What is your preferred Android Launcher in 2026? (lemmy.dbzer0.com)

submitted 3 months ago by lowspeedchase@lemmy.dbzer0.com to c/asklemmy@lemmy.world

46 comments fedilink hide all child comments

I bought and paid for Nova Launcher like 15 years ago and it's been my go-to for that time; however, over the last year or so it's been abandoned and is a buggy mess.

What ship should I jump onto? (stock google launcher is giving me the ick)

top 46 comments

sorted by: hot top controversial new old

[-] AstroLightz@lemmy.world 6 points 3 months ago

Lawnchair. An improved Launcher3 that I use in place of Lineage's built-in launcher.

I don't really like text-only "simple" launchers as the icons help with quickly figuring out what app does what. Some of the features the AOSP Launcher3 lacks are present in Lawnchair/(mainly more customization over existing features).

[-] squirrel@piefed.kobel.fyi 6 points 3 months ago

Lawnchair

[-] lowspeedchase@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 3 months ago

Will check it out, thank you!

[-] hikaru755@lemmy.world 1 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

Heard a lot of praise for it and tried to test it the other day, but noped right back out when just trying to create a folder in the dock was horribly buggy and repeatedly resulted in having a duplicate of one of the app icons in it showing on the home screen, weirdly overlapping the "at a glance" widget, and when I tried to fix it the folder just disappeared. Not sure if I was doing something wrong, but that wasn't very confidence inspiring. Stock Pixel 7, so it's not like I'm using a particularly unusual setup either

[-] 27Purple@lemmy.world 0 points 3 months ago

Sounds like my experience so you're not alone. Tried it on both a Pixel 8 Pro and P10 Pro XL. Its foundation is good, but it needs a lot of polishing.

[-] Dave@lemmy.nz 3 points 3 months ago

I love KISS.

I change the settings to set swipes for common apps like browser and camera, set others as favorites like email and messaging apps, and then set it to show nothing else except the search bar. Tapping the search bar shows commonly used apps, or you can a search.

Works great for my "workflow", and leaves the "desktop" almost completely clear. Then I have the wallpaper set to the NASA astronomy picture of the day. Works great!

[-] rustinmyeye@lemmy.ml 3 points 3 months ago

I switched to Olauncher a few years ago, and I cannot use anything else now. Works well for me.

[-] harsh3466@lemmy.ml 2 points 3 months ago

+1. Olauncher is fantastic

[-] klymilark@herbicide.fallcounty.omg.lol 3 points 3 months ago

Same one I've been using for the past... 14 years? Smart Launcher. Great UI, and means when I get a new phone I don't need to learn a new UI :D

[-] ALoafOfBread@lemmy.ml 1 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

+1 for smart launcher. I got it back when the paid version was like 5 bucks. It's more now, but I've been very happy with it overall.

Lawnchair also looks great. I'd consider switching if Smart Launcher becomes enshittified or if Lawnchair has better features.

[-] davidgro@lemmy.world 1 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

I switched to Smart Launcher because it was the only one I found that mentioned being able to import my Nova backup. The transfer wasn't perfect, but extremely good.

[-] finalarbiter@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 points 3 months ago

Niagara. It's simple and clean. All I need is an app drawer and a few favorites, and that's basically what it provides.

[-] astro@leminal.space 2 points 3 months ago

kvaesito, I switched from nova a few months ago and I'm loving it.

[-] ProperlyProperTea@lemmy.ml 1 points 3 months ago

I tried KISS, Niagara, etc. Kvaeasito is the one that stuck for some reason.

[-] victorz@lemmy.world 1 points 3 months ago

It's "kvaesitso" you guys

[-] ProperlyProperTea@lemmy.ml 1 points 3 months ago

NGL, I copied the guy above me because I didn't feel like double checking. You right.

[-] jared@mander.xyz 2 points 3 months ago

I've been trying different text launchers for a while, Olauncher has been pretty stable.

[-] boaratio@lemmy.world 2 points 3 months ago

Lawnchair. Can't donate to the dev hard enough.

[-] Samsy@lemmy.ml 1 points 3 months ago

Bought nova, too. And regret. Now it is lawnchair, with a finally good update solution through obtainium, because of their confusing alpha, beta releases.

[-] lowspeedchase@lemmy.dbzer0.com 0 points 3 months ago

Two votes for lawnchair, thank you.

[-] ScoffingLizard@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 2 months ago

You folks are not concerned that it requires a bible of permission s and has a google search bar (aka tracker bar).

[-] lowspeedchase@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 2 months ago

I'm actually a single person... a solitary 'folk' if you will.

[-] ClusterBomb@lemmy.blahaj.zone 1 points 3 months ago

I used to use KISS but now I love Pie Launcher, I just wish it bugged less often (sometimes I have to kill it and restart it) and I wish we could have folders to open too.

[-] whysteria@piefed.blahaj.zone 1 points 3 months ago

I use TrinketOS for organizing and navigating apps, and Daijisho for launching most emulated games on my RP5.

I’ve used Niagara in the past and tried out Olauncher, but I’ve landed on YAM Launcher for my Boox Go Color 7 since I can set it to use my cutesy system font.hehe :3cI still use the stock Onyx Launcher for the bookshelf though. I configured it so that a swipe from left to right in YAM Launcher opens the Onyx Launcher for my bookshelf and it just feels like a book drawer, the font being consistent between launchers makes it feel really cohesive and intentional.

[-] MIDItheKID@lemmy.world 1 points 3 months ago

Smart Launcher gang checking in. I am also a Nova Launcher refugee, and I found that Smart Launcher had similar features and ease of use.

[-] LordFireCrotch@lemmy.today 1 points 3 months ago

I've been using OLauncher. I like the simplicity it brings to my phone experience.

[-] MrScottyTay@sh.itjust.works 1 points 2 months ago

Niagara at the moment. There's a lot I'd change about it but it's the best I've spent the time to learn the ins and outs of so far.

[-] ScoffingLizard@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 2 months ago

I want to try Mako and Olauncher, but I'm afraid of malware and data collection. Any advice?

[-] hansolo@lemmy.today 1 points 3 months ago

Nova got sold and now it's a tracking-laiden pos. That's why is gone terrible.

[-] wiccan2@lemmy.world 1 points 3 months ago

Niagara, nice simple clean

[-] Assassassin@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 3 months ago

Niagra is the bees knees

[-] FUCKING_CUNO@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 3 months ago

Surprised I had to scroll this far for a Niagara recommendation. Been on it since Nova sale and it's fantastic

[-] RodgeGrabTheCat@sh.itjust.works 1 points 3 months ago

Stock GrapheneOS

[-] Noctambulist@lemmy.world 1 points 3 months ago

I used to spend a lot of time configuring different launchers (including Nova Launcher) but since I’ve switched to GrapheneOS, I’m actually quite happy with the stock launcher. It has everything I need — multiple home screens, widgets, folders. And I use App Search as dedicated search and secondary launch app that I’ve set up as digital assistant for gesture invocation.

[-] cAUzapNEAGLb@lemmy.world 1 points 3 months ago

What does a launcher do, what can a non-default one do (or not do) that warrents the effort to not just use whatever the default is?

[-] PhatalFlaw@lemmy.world 1 points 3 months ago

I've been using Hyperion since Nova sold. I really like it, solid feature set and easy to port between phones

[-] Kiernian@lemmy.world 1 points 3 months ago

TREK: Total Interface

It's Total Launcher with an LCARS theme.

I've been using it for 4 or 5 years now across two different phones.

I absolutely despise the entire smartphone menu paradigm so this is as close as I can get to departing from it and sticking with something static that doesn't move about or spontaneously change behaviors every third update.

That's a static menu system sorted, now if I could just get my pixel 8 pro to stick to 30 minutes screen timeout after I set it once, that'd be great. It flips back to 30 seconds nearly every time I put it down and sometimes while I'm holding it.

Why isn't there a developer option for "never let the phone change settings on its own"?

[-] Hermit_Lailoken@lemmy.world 1 points 3 months ago

Action launcher

[-] Libreviz@lemmy.world 1 points 3 months ago

Kvaesitso

A search-focused, free and open source launcher for Android

[-] KhantoBlackhand@lemmy.today 1 points 3 months ago

Another Kvae user I see.

[-] sudoMakeUser@sh.itjust.works 0 points 2 months ago

OLauncher is great. I used Nova for a long time but I'm happy with OLauncher. It's also available on F-Droid which is pretty neat.

[-] Kolanaki@pawb.social 0 points 3 months ago

...Microsoft Launcher.

It does what I want, has no ads and basically is so smooth I forget I even have a custom launcher installed.

[-] hefty4871@lemmy.ca 1 points 3 months ago

Microsoft was the only launcher I found that has the feature to swipe up on an app icon to launch a shortcut. Nova had swipe up or down that I used to launch different apps.

[-] dgilbert@lemmy.ca 1 points 3 months ago

Smart Launcher will allow you to swipe up, down, left, and right to launch shortcuts.

The paid version will also allow you to use icons to open widgets in a pop-up.

[-] quediuspayu@lemmy.dbzer0.com 0 points 3 months ago

What is an android launcher?

[-] murmelade@lemmy.ml 1 points 3 months ago

Like a catapult for robots.

this post was submitted on 02 Feb 2026

12 points (100.0% liked)

Ask Lemmy

39385 readers

161 users here now

A Fediverse community for open-ended, thought provoking questions

Rules: (interactive)

1) Be nice and; have fun

Doxxing, trolling, sealioning, racism, toxicity and dog-whistling are not welcomed in AskLemmy. Remember what your mother said: if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all. In addition, the site-wide Lemmy.world terms of service also apply here. Please familiarize yourself with them

2) All posts must end with a '?'

This is sort of like Jeopardy. Please phrase all post titles in the form of a proper question ending with ?

3) No spam

Please do not flood the community with nonsense. Actual suspected spammers will be banned on site. No astroturfing.

4) NSFW is okay, within reason

Just remember to tag posts with either a content warning or a [NSFW] tag. Overtly sexual posts are not allowed, please direct them to either !asklemmyafterdark@lemmy.world or !asklemmynsfw@lemmynsfw.com. NSFW comments should be restricted to posts tagged [NSFW].

5) This is not a support community.

It is not a place for 'how do I?', type questions. If you have any questions regarding the site itself or would like to report a community, please direct them to Lemmy.world Support or email info@lemmy.world. For other questions check our partnered communities list, or use the search function.

6) No US Politics.

Please don't post about current US Politics. If you need to do this, try !politicaldiscussion@lemmy.world or !askusa@discuss.online

Reminder: The terms of service apply here too.