Day 1 Of Turning My Android Phone into a Windows Phone for a Week – First Impressions of Square Home Launcher

On last week’s podcast, I promised I’d spend an entire week using a launcher that makes my phone feel like a Windows Phone again. Today was Day 1, and I went all in with Square Home. Square Home offers a 14-day free trial with no ads, which made it easy to test. Keep in mind that some advanced features may require a purchase if you decide to make it your daily driver.

Here’s what I learned after a full day of use:

1. It’s Functional, But Pretty Basic

Adding apps is straightforward: tap the plus button, select “Application,” and you’re done. The icons are nicely shaped as squares or rectangles, and you can freely drag them around the screen. However, the experience doesn’t quite recapture the smooth, premium feel of a real Windows Phone. It feels more like a solid but mid-tier knockoff.

You can set a wallpaper, though it often feels pointless once you’re deep in the grid. The launcher does support live widgets (Bible app, calendar, clock, etc.) and works well with the widgets already built into your phone. That part is a nice touch.

2. Noticeable Lag

This was the biggest downside for me. Tapping an app triggers a visible transition: icon → wallpaper background → app. It’s not terrible, but it’s noticeably slower than the stock One UI experience.

My phone is approaching its second birthday and has started feeling a bit sluggish in general, but Square Home made the lag more constant and obvious throughout the day.

3. Very Flat and Less Customizable Than Stock

Compared to Samsung’s One UI, Square Home feels flatter and offers fewer customization options than I expected. If you’re someone who loves deep theming and personalization, you may find it limiting.

Final Thoughts After Day 1
I’m not sure I’ll stick with Square Home once this week-long experiment ends, but it’s still a cool launcher. It successfully brings back some of that Windows Phone nostalgia with its live tiles and grid layout. Whether it can replace my regular setup for good remains to be seen.

I’ll be back with updates as the week progresses. Have you ever tried Square Home or any other Windows Phone-style launcher? Let me know your experience in the comments. God bless and Tech Talk To You Later!!!