5 deserted Android launchers I want had been nonetheless alive immediately

I’d argue that the Android launcher house is the healthiest it has been in a long time. Despite the fact that contenders like Nova Launcher are now not thought of the top for a lot of, a slew of others specializing in numerous use instances and filling a number of niches can be found.

Consider Octopi Launcher for its fluidity and assist for a number of display screen units and layouts, Kvaesitso for a launcher that’s constructed with search at the beginning, Niagara Launcher for individuals who require a stripped-down but visually partaking expertise, or Lawnchair for an open-source style of Pixel Launcher. And I’m genuinely simply skimming the floor of a really deep pool.

Nonetheless, each time I consider the merchandise we’ve got now, my thoughts wanders to people who have paved the best way for them. In earlier Android variations, we had entry to genuinely revolutionary house display screen experiences, a lot of which I miss to this present day. Listed below are only a few Android launchers I want had been nonetheless round for us to take pleasure in immediately.

Regardless of shedding its lead within the cell phone race by the mid 2010s, Nokia was nonetheless innovating on the software program entrance. After it caved to client wants and prevailing developments, the corporate launched the Android-powered N1 pill, the primary product to function the now-iconic Z Launcher.

One of many launcher’s largest promoting factors was the way it ordered icons on the house display screen. It at all times privileged these popularly chosen by the person — a stark departure from the static icon association popularized by inventory Android house screens.

If you happen to couldn’t discover the app you wished, Z Launcher had one other trick: scribble search. Customers may hint a letter on the house display screen with their finger; the launcher would then provoke a fuzzy search utilizing that letter, mentioning contacts, apps, and different shortcuts that contained it. This was a superb use of in any other case wasted house, saving customers from having to faucet a search bar or icon, look ahead to the keyboard to look, after which kind a search question.

Sadly, nearly as quickly because it arrived, Microsoft-owned Nokia pulled the launcher from cabinets, making it one of many larger what-ifs within the firm’s software program catalog.

Notably, trendy builders have taken Nokia’s Z Launcher’s smarts and reintegrated them into their very own merchandise. Third-party ReZ Launcher is successfully its closest religious successor, adopting the scribble search trick.

At a time when Nova Launcher was pushing the boundaries of launcher performance, others had been glad to stay within the glad center floor between a glut of options and a easy expertise. Evie Launcher walked this line slightly confidently.

Evie didn’t actually innovate on house display screen structure as Z Launcher did, however its comparatively mundane UI structure hid a swift, smooth expertise beneath. The most effective a part of Evie is that it was nice out of the field. If you happen to wished to customise it, making full use of its expansive grid structure or its information feed, you definitely may. However you can simply as properly take pleasure in it as is with minimal tweaks.

It’s unclear why Evie Launcher bit the mud, and its story is definitely murkier than the likes of Z Launcher. Nonetheless, the app was faraway from the Play Retailer within the early 2020s. Whereas Evie wasn’t groundbreaking within the launcher house, its absence definitely hasn’t been crammed by any trendy launcher.

2014 was a fairly large 12 months for Android launchers. I’ve already talked about one of many contenders in Z Launcher, however Aviate was maybe producing much more buzz and dealt with a lot of the mundanities of managing a practical house display screen.

It supplied customers a really helpful contextual interface that dynamically adjusted its house display screen choices primarily based on elements comparable to a person’s location and the time of day. Think about Google Now, however with the added bonus of commanding your whole house display screen expertise.

Aviate additionally organized apps by use case, which was a substantial benefit for customers with many apps. It’s an concept that many launchers, together with Good Launcher and AIO Launcher, have continued to supply. Whereas Aviate acquired assist for a number of years after its acquisition by Yahoo in 2014, the app ultimately fell into disrepair, and the Google rival pulled the plug simply 4 years later.

Is it lifeless, is it alive, or is it suspended someplace between the 2? In actuality, Apex Launcher is probably going a mix of all three. It’s definitely lifeless on the Play Retailer, alive by way of various sources, and one thing of a shell of its former self, a minimum of in response to former customers.

Apex Launcher was just like Evie in its execution. It supplied a easy, simple house display screen with an app drawer, pinned backside bar, and assist for widgets. It was snappy, easy, and accommodating, however when builders launched model 4.0, indicators emerged that the nice days had been over.

Numerous posts on Reddit highlighted issues with shrunken icons and annoying adverts baked into the app drawer (even for some premium customers). It was so dangerous {that a} “Traditional” model of the launcher was launched, which is now lifeless as properly.

Whereas Apex can nonetheless be discovered, downloaded, and loved, its golden hour has definitely handed.

It’s maybe just a little unfair to incorporate ADW Launcher 2 on this record. In any case, it’s nonetheless accessible on the Play Retailer, making it the one product on this record with that honor. Nonetheless, on condition that it final noticed an replace in September 2018, I feel it’s secure to say that we’re not getting a patch to deliver it as much as trendy requirements any time quickly.

ADW is an old-school launcher in each sense of the phrase. It seems to be greatest with Android’s three-button navigation beneath its pinned dock; its prolific use of sharp corners actually takes me again to the early Materials Design days; and its theme assist makes it straightforward to vary the launcher’s look with a faucet. ADW Launcher 2 has some genuinely nice concepts that far too few trendy launchers are integrating. The template system permits customers to simply save house display screen designs for later or to share with others, whereas it additionally affords a customized widget editor.

As I discussed, ADW Launcher 2 remains to be alive and twitching on the Play Retailer, regardless of its final replace coming within the 12 months that Russia hosted the World Cup. So why is it on this record? Properly, given its lack of maintenance, ADW doesn’t seem in Play Retailer searches even on seemingly suitable units. I’ve learn critiques from these operating Android 13 units with the launcher put in, however I can’t appear to check it even on my Android 10 P30 Professional.

Maybe it’s time for an ADW Launcher 3 with trendy system assist?

Android launchers come and go, however these 5 are etched in my thoughts for doing one thing just a little completely different on this aggressive app style.

Do you’ve gotten an deserted Android launcher that you just want would make a grand return? Let me know within the feedback beneath.