Alternatives to Nova Launcher? (programming.dev)

submitted 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) by pro_grammer@programming.dev to c/opensource@lemmy.ml

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I deleted nova launcher from my device after seeing this: https://lemmy.ca/post/19914345

Can anybody recommend alternatives?

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[-] wwwgem@lemmy.ml 26 points 3 months ago

I use the open source KISS launcher for years now. Your data never leaves your device, and you can expect to save battery life and speed up your device compared to complex and bloated launchers. KISS is just 250 KB and never connects to the Internet.

The best thing is that - behind a simplistic configuration menu - you can configure it from an ultra minimalist black screen with one text box to call when you need to launch an app, search for a contact, search on internet... to a full app drawer organized however you want (alphabetical order, your own defined categories...). It's just insane and unfortunately so much overlooked.

[-] halm@leminal.space 2 points 3 months ago

Yeah, KISS is amazing, versatile and simple with a small footprint. It honestly should be the default throughout Android.

[-] Lumisal@lemmy.world -1 points 3 months ago

You must come from a tech literate family.

If it was the default Android launcher, Android would die.

[-] halm@leminal.space 1 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

Yeah, because using the KISS launcher is like going into the CLI and building stuff from source /s

It does the absolute basic of what a launcher should do and then some, doesn't track you and gets out of your way. Those principles wouldn't kill Android, but maybe Google's ad revenue would smart a bit.

[-] Lumisal@lemmy.world 3 points 3 months ago

There's a quote that goes something like this: "imagine the average dumb person, and then realize half the population is dumber than that".

Having worked tech support, Arch is basically alien tech wizardry, a terminal is "hackerman" leet thing, and using Google to figure out an error code is "being tech savvy".

Granted, it's nowhere near as bad in Finland as it was in the USA, or Central America, but what you and I think is "super easy custom set up" is "⬧︎◆︎◻︎♏︎❒︎ ♏︎♋︎⬧︎⍓︎ ♍︎◆︎⬧︎⧫︎□︎❍︎ ⬧︎♏︎⧫︎◆︎◻︎" for a very significant portion of the population.

It's easy to forget how hard something is when you're used to it. Sure I might know what idiopathic glomerulonephritis is without looking it up but that doesn't mean you might know what glomeruli are.

Likewise I might know what an EGR valve is but it doesn't mean I know how to fix a Tesla.

[-] halm@leminal.space 5 points 3 months ago

Yeah, that's a George Carlin quote, and I'm well aware of it. It's no excuse for dumbing down interfaces like a launcher, or filling it with superfluous features (that coincidentally feed into a corporate clickhole).

Rather than the grim idea that everybody gets an interface the lowest common denominator will grasp, I maintain that everybody deserves a functional, no-bullshit launcher like KISS. It absolutely isn't what you make it out to be.

[-] Lumisal@lemmy.world 0 points 3 months ago

I'm not saying everyone needs an iOS circa 2015 interface.

But I am saying something like KISS would never work, because the general public will just outright reject it.

What needs to exist is something in between: something simple and easy to use at stock, but with high customization ability that ranges from novice to advanced users.

Unfortunately, it seems most of the GUI experts work in the private industry and rarely do FOSS.