I've been using Nova for years and I have no complaints.
this post was submitted on 23 Jun 2023
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Android
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I use Niagara Launcher mostly for the minimalist look. But also because Nova was bought by an analytics company a bit ago.
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Since i bought Niagara Launcher my phone(s) feel very fluent and contemporary. I'd say the best piece of software I bought for Android.
Second this. Niagara Launcher allows me so much easier access to apps. Cleaner home page and all apps in an easy to navigate alphabetical list. Super easy
Niagara is the best! Never needed any other launcher
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I love me some Nova
I'm going to piggy back on this comment for all the people who don't want to do the research on Nova and their recent acquisition by Branch. You can opt in or out of usage statistics and all permissions in the app. The new mods on their discord have a FAQ that expresses this also. I have no way to prove otherwise but if all we have is their word then you should take all apps usages disclosures with a grain of salt.
Edit: funny enough I just installed and read the first few paragraphs of Niagra's privacy policy which says it collects and shares user analytics. To each their own I guess.
Protip: If you are somewhat skeptical of the Branch integration, you can disable network permission in Android for the Nova Launcher. It doesn't need to connect to anything to work fine generally speaking. Without network permisson, the launcher can't send anything to the internet.
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I use neolauncher Not quite nova but okay once you set it up
You can grab it on fdroid or directly on GitHub https://github.com/NeoApplications/Neo-Launcher
Thanks. I was looking for a Nova replacement.
Huh... Looks very nova-esque.
I absolutely love Nova Launcher Pro. Easy to get to what I need. Also integrates with sesame and Delta icon pack.
I was a huge fan until their acquisition by the shady company. I keep the pre-acquistion version on older phones.
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I've been using nova launcher prime since forever. Make a backup on my old phone when getting a new one, and import it on the new phone.
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I used Niagara Launcher, but it's not free, so I moved to Lawnchair 12.1. I also really like Kvaesitso launcher
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Nova launcher, made this with it
Nova too, nice homepage, I have the same icon pack but on a boring 4x4 grid :)
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Nova Launcher Prime. The only one I stuck too, and never managed to leave.
NOVA. Every single time I've tried an alternate launcher, I always return to NOVA within 24 hours.
I use Action Launcher, great for doing things from your home screen without needing a bunch of widgets. Also Samsung's One Hand Operation app is a lifesaver, no need to awkwardly shift my plone down to reach the notification shade.
Another vote for action launcher. Switched back to it after Nova was sold off. I have had the same basic home screen for years now, and because everything is so easily accessible using covers/folders etc, most of my single home screen is a picture of the cat
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I loved using Nova, but they got bought by a data mining company. I'm using Active Launcher now.
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KISS Launcher for me. Minimal UI so you can see your wallpaper, decent search and open source. I'm surprised there aren't more mentions of it here actually.
Same here, fast, clean and simple.
I second this
Niagra Launcher, by far. It has totally changed the way I used my phone in a speedy way.
I've never tried an alternate launcher, do you need to root your phone to do it? And can you easily go back if you change your mind?
No need to root and you can always switch back to your previous launcher / uninstall the launcher. It's pretty much an alternative homepage and app drawer.
Then just customize it the way you like it and grab some icon packs, most of them are free or at a symbolic price
Niagara launcher is the one. Once you get used to it it's a game changer.
I use Kvaesitso, and have used it for a while now. I like it! https://kvaesitso.mm20.de/
I don't think it gets bonus points though
Niagara Launcher. It's a very clean and simple launcher and perfect if you have around 8 top apps with the way it's designed, but still very easy to navigate all other apps. Definitely recommend you give it a go
AIO launcher.
Looks nothing like a regular launcher, but works great for me, can have calendar, news, tasks etc all in one convenient scrolling home screen
After many years with Nova, I dumped it after the sale, and tried a few. MS Launcher was pretty good, but I settled on Total Launcher.
Very, very customisable, although a bit of a learning curve. I have a feeling I'm only scratching the surface of what it can do, but that's enough for me :-)
I'm using nova but now I feel out of the loop. What sale do you mean, and why did it make you dump nova?
Not that guy, but last year they got acquired by Branch, an analytics company. Android Police article about it here. The same company also acquired Sesame of Sesame Universal Search.
To clarify, I'm unaware if they've done anything suspicious since the acquistion, but potentially giving an analytics company launcher level access raised eyebrows for more than a few people, myself included.
Yeah, all this. Plus, when they did an AMA about it, I thought their answers and general attitude were pretty lacking in substance/reassurance. That was the final straw for me, although the sale was the first point of doubt.
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Neo launcher for me. it's on fdroid.
it's not perfect and can get buggy, but once you set it up, and don't mess with the settings too much. it's acceptable replacement for Nova launcher.
Had nova prime, but switched after the buyout
... what buyout?
Branch, an analytics company.
Yeah... What buyout? I have it in Graphene, with no permissions granted and only as a secondary launcher while i was considering my options, since Neo sometimes doesn't update new installed apps for a while...
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I've been using smart-launcher for years now, and it's what I'm used to, gestures and a nice app menu that automtically categorises applications is nice.
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KISS
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