With the beloved Nova Launcher who seems to start towards the end, given the farewell of Kevin Barry and the interruption of the work for the transition to the open source, for many Android users the time has come time for a choice: continue with the use despite the interruption of the support, or start looking around for Choose a new launcher for your smartphone (or tablet).

In the latter case you have happened in the right place, because today we take a look at Best alternatives to Nova Launcher available on the Google Play Store.

The alternatives to Nova Launcher on the Google Play Store

As you probably know, on the Google Play Store it is full of Alternative launchersome better than others for functionality, others for lightness and simplicity. Today we have selected six, and we provide you with all the information you need to choose the one for you if you have decided to abandon Nova Launcher. Let’s start immediately.

Index:

  • Niagara Launcher
  • Smart Launcher
  • Microsoft Launcher
  • Simple Launcher
  • Lawnchair
  • Action launcher

Niagara Launcher

Let’s start with Niagara Launcheravailable on the Play Store in a version free and in one Proboth free of advertising and with Wide compatibility. The Launcher allows you to radically modify the initial screen of the Android smartphone or tablet: this turns into a sort of list of “waterfall” applications (from here the name): in the upper part, the most used or the most used applications can be blocked, while flowing the list through the particular “wave” on the right side (customizable and possibly a retractable) you can reach all the various applications by exploiting the alphabetical order. Any notifications can be displayed immediately below the name of the app, in order to offer a preview.

Niagara offers some gestures, Which can allow you to access some functions more quickly, such as research (which takes place between the apps but also on the web, if desired), but you can also configure a floating button to perform specific actions or open applications. There is no shortage of i widget of Niagara, among which we can find the weather, the calendar (with imminent events), the clock, the music, the battery status and obviously the various personalized widgets.

With Niagara you can customize widgets, notifications, hidden apps, music apps, folders and pop-ups, research, Niagara button (for quick actions) and not only, but also manage the icons settings (between icon packs and dimensions), backgrounds (there are more than 100 made specially made for the launcher), character and more. Just this summer the important Theming Update update arrived, which introduced a collection of themes, new packages of icons, new animations and other changes, some of which reserved for pro users.

Niagara Launcher is available for free download on the Google Play Store, and requires at least of Android 5.0 Lollipop. With the pro versionwhich costs 12.99 euros per year or 39.99 euros one -off, you can access different additional functions, including icon packages, icon assistant, fonts and personalized watches, further widgets and beyond.

Smart Launcher

We continue with Smart Launcheranother appreciated alternative to Nova Launcher available on the Play Store. After the farewell of the latest developer left on Nova, the Smart Launcher team published a message for users, with answers to frequent questions and the promise to offer a new “home” that can be familiar and at the same time full of new possibilities.

In the message for new and old users, the developers promise to continue with constant support (version 7 has already been announced and is coming as free update), and to implement several new features in the coming months (including the infinite sliding of the home page, the rapid actions for folders, access to the search from the drawer, greater possibilities for customization for folders and the possibility of import backups from Nova).

One of the strengths of Smart Launcher is the customization: The app can automatically change the colors of its theme to combine them with the background (there is also a special selector for the wallpaper), but you can still change every single color of the theme and even the fonts, unlocking infinite possibilities of combination. There is no lack of support for adaptive icons, available for any Android device with customizable shapes and sizes, as well as support for the quickly configurable (freely configurable) gestures and choice keys.

With version 6.5 implemented last autumn, the Launcher introduced Your Feed, an integrated RSS reader accessible with a swipe to the right from the main screen: similarly to Google Discovery, it allows you to completely customize the sources of the news. The same update then introduced translucent widgets with Blur effect in the background, further themes and the possibility of including KWGT widgets in the backup (only with KWGT Pro license).

Smart Launcher is available for download free on the Google Play Store, but you can opt for the pro version to have access to all features and complete experience (here the specific differences); The cost of the latter is 4.89 euros per month, 9.99 euros per year or 22.99 euros forever. At least Android 7.0 Nougat is required for installation.

Microsoft Launcher

Among the alternatives in Nova you can evaluate Microsoft Launcheralso among the most popular and appreciated on the Google Play Store (4.7 out of 5 stars, currently). Completely free (there is no pro version), it offers different customization possibilities, a personalized feed for news and a horizontal mode.

Microsoft’s launcher allows you to exploit packages of icon customized and icons adaptivemodify the backgrounds also with the images taken every day from Bing and adopt clear theme or dark theme based on the time of the day (through the settings of the Android night mode). Thanks to feed Personalized, it allows you to view the calendar, create lists. Lists of activity and memo in motion, and beyond.

During the configuration you can choose whether to start from scratch with a new initial screen, or import the layout of the current initial screen. The possibility of changing the size of the grid is offered, choose the shape of the icons, hide the app labels, change the lower dock to insert search bar or widgets, view a badge of the notifications (number or “ball”), set the gestures according to your preferences and much more.

Microsoft Launcher is available for download free On the Google Play Store, without subscriptions or pro versions. For installation at least Android 7.0 Nougat is required.

Simple Launcher

Are you lovers of the minimal? Then your choice could fall on Simple Launcherwhich promises a design without distractions and at the same time many customization possibilities. We are talking about a launcher designed for those who love design without frills and for those who want to stay focused onessential.

The app allows you to create a personalized Android experience, with the possibility of exploiting elements of Material You, Nothing OS or themes of some popular games (such as Valorant and Clash of Clans). The Home screen offers a clean interface and minimalwith only the essential (or favorite) apps. Allows customize Colors, number, order, alignment, spacing, dimension of the character of the apps, fonts (standard, dotted in Nothing style, with retro or elaborate characters) and beyond.

As mentioned, there are also i themeswhich allow you to adapt the screen to your style and preferences: you can choose between material theme (which dynamically extracts colors from the background), Nothing themes (with dotted fonts), monochromatic theme, classic themes (dark and clear), themes dedicated to games and beyond. The latest version introduced further widgets, between clock, battery level and beyond.

It is a very particular launcher, suitable for those who want to try something different from the usual. You can give him a chance without paying a penny: Simple Launcher is in fact available free on the Google Play Store, without advertising O Bloatware. For installation it is necessary to have at least Android 8.0 Oreo.

Lawnchair

Let’s go back to something more “familiar” with LawnchairLauncher available on the Google Play Store for a long time now and appreciated in particular for fluidity and immediacy. Born as a project based on the user experience guaranteed by the Launcher present on the Google Pixels, the development of the Launcher had been facing an almost definitive stop after the end of 2019 update, but fortunately the works resumed after a few years of interruption.

Lawnchair is a launcher Open Source based on the Android AOSP Launcher3 that aims to offer an experience similar to that of the Pixel Launcher, but with greater possibilities of customization. You can customize it at will, by installing the packages of icon, flowing the background of the pages, choosing the opening animation of the apps, adjusting the colors and sizes of the text, choosing the style of the dock and personalizing different aspects. All with immediacy And simplicity, aspects that make Lawnchair a launcher also suitable for those who are not particularly familiar. There is no lack of support for whole -screen gestures, of course.

With the support for Android 15, who arrived a few months ago in Beta, the Launcher introduced the possibility of creating folders in the drawer app, to store apps, support for private space and docking, widgets and research improvements (with personalized web search engines in the drawer app).

Lawnchair is available free On the Google Play Store and requires at least Android 8.0 Oreo. You can download the launcher following the badge below.

Action launcher

We close our selection of alternatives to Nova Launcher with Action launcheranother “old” knowledge available on the Google Play Store. We are talking about a more than ten -year app, which over the years has evolved to keep up with the news of Android.

Action Launcher offers many possibilities of customization And different features. It proposes the automatic modification of the theme of the Home screen through the colors of the background, a Google search bar customizable with connections and apps of your choice, the covers for the folders (touching a one is started an app, while scrolling vertically you can access a “hidden folder”), the “shutters” function (with the possibility of viewing widgets by going on the apps, so as to have a preview). And not only.

There is no lack of completely customizable drawer (with the possibility of hiding the desired apps), support for icon packages and a wide compatibility between smartphones and tablets. Then it allows you to import the layout from other launcher. Not all features are offered within the free version: to unlock all the potential you need to buy the Plus versionThat It costs 4.99 euros lump sum.

Thanks to the free version you can still do some tests before opt for the complete in-app purchase. If you want to give Action Launcher a chance you can follow the badge below.