this post was submitted on 02 Apr 2024
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submitted 8 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
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[–] [email protected] 77 points 8 months ago (5 children)

Tbh the default launchers for mobile are garbage. Scrolling around looking for icons on a desktop like environment is not intuitive. Everyone's home screens just become a junk drawer of every app they've ever downloaded.

[–] CaptDust 38 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (4 children)

They can rip Niagara launcher from my cold dead hands I'm never going back to icon panels

[–] [email protected] 15 points 8 months ago

Niagara is wonderful. Clean feel and only minor issues. Best one I have used in years

[–] [email protected] 8 points 8 months ago

Genuinely the only way I want to use my phone. Everything I use daily is on the home screen, everything else I have to go searching for. White background, black icons, all notifications turned off. Simple and easy!

[–] [email protected] 7 points 8 months ago (3 children)

I can't seem to find info on it other than a few screenshots on the play store. Do you choose the home screen apps or are they auto-selected?

My launcher of choice right now is KISS which looks similar by default but I can't tell if they function the same. Anyone tried both KISS and Niagara?

[–] CaptDust 7 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (1 children)

I just installed KISS to check it out, this is really nice too! I think niagara has a couple more bells and whistles, but it also could be I'm unfamiliar.

  • sliding across app for quick select actions is missing, haven't figured out how to access these yet (ie to jump directly into composing an email or text)(See edit 2)
  • inline notifications is a big difference standing out for me, I still need to use the notification bar?
  • KISS seems very focused on their search bar which is feeling like a bit more typing. I can tap the circle for an app list but it's on the far side of the phone? (See edit 1)
  • Niagara tries to be smart enough to bring apps you'll want to the front homepage, when youll need it. ie connecting to Bluetooth headphones pushes my Spotify to the top. I know KISS doesn't know my habits, but it seems simpler based on history of launches.
  • niagara relies on more gestures and swipes
  • KISS adding contacts to the home screen is a neat approach, people centric design is good

Overall It's small details though functionallly they seem very close to me. KISS still great and I love it's FOSS. They're doing a solid job of a simple, get stuff done launcher. I don't want to sound like I'm shilling, but Niagara has a free version you could evaluate for yourself

Edit: hmm after digging through the settings I see KISS supports a gesture for opening the app list - however none of the gestures are functional on my s23. Strange..

Edit2: Ah ha! Quick actions are available from the search, and add themselves to the history. I don't love having visible duplicates but it's workable.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 8 months ago

Thanks for the run down! I saw there's a free version but didn't seem too different, so it's good to get the opinions of a user!

Rather than having to search everything you can have your commonly used apps show in a list on the home screen. Personally I turn this off and have a clean home screen, but pin favorites above the search bar. Tapping the search bar shows the most commonly used apps.

Also I think gestures are not from search results but from the home screen. I use gestures on my blank home screen. I have it set up so a swipe down opens the notification tray, a swipe right opens the camera, swipe left opens search, swipe up opens browser. But this is customizable. Not sure if it works if you have the common apps list showing on the home screen.

I don't think KISS has smarts like Niagara seems to. Just showing commonly used apps is about as smart as it gets. To my knowledge no notifications on the home screen either, though you can add widgets so maybe that's solvable in some way.

Anyway, seems they are similar but Niagara is a bit superior with KISS being a bit inferior but FOSS, both good options!

[–] [email protected] 4 points 8 months ago

You choose the apps. It will also auto-add apps based on usage.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Let me know what you find out, I also use kiss

[–] [email protected] 3 points 8 months ago (1 children)

See the other reply by @[email protected]

[–] [email protected] 2 points 8 months ago

Awesome thank you!

[–] [email protected] 1 points 8 months ago

If only the animations weren't broken for 3rd party launchers...

[–] [email protected] 4 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (1 children)

My Home Screenhttps://discuss.tchncs.de/pictrs/image/7c717f81-1337-4d07-8827-93cdebfc1db8.png

[–] [email protected] 1 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Mine looks very similar, but I use Before Launcher. Which launcher is that?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 8 months ago (1 children)

It’s called Blank.

I use it to make my phone less appealing and thus waste less time on it.

Not sure if it works the same, but it seems to create shortcuts to open the apps when you click the text.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

I use it to make my phone less appealing and thus waste less time on it.

Yes, that's what I use mine for as well. I have the apps I need to access daily as shortcuts and all other apps stuffed away from sight.

Thanks, I'll check Blank out as well.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 8 months ago

Niagra, Lynx, Olauncher(FOSS, previously Sentient launcher), are all very differebt cool usable launchers

[–] [email protected] 1 points 8 months ago

Not everyone's default is garbage. LinageOS' launcher(Trebuchet) is good and I use it intsead of shit vendor launcher.

[–] [email protected] -1 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Microsoft launcher master race.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 8 months ago (1 children)

microsoft launcher sucks

[–] [email protected] -1 points 8 months ago

you suck