Your favorite Android Launcher ( Paid or otherwise ) and why ?

N

nick.knack91011

Forerunner
Just wondering and wanted to ask what launcher everyone prefers on their android devices and why ?

As an early adopter of Nova Launcher who also has paid version of it I love it in terms of its simplicity and customizability , but whenever I have to deal with an older device with limited ram that my mom for example was using in past or a slow secondry device or fixing a friends old laggy android I always install ' Kiss Launcher ' on their devices as it's blazing fast and foss and amazingly customisable while only few mbs in size , Also love ?Microsofts own launcher on Androids as a 365 pro subscriber and kvaesisto launcher is awesome as well as basic no frills minimalist launcher and fast as fk but I always either end up purchasing / using Nova Launcher on a new device or using Kiss Launcher on a dated device.

Which launcher download you prefer and why ?

P.s : Yes have tired Niagra Launcher and hated it :/
 
I was normal user for any custom launcher. Tried many but always came back to below ones in order of preference.
Nova (paid)
Hyperion (paid)
Lawnchair legacy(free, new versions are good also)
Microsoft Launcher (free)
But from past 1 year i just don't have even time to set custom ones and i am not even bothered by what's on my phone. I just keep minimal apps on my phone now a days.
Custom launchers are lots of fun though.
 
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I used Nova launcher paid version for many years before switching to Samsung's default launcher 1-2 years back, I don't remember why though :sweatsmile:
 
kage said:
Oof.
I'm the opposite.
Been using Niagara Pro for like ages now.
Fast, Consistent, No frills.

But I can see why the layout can be polarizing.
Definitely not for everyone.
But I love it!
Click to expand...
I don’t use Android now but before I was fan of Niagara pro. Also microsoft launcher is good.
 
Nova launcher was one of the first launchers I had purchased a decade ago. Unfortunately, a lot of people still recommend it blindly without knowing it was sold to an analytics company 3 years ago and now they are basically supplying data to them.
www.theverge.com

Nearly everyone working on Nova Launcher has been laid off

The launcher’s founder is the last full-time employee.
www.theverge.com www.theverge.com

I actually used the Microsoft launcher for a while on my Android tablet for the daily Bing wallpaper and as it made working between personal and work apps and displaying everything as a list quite easy.

I only have an Android e-reader now and use Olauncher with it as it fits in perfectly with its minimalism on such simpler devices.
 
t3chg33k said:
Nova launcher was one of the first launchers I had purchased a decade ago. Unfortunately, a lot of people still recommend it blindly without knowing it was sold to an analytics company 3 years ago and now they are basically supplying data to them.
www.theverge.com

Nearly everyone working on Nova Launcher has been laid off

The launcher’s founder is the last full-time employee.
www.theverge.com www.theverge.com

I actually used the Microsoft launcher for a while on my Android tablet for the daily Bing wallpaper and as it made working between personal and work apps and displaying everything as a list quite easy.

I only have an Android e-reader now and use Olauncher with it as it fits in perfectly with its minimalism on such simpler devices.
Click to expand...
I mean whole google is analytics company at its base, everything underneath android is to steal your data so is fb or instagram even twitter that's why maps and all the good google stuff is free ;), you can use lineage os delete google services and yada yada not use redmi vivo not use smartphone not turn on location but there's no end..

In terms of usage and customizability and fulfilling my needs nova has been amazing but yeah if that's your concern you can choose foss ones obviously but it don't see the point. I just wanted to know whicj launcher people use love for its usage customizability or has some special features that I am missing :p but i do get your point .

Also now that I have couple of weeks of break from work I was just exploring android stuff as I haven't worked with a droid for few years as my primary was iphone for sometime.

I do like androids customizability though , it's fun for a tech enthusiast especially apps like tasker and stuff.
OMEGA44-XT said:
I used Nova launcher paid version for many years before switching to Samsung's default launcher 1-2 years back, I don't remember why though :sweatsmile:
Click to expand...
Samsunga default one is decent with added features they add in higher models , used to love old samsung note models too , also tried friends nothing phone other day and their launcher is pretty neat I must say .
 
nick.knack91011 said:
I mean whole google is analytics company at its base, everything underneath android is to steal your data so is fb or instagram even twitter that's why maps and all the good google stuff is free ;), you can use lineage os delete google services and yada yada not use redmi vivo not use smartphone not turn on location but there's no end..

In terms of usage and customizability and fulfilling my needs nova has been amazing but yeah if that's your concern you can choose foss ones obviously but it don't see the point. I just wanted to know whicj launcher people use love for its usage customizability or has some special features that I am missing :p but i do get your point .

Also now that I have couple of weeks of break from work I was just exploring android stuff as I haven't worked with a droid for few years as my primary was iphone for sometime.

I do like androids customizability though , it's fun for a tech enthusiast especially apps like tasker and stuff.
Click to expand...
To be honest, while Google collects the hell out of you, they are still good at anonymising data. I feel it scummy when well known apps are purchased by companies with ulterior motives.

Not sure how good Branch is in anonymising data, but basically as the gateway to your phone, they track everything they can.
Branch (formerly/sometimes Branch Metrics) is a firm concerned with helping businesses track the links that lead into their apps, whether from SMS, email, marketing, or inside other apps.
Click to expand...
 
I used Nova (paid) for several years, even continuing to use it after it became a spyware. Now, I am using the default Samsung launcher.
 
Using Before launcher for a distraction free app drawer on a secondary phone. It looks great against a black wallpaper in amoled screen.
 
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Still use Nova Launcher for the great flexibility and customisation it offers, but block it using Netguard. It works just fine.
I use KISS launcher in the secondary phone. Takes some getting used to but it's a great minimalistic open source launcher.
 
I bought Nova for Rs 10 looong back but then I also learnt about Lawnchair during rooting and custom rom days and both of them are my preferred no nonsense launchers.
Lawnchair doesn't have in-depth features and tweaks like Nova but its 1000% times better than those stock eye-popping huge sized stock kiddish launchers!
It works well even on older devices so give it a try and its totally free!
 
t3chg33k said:
Nova launcher was one of the first launchers I had purchased a decade ago. Unfortunately, a lot of people still recommend it blindly without knowing it was sold to an analytics company 3 years ago and now they are basically supplying data to them.
www.theverge.com

Nearly everyone working on Nova Launcher has been laid off

The launcher’s founder is the last full-time employee.
www.theverge.com www.theverge.com

I actually used the Microsoft launcher for a while on my Android tablet for the daily Bing wallpaper and as it made working between personal and work apps and displaying everything as a list quite easy.

I only have an Android e-reader now and use Olauncher with it as it fits in perfectly with its minimalism on such simpler devices.
Click to expand...
Yes, I think this was the reason I stopped using Nova.

nick.knack91011 said:
Samsunga default one is decent with added features they add in higher models , used to love old samsung note models too , also tried friends nothing phone other day and their launcher is pretty neat I must say .
Click to expand...
Samsung's budget & mid range phones are mostly bad. S20FE 5G & A52s 5G were 2 gems back in late 2021.
 
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+1 for Kiss launcher. Set it to open the keyboard by default and you have all the shortcuts right on your home screen.

For example you can directly go to any setting, call/message a person, start navigation or call an uber to your favourite locations, all by simply typing a few letters right on the home screen.

AFAIK this is the only launcher that can replace your home screen with the keyboard.

1744129294090.png
 
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I've been off popular social media for a couple of months to get my mental health back in tune, and this pretty much started with minimalizing my android home screen setup. Have been using Olauncher (F-droid) since half a year, and it has streamlined and reduced my phone usage a lot. It's a great start to getting some time off your screen usage hours and even ignoring that, Olauncher serves pretty well as just a launcher that is concise, customizable and extremely fast in usage and speed.

F-Droid

Screenshot_20250408_221339_app_olauncher_MainActivity.jpg
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Screenshot_20250408_221354_app_olauncher_MainActivity.jpg
Screenshot_20250408_221329_app_olauncher_MainActivity.jpg
 
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TheNawab said:
I've been off popular social media for a couple of months to get my mental health back in tune, and this pretty much started with minimalizing my android home screen setup. Have been using Olauncher (F-droid) since half a year, and it has streamlined and reduced my phone usage a lot. It's a great start to getting some time off your screen usage hours and even ignoring that, Olauncher serves pretty well as just a launcher that is concise, customizable and extremely fast in usage and speed.

F-Droid

View attachment 230120View attachment 230118
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Maybe off topic , been there I don't think minimising phone usage , reducing usage or using black and white screens or deleting social media is key to mental health, mindfulness is .. it's like an alcoholic throwing away a bottle of a smoker keeping away a packet , true independence is when you are clean form inside and can you use/ do evrything use every app mindfully and some physical exercise ofcourse. I don't use social media myself though, except fb sometimes for pre loved stuff .

roadrash99 said:
+1 for Kiss launcher. Set it to open the keyboard by default and you have all the shortcuts right on your home screen.

For example you can directly go to any setting, call/message a person, start navigation or call an uber to your favourite locations, all by simply typing a few letters right on the home screen.

AFAIK this is the only launcher that can replace your home screen with the keyboard.
Click to expand...


Anyway back on topic, I love olauncher too for its simplicity but kiss is so much fun, turning icons into squiculers and so much customising, just a keyboard and search whatever you want . I am on vivo original launcher as I am using it as a temp phone for now as I needed inbuilt call recording but for me kiss is lightest and most fun, microsoft one is nice for work as I do my to do lists and notes on it as my primary is outlook and niagra for customizability .

Also, if u want just launcher that just works ' Discreet Launcher ' is best, just group of icons and a swipe up app tray nothing more nothing less, even works on old 512mb devices flawlessly , same as kiss and both foss.
 
There has been a steady inverse correlation between my age and my interest in customising my phone (launchers, widgets, icons, all of that). I guess my general interest in phones has faded too. Anyway, without further digressing, I still use the paid version of Nova, and it works perfectly fine.

My current expectations from a launcher are pretty basic: a few home screen gestures like “pull down for app search,” “double tap to lock,” and “swipe up to expand notifications”. I like a simple folder system and a snappy experience, ideally without any unnecessary and slow animations, or at least the option to turn them off.

I do remember trying out a launcher called "minimalist" or something, which was just a black home screen with a clock, and a few apps you could choose (text, no icon). I think I liked it, but ended up switching back to Nova for some reason. I do want to give it a shot again. Using a launcher like that or just turning my phone to greyscale mode has helped me avoid using my phone mindlessly, which is something I value these days.
 
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