Tushar Mehta / Android Authority
About 15 years ago, when I first switched from a Nokia to an Android phone, it wasn’t a mere choice; it was also a financial decision. I couldn’t afford to buy an iPhone, and its price, padded with hefty import fees, made it a dream I refused to approach. Over the years, I became more fascinated with Android’s customization. A decade and a half later, I consciously stick to Android phones.
While my attempts at heavily modding my phones or fiddling with custom ROMs have decreased significantly, there are two things I still actively do: change wallpapers routinely and switch to a new launcher every few weeks or months, actively hopping between multiple awesome launchers on Android.
Naturally, I was bummed to learn about Nova Launcher’s demise, though I wouldn’t call it sudden — or even unexpected, for the matter. I, like many of my colleagues, had switched from Nova a long time ago. While I initially perched on Lawnchair, the one launcher I use mostly now — except when I’m using a foldable — is Niagara. The likely reason for that is its vertically scrolling homescreen, which, I feel, conforms with my overripe proclivity to doomscroll. More recently, however, I have been using a relatively newer alternative, Mur Launcher, to cherish the best of both worlds.
Have you used Mur Launcher? If yes, what do you think? 54 votes I have used it, and I like it 9 % I haven't but I'd like to try 63 % I have used it but, I'm not impressed 11 % Thanks! I'm sticking to Nova or Niagara 7 % Anything else (comment below) 9 %
Why Niagara instead of Nova
Andy Walker / Android Authority
I started using Niagara Launcher not so long after its launch. It was also the first launcher I purchased after Nova. While I can also dismiss the urge to use Niagara to satiate my need for scrolling endlessly, I would be discrediting it. Using Niagara has always felt effortless; the interface is breezy and easy to adapt to. Over time, I feel more accustomed to looking up apps by the first letter of their names. That is also beneficial when finding and opening the right app on phones with humongous screens, prompting easy use with just one hand.
Beyond that, Niagara freely organizes my most important widgets into a horizontally scrollable stack, and organizes information I would otherwise seek from the At a Glance widget with sleeker text. Yes, it limits the placement of widgets to the top of the screen, but it has prompted me to be more mindful and use fewer, necessary ones.
I realize this is the opposite of the maximalist approach that Nova took. And, sometimes, I itch for some of those features.
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