I'm happy with the Microsoft Launcher on my Pixel 4a. Stickey Notes keep me focused I write them on my PC then check them off on my phone. I like the Bing wallpapers and with Android 12 themeing the controls always match. Also the the dock on Microsoft Launcher can have 10 apps. 5 always visible and 5 hidden you pull up to expose. Plus I can use icon packs from the Play Store.
Niagara absolutely does allow you to put apps into folders, and I love the fact that apps can exist both inside and outside folders. Folders can also be put on the home screen. In addition you can also add widgets and even other apps to the swipe actions on each app. For example, when I swipe on my phone app, the first option is the call log from the CallApp caller id app. Next is a shortcut to the contacts app, followed by the quick dialer from the phone app. A swipe on my weather app gives me the weekly forecast widget from that app. I also have a folder for social media apps. You are correct that Niagara is an acquired taste and very different from other launchers, but when you take the time to really dig in to everything it can do, you discover it is much more powerful than it appears to be. Using all of these features requires the paid version, but, as you mentioned, it is not expensive.
Was watching offline and I came online just to rant about this 😂 I tried ratio a few days back and it's absolutely a launcher I'd love but it slows down my phone a lot so I'm back to Niagara. I'll remain on it until I buy a better phone.
I've been using Niagara since it first launched, and paying for an annual subscription from the moment it was available. I appreciate that the developer is very strategic about adding features, intending to keep it lean and simple. I've left newer features toggled off, as I just don't feel the need for them.
Originally I had Nova ... but it just is way too complex. Why would I want to customise every little detail? I just want the thing to work fast, logical and without clutter. A few weeks ago I installed Niagara ... and it was a breeze of fresh air to me personally.
@@braindump1446 To tune it to your liking? It's good that you like Niagara and don't need the extra features, but that's what defines Nova and makes it so beloved.
@@d.carter3850 yea probably but that's the phone he's demonstrating them on idk. At least he could've mentioned that. I mean with root and quickswitch module it's all possible but it's 9to5google c'mon
I was using Go Launcher (which no one ever talks about) for many years but after giving the default launcher on my old Samsung Fold 3 and now my S22 Ultra I am satisfied with the default launcher.
Yeah, I have tried most of these and even purchased the Nova Prime and will try it now and then but haven't used it fully in a couple of years. I find OneUI to be better. Especially now , OneUI 4.1 just feels more mature than all the others . I don't know; to me, owning an S22 Ultra and trying to make it look and feel like a pixel just feels wrong.
Using launcher does not mean you have to make it look like pixel. You can try your own style, that's the point of customization, and not only to make it look like another device.
@@rjf5022 Nova is a pixel look a like, And all the other launchers looks like garbage, I don't even understand why you would want to do that to a $1,200 S22 ultra , unless you're a twelve-year-old kid that wants to make your phone look like it belongs to a twelve-year-old kid. That's how I feel about it.
@@bradriggs Speaking about "look", yeah OneUI is definitely a match to Samsung products of course. Nova has simply a ton of functionalities that in the stock launcher are not present. Gestures, resolution of the display, search bar, app menu customization, just to name a few. Features that have nothing to do with the appearance yet are very important when it comes to usability. I tried OneUI for some time but there are still too many things for me, I always go back to Nova, to me is the richer options, other launchers seems to need more work, beside Ratio which is very interesting and well made. But at that price I can buy a second phone
@@bradriggs Nova is in no way a Pixel look-alike. Nova is the most robust launcher allowing you to customize the most settings for your layout, so yes, you can make an identical Pixel look, or with a wallpaper, a specific layout, and some tweaks can make your phone look like Windows 95.
@@reaperscomicden6982 putting a launcher on a $1200 device, yeah I don't think so. I am good. I get not everyone can afford a S22 Ultra, I really do , I get it but I can so I will not install a 3rd party launcher on my phone. If you want to make your phone look cheap go ahead but I'm out.
Olauncher gas really grown on me tied with Niagara. They both have the same idea with your app drawer fused to a home screen but I like how O lets me swipe left or right on home to open a custom app
I miss aviate. The context launcher that changed what apps it showed depending on time of day and your location. Unfortunately, yahoo bought it and ruined it.
That's all in good, but the central problem which is the complete support of gesture navigation isn't being fixed by Google despite what..since Android Pie. I honestly wonder if Google is genuinely trying to kill the third party launcher business.
@@ohiosfinest If You're rooted and you have Lawn chair Alpha then yeah, it should be okay and if you don't, then look for the subtle animation jank in third party launchers when going back to the home screen.
I have been using Total Launcher. It's like a combo of Nova and KWGT. But it has a steep learning curve so unless you have time to spend on its intial set up don't try it
I use Microsoft's and use a Mac 🤷♂️ I use it for the simplicity. Love having a feed with widgets you can scroll in,and an app tray alphabetically listed. I don't get the lack of esthetics argument? You can use icon packs etc?
It's a simple option missing from Samsung One UI 4.0. Do any of these launchers give you notification customization allowing you to enable open notifications direct from lock screen without having to swipe opened first?
I'm currently running Nova Launcher on my s22 ultra and I want to make 4.1 my default system, however, I can't find a way to export the layout from Nova and import it to 4.1. Does anyone have an idea on how to do this or know if it's even possible? Any information would be greatly appreciated.
I've used all of them plus the stock OnePlus launcher, but I've kept coming back to Nova. The Ratio launcher was unique, but has an insane pricing. Totally not worth $50 per year.
I used to use Nova on all devices till I got the pixel 6, where a bug made it unusable. If you jump between apps using the recent button by multipress if you spam it, it lock and no longer works
4:05 uhm, you do know that niagara has, for a long time, allowed the creation of folders via the features section under "for power users," right? you might want to check your info first.
My go to has to be action launcher and lawnchair I really like the new design and features of Google's launcher but it just feels too basic like it's just missing that little bit
Try "Ruthless Launcher"... It is really good and pixel like launcher but still has almost all the customisations required... Extremely light weight.. Less than 8mb i guess... Been using it from more than an year...
Seriously you should try Nova Prime. Once you fully customize it, nothing comes even close. The speciality of this launcher is - it's faster than any launcher for Android, it has amazing customizable interface where you can tweak anything and everything. Moreover it makes your phone faster than Microsoft launcher. MICROSOFT launcher is one of the best. But Nova is better than the best. Try it and tweak it 100%. I bet you won't like any other launcher after that.
@@tanveerahmedmb Not true. Nova 7 removed the ability to adjust scrolling animation speed on the home screen. That alone makes the phone feel a lot slower than the Oxygen OS launcher. It’s still good, but not the fastest anymore.
@@Big_Dogg31 I see - the ability for the phone to be without any lag - no matter the device - is only perfected by Nova, brother you don't know how awesome the launcher is of today.... Anyways its your choice and I respect your thoughts Cheers!
You can change the way apps appear on your list so that the regular icon is replaced by a simple coloured dot. This is less distracting and certainly more minimalist. You can also change the name of the app to anything you want.
My favourite launcher is STILL the 5-8 year old TSF LAUNCHER (the original not the one actually present in the play store). That is by far the best I have seen so far. ua-cam.com/users/TSFUI
I'm happy with the Microsoft Launcher on my Pixel 4a. Stickey Notes keep me focused I write them on my PC then check them off on my phone. I like the Bing wallpapers and with Android 12 themeing the controls always match. Also the the dock on Microsoft Launcher can have 10 apps. 5 always visible and 5 hidden you pull up to expose. Plus I can use icon packs from the Play Store.
The icon packs sold me. I use Nate Wren's.
Niagara absolutely does allow you to put apps into folders, and I love the fact that apps can exist both inside and outside folders. Folders can also be put on the home screen. In addition you can also add widgets and even other apps to the swipe actions on each app. For example, when I swipe on my phone app, the first option is the call log from the CallApp caller id app. Next is a shortcut to the contacts app, followed by the quick dialer from the phone app. A swipe on my weather app gives me the weekly forecast widget from that app. I also have a folder for social media apps. You are correct that Niagara is an acquired taste and very different from other launchers, but when you take the time to really dig in to everything it can do, you discover it is much more powerful than it appears to be. Using all of these features requires the paid version, but, as you mentioned, it is not expensive.
Was watching offline and I came online just to rant about this 😂
I tried ratio a few days back and it's absolutely a launcher I'd love but it slows down my phone a lot so I'm back to Niagara. I'll remain on it until I buy a better phone.
I've been using Niagara since it first launched, and paying for an annual subscription from the moment it was available. I appreciate that the developer is very strategic about adding features, intending to keep it lean and simple. I've left newer features toggled off, as I just don't feel the need for them.
Originally I had Nova ... but it just is way too complex. Why would I want to customise every little detail? I just want the thing to work fast, logical and without clutter. A few weeks ago I installed Niagara ... and it was a breeze of fresh air to me personally.
@@braindump1446 To tune it to your liking? It's good that you like Niagara and don't need the extra features, but that's what defines Nova and makes it so beloved.
Love Microsoft launcher using it for 3 years + never want to change ❤️
Me too ❤️
I'm sold on Nova Launcher. I'm running Nova 7 and it just keeps getting better with every update.
Android 12's Stock Launcher is just amazing
Lawnchair 12
Pure true
No, very little customization.
@@balls991 he meant the interface and the look looks good
U mean pixel launcher
Until the work with gestures, all third-party launchers are a no-go for me
I reall don't get why this wasn't mentioned.. such a big downside of 3rd party launchers..
"Action Launcher v49 improves Android's ugly home gesture animation" Android Polices today's article. I haven't tried yet
@@mrnonsensetv I think they only don't work smoothly with pixels.
@@d.carter3850 yea probably but that's the phone he's demonstrating them on idk. At least he could've mentioned that. I mean with root and quickswitch module it's all possible but it's 9to5google c'mon
Microsoft launcher allows setting up 10 different gestures.
I use Niagara. Neat, simple, yet powerful.
I was using Go Launcher (which no one ever talks about) for many years but after giving the default launcher on my old Samsung Fold 3 and now my S22 Ultra I am satisfied with the default launcher.
Go launcher to me was nothing but bloatware, and i saw significant drain in battery.
Yeah, I have tried most of these and even purchased the Nova Prime and will try it now and then but haven't used it fully in a couple of years. I find OneUI to be better. Especially now , OneUI 4.1 just feels more mature than all the others . I don't know; to me, owning an S22 Ultra and trying to make it look and feel like a pixel just feels wrong.
Using launcher does not mean you have to make it look like pixel. You can try your own style, that's the point of customization, and not only to make it look like another device.
@@rjf5022 Nova is a pixel look a like, And all the other launchers looks like garbage, I don't even understand why you would want to do that to a $1,200 S22 ultra , unless you're a twelve-year-old kid that wants to make your phone look like it belongs to a twelve-year-old kid.
That's how I feel about it.
@@bradriggs Speaking about "look", yeah OneUI is definitely a match to Samsung products of course. Nova has simply a ton of functionalities that in the stock launcher are not present. Gestures, resolution of the display, search bar, app menu customization, just to name a few. Features that have nothing to do with the appearance yet are very important when it comes to usability. I tried OneUI for some time but there are still too many things for me, I always go back to Nova, to me is the richer options, other launchers seems to need more work, beside Ratio which is very interesting and well made. But at that price I can buy a second phone
@@bradriggs Nova is in no way a Pixel look-alike. Nova is the most robust launcher allowing you to customize the most settings for your layout, so yes, you can make an identical Pixel look, or with a wallpaper, a specific layout, and some tweaks can make your phone look like Windows 95.
@@reaperscomicden6982 putting a launcher on a $1200 device, yeah I don't think so.
I am good.
I get not everyone can afford a S22 Ultra, I really do , I get it but I can so I will not install a 3rd party launcher on my phone.
If you want to make your phone look cheap go ahead but I'm out.
Olauncher gas really grown on me tied with Niagara. They both have the same idea with your app drawer fused to a home screen but I like how O lets me swipe left or right on home to open a custom app
I miss aviate. The context launcher that changed what apps it showed depending on time of day and your location. Unfortunately, yahoo bought it and ruined it.
i thought it was just a fever dream..,.,
You should also check out Ruthless Launcher, it's quite amazing and lightweight
I'll never be able to leave Nova Launcher. it hooked me hard
Microsoft launcher and stock android 12 launcher are best
That's all in good, but the central problem which is the complete support of gesture navigation isn't being fixed by Google despite what..since Android Pie. I honestly wonder if Google is genuinely trying to kill the third party launcher business.
They seem to work just fine for me.
@@ohiosfinest If You're rooted and you have Lawn chair Alpha then yeah, it should be okay and if you don't, then look for the subtle animation jank in third party launchers when going back to the home screen.
How can I use gestures to navigate in Nova Launcher? Shawty has them ugly bottom buttons and I don't see any way to get rid of them
I have been using Total Launcher. It's like a combo of Nova and KWGT. But it has a steep learning curve so unless you have time to spend on its intial set up don't try it
I use Microsoft's and use a Mac 🤷♂️
I use it for the simplicity. Love having a feed with widgets you can scroll in,and an app tray alphabetically listed. I don't get the lack of esthetics argument? You can use icon packs etc?
It's a simple option missing from Samsung One UI 4.0. Do any of these launchers give you notification customization allowing you to enable open notifications direct from lock screen without having to swipe opened first?
Probably not,
lock screen is not managed by the launcher.
People been missing out on Squarehome. Lots of features even nova cant do.
i love squarehome !!!!!!!
Ratio 6 is great as a secondary launcher. But boy did Google make Android 12 buttery smooth on my Pixel 6 Pro.
Which brand has the minimal or less restrictions for 3rd party launchers? I know from Xiaomi, you dont have gestures support for 3rd party launchers..
I'm currently running Nova Launcher on my s22 ultra and I want to make 4.1 my default system, however, I can't find a way to export the layout from Nova and import it to 4.1. Does anyone have an idea on how to do this or know if it's even possible? Any information would be greatly appreciated.
There's a new version of lawnchair launcher. It's called lawnchair 12
Still not final version though
@@Yjn75 it's still in development (alpha versions)
its not fully released yet
Maybe also point out how gestures are affected when you change the launcher
I've used all of them plus the stock OnePlus launcher, but I've kept coming back to Nova. The Ratio launcher was unique, but has an insane pricing. Totally not worth $50 per year.
Nova is owned by a data farming company now. good luck with that.
I used to use Nova on all devices till I got the pixel 6, where a bug made it unusable. If you jump between apps using the recent button by multipress if you spam it, it lock and no longer works
But do they support gesture navigation? 😅
Why didn't you add smart launcher? It's a pretty good launcher right?
That's why he said to mention in the comments what you use.
Smart Launcher is great. I've picked it over Nova Prime, Lawnchair and Hyperion.
Smart launcher is good but, it drains the battery like hell. Its very fast though. Try NOVA PRIME.
what phone are you using?
You choose what's best for you.
But to me Nova7 launcher is the best so far.
is the whole "Android system gestures" fixed then? I stopped using Nova because of this issue.
4:05 uhm, you do know that niagara has, for a long time, allowed the creation of folders via the features section under "for power users," right? you might want to check your info first.
I've been through all sorts of launchers but finally found one called BALD Isaeli creation I think and it is GOOD..
Sad to see that Olauncher couldn't make it to the list. Next year maybe.
Nothing beat the smoothness of Lawnchair 12, smooth animation . nova etc dont come close
Blloc Ratio 🖤
My go to has to be action launcher and lawnchair
I really like the new design and features of Google's launcher but it just feels too basic like it's just missing that little bit
Wish phones with oled displays would take advantage of it and feature an all black ui. From the home screen, settings menu, and apps.
have you never heard of samsung before? lol
I use Computer Launcher that makes it look like Windows 11. It's pretty cool
Tanks for a great video 👍
how do you have the do not disturb icon in your status bar? I've spent 3 hours trying to figure it out
What phone is thst on the video
Try "Ruthless Launcher"... It is really good and pixel like launcher but still has almost all the customisations required... Extremely light weight.. Less than 8mb i guess... Been using it from more than an year...
Been using it for a year now... Flawless launcher.
I've been using it since last month, I quite like it
Used apex for years... But now I just use Lawnchair2 launcher. My wife still uses apex
Hey how about lawncher 12 it does have the stock pixel launcher which is actually quite nice and cooler
Tu i launcher gives full Linux feel with alias feature and I’ve been using it since it came out
I've used Lawn chair as long I can remember
I had it on my Pixel 3a lol
For your pixel....only one...the standard pixel launcher on your pixel phone:)
Niagara launcher for the simplicity and it works out the box.
On my oneplus 9pro I am using Nova. Best pixel like experience if you ask me. That's what I was after.
CPL customised pixel launcher is always the best
At this point I feel like I can't use another launcher aside from Niagara. I still didn't buy the premium version but I will.
I think crisp launcher should be in this list
Asap launcher💪🏾
Wallpaper name in Niagara launcher?
I like the widget list and alphabet scrolling for the app drawer in ms launcher, anyone know any other app launchers that have these too?
No matter which launcher I try, I always find myself returning to Microsoft Launcher
Seriously you should try Nova Prime. Once you fully customize it, nothing comes even close. The speciality of this launcher is - it's faster than any launcher for Android, it has amazing customizable interface where you can tweak anything and everything. Moreover it makes your phone faster than Microsoft launcher.
MICROSOFT launcher is one of the best. But Nova is better than the best.
Try it and tweak it 100%.
I bet you won't like any other launcher after that.
@@tanveerahmedmb it's paid though. I'll stick with MS Launcher for now.
@@tanveerahmedmb Not true. Nova 7 removed the ability to adjust scrolling animation speed on the home screen. That alone makes the phone feel a lot slower than the Oxygen OS launcher. It’s still good, but not the fastest anymore.
@@Big_Dogg31 I see - the ability for the phone to be without any lag - no matter the device - is only perfected by Nova, brother you don't know how awesome the launcher is of today.... Anyways its your choice and I respect your thoughts
Cheers!
Lawnchair reminds me of google now launcher, it's simple & fast
What is that dotted icon pack on Niagara launcher ? Looks interesting !! Can anyone tell ?
You can change the way apps appear on your list so that the regular icon is replaced by a simple coloured dot. This is less distracting and certainly more minimalist. You can also change the name of the app to anything you want.
You should try smartlauncher Pro. Way better than any of the mentioned one and perfect for keeping it minimalistic without loosing any functionality
SHADY LAUNCHER from pling is my fav
Ratio ❤️❤️
iOS 15 launcher is obviously best android launcher lol
NIAGARA KNIGHTS WHERE YOU AT?
Lawnchair best
Smart Launcher 6. The best launcher by far..ì
thanks guys
Should've had Olauncher in this video.
Lawnchair 12 alpha 5 is the best!
Gesture navigation don't properly on most of them 😔. That's why I don't use them even though I want to
Third party launchers are best with Gesture navigation...
Want Nova to bring navigation gestures,
None of them support Android full-screen gesture.
Pixel & Oxygen OS Stock launcher is the best
cant find a launcher which perfectly work with swipe gesturs😒
Stock pixel launcher.
What about OnePlus launcher?
"BBC Sounds"
lmao I feel so immature but it stuck out
Niagara Launcher 🙂
i m using yeni launcher prime. which is more beautiful
Microsoft my favorite
My favourite launcher is STILL the 5-8 year old TSF LAUNCHER (the original not the one actually present in the play store). That is by far the best I have seen so far. ua-cam.com/users/TSFUI
None of the launchers work properly in Android 12. Sad.
Niagra or z launcher
Off topic here... Gestures are still inferior to 3 buttons.
Using Niagara
try smart launcher 6
Hello
I really like the standard OnePlus launcher (Android 11)
I prefer Pixel Launcher
I miss Evie launcher, whos with me?
edit: I just realized evie is back and i just redownloaded it. Sick!
edit edit: fuck noo its all riddled with ads, i am cry
Nova launcher
Microsoft here
crDroid home
Nova drains my battery 🔋. 😡
I prefere apex launcher
First