4 ms·

It's 2026, why are people still using custom launchers? Serious question from a former Nova Prime user.

manfre 9mo ago
Why? To avoid using Google search. It's been an inferior search product for years. Last time I used the default launcher on a pixel, I couldn't change it to a better search product, so I changed launcher.
saxonww 9mo ago
I don't want a big search bar on my home screen, and there's no way around it with the Pixel Launcher except use a different launcher.
XiS 9mo ago
Honestly... I just wants a launcher with tabs to sort apps in categories (no not app groups). Nova Prime almost gone, before that Apex Launcher... And every other launcher seems to just love to just present a search bar to find your apps and use some magic sorting algorithm to sort your apps... I want predictable, user ordered apps in tabs so I can open one by heart with my eyes closed.
- bcraven 9mo ago
  I'm with you... and have yet to find the solution. Somehow only Nova does tabbed app drawer pages (and allows folders within them).
- elcapitan 9mo ago
  Same. I organize my phone into screens by topic (apps and some widgets), that allows me to keep a mental model without remembering app names etc. Will probably be hard to find a 1:1 replacement for Nova Launcher, if it enshittifies :/
- AndrewDucker 9mo ago
  I'm still using Apex. Shouldn't I be?
bentcorner 9mo ago
I appreciate that I can choose to decorate my house as I see fit. At least on my Pixel 10 there's way too much google this and google that. I guess if you're deep into the ecosystem it's a value add but for me a custom launcher lets me remove all that code.
bodge5000 9mo ago
My phones almost a decade old (OnePlus 5T, so I guess 8 years now), back from the time that launchers were a bit more necessary. If I had a modern android phone I probably wouldnt use a launcher, but then again I probably wouldnt use a modern android phone either
sjw987 9mo ago
People want different interfaces for the home screen of their device, obviously. I want a black background, with a simple A-Z list of the apps I have on my phone, with some hidden. No icons, no transparency effects and animations.

Why? To avoid using Google search. It's been an inferior search product for years. Last time I used the default launcher on a pixel, I couldn't change it to a better search product, so I changed launcher.

saxonww 9mo ago

I don't want a big search bar on my home screen, and there's no way around it with the Pixel Launcher except use a different launcher.

XiS 9mo ago

Honestly... I just wants a launcher with tabs to sort apps in categories (no not app groups). Nova Prime almost gone, before that Apex Launcher... And every other launcher seems to just love to just present a search bar to find your apps and use some magic sorting algorithm to sort your apps... I want predictable, user ordered apps in tabs so I can open one by heart with my eyes closed.

bcraven 9mo ago
I'm with you... and have yet to find the solution. Somehow only Nova does tabbed app drawer pages (and allows folders within them).
elcapitan 9mo ago
Same. I organize my phone into screens by topic (apps and some widgets), that allows me to keep a mental model without remembering app names etc. Will probably be hard to find a 1:1 replacement for Nova Launcher, if it enshittifies :/
AndrewDucker 9mo ago
I'm still using Apex. Shouldn't I be?

bentcorner 9mo ago

I appreciate that I can choose to decorate my house as I see fit. At least on my Pixel 10 there's way too much google this and google that. I guess if you're deep into the ecosystem it's a value add but for me a custom launcher lets me remove all that code.

bodge5000 9mo ago

My phones almost a decade old (OnePlus 5T, so I guess 8 years now), back from the time that launchers were a bit more necessary. If I had a modern android phone I probably wouldnt use a launcher, but then again I probably wouldnt use a modern android phone either

sjw987 9mo ago

People want different interfaces for the home screen of their device, obviously. I want a black background, with a simple A-Z list of the apps I have on my phone, with some hidden. No icons, no transparency effects and animations.