8 buttons | Bigger text |
| 2×2 | 4 buttons | Very poor vision |
| 1×1 | 1 button | Single-function mode |

⚠️ Warning about 1×1 and 2×2 layouts: The three dots menu is hidden in these layouts. The lower-left button (2×2) or single button (1×1) automatically becomes a Preferences shortcut. If you change it, you may lose access to settings. Emergency access: Hold the top-left button for 30 seconds.

When a button blinks, it means there's something new:
🎬 Watch: How to show Preferences

Method 1 — Three Dots (easiest): - Tap the three dots (⋮) next to the clock → Preferences
Method 2 — From Apps List: - Open Applications → find "BIG Launcher Preferences"
Method 3 — Emergency Access: - Hold the top-left button on the Home screen for 30 seconds

Tap Phone on the home screen to see:



Available buttons during a call:
🎬 Watch: How to simplify the call menu
When you tap a contact, a menu appears with call and SMS options. You can simplify this:
Remove SMS option: 1. Preferences → Contacts → disable "Show message option in call dialog" 2. Now only the "Call" option will be shown — this works as a confirmation and prevents accidental calls
Direct dial (no menu at all): 1. Preferences → Contacts → enable "No menu when calling the contact" 2. Tapping a contact will immediately start the call
⚠️ We don't recommend disabling the confirmation menu — otherwise random calls can be triggered anytime when handling the phone.
🎬 Watch: How to change default audio device
Switching during a call: During an active call, you can see the active audio device on the second button. Tap it to cycle between all available devices (earpiece, speaker, Bluetooth, wired headset).
If your phone has two SIM cards, you'll be asked which SIM to use when making a call.


Contact details may include: - Phone numbers — Tap to call or send SMS - Email addresses — Tap to send email - Websites, notes, birthday/anniversary



🎬 Watch: How to delete history/SMS/contacts
Deletion is disabled by default to prevent accidents. To enable: 1. Preferences → Contacts → enable "Add contact delete option" 2. Or re-run the Setup wizard and change deletion permissions

Message colors: - Green border — Messages you sent - Yellow border — Messages you received - Checkmark — Message was delivered

💡 Character limit: One SMS holds 160 characters (70 with emoji/special characters). Longer messages are split into multiple SMS.

Long-press a message for options like forward, copy, or delete.
If someone sends a picture or video: 1. The message shows "This is MMS" 2. Tap Download to get the full message 3. Tap again to view
Create message templates for quick responses: 1. In the message editor, tap Templates 2. Tap Create → type your message → save 3. Next time, tap Templates and select your saved message
If your phone has two SIM cards, you'll be asked which SIM to use when sending.
🎬 Watch: How to delete history/SMS/contacts
Deletion is disabled by default. To enable: 1. Preferences → Messages → enable "Show delete button"
You can delete: - Individual messages - Entire conversation threads - All messages at once
⚠️ Warning: Bulk deletion cannot be undone!
🎬 Watch: SMS notifications on Android 10+

Method 1 — Through notification bar: 1. Pull down the notifications bar 2. Long-tap the "BIG SMS for Seniors" notification 3. Tap Details → Incoming message 4. Set notification style and sound
Method 2 — Through system settings: 1. System settings → Notifications → See all → BIG SMS for Seniors
Set notifications to repeat every 5, 15, 30, or 60 minutes until you read the message.
🎬 Watch: Fix SMS blinking
On some devices, the SMS button blinks constantly even when there is no unread SMS message. This is a bug in the phone's firmware. To fix it:
admin set screensEcosystemPrivileged false okThe button should now behave normally.
Think of screens like pages in a book. The Home screen is page 1. You can add more pages with different buttons.




Instead of tapping buttons to switch screens, you can swipe left and right:
⚠️ Memory warning: Swipe navigation uses more phone memory. If BIG Launcher becomes slow, turn off swipe or reduce the number of screens.
🎬 Watch: Customize buttons

| Option | What It Does |
|---|---|
| Application | Opens any app |
| Contact details | Shows a person's info |
| Direct call | Immediately calls a person |
| Direct SMS | Opens message editor to a person |
| Go to screen | Links to another screen |
| Website shortcut | Opens a website |
| SOS | Opens emergency screen |
| Wi-Fi toggle | Turns Wi-Fi on/off (green=ON, red=OFF) |
| Bluetooth toggle | Turns Bluetooth on/off |
| Airplane mode | Turns airplane mode on/off |
| Applications | Opens the full apps list |
| Preferences | Opens BIG Launcher settings |
| External widget | Adds a mini-app (calendar, weather) to a button |
| External shortcut | App-specific shortcuts from other apps |
| Revert | Restores the button's original functionality |
| Clear | Removes button functionality (makes it empty) |
💡 About External Widgets: The space on a button is limited — we recommend using smaller widgets to maintain readability. The parent app usually launches when you tap the widget on the home screen.
💡 Running out of space? You can add more screens or change the layout to include more buttons.
🎬 Watch: Assign contact to button
💡 To prevent accidental calls, a confirmation dialog is shown when you tap a contact button. You can disable this in Preferences, but we don't recommend it — otherwise random calls can be triggered when handling the phone.
🎬 Watch: Assign WhatsApp contact
💡 As of 2020, WhatsApp only allows shortcuts to text conversations, not direct audio/video calls.

💡 Enable automatic labels in Preferences to auto-name buttons when you assign functions.
🎬 Watch: Button blinking setup
Make buttons blink when apps like WhatsApp, Gmail, etc. have notifications:
💡 Want to enlarge all notifications on your phone? Try our app BIG Notifications.
| Theme | Description |
|---|---|
| Light (default) | White background, black text — good for bright rooms |
| Dark | Black background, white text — easier at night |
| Blue | Light blue — alternative appearance |

To change: Preferences → Appearance → Select theme
To download more: Tap "Download more" in the theme selector.
Preferences → Appearance → Text size
set textSize 120 ok)Preferences → Appearance → Select screen orientation
Hide the Android status bar for a cleaner look:
Prevents accidental touches on edge-to-edge screens:
Preferences → Appearance → enable Safe borders size

The red SOS button can automatically: 1. Send an emergency SMS with your location 2. Call a specific phone number
Example setup:
- Phone: +1234567890, +0987654321
- Text: Help me! Emergency!
- Wait: 5 seconds
- GPS: Enabled
⚠️ Limitations: - You cannot use emergency numbers like 911 or 112 (Android restriction) - Use family members' or caregivers' numbers instead - GPS is most accurate outdoors; less precise indoors
Enable "Send GPS SMS" to send two messages: 1. First SMS — immediate, with approximate location 2. Second SMS — once GPS gets a more precise fix
🎬 Watch: Password protection
Protect settings so only you or a caregiver can change them:
⚠️ Warning: If you forget your password, there is no recovery. You must reinstall BIG Launcher.
What can be protected: - Preferences menu — Password required to open settings - System settings — Password required to access Android settings
💡 Tip: Even with System settings password-protected, the user can still access system settings by pulling down the top notification bar (this is an Android function that cannot be disabled). To make this harder, enable "Full screen" in Preferences → Appearance — this hides the notification bar on the home screen, requiring two separate pull-down moves to access it.
🎬 Watch: Hide Preferences menu item
💡 You can still access Preferences from BIG Launcher's main menu.
🎬 Watch: Settings inheritance explained
Because there are three separate apps, settings can be managed centrally:
To disable inheritance: 1. Open BIG Phone → Preferences → BIG Apps Suite 2. Uncheck "Inherit the settings"
💡 Recommendation: Keep inheritance enabled so all settings are managed from one place.
🎬 Watch: Delete history/SMS/contacts
Deletion is disabled by default for safety. To enable:
| What to Delete | Where to Enable |
|---|---|
| Contacts | Preferences → Contacts → "Add contact delete option" |
| Call history | Preferences → Phone → "Allow deleting call log items" |
| SMS messages | Preferences → Messages → "Show delete button" |
Or re-run the Setup wizard (Preferences → "Run setup wizard") and change permissions on the trash can screen.
Bulk delete options (when enabled): - Individual entries or entire threads - All history for a specific contact - All call history or all messages
⚠️ Bulk deletion cannot be undone!
If you're locked out: - On the Home screen, press and hold the top-left button for 30 seconds - This only works on the Home screen
BIG Launcher works with Android's TalkBack for blind users: 1. Enable TalkBack in your phone's Accessibility settings 2. BIG Launcher reads button names, screen titles, contacts, and messages aloud
Optimizations in Preferences: - Don't read app name — Skips repeating "BIG Launcher" each time - Image button descriptions — Removes unnecessary "image button" announcements
Even without TalkBack: 1. Preferences → Accessibility → enable "Speak on long press" 2. Hold your finger on any button or text to hear it read aloud
Preferences → Accessibility → enable "Enable haptic feedback"
Your phone vibrates slightly with each button press.
| Mode | Behavior |
|---|---|
| Short press only | Quick tap activates |
| Short and long press | Tap = action, hold = description |
| Long press only | Must hold to activate (prevents accidents) |
Scroll buttons: Enable "Add scroll buttons to every screen" for Up/Down navigation.
Tecla Shield: BIG Launcher supports external switches, sip-and-puff devices, and joysticks via the Tecla Shield wheelchair interface.

Tap Applications on the home screen to see all installed apps.
💡 Enable "Better app search" in Preferences → Applications to search within names (e.g., "book" finds "Facebook").
If your phone lacks a Menu button: 1. Preferences → Applications → "Show the Preferences item" 2. Choose: Don't show, Above apps, or Below apps
Your license is tied to your Google account. On a new phone: - Sign in with the same Google account - Open BIG Launcher → Preferences → "Buy the full version" → tap Refresh - Contact contact@biglauncher.com with your Order ID if problems persist
🎬 Watch: How to check your version
Preferences → Messages → enable "Fix: show missing messages"
Toggle "Fix: alternative SMS receiver" (enable if disabled, or disable if enabled).
No recovery available. You must uninstall and reinstall BIG Launcher (resets all settings). Restore from backup if you have one.
🎬 Watch: Fix "Don't keep activities"
Some battery guides recommend enabling "Don't keep activities" in Developer options. This completely breaks BIG Launcher.
If you're not receiving notifications: 1. Check Android Settings → Apps → BIG SMS/BIG Phone → Notifications (enable all) 2. Disable battery optimization for BIG apps 3. Check Do Not Disturb mode
| Phone Brand | Common Issue | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Samsung | Duplicate SMS | Enable "Fix: doubled SMS" |
| Samsung | Black screen on calls | Enable black screen fix |
| Sony Xperia | Empty squares instead of icons | Enable "Fix: missing icons in menus" |
| Motorola | Navigation bar issues | Try black navigation bar option |
| Xiaomi/Huawei/Oppo | Notifications blocked | Add BIG apps to "protected apps" or disable "battery optimization" |
Please provide: 1. Your phone model (e.g., Samsung Galaxy S21) 2. Android version (Settings → About phone) 3. BIG Launcher version (see Checking Your App Version) 4. Description of the problem 5. What you've already tried
| Problem | Solution |
|---|---|
| "I bought full version but it's not activated" | Check internet → Refresh in Buy section → same Google account → contact with Order ID |
| "Incoming calls don't show BIG Launcher's screen" | Set BIG Phone as default → disable battery optimization → enable black screen fix |
| "Messages show in wrong order" | Enable "Fix: show missing messages" → check phone date/time |
| "BIG Launcher keeps stopping" | Restart phone → clear cache → reinstall as last resort |
| Action | What It Does |
|---|---|
| Single tap | Select or activate |
| Long press (hold) | Show description, speak item, or alternative action |
| Swipe left/right | Change screens (if swipe enabled) |
| Home button | Return to BIG Launcher |
| Back button | Go to previous screen |
| Menu button | Open Preferences (phones with physical button) |
European: English, Česky, Deutsch, Español, Français, Italiano, Nederlands, Polski, Português, Русский, and more
Asian: 简体中文, 繁體中文, 日本語, 한국어, हिन्दी, and more
Middle Eastern: العربية, עברית, فارسی, and more
Right-to-left languages (Arabic, Hebrew) are fully supported with a mirrored interface.
| Permission | Why It's Needed |
|---|---|
| Contacts | Show your contacts and photos |
| Phone | Make and receive calls |
| SMS | Send and receive text messages |
| Storage | Save photos and backup files |
| Camera | Take contact photos |
| Location | SOS emergency GPS |
| Microphone | Phone calls |
🔒 Your data is never collected or sent online. Everything stays on your phone.
| Android Version | Support Level |
|---|---|
| 4.0+ (Ice Cream Sandwich) | Minimum — very old phones |
| 6.0+ (Marshmallow) | Recommended |
| 10+ | Best experience |
Feature requirements: Modern shortcuts (8.0+), better notifications (10+), full call screen control (9+).
For Seniors: - 🟢 Green button = Phone calls - 🟡 Yellow button = Text messages - 🔴 Red button = Emergency SOS - ✨ Blinking = Something new (message or call) - ⋮ Three dots = Settings
For Caregivers: 1. Set up SOS with family phone numbers 2. Enable password protection if needed 3. Install companion apps (BIG Phone, BIG SMS) 4. Set all three as default apps 5. Test everything with the user 6. Disable deletion for safety
All videos available at youtube.com/@big_launcher
| Topic | Link |
|---|---|
| Install BIG Launcher | Watch |
| Set default launcher | Watch |
| Set default phone/SMS app | Watch |
| Add screens & customize buttons | Watch |
| Customize buttons | Watch |
| Assign contact to button | Watch |
| Assign WhatsApp contact | Watch |
| Button blinking | Watch |
| Fix SMS blinking | Watch |
| Delete history/SMS/contact | Watch |
| Show Preferences | Watch |
| Purchase full version | Watch |
| Restore license | Watch |
| Price info | Watch |
| Password protection | Watch |
| Simplify call menu | Watch |
| Hide Preferences in Phone/SMS | Watch |
| Default audio device | Watch |
| Settings inheritance | Watch |
| Check version | Watch |
| SMS notifications (Android 10+) | Watch |
| Fix "Don't keep activities" | Watch |
| Add credit card to account | Watch |
| Free version limitations | Watch |
| Promo (English) | Watch |
| Promo (Czech) | Watch |
Manual Version 4.9 | © 2025 2BIG s.r.o. | All rights reserved.
For the latest updates and support, visit biglauncher.com