10 Best Launchers

Android launchers are still a thing. Why? Because they’re much more customizable than the stock launcher. Even though companies have worked over the years to give users more control over their phones with customization features, people still use custom software like Android launchers more than the default apps.

Top Android Launchers

Niagara Launcher: Niagara is the new Evie Launcher for me since it has just one scrollable page where you can find apps, interact with notifications right on the home screen, and even hide less-used apps. Niagara is for minimalists who don’t like clutter. You can find Niagara Launcher on Google Play.

Smart Launcher 6: An award-winning option featuring automatic app categorization, adaptive horizontal layouts, and stacked widgets.

I recently used Smart Launcher, which is my number 2 favorite. Smart Launcher shows that a launcher can be different from typical Android launchers and still not be boring.

Microsoft Launcher: Integrates deeply with the Microsoft ecosystem, offering a personalized daily feed, pinned contacts, and Bing search tools.

Microsoft Launcher is one of the exciting apps I tried on my Android phone, and it’s great. But I wouldn’t say I liked it that much. It offers too much, asks for too many permissions, and keeps suggesting Microsoft apps, which is annoying.

If you swipe to the right of the home screen, you’ll see a feed that feels like Google Now. The feed has Glance, News, and Timeline tabs, which show a glance at your day, personalized News, and a timeline of activities across the devices.

Action Launcher: Replicates the Pixel experience while adding unique features like Quicktheme coloring and swipable app shutters.

After bringing paid features to free users, Action Launcher has become one of the most popular Android launchers, with 10 million+ downloads on Google Play. The launcher has been around for a long time. It’s powerful, with a paid variant available.

Lawnchair: An open-source layout that brings a clean Pixel-style interface with full Material You dynamic theming support.

Lawnchair. It's a bad pun, we know.
Lawnchair is a supercharged version of the Pixel Launcher you know and love. Being an open-source project, you get all the latest Pixel Launcher features shipped by Google in their latest Android release, plus added customizability. The best part? No root required!

Square Home: Recreates a Windows Phone-inspired interactive tile interface with 3D cube shortcuts and customizable grids.

Hyperion: Focuses on lightweight speed, smooth customizable animations, and efficient everyday performance.

Olauncher: A simple, ad-free, text-only minimalist layout that helps reduce distractions and screen time.

Before Launcher: A text-focused launcher with a filtered notification drawer built for digital detox.

Great app; it helps me spend less time on my phone. The only downside is that the launcher deactivates whenever I turn my phone off and back on; it won't stay active even though I’ve set it as the default launcher. I have to go into the settings to fix the issue every time I restart my phone. Aside from that, I love it—the notification filtering is really handy.

Kvaesitso: An open-source, search-driven interface that organizes your apps and files using tags instead of rigid folders.

Why use an Android launcher?

Stock or default Android launchers can be tedious, with limited features and customization options. But stock launchers are the perfect picks for those who adore the minimal design and want to avoid fancy features. As a minimalist, I’ve always been a fan of stock launchers, and this can change based on the phone I’m using. For example, my secondary phones have third-party launchers. However, my primary Android phone is full of different launchers.