Asklemmy

Kiss launcher for me

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.

Lawnchair https://github.com/LawnchairLauncher/lawnchair

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.

https://ibb.co/RcD7w2Q

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 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.

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.

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.

Smart Launcher

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.

Lawnchair, it does everything from nova that I liked

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.

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.

Lawnchair alpha

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

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.

Nova was the best till the ownership changed hands.

Lawnchair & MS launcher been pretty good.

Microsoft Launcher

It's free, it's customizable.

Lawnchair

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 - 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 🙂

Indistract launcher Haven't found a better minimalistic/clean launcher even though it has some bugs. My home screen:

Nova

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.

For non FOSS i use Niagara, for FOSS i use Kvaesitso

I use mLauncher, a fork of OLauncher. I like how simple and clean my screen is.

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.

Neo Launcher https://github.com/NeoApplications/Neo-Launcher

I'm using Lawnchair, have been for a few years now. It does everything I need it to without getting in the way.