- cross-posted to:
- [email protected]
- [email protected]
- cross-posted to:
- [email protected]
- [email protected]
Since a few folks seem unaware of this, I’m posting anew for visibility.
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KISS is all I need.
KISS changed my perception of how I use my phone, using a bunch of icons on different pages seems crazy now
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Not everyone love innovation! 😀
I’ve been looking since this was first announced forever ago but can’t find a comparable alternative. My two main requirements are being able to create folders for apps in the app drawer and being able to assign “swiping up” on my home screen icon for the to open hidden apps or actions. I would love if anyone had a suggestion that included those two features.
Lawnchair is FOSS, has tabs in app drawer and you can swipe up on home screen icons to launch hidden
You can’t swipe on dock icons like in Nova
Yes, you can.
Long press on an icon (dock or homescreen) and you have option to then assign “swipe up” to a separate action.
All my dock icons have secondary actions assigned this way.
Thanks I’ll have to check it again. I guess I either missed it or it wasn’t implemented when I originally looked.
Which version are you using? Just tried with the latest beta and there is no swipe up option.
Same. Neither of those features seems to be there for me on version 14
I was using play store version I believe
Same exact reasons I am using it. I tried a few alternatives, but none were close.
Lawnchair is a fork of the original pixel launcher that gives some quality of life upgrades to an already good piece of software, like being able to remove the search bar, resizable / reshapable icons and fonts usw. Its also open source, so feel free to check out the github.
There is no app store release right now but they are working on it. I’ve used the alpha versions for two years now and it has worked fine so far.
I just made the switch after seeing this article.
Is there a way to get an icon to open the app drawer? Or am i forced to live with a gesture?
The choice gesture vs. nav button is usually part of android itself. In my case (pixel with therefor nearly stock android) its in settings -> system -> navigation mode (or something similar since its in german in my case). If you can’t find it, search for “navigation button your phone model”.
Edit: sorry, i just realized you meant the app drawer, not the overview of currently opened apps. I don’t know the answer to that.
Edit edit: ok i found something in lawnchairs settings. The last setting is called gestures. If you have navigation buttons enabled instead of nav gestures (see above) you could bind the home button to open the app drawer.
The last setting is called gestures. If you have navigation buttons enabled instead of nav gestures (see above) you could bind the home button to open the app drawer.
That would mean unbinding it from another feature. It feels kind of ridiculous that I have to devote my home button to something that should just be tappable on screen if three button navigation is being used.
By default the home button tap is bound to “do nothing”, so you’re not really losing anything
Yeah I tried it too and that’s a major no go right there. The fact it’s based off pixel launcher is killing my interest out of the gate, but I at least hoped that it would provide the same degree of customization options and tools as Nova. Doesn’t look like it, and no ability to call the app drawer without swiping.
Frankly any app that pushes gestures as the default navigation method without respecting people that just want to use buttons and taps, I can’t say I’m interested.
Guess I’m sticking with Nova 7 until it just stops working.
I’ve used the alpha versions for two years now and it has worked fine so far.
They released a beta about a month ago.
https://lemmy.world/post/13864258
Edit: which your download link has. Just wanted to make sure you and others don’t use a 2 year old alpha instead.
I switched to Lawnchair a few years ago (IIRC 6 years ago) and it’s been a solid experience, I’m very happy with it.
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You probably have the wrong version, the one linked here is quite new
There are a lot of comments here about which launchers are “close enough” to the Nova feature set, but very few people are talking about specific features and the alternatives that support them. I really just use two, and everything else is a cherry on top that I can do without if push comes to shove.
- Icons that open a folder if you swipe them, but launch the first app in the folder if you tap them. That way my apps all pull double-duty as both the one-tap app AND the list of alternatives I use less often.
- Google Now integration that swipes in from the left.
Action Launcher used to be my go-to, and it’s still the best implementation of #1 because of the little indicators it adds to let you know if something is a “cover” (folder when you swipe) or “shutter” (widget when you swipe). Sadly it’s gotten rather bloated over the years and spends more time force-closing from one glitch or another than it does actually running properly. Nova was my backup because it added “covers” a few years ago and I remembered enjoying the app about a decade ago. Now what?
Are there comparable alternatives? I never found another launcher that I like as much.
For me Hyperion ended up giving me the closest out of the box experience to what I wanted.
+1 for Hyperion, nice customization features.
You can download the APK of Nova 7, which was the last version before the buyout. It’s perfectly clean.
Just don’t update it.
Plan to just keep using it myself until it’s no longer viable, at which point I’ll look for a launcher that hopefully reached feature parity.
i’m just using the stock launcher
since niagara can be buggy
Maybe not a popular reply, but if you’re already in Windows ecosystem, the Microsoft launcher is pretty impressive features-wise.
I haven’t found anything yet, Nova has always been the best. I’ve been using Nova since the early years like version 2 or something like that. When I heard they were going to be bought and uninstall went to vanilla Google launcher, and searched high and low for another launcher. I tried dozens over a few months and literally nothing was close to Nova. So here I am, typing this to you in an app that was launched through Nova…
Please, please, please someone make a good launcher.
I’ll probably try lawnchair again, but it isn’t nearly as good.
Nope. And since so far they’re doing nothing, Nova it is for the time being. There just isn’t anything remotely as customisable.
I switched to Lawnchair 2. It’s free, open source and quite versatile. Probably not as much as Nova, though it’s been a few years since I last used it.
Lawnchair 2 is no longer under development. The development team always starts to develop a new launcher based on the latest stock launcher every time a new Android version is released (so basically every year). This way the app usually never gets past the alpha or beta builds till they already move on to start from scratch. I don’t understand their strategy.
It is significantly less than Nova. People keep suggesting it but it’s not a true replacement for those that were actually using Nova to its full potential. They’re frankly isn’t a replacement right now that goes all out on providing users customization options. That’s not in vogue anymore, apparently.
Lawnchair 2 isn’t available for my phone since the app is too old, and I’m only on Android 12.
Edit: this only applies to the Play Store version
That’s odd, I’m on Android 14 and it works just fine here.
Very strange. I get a big notification and everything.
I see, I installed it through Aurora on my device. But you can just download the apk from their Github or https://lawnchair.app/ instead. Only Google PlayStore seems to have disabled the download even though the app still works perfectly fine.
That would explain it. Thanks!
Neo Launcher is really close, and FOSS.
Edit: Closer than Lawnchair IMO
This will be down voted, but I also tried a bunch of launchers and never found one I liked better than Nova. I ended up installing TrackerControl and Nova has its internet connection fully disabled. It doesn’t need Internet for any features I use, so I felt like this was a good compromise, personally. I ended up starting to block trackers in all my apps now because of it, so I see it as a net win.
Kvaesisto has treated me wonderfully
Maybe also check out Total Launcher.
Seconding Total, that’s where I ended up after leaving Nova and trying a few. Very, very customisable, but a bit of a learning curve.
Agreed re how customisable it is. Can also back up to a file for easy transfer to your next phone etc.
Here’s a link to my current setup with Total. (My actual home home screen is the sixth image, I can’t seem to alter image order on Pixeldroid…)
This seems awesome, testing it out.
TotalLauncher
neo launcher is the closest FOSS alternative
Free - Lawnchair | Kvaesisto
Paid - Niagara LauncherNiagara’s free version is still pretty great too. I usually pay for apps but don’t want a subscription for my launcher, so I use it in free mode. Despite the limitations it’s methodology of getting you to the app you’re looking for as quickly as possible is a game changer. I don’t know if I’ll be able to go back to icons and folders + app drawer launchers haha
Shoutout for Niagara. High quality reliable launcher. Only switched away after 2+ years cuz I got a little bored of the interface
I got bored but then I noticed almost immediately how I spend so much extra time just navigating my phone on other launchers. So I switched back and then they released a wallpaper that has a fun cat in it and now he’s my home screen homey and I’m good
Show us the wallpaper!!!
I’m also waiting for lemonparty to show us their wallpaper.
Geez
Is it the one called “waiting”?
I came back to this several days later and was not disappointed 😍
I tried to upload a screenshot but it keeps throwing an error. Here’s a link to it from their web Site.
Funny enough i actually switched from niagara to kvaesisto
Well now I have to go look into this kvaesisto!
Edit: how do you find the interface? I looked at the photos and it looks very interesting, kind of has some Sesame type system wide search functionality?
For those interested: https://kvaesitso.mm20.de/
I used Niagara free for quite a while. It does have a fair few features locked behind the paywall, but it’s certainly usable.
Switched to Niagara Launcher a few years back… it’s awesome… clean, fast and actually different (most other launchers are just icon packs)
I like Niagara but it’s insanely expensive, especially as a subscription. I don’t know how people justify it.
Edit: The above was based on me getting duped by a Play Store sponsored search result and installing some crap that charges £70 for a lifetime licence. In comparison Niagara feels like much better value, but it’s still expensive compared to most apps and I still don’t like subscribing to software in general.
Simple—just don’t pay for the premium tier. Free one is good enough for most.
Subscription? That sucks… I bought it outright a bit back, it was pricey, maybe $15 CAD? (Can’t remember)
Sorry to hear it has gone up so much… But that does seem to be the way of the app world… Pricey, subscription (even when they cannot possibly justify it) or both!
It is 30 bucks for lifetime. I don’t think it is that insane. It is well worth it IMO. Also they have a fair policy in prices across the globe.
Gotta hold my hands up and admit that in my initial haste to confirm the price I fell victim to the Play Store putting sponsored results ahead of what you actually searched for and I installed some crap called minimalist launcher, which charges £70 for a lifetime license. That’s what my “insane” comment was based on.
In comparison it’s nowhere near that bad for Niagara, but it is still pricey compared to most apps, and I balk at paying a subscription for software in general so that still stands.
Might give it another go after all…
I looked at the paid features and none of them look useful to me so I’m just not going to give them money.
Lol, here in India it is 100 INR (1.2 USD) yearly. Thank god for regional pricing.
Niagara launcher is worth the time it takes to change your habit. Once you understand it you just can’t conceive how people waste their time with normal home screens and organisation. It’s just so damn fast to get to where you want to be with Niagara launcher.
What the fuck are you even doing with your phone that this even matters? Are you running multiple Fortune 500 companies from it? solely?
Honestly, your comment reads so much like advertising copy that I half-suspect you’re a bot.
+1 for Niagara
Installed it yesterday and so far so good. I used Nova for so long I resisted change, but now I’m free. Thank you Lemmy, for showing me the way.
I’m a little worried about Niagara, since they have a sponsored result for every time I’ve searched for another launcher. Is it a paid launcher? Usually the heavily advertised stuff I see on the play store has all kinds of issues.
I’ve no idea why it has sponsored search results, but I’m sure that the dev is legit.
It uses a free for most features/pro for extras model, but it’s slightly different from the usual which you can read about on their medium blog here.
There’s no ads and no tracking/scraping for profit. And it’s genuinely different to use than anything else I’ve seen, but in a very good way. Like all launchers it takes some time and effort to set up but I’ve found it easy to use straight away.
Try it, you can always uninstall if you don’t like it. You can get pro for a seven day free trial but you don’t need it to start testing. I used it for a few hours and tried pro and I’m almost certainly going to pay to keep it.
I believe they have Google Analytics in their privacy policy. I made the compromise a while ago, it is so good I am willing to concede that.
I used Niagara back in the Cyanogen days. I guess it’s time to give it another shot. Thanks for the tip. Now, to retrain my old brain.
Retraining keeps the brain young, my friend!
Unless you’re retraining to go back to Windows from Linux, then the brain starts farthing incessantly 🤣🤣
Same here, I was a big fan of Nova until I discovered Niagara about a year ago. It’s a totally different concept from the icon based launchers. I love the minimalist approach to widgets and the self optimizing app list. Tying it in with sesame has led me that product as well and I’m finding the whole solution to be really nice
Awesome… Now I have to check sesame
Read the linked-to article:
Sesame was aquired with Nova Launcher.
They’re both part of the analytics-tentacles company, now.
I switched to Kvaesitso (https://github.com/MM2-0/Kvaesitso) and Lawnchair (https://lawnchair.app/downloads/).
Not quite the same customization, but worth it. Kvaesitso is my primary and I love it.
Neo Launcher seems to have either tabs or folders, not both (you have to choose one). Seems fairly close to what I want overall, still missing a few features
Kvaesito with its tags is really interesting but that’s not how I use launchers. If it had also supported modifying the default app list with tags as alternative views then it would’ve been great for me. And it would also need better tools for managing tags (bulk adding apps, navigating tags)
Lawnchair doesn’t let me customize folders within the app list
Awesome… I just installed kvaesitso after (…about 10?) years of being a paid Nova Premium user. I uninstalled Nova and so far so good. Thanks!
To keep it updated I recommend Obtainium ( https://github.com/ImranR98/Obtainium) if you don’t want to use fdroid.
Thanks! I grabbed it on fdroid, which gets updates, right? It looked like the most recent was 2 months ago, when I installed it.
I see fdroid update (1.1.4) from 4 days ago and github (1.1.6) yesterday.
We’re talking about Kvaesitso, right? I see 1.29.1 from Feb 21, whether I check it on fdroid or github.
I second Kvaesitso, never used another launcher again
Well damn. I’ve been on Nova launcher for years. Even bought prime and all that.
Damn, me too. This sucks, time to change.
You can stay on Nova 7, it’s not going to stop working. Nova 8 is what you want to avoid, so you just can’t let it update to a new version that will have all of the bullshit put in.
Obviously that’s not a permanent solution but there’s no reason to throw away Nova 7 right now if it’s works for you.
The last clean version was Nova 7.0.57
Install that APK, redownload the Nova prime app from Play store, they work together fine.
Oh man, I’m on 7.0.58…
Well shit, time to find an alternative
Well this fuckin sucks! I guess I’m switching back to the lame default launcher.
Switched back to action launcher when this happened
Main feature I love, which to my knowledge action did first anyway, is to have a folder of app icons where one is the most frequent. You tap on it to open the frequent option or swipe it to open the folder.
Basically means you almost never need the app deserter l drawer
Is there evidence that they are collecting data from the app?
I love Nova launcher but will switch to an alternative if I have to.
It is a closes source program owned by an analytics company. I don’t know if there’s a good way to conclusively tell, but why else would they have bought it?
Thanks for the info, as a long-time Nova Launcher user, I was not aware. Good thing I didn’t give it any internet access.
Imagine not using Lawnchair or Neo Launcher in 2024
