Installing the Galaxy S3's TouchWiz Launcher on your Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc or Arc S

The Samsung Galaxy S3 GT-I9300 arrived with a smoother, updated version of TouchWiz.  Many got envious.  But, not for long–because devs immediately went to work with porting it to the other Android devices, especially for non-Samsung phones.

Just recently, a port of the Galaxy S3’s TouchWiz launcher was successfully created for the Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc (LT15i) and the Xperia Arc S (LT18i), allowing owners of the said phones to enjoy some TouchWiz smoothness.

Users of the ported launcher have reported overall smoothness and lag-free performance.  The ported launcher is also expected to work only with ICS-based ROMs. If you want to try the amazing launcher on your mobile phones, check this guide to know how to install the Galaxy S3’s Samsung TouchWiz Launcher on your Sony Xperia Arc and Xperia Arc S.

Warning

• The instructions in this guide are intended for use with the Sony Xperia Arc (LT15i) and Xperia Arc S (LT18i). Applying these instructions on another device or model may produce undesired outcomes.
• The information in this guide is provided for instructional and educational purposes only. There is no guarantee that these instructions will work under your specific and unique circumstances.
• Use these instructions at your own risk. We shall not hold any responsibility or liability for whatever happens to you or your device arising from your use of the info in this guide.
• Read and understand the whole guide first before actually performing the instructions.

Requirements

• A Sony Xperia Arc or Xperia Arc S with unlocked bootloader and ClockworkMod Recovery installed. You can check out the following guides:
  • Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc S LT18i: Root, bootloader unlock, and custom recovery.
  • Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc LT15i: Root and custom recovery.
• Your phone must be running an Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich ROM.
• Download one of the following Galaxy S3 TouchWiz launchers:
  • updateSecLauncher2all.zip (2.07 MB) — 480×800 and 720×1280 (better fit with less space wasted at the margins)
  • update.SecLauncher2_v1.1.zip (2.03 MB) — 480×854 (standard fit). If the signed version doesn’t work, try  update.SecLauncher2_v1.1_nosigned.zip (1.98 MB)
• Backup all personal data on your phone to make sure you have a copy of your personal data (e.g., contacts, SMS, MMS, Internet settings, Wi-Fi passwords, and the like) in case the procedure in this guide erases such data.
  • For backup tips, check our guides on how to sync your data to the cloud and how to create local backups of your mobile data.
• Maintain a battery charge of 70% or more to make sure that you have sufficient power for the entire procedure.

Instructions

1. Download Galaxy S3 TouchWiz Launcher flashable package from the links above.
2. Copy the downloaded ZIP file to the phone’s SD card.
3. Switch off your mobile phone.
4. Turn your phone on. When you see the blue LED light up, continuously press the Back button to boot into ClockworkMod Recovery Mode.
   • NOTE: Once in Recovery, use the Volume keys to navigate and the Power button to select an option.
5. Select Install ZIP From SD Card.
6. Select Choose ZIP From SD Cardand select the S3 TouchWiz Launcher ZIP file that you copied to the SD card. Confirm the action on the next screen to flash the launcher on your mobile phone.
7. After installation is complete, go back to the main menu and select Reboot System Now to reboot your phone.

Congratulations!  You can now enjoy the smooth and slick TouchWiz Launcher on your Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc or Xperia Arc S.