Lawnchair is what I’m currently using, and it’s improving. They’ve had a large development push recently. Another one I’ve looked at was SmartLauncher.
I tried Kvaesitso for a while but ultimately it wasn’t for me
Kvaesitso takes a little to get used to. It is not like a traditional launcher and is no where near as customizable as Nova but I still really like it.
If you don’t like having a ton of icons, only use a limited number of widgets, you like to use a search bar, and you don’t like shoving things in the app screen in to folders, I suggest giving it a try.
The home screen only allows one row of icons. You have a set of icons as your favorites in the app screen. You can use tags, rather than folders, to organize icons.
I found that after a good part of a year, I wasn’t using the widgets menu at all and it would take me more time to find the right tag than if I had folders that benefit from muscle memory
You seem to know what you need but if you decide to try it again, you can set favorite tags. Clicking a favorite tag will put all the icons to the top.
But yeah I can understand why it’s not for everyone. The widgets only allow for full width so customization is limited. Tags and the search bar will limit muscle memory. I can probably open my most used apps blindfolded in Lawnchair or Nova. I can’y do that with this launcher. I see your point.
I used neo for a while, and it came close. but at least for me it had some issues with energy hunger and I think it lagged from time to time. maybe it’s fixed by now.
edit: still no new release since December 2023. sad
Yeah if it weren’t for the laundry list of glitches and no new releases since I think 2022 (the December 2023 date was a mistake, there was no change at all, it just overwrote the release date) I would also be using neo. But i got really tired of accidentally resetting all my damn widgets because I moved an icon wrong, and having to manually remake them since they wouldn’t restore from backup.
I switched to action launcher years ago and it still works great. The ability to have a default app in a folder is so convenient, you tap to open the app you use most, or swipe to open the full folder. I’m not aware of another launcher which allows this.
I only have one screen for everything I need because of this feature, with the full app list available on the left and a widget panel with my calendar and weather on the right.
I never see it mentioned in these threads though, I guess because it’s not FOSS. I tried lawnchair and the gap in features is massive.
Action can do this? I’ll have to check it out, because that’s the feature from Nova I can’t live without. My whole home screen has been built around it for years.
Action can do this. I believe it was implemented on Action before Nova anyway but it’s years ago at this point… But yeah that’s the main feature I miss with all the other launchers.
I can’t quite remember how the in app purchase element of it works, I appear to have paid to be a supporter in 2022, I think around then maybe is when they changed payment models and annoyed people idk.
It’s too integral a part of my usage for me to worry about, as much as I love FOSS stuff. I’m totally happy with the small amount I’ve contributed. The app is still releasing updates.
I use Total Launcher - it has up and down swipe gestures but also left and right. It’s a bit of a learning curve, much less intuitive than Nova was at its peak, but very customisable.
I tried total launcher. Even bought a license. It didn’t have the app icon swipe. For example if I swipe up on the phone app icon it launches the contacts app. Swipe up on the messages app icon to launch Signal. Great way to easily access a bunch of related apps without cluttering the home screen.
Agreed, that’s exactly what I do too - I use icon swipe all the time though, so I’m confused why you don’t have it.
Admittedly, I swipe folder icons rather than individual apps, but it definitely works, here’s a quick video (link lives for 2 days): https://streamable.com/liybvg
EDIT - looking again, I can’t set swipes on individual app icons either, just the folder icons. Weird, never noticed that before!
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Anyone have a comparable launcher that is still being developed?
Lawnchair is what I’m currently using, and it’s improving. They’ve had a large development push recently. Another one I’ve looked at was SmartLauncher.
I tried Kvaesitso for a while but ultimately it wasn’t for me
Kvaesitso takes a little to get used to. It is not like a traditional launcher and is no where near as customizable as Nova but I still really like it.
If you don’t like having a ton of icons, only use a limited number of widgets, you like to use a search bar, and you don’t like shoving things in the app screen in to folders, I suggest giving it a try.
The home screen only allows one row of icons. You have a set of icons as your favorites in the app screen. You can use tags, rather than folders, to organize icons.
It is different but it is very polished.
I found that after a good part of a year, I wasn’t using the widgets menu at all and it would take me more time to find the right tag than if I had folders that benefit from muscle memory
I do get the appeal though, it’s very polished
You seem to know what you need but if you decide to try it again, you can set favorite tags. Clicking a favorite tag will put all the icons to the top.
But yeah I can understand why it’s not for everyone. The widgets only allow for full width so customization is limited. Tags and the search bar will limit muscle memory. I can probably open my most used apps blindfolded in Lawnchair or Nova. I can’y do that with this launcher. I see your point.
I’m really loving Octopi. Especially on the Fold since I can have multiple layouts. The stackable widgets are really nice too.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.otp.octopilauncher
Nova is ridiculously big shoes to fill, but I’ve had a decent experience with hyperion.
I mostly use Niagara these days though, I’ve come to like the list layout more than icon grids.
I used neo for a while, and it came close. but at least for me it had some issues with energy hunger and I think it lagged from time to time. maybe it’s fixed by now.
edit: still no new release since December 2023. sad
Yeah if it weren’t for the laundry list of glitches and no new releases since I think 2022 (the December 2023 date was a mistake, there was no change at all, it just overwrote the release date) I would also be using neo. But i got really tired of accidentally resetting all my damn widgets because I moved an icon wrong, and having to manually remake them since they wouldn’t restore from backup.
A launcher that allows for icon swipe up/down actions??
I switched to action launcher years ago and it still works great. The ability to have a default app in a folder is so convenient, you tap to open the app you use most, or swipe to open the full folder. I’m not aware of another launcher which allows this.
I only have one screen for everything I need because of this feature, with the full app list available on the left and a widget panel with my calendar and weather on the right.
I never see it mentioned in these threads though, I guess because it’s not FOSS. I tried lawnchair and the gap in features is massive.
Action can do this? I’ll have to check it out, because that’s the feature from Nova I can’t live without. My whole home screen has been built around it for years.
Action can do this. I believe it was implemented on Action before Nova anyway but it’s years ago at this point… But yeah that’s the main feature I miss with all the other launchers.
I can’t quite remember how the in app purchase element of it works, I appear to have paid to be a supporter in 2022, I think around then maybe is when they changed payment models and annoyed people idk.
It’s too integral a part of my usage for me to worry about, as much as I love FOSS stuff. I’m totally happy with the small amount I’ve contributed. The app is still releasing updates.
I use Total Launcher - it has up and down swipe gestures but also left and right. It’s a bit of a learning curve, much less intuitive than Nova was at its peak, but very customisable.
I tried total launcher. Even bought a license. It didn’t have the app icon swipe. For example if I swipe up on the phone app icon it launches the contacts app. Swipe up on the messages app icon to launch Signal. Great way to easily access a bunch of related apps without cluttering the home screen.
Agreed, that’s exactly what I do too - I use icon swipe all the time though, so I’m confused why you don’t have it.
Admittedly, I swipe folder icons rather than individual apps, but it definitely works, here’s a quick video (link lives for 2 days): https://streamable.com/liybvg
EDIT - looking again, I can’t set swipes on individual app icons either, just the folder icons. Weird, never noticed that before!