Android users who don't use the stock launcher - what launcher do you use, and what do you like about it?
Android users who don't use the stock launcher - what launcher do you use, and what do you like about it?
Maybe something for the Pixel phones? I've been using ADW for a long time now, and was wondering what some frequently used launchers are. (I used Cyanogen for a long time, too.)
There are lists all over the internet, but I'm interested in what the Lemmy crowd likes. Thanks!
Edit: Thanks guys - a few of these were on my radar, some I hadn’t heard of or seen in the Play/f-droid lists. Having the reasons why you like each of them helps me figure out what I want from a launcher (for instance, the purchase of Nova by a company known for its data collection is a big turn-off even though it seems loved) - since you guys laid out some pros and cons of a bunch of launchers, it gives me a better picture!
Edit 2: You guys, this is a great resource for figuring out which launchers look like something worth trying (for me), and which ones are in the stores but not what I'm looking for. Without just trying them all, that is... And considering that I hadn't even heard of all of them...
This has been a huge help for me, and I hope some others out there got something out of the post! I should be replying to everyone, but I'm not ... Sorry. But I did read everything and have already started compiling a list in my head, and started tagging and categorizing. And those who included screen shots and links and lists and opinions and FOSS alternatives/forks - they helped! This whole thing helped!
Nova, Nova Nova.
The level of customization is well thought out, and the gesture controls were out of this world when it came out. I've been using Nova for about 5 or 6 years if I'm not mistaken. Don't care to go back to anything else.
Same.
I know the controversy about the company that acquired them, and I did try alternatives to see what would stick. Nothing really worked for me, so I just turned Nova back on, with updates disabled since the day the news broke about the change in management.
Same here, I've tried plenty of them and landed on Nova Launcher. Even put it on my dad's phone because I couldn't get things to be simple for him with the default launcher.
Do you use the Android buttons?
I do keep those at the bottom. Mainly to back out and close out apps.but with Nova, you can customize the look of them.
Niagara. Beautiful and efficient. Truly a step above other launchers.
I use Niagara now and absolutely love it, although it took some getting used to. It's very much minimalistic compared to Nova (I used Nova for many years before Niagara, but switched when they were bought).
+1 for Niagara.
Used Nova for years. But after the sale, I quickly said goodbye to it. Niagara is so strong that I don't even miss Nova.
Niagara users unite! I was on Nova for years until the 'troubles'. Niagara is a solid replacement, if very different.
The simplicity is lovely.
But it is not only simplicity it is beauty and usability.
I agree with this completely.
Nova Launcher. It's AOSP-like but upgraded and that works best for me.
Despite the controversy since the sale, I'm still a hardcore Nova user. Nothing better imo.
Been using it since my OG Droid A855
Nova Launcher. I tried other launchers recently but they either have some unacceptable jank or are currently awaiting a major update. Nova Launcher remains the most stable with great customization.
Just in case people aren't aware Nova was acquired by Branch. Putting it out there so people can decide whether that matters or not.
https://www.androidpolice.com/nova-launcher-acquired-by-branch/
I use Nova. After seeing this, I have disabled internet access for the app (I use LineageOS, where this is an option). Is that enough to avoid any potential downsides, or is there anything else I should be aware of?
Been a while since I used Nova myself, but when I last checked the branch integration was only present on the beta version of the app.
The normal version hadn't been updated since December 2021, so I think that version is fine with it being from before the branch acquistion.
I also did it but via Adguard. I think there's no option to block internet access for an app in Samsung One UI. Only found option to disable background use of internet for apps
Nova launcher. It is the only one I manage to configure so the app drawer is opened via macrodroid (almost) only.
Nova for so many years. One time purchase and endless possibilities across countless android devices.
I know it's now trendy to hate on Nove since they sold to another company, but frankly, it's still the best out there in regards to customization, stability and support.
Agreed. I'm still on Nova and probably won't change unless they do a u/spez on it.
I use the Niagara Launcher, it serves favorite apps up in a vertical list, and other apps in an alphabetical list. It's very quick and easy to navigate and quite customizable with some widget support. It works with music apps, has a dark mode, makes changing icon packs easy. You can swipe up to search, or add a search button. I just love how minimal, clean and functional it is.
Here is my home screen. Note there is no left or right screen to swipe to .
Here is the app list, under N.
Some settings
And the app store link:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=bitpit.launcher
I second Niagara. It's just a great way to keep a simple home screen, but has plenty of power features if you want to dig deeper
Subscription 🤢
You can read about their pricing structure (both sub and one time purchase) and decisions regarding that here : https://help.niagaralauncher.app/article/104-price-of-niagara-pro
I locked in the lifetime price years ago, I have been with them through the beta. I know the lifetime price is higher now but I think they still offer it. I think it's worth the price, subscription or lifetime.
Oh boy. I love Niagara. I've used it one every phone for quite a few years now.
Two of my favorite features are the ability to tuck widgets into folders. I use the system ui communications widget in my messaging folder to take me straight to my most used chats.
When you connect to bluetooth, it automatically pulls up a now playing widget (it's hidden when bluetooth is disconnected) and pulls up links to my music/podcast apps. It's so dynamic and highly customizable.
Checkin it out, how can i find Web Apps i installed via my Browser?
when you install a web app, it should show up in the favorite apps list. if you want to be able to search it, tap and hold it, then tap "Show in app list".
Nova.
Works well and really clean.
Been using it since my OG Droid A855
Nova. I keep trying new launchers but I don't like the text-only minimalist or the others that look more like Samsung's default. I've been a user for a long time and I still love it.
Another +1 for KISS, it's such an amazing launcher. I'm actually surprised to see it mentionned so much in this thread.
I have my 5 most used app on top of the search bar and my most used apps (that get automatically sorted by usage) readily accessible. The search feature + tags is so powerful, there's no need to scroll through the apps anymore when looking for something.
This launcher is what I loved about the search bar on windows 7. I would just type in the app I wanted and it would open...
Only issue I have with KISS is I can't for some reason clear whatever it is that is setting an icon for my PWA for voyager. It shows the updated icon in recents, pixel launcher doesn't have it updated though either which makes it harder to tell if it's the launcher or fennec (Firefox) at fault.
Edit looks like it was kiss. Regenerating icons doesn't work. Clearing data does. I exported settings, cleared data, added pwa, icon changed, imported settings. Only downside is I lost my history.
Nova, but the devs sold out and are VERY aggressive towards the community if they question the motives of the new owner, so if I wasnt so ingrained in it, I probably wouldnt recommend it.
It was that aggressiveness that persuaded me to finally dump Nova - I saw people (including myself) asking perfectly reasonable questions a d the responses were not at all encouraging.
I tried a few other launchers, and eventually settled on Total. It's a bit fiddly, and takes a while to set up but it's VERY customizable. I really like it.
Really? That sucks. I've been using nova for like 10 years
Oh man, I had no idea about that.
I've been using Nova for something close to a decade now I think. I just toss it on my new devices and move on, it's done what I wanted for ages (mostly for the adjustable grid, but I'm sure there's some features it has that I've stuck with that I just feel are default at this point, stock launcher just feels weird).
I still use NOVA but it is the version before they merged in the buyout stuff. One day it might break but it's the best option for me right now.
One feature I haven't found on any other launcher is the ability to use both folders and tabs in my app drawer. In Nova I have my app drawer in 3 tabs. Apps (ones I use daily), games, and everything else. On top of that I like to use a few folders in the main app page to collect things like all my home automation apps, food apps, work apps, etc.
Lawnchair came closest a couple years ago but could only do tabs or folders but not both.
Nova. Clean customizable UI that stays out of the way while looking good.
I'm a pixel user. I switched to Niagara. I didn't like it at first, but now I love it. It's just very different from what you think a launcher should be. It's not my forever launcher but I enjoy it for now. It's been a year or so
(I used to love Cyanogen. RIP)
Niagara is amazing, its also reduced my brainless scrolling quite a bit. I'm still here though, scrolling.
(I used to love Cyanogen. RIP)
Cyanogen is not dead, it got forked and rebranded, currently releases as LineageOS
Thanks for this!
Another vote for KISS (https://kisslauncher.com/) and Kvaesitso (https://github.com/MM2-0/Kvaesitso/).
Both FOSS, both search based. Depending on your taste you might find KISS perfectly simple and Kvaesitso a bit bloated; or KISS too basic and Kvaesitso more feature packed and complete.
I'd recommend trying both and deciding for yourself.
An old version of Nova from before the big data collection switch. Use it because it has a scrollable dock. I have all apps inside folders in the dock, the folders are sorted by category. I can scroll between app categories & get to any app within 2 or 3 touches.
I really want a launcher which has a scrollable dock with a user defined news feed such as NeoFeed.
Smart Launcher has user defined categories which negates the scrollable dock requirement, but the news feed is Microsoft which is as bad as Google in my eyes.
If anyone has any suggestions I'd love to know them
Since Nova has been bought I've replaced it with Neo Launcher. I like it 'cause it gives the option to resize widgets, customize the size of the home screen grid and add swipe up actions to home folders.
Thank you! Lawnchair wasn't doing it for me, bit Neo is near perfect. Time to contribute to change a couple of things.
I use KISS nowadays, simple, if I need to open an app, I search it; no need to look for it on the home screen. More than enough for what I do on my phone.
That said, I need to give a shout-out to TUI Launcher. I love the amount of customization it gives you plus the terminal-esque functionality. I'd have probably stuck with it if only it had the search menu that KISS has since I want to see my icons again.
I use nova launcher. Idk if it's the best one tbh because I've never needed to try another. It's allowed me to easily replicate my favourite menu I had back on my HTC onem8 for the past several years and move it to new phones whenever I need to without any issues, so I guess I like the high customizability in that sense, and how easy it is to set up and use. You mentioned that the company that acquired it it's a turnoff for you so I guess it's not a very helpful suggestion, but the app itself has very few permissions on my phone and I don't think that any permissions are actually necessary, though don't quote me on that. But it just has files and media allowed and hasn't ever asked me for more. As far as I'm aware the same team and original creator are still the ones working on Nova, and they've said they won't let the launcher start tracking people without permission. They've said users will be able to opt out of any new features, and any data collection involved will be optional. So unless things change drastically in the future I have no reason to stop using the launcher. I know when people hear it was acquired by an analytics company they automatically turn away, but imo analytics are only an issue if they're forced. If I'm allowed to opt out then I'm fine with it. But some people aren't willing to tolerate even that, so I guess it depends on where you stand regarding that.
Nova us the best for me, always been. I also used Lawnchair for a long time and it's almost as great if you're fussy about Nova's new owner and stuff
I use Kvæsitso. I like that it's more search focused and has a clean homescreen with just the clock and a search bar. You can scroll up to see widgets arranged vertically or scroll up to show the app drawer. It also looks nice because it supports the new Android design (Material v3) and dynamic colors. It also supports dynamically colored app icons like lawnicons and has an option to color all other icons as well.
Took me a few tries to find it because I searched for your spelling lol: https://kvaesitso.mm20.de/
Just tried it out and have to say, looks slick!
+1
Also it is pretty simmilar to KISS and also Open Source
Kvaesitso is really good, but I keep coming back to Kiss. Even if you put your most used apps on the bottom of the apps drawer (instead of the default, on top), they're not as easily accessible compared to Kiss.
On Kiss, the history/most used apps are easily accessible with one hand, without needing to move it.
Nova was the best till the ownership changed hands.
Lawnchair & MS launcher been pretty good.
KISS launcher, it's simple and quick. It is a search based launcher. It is also open source and on fdroid
I use Niagara with a live wallpaper called Wallow. It just creates a beautiful and simplified experience for me that has all the features I need and gets out of my way when I don't.
Wallow is beautiful, we need a wallow theme community somewhere here
I use the same. It's simple and beautiful.
Niagara
A couple people here mentioned Kvaesitso so U had a quick look at that, it seems really neat and customizable too.
It just looks and feels soo good!
I migrated from windows phone to android and loved the windowsphone interface.
I use squarehome. It is infinitely customizable and with a little work the cleanest ui imaginable.
I downloaded squarehome cause of your comment and I like it a lot. Are you using and icon pack? How did you get your icons so clean?
Its the whicons pack. The rest is just optimizing squarehome through trial and error. Change borders here, resize tile there, etc. Theres a ton of customization. Once its set the way you like it, you will carry it through the next phone and the next phone.
Yessssiiirr, I miss my windows phone and have been using Squarehome since I got a Galaxy
I'm actually also using square home. No complaints.
I rather like that. Might have to try it.
I was going to comment this. Tried many, but been using lawnchair for so long with 0 issues I forgot what it was called. It is lightweight and does what I like. Not heavily customizable, but it doesn't need to be
Same, totally forgot I'm not using the default until just now
Been trying a few. Niagara on my phone and Microsoft Launcher for my tablet.
Don't overly love Microsoft on my tablet honestly. Probably going to choose another listed in this thread to try.
Niagara has been great on my phone though. Just so minimal. Huge fan.
I still remember the early days of Microsoft Launcher. They changed so much to the point of it feeling like just another launcher with too few distinctive features imo
KISS , I have used if for ages , so much more effective. Always Use FOSS , especially for the launcher that always have a lot of permissions.
nova launcher because its what i've always used. plenty fast and pretty customizable
they sold out to an analytics company tho :(
Still the best launcher for me.
This makes me sad.
Indistract launcher Haven't found a better minimalistic/clean launcher even though it has some bugs. My home screen:
KISS Launcher, it's dead simple and just what I need.
It clears all the clutter from my screen, I can search for any app I want without trying to remember where I put it on my homepage, and it has a history for quick access that's really handy.
KISS Launcher. Perfect companion for a hardware keyboard (https://github.com/Dakkaron/Fairberry).
In general, you use it like the Windows start menu. Type the first few characters of an app name, hit enter and there you are.
LawnChair, it's open source, customizable and has drawer folders
I've been using Nova Launcher for years now, but I explored other options a few months ago because of the ownership change. Lawnchair was the best one I found, but I didn't switch to it because it looked like it was missing features I needed. Folders was an important one.
Which version / source are you using for the app? I got a bit lost trying to find a recent version. The last release on the GitHub is from 2018, and the last prerelease is from a year ago. There's also an issue for the folders which I was following, and it actually just went stale: https://github.com/LawnchairLauncher/lawnchair/issues/2471
I also see Lawnchair2, but that looked like a fork or something
To be honest, I can't remember where I got the apk and since its only a launcher without internet access I didn't really care about updates.
The first search result (https://github.com/LawnchairLauncher/lawnchair) seems to be very active with the last change 9 hours ago.
I use Niagara Launcher, because it's minimal and quite comfy.
EDIT: The latest update (that I just applied) has put a lot of the features I use (custom font, battery percentage) behind a paywall. I will be looking for alternatives.
I mean if you really like it why don't just give the devs some support?
10€ per year or 30€ for a one time payment seems a bit steep for a launcher, especially when it is more on the slim side feature wise
Nova
Action launcher (paid version) is my go to, some features I love about it:
-
Allow for a desktop grid of up to 12*12, which I havent seen on any other launchers I have tried, I believe Nova had something similar, but not sure to this degree.
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The brilliant folder icon being the shortcut to the app which was the first app to have been put in it feature. You can later shuffle the app around to change it, of course. You swipe down on the folder icon to reveal the items inside like usual, but if you just tap on it, the app which is first in the list opens up, a very good time saver in my opinion.
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Widget stack is a cool feature also, where you can add similarly sized widgets to a single block of space on which you can scroll through to see the information as it suits you.
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Customization level is very high, you can have a dock, a drawer, and also a quick drawer which is a vertical list of apps, and all of these simultaneously too.
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A high level of gesture support. My phone just got an update where I have to swipe down from different sides to see notifications and quick settings, which are not changeable by default. With the action launcher settings I have sort of found a work around.
It allows me to have a minimal looking desktop with a lot of functionality and a high degree of customisation, very much worth the price.
I've been using Action Launcher since I could afford the app way back when. I just like having apps in a list in the left tray.
Covers (the tap-to-open-the-first-app-in-a-folder thing) was another huge selling point. No other app does those two things better.
I have been looking for a replacement for Nova due to the sale but haven't found anything that comes close re gestures. I can set up a folder with any icon I want. Tap on it and it opens the folder. Swipe up on the folder and it opens whatever app I want. Same with swipe down.
So for example I have a folder with my audio apps in it that looks like a musical note. Swipe up and it opens my music app. Swipe down and it opens my podcast app. Tap and it opens a folder with all my audio apps. It's amazing and such a time saver. I'm gonna try Action. Sounds like it's not quite as customisable but hopefully close enough.
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I use KISS launcher
its named on a philosophy
keep it short and simple
it is a small launcher under 1MB launcher while others are about 20-50 MB so it keeps the code simple
another thing it has is that it is focused around using keyboard to search for apps and using history to launch activities, if you call someone or open and application, you get that activity first at the bottom (one hand reachability) and then other activities with chronological order going above (away from your thumbs) you can change the mode from this to frequently used apps, recently frequently and others
I'm a fan of "keep it stupid simple" or, as I tell myself at work on the daily, "keep it simple, stupid"!
I'm loving my paid version of Nova. there's a great free version if you wanna try it out too and there's a crazy amount of customization. I'm on a Pixel 5a right now and with the Pix Material You Light/Dark icons it's quite nice. I do think the default Pixel Launcher is more polished, but Nova just has so many options that I've gotten used to enjoying.
Nova was bought by an Ad company a while ago and is now out for your data btw.
Maybe blocking Nova from the internet can be a solution?
It's sad that they were bought by an ad company and it's something I didn't know about. However, my data has been everywhere for years. I generally accept privacy policies knowing full well companies sell my data. It's something I think people should definitely be aware of, but when it comes to me personally I'm generally okay being a product to ad companies especially since I'd rather see ads that are interesting to me than random crap. It really is just my personal opinion though and I genuinely think people should be educated about their online privacy.
agree also bought nova, what i like is configuration import/export im on my third phone with the same homescreen layout and settings and I only had to recreate widgets
Launcher 10
I use it because I got a smartphone too late for the Windows Phone era and I would've loved metro in a handheld form factor. I use it on my Pixel 4a.
OLauncher here. I'm sick of all of the color and intensity and business on my home screen. I switched to a text-based launcher (which also has an excellent search function and intuitive home screen interface) and I've really enjoyed it.
Prior to that I used Nova for many years.
Olauncher is open source minimalist launcher. VERY minimalist. You can get up to 8 apps on the home page and swipe down to search for all other apps.
For non FOSS i use Niagara, for FOSS i use Kvaesitso
I love your name. And also yeah I just got Niagara yesterday after being on Nova premium for like 9 years. Really digging it so far and I think they're gonna trick me into buying premium probably. They offer a free week trial so I'll get used to it, then do the premium and see if it makes it that much better.
Do you have premium and would you recommend it?
Olauncher .It is very minimal and less distracting.
second this, I love Olauncher
I use KISS. it's super minimalistic, allows fro hiding all the unremovable crap all phones come with today, and is basically a search bar with 5 icons on top. I have my Proton Calendar as the sole widget and that's it. Single screen, no fuss.
Seconding KISS. I love the minimalism.
I seem to be like most and while I've tried tons, I've always stuck with Nova (at least since I switched from Apex).
My main sticking point and the reason it'll be a long time before I switch? I NEED to be able to assign up/down swipes on icons. Tap opens app/folder, up swipe opens another app/folder, down swipe opens another app/folder.
At this point my homescreen has 6 icons and within 2 touches I can get to any of my 500 apps with nearly zero scrolling. If anyone knows another launcher that can do that, I'm all ears.
That is an absurd number of apps...
I looked just to make sure, and it's actually 652. But only 445 are user apps.
I wish I could say a lot are junk, but there are a solid 100+ that I consider invaluable. I probably have 10+ backup apps alone (Google photos, Amazon photos, synctoy, Swift backup, folder sync, etc). Tasker and its app tree/plugins are probably close to 10. It adds up quick.
Then I have 7 or 8 for lemmy (waiting for one to separate from the pack), same number of news apps, and so on and so forth. My main issue is that if I have to do something more than a couple times (or need to remember to do it), I automate it. Tasker does a lot, but I have to use ifttt to do web things so I don't smoke my battery. Open with allows me to use different apps as defaults. Basically, I have 3-4 apps for every task since a single one can never handle what I want completely. I have a VPN app, but another to remote into my server. I could use just the last app, but it doesn't automatically switch to fastest VPN, so I have to use a 2nd. I have 4 file managers because Google likes to kill access to root areas, so they all go in and out of functionally.
Long story short, multiply the number of apps you have times 6 for how many of each type I tend to have, and that'll be more accurate. But either way, yes, it's stupid. And I HATE wiping my phone because it usually takes about 2 days just to restore everything (even using rooted Swift backup).
Action Launcher. I like "covers" which are groups that launch the first item on tap but can be swiped up to open the group normally. I like the quick launch side tray thing, and the alpha list… I guess also I got sick of changing launchers and it does nothing I hate so I can just standardise on it.
I've never used anything but Nova for years and years now.
I did too... It's a shame that after being bought by Branch it has become a glorified Spyware :(
Kiss launcher for me
Total Launcher -- I didn't see this mentioned anywhere in the comments. When Nova sold out, I tried out a handful of launchers and landed on Total for the customizability.
Well, as my main stock launcher is the cringe Poco Launcher, I'd say Pixel Launcher Extended.
Dang that looks sick. Been trying a few since I gave up on Nova.
You need root and I think it only works in AOSP/CAF based ROMs.
Pixel 7, Niagara launcher. I find it much easier to find apps by starting letter then any other method, it looks very clean and has everything I need
Stock Launcher is boring and doesn't have the features I'm looking for. It's been two or three years since I'm using Niagara Launcher and I absolutely love it. It's clean, innovative and makes my phone way more usable imo
Currently using Lawnchair 12.1 and their icon set, and I'm quite happy with it!
I'm on lawnchair. Do you get the issue where URLs dropped onto the 'desktop' will disappear after a while?
I use KISS launcher. It is simple and I love it.
I used nova for years, until I discovered Niagara. It's so effortless to find and launch the app I'm looking for
Lawn Chair
Lawnchair for the win, it's just ridiculously good. I used to use AIO launcher, but I like lawnchair's widget support more
Yes it's great
I'm on Pixel already is there any point to me getting Lawnchair? I can't tell from the website exactly what makes it worth getting.
Well it respects your privacy, its FOSS, its very lightweight and fast.
There are a lot more customization options in Lawnchair compared to Pixel Launcher so that's one.
Olauncher. Super minimalist. Love it. The best part imo is the app drawer. Instead of cycling through endless pages of icons that are always being changed so that I can never remember what I am actually looking for, it uses a text list of all apps. Just start typing the name and it will automatically complete and open the app. It's literally changed my life 😂
Maybe not life changing but it is sooooo much nicer for my flow
You might like this: https://kisslauncher.com/
It's minimal but you get text search for apps out of the box save a bunch of shortcuts as you like.
It looks great I'll check it out thx
Apex Launcher. Left Nova a while back and it offers basically the same features without the aggressive bullshit. And while the pro version is somewhat subscription based the lifetime price (7€ here) is absolutely reasonable. `
I actually prefer Apex too
mlauncher- a minimal text based open source fork of Olauncher
Pixel 4a 5G, Nova launcher.
Same here. Have yet to find a reason to consider anything else.
I've been using Nova since my roommate in "A" school told me about it after he discovered I'd never done anything with my Android to shift it from stock.
I'm pretty sure I got better battery life too, in addition to the massive customization options.
Ive used Niagara a lot, but eventually got bored and started using Smart Launcher.
I love the simplicity of Niagara and customization and organization of Smart.
I went through exactly the same apps. Currently with Smart Launcher. Niagara widget implementation was not ideal.
Current user of Niagara here, it's just a unique option. You have favorites on a scrollable list (one app per line) and then you can scroll down an alphabetical list of all apps by letter on the side. Plus the optional subscription is $5 a year, which is actually reasonable in my opinion.
Niagara
Olauncher, Foss and actually minimal
Microsoft Launcher
It's free, it's customizable.
Neo launcher, it is foss and can use Neo Feed (which is also foss) it is stable, has cool features and a backup function. Also it is under active development.
I have used many over the years. Lots of great ones, but it came down to taste for me. A few faves were Niagara, Nova, Lawnchair and the stock Pixel launcher. But for the last few months, I have gone back to Square Home. I was a huge Windows Phone enthusiast, so I just really wanted to go back to that vibe. It took a decent amount of time to get it set up and exactly how I wanted. Worth a try if you want something different.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ss.squarehome2
I'm pretty much forced to use the Samsung launcher as I can't live without the gestures. I've tried multiple launchers and the gestures are always broken in some form or fashion.
But...using Goodlock has made it bearable.
I was like you, couldn't live without gesture nav and stocking with Samsung launcher. Have now gone back to buttons and looking for a replacement. Was running Nova back on my Nexus 5 but been running stock on my phone since 2018.
I've used ton of diffefent ones over the years but always come back to Nova
Pixel 6 pro. I use Nova launcher. It works great and is very customizable, especially with icon placement. I recommend it.
Sadly Nova was purchased by a Chinese company with a history of invasive data harvesting last year.
I tried a whole bunch of launchers after they were bought, but none were nearly as good as Nova in my opinion. Either buggy or lacking features I have grown accustomed to. I ended up just installing TrackerControl and turning off Nova's internet access entirely. It doesn't require any networking for any of my needs, so just disabling its internet entirely was fine.
Niagara. With Whicons and a black background. All monochrome black and white. To keep me from distractions 😅
I technically use the stock launcher... from my first ever Android, the OnePlus One. It used to ship with CyanogenMod preinstalled, which had the Trebuchet launcher. I got used to that, so when CM died I found Evie on the Play Store which is a port of Trebuchet. I still use it to this day!
I've been using Nova for a really long time. When I get a new device, I'll check out whatever isinstalledg for a while, but I always end up going back to Nova. Easy to use, hides apps, enough customization without being overly technical.
Nova was my jam for the longest time, then CPL (Customised Pixel Launcher) due to its google feed integration & good customisation. Now that I've stopped using the google feed (I get my news from
redditlemmy) as well as it isn't actively maintained anymore, I've switched to Neo launcher as it's FOSS as well as having a very light footprint and specific features such as categories in the app draw.Wow, I've been using nova forever but I'm checking out neo right now and it's pretty great!
I refuse to use Pixel Launcher until I can remove the Google search bar
I’d also like to be able to change my icons. I use Nova atm
Check out Lawnchair2
I could probably even settle for just being able to take the logo out of it. Last thing I want in my personal data device is to have a corporate logo of an ad company staring me in the face all the time.
For me it's the stupid left home screen that you can't use.
I can no longer even imagine my phone without Niagara.
IMO the developer managed to capture exactly how a phone should work while mostly staying out of the way.
KISS. At first I didn't like the lack of multiple home screens, in a way these are replaced by swipe gestures in KISS, but after getting used to them they're much quicker to trigger actions than pressing buttons. It turns out I don't miss multiple home screens that much either.
I tried using Lawnchair, but I missed the "search-first" property of KISS that makes opening apps really quick.
Kvaesitso, it's simple, beautiful but has a lot of functionality, customizable and open-source :)
I'm on Pixel 5 and my vote is Niagra! It's utterly unique among launchers, most of which are more or less the same but with different customizations. It's difficult to say what makes Niagra better for me, but now that I've gotten used to it (not easy but worth it) all the samey launchers just feel so much worse.
What makes it unique?
The layout and navigation. Instead of a grid of apps, it's a linear list. There's a homepage of favorites, and a full list below that. I've configured mine so the full list is sorted by the first letter, then by usage within a letter if that makes sense. On the side of the screen, there's a list of letters you have apps in, and you can quickly navigate the full list by hovering over those letters. I don't think I'm describing it well, but it's free with some premium features so I implore you to try it yourself.
Smart Launcher. The app drawer is set up like my Palm Pilot (tabbed categories). Over the years it has added more features but the only gesture I really use is double tap to turn off the screen.
Nova was my first third party launcher but SL has an easier set up for the same effect (for my case).
Used to use Niagara launcher, but moved to kvaesitso since it's FOSS. Both are very very good.
Light weight and still feature rich. It automatically sorts apps into categories. It makes it so much easier to find the apps to launch.
I cannot stand the near endless long list of unsorted apps you get with most launchers.
Been Smart Launcher pro user since Smart Launcher 3. It's not as highly customizable as other launchers mentioned here, but I can't live without auto categorizing app feature. Why are there no other launcher app with this feature?
I don't understand either. Are people really just accepting that the app drawer is one huge scrollable list?
Nova and Niagara seen to be the overwhelming favorites, but I like Smart Launcher. My brain doesn't cooperate with lists of apps in alphabetical or whatever, I lose apps or forget the name. Smart is great because it categorizes the apps into six default categories automagically, and you can edit/add/delete the categories or which category each app gets sorted into. So my Internet apps are on one space, games, media, etc. Makes the list of apps much easier to deal with. Not that it's perfect. Sometimes apps go weird places, but that's easy to fix. There's a bunch of other stuff, but that's my primary reason for using it.
I use Hyperion Launcher. I bought Nova launcher back in the day, but I left immediately when it was acquired by a data collection and analytics company.
Hyperion launcher basically provides all the same features as Nova launcher. It's a less intuitive to set up, but once you have it set up, it's just as good.
Action Launcher
Olauncher - very minimal, no distractions. Shows the app's full name instead of icons, handfull of links on the main page, the rest can be found in the app drawer in a long list of app names.
Edit: just saw the mention here of mlauncher, an open source fork. Making the switch now 🙂
i use evie but evie doesnt exist anymore the playstore thing is a scam
I've been using Nova forever. Any new phone doesn't feel right until I install it. I like the customization options and the scroll for all apps.
I've had the same exported Nova settings through the last ten years since Samsung Galaxy Note 3 across five phones, as well as a tablet
On a Pixel with GrapheneOS
I use KISS, I wanted an opensource launcher
Its quick actions, history and tags are exactly what I need.
You need to customize it heavily to get it to look good: I use a very minimal amoledBlack&white config with Arcticons and I love it
In a post life I ran LineageOS for quite some time, then happily used the stock launcher through my OnePlus days.
When OnePlus took a turn for the worst, I hopped to LG followed by Samsung (and have been on Samsung Note/Ultra devices since). When I made that switch, I first landed on Lawnchair! A clean, quick, simple AOSP-like launcher that had everything I needed, including a Google feed to the left!
When Lawnchair left active development (it is actively being rebuild, I should check in on it) I looked to re-create the same look and feel on an old on-and-off friend. Today, like many others, I'm on Nova Prime with the Google Feed extension. I have my config saved and backed up, lest I need to restore!
It's simple, and with the muscle memory I have from the AOSP launcher days, I'm resistant to change 🤣
Lawnchair is absolutely insane for it's size and price (free)
I've used Action Launcher for something like a decade now. I love it, because it allows you to use folders with a "default" up. If you click on the folder, it launches the default app for the folder, but if you slide up on it, then you can see all of the apps in the folder to access them.
However, it doesn't work well on my zfold, so I've had to retire it. I'm still looking for a good alternative
I would have loved to keep using ADW2, but it got extremely outdated and started having compatibility issues. I used it since the first major version, now legacy ADW.
Now I use and love Nova.
I've been using the Arc Launcher for years now, purely for the reason that it looks rad as FUK. Probably better functioning launchers out there, but Arc Launcher looks cool lol
lawnchair, stopped using it after buying a Samsung tho, i really like the oneui home.
love the ability to rearrange and organize the app list as well as the homescreen.
lacks customization options tho...Neo Launcher https://github.com/NeoApplications/Neo-Launcher
Evie launcher. It's dead now, but I love it
I've been using Apex launcher for years
Another vote for KISS. Took some getting used to, but now I have trouble using any others.
The search is so handy.
Before launcher is my favorite minimalist launcher. It's very simple and easy to use
Lawnchair launcher, its simpler than pocp launcher, and I can change icon pack of individual app.
I used Nova for years, but it felt increasingly outdated so I switched to Action Launcher. Then it too started to feel outdated after a few years so I switched to Smart Launcher, which I've been loving. I miss AL's side drawer but SL has a lot to offer if you want something slick and simple, with custom widgets and layouts. I recommend you check it out!
Lawnchair
I'm using Lawnchair, have been for a few years now. It does everything I need it to without getting in the way.
I use smart launcher. Have for probably 7 or 8 years. Never paid for it... Free version is perfectly functional. Pixel 6 pro.
I have six icons on my home screen, I love the double tap feature that can launch another app from those home screen apps. The app pages take no more than 3 buttons to find any app since it is sorted by letter or category.
It's easy. I haven't even really thought about using anything else.
Same here, love the honeycomb layout and the double tap feature to "hide" less used, but still necessary apps (single tap goes to Waze, double tap opens Google Maps. Another tap gives me Youtube, double tap opens Youtube Kids to occasionally placate the 3yo)
Lawnchair. It mimicks the Pixel launcher quite well, which is my favorite stock Android launcher, and is much better than default OneUI. To be honest, I dont care for phone customization as much as I used to, but Lawnchair just works. Not to mention its FOSS and has a great themed icon pack that covers every app I use daily except for the Lemmy app Liftoff.
I am currently using LineageOS and I just prefer the design and feel of the "Olauncher clutter free". It just werks and does not offer any distractions.
Bit of an odd one, but after the Nova Launcher fiasco I tried several launchers also listen in this thread but landed on Hyperion Launcher in the end. Simple, clean and supports icon themes. Did the trick for me.
What was the nova launcher fiasco? I've been using it a long time and never knew about any kind of issue.
Bit of FUD surrounding it, but Nova Launcher was acquired by an analytics company called Branch a year or so ago.
Wow is AIO Russian? I even bought the premium but barely used it.
Ruthless launcher! Came from a Pixel to Samsung and can't deal with their UI. Ruthless allows mostly replicating the Pixel look I'm used to.
Probably not very helpful for you on a Pixel, but maybe it helps someone else :)
Before this phone (Pixel 6) I used either Nova or Action for a long long time.
Marshmallow Launcher.
I got annoyed with how HTC and especially Samsung did their UI, and switched to something that looked familiar and the second feature I looked for was the option to lock the icons.
It's the best using your own launcher when you switch phone your desktop just looks the same.
Pie launcher from f-droid, before I used KISS, but it's too slow for me. Pie is more minimalistic, APK size is literally 150KiB and minimum android version is 2.3
My connection was lagging and I posted like 3 same comments accidentally :(
Minimalist
Niagara for my phone, just a simple short list of most used apps, the time and climate as front. I like the minimalism on the small screen.
For my tablet, I use Action Launcher. It have some nice features like a easily accessable (by gesture) alphabetically ordered list of apps.
Niagara is awesome. It's the best launcher by far if you want something to access your apps as quickly as possible, while still looking good and providing a couple of relevant info like the weather or media playing.
What I really like about Niagra is that the whole app drawer is on your finger tips. One just intuitively starts holding a certain point on screen which will roughly open the alphabet with which the app you are looking for starts.
I forgot Action Launcher even existed. I used to use it years ago. Just downloaded it again and it's certainly changed over the years.
Nova launcher. I like the custom icons, specifically the Line Free package. I also wanted the wrap around scrolling for home screens which wasn't a feature on the first phone I put nova on. No idea if it is on my current phone because I went straight to Nova.
Only "Android" users?
I use Lawnchair on Lineageos.
My brother in Christ, LineageOS is still Android.
Not at all. "Android" is a brand name for AOSP based operating systems, allowing vendors to distribute Play Services (and Play Store). It has a strict certification procedure with certain requirements (Chrome as default browser, Google folder on home screen, etc.), some of them anticompetitive (Vendors not allowed to distribute other operating systems) for which Google was sued by the EU in the past. Don't know if they still do this shit.
Lineage is android
No, read my other answer.