I switched from Nova to Total Launcher for the swipe feature.
I switched to Pear Launcher. Pretty affordable and doesn't request network connection permission. It's not as feature rich as Nova but it fulfills my needs. You can assign swipe up gesture on app icon (but not swipe down and not on folder).
I'm a Nova user also. I stopped updating before the buy out but this version is still working great and no issues. I would love for there to be an open source alternative with the same features but I need the same things you do.
- Swipe up alternate app launch
- Tabbed app drawer
- Folders in the app drawer
I am on a beta, and I love it. However, I am also using AFWall+ to block internet access to that app completely.
Neo Launcher is the closest I have found to Nova, but it's missing the alternate app launches
If I had the time, the motivation, and the knowledge id jump in to try to create an open source solution. I don't know any Java (as far as Android development goes anyways) and I don't know any Kotlin. So it's safe to say id I did go down this rabbit hole it would be a long ways out.
If I find anything remotely similar, I'll share with everyone.
Android
DROID DOES
Welcome to the droidymcdroidface-iest, Lemmyest (Lemmiest), test, bestest, phoniest, pluckiest, snarkiest, and spiciest Android community on Lemmy (Do not respond)! Here you can participate in amazing discussions and events relating to all things Android.
The rules for posting and commenting, besides the rules defined here for lemmy.world, are as follows:
Rules
1. All posts must be relevant to Android devices/operating system.
2. Posts cannot be illegal or NSFW material.
3. No spam, self promotion, or upvote farming. Sources engaging in these behavior will be added to the Blacklist.
4. Non-whitelisted bots will be banned.
5. Engage respectfully: Harassment, flamebaiting, bad faith engagement, or agenda posting will result in your posts being removed. Excessive violations will result in temporary or permanent ban, depending on severity.
6. Memes are not allowed to be posts, but are allowed in the comments.
7. Posts from clickbait sources are heavily discouraged. Please de-clickbait titles if it needs to be submitted.
8. Submission statements of any length composed of your own thoughts inside the post text field are mandatory for any microblog posts, and are optional but recommended for article/image/video posts.
Community Resources:
We are Android girls*,
In our Lemmy.world.
The back is plastic,
It's fantastic.
*Well, not just girls: people of all gender identities are welcomed here.
Our Partner Communities: