Android is special not because of what it is, but what you can turn it into.This was especially true in the early days, when the out-of-the-box experience was quite rough, and you needed to install a custom launcher to get the most out of your device.For those of us who lived through it, we can remember different eras of Android based on which custom launchers were dominant at the time.
Sadly, some of these custom launchers cannot be installed today, so we can only revisit them in memory.Whether this is a nostalgia trip for you or a new exposure to great app launchers that have come and gone, let's share in this tribute together.ADW The era of Android Éclair, Froyo, and Gingerbread Early Android was a mess, absent most of the polish and luxuries we take for granted today.
Screens were smaller, refresh rates were lower, and gestures hadn't yet replaced other forms of navigating our devices.On top of that, carrier bloatware was rampant, with not even the ability to disable most of these apps, let alone uninstall them.By the time Android Gingerbread (the first version of Android I used) took the world by storm, ADW was already well-known to Android die-hards.
It was even included within one of the OG custom ROMs—CyanogenMod.Google Pixel 10a 7 SoC Google Tensor G4 Display 6.3-inch Actua display The Google Pixel 10a is a barely updated version of the Google Pixel 9a, with a slightly brighter screen and an upgrade from Gorilla Glass 3 to Gorilla Glass 7i.Google has shaved the remaining few millimeters from the camera bump, making it completely flat.
Unlike prior versions of the Pixel a series, this model year does not share the same Tensor processor as the mainline Pixel 10.$449 at Amazon $449 at Google Store Expand Collapse ADW was one of the earliest open source Android custom launchers, though it eventually turned proprietary.The ability to hide unwanted apps was reason enough to install this custom launcher, but it also gave the ability to configure the number of home screens, adjust animation speeds, and change the number of docks available at the bottom of the screen.
And in a sign of the times, you could enable custom animations like the 3D cube effect that was popular in this period.ADW held on to mindshare for quite some time, eventually getting a second version in 2016, but by then, other launchers had moved more quickly to adapt to newer versions of Android.Holo Launcher The rush for Ice Cream Sandwich's new look Ice Cream Sandwich was the first version of Android I remember being genuinely excited to get my hands on.
Before this period, most Android phones had their own distinct vibe.Samsung TouchWiz looked very different from HTC Sense, which looked different from what you'd see on a Motorola Droid.Ice Cream Sandwich gave Android a coherent look that a growing number of people actively sought out.
Thing is, Android devices often never received updates, and many of those that did were notoriously slow to get them.That meant there were legions of us who wanted the new Ice Cream Sandwich look but couldn't actually run the software.It was in that moment that we got Holo Launcher, a custom launcher whose entire purpose was giving those of us running Android Gingerbread a chance to feel like we were using the newer version of Android.
This one's no longer available in the Play Store, buy you can still find it in UpToDown.Google Now Launcher Break me off a piece of KitKat I still remember the night of the Android KitKat launcher.I wrote for Android Police at the time, and it was a mad dash of a day, with us pumping out articles about every nuanced feature.
Hype was real.In many ways, Android KitKat was the beginning of the era of Android we know today, with many open source Android apps being swapped out for Google-branded ones, and Google Now promising to do much of what we would later associate with Google Assistant and, eventually, Gemini.Google Now Launcher, like Holo Launcher before it, was a chance to get in on the action even if you didn't own a Nexus phone.
But unlike Holo Launcher, this one came straight from the source.Google eventually made Google Now Launcher available to phones other than the Nexus.The Google Now Launcher has since evolved into the modern Pixel Launcher, but you can still find the older version at UpToDown.
Nova Launcher The GOAT for many generations Nova Launcher needs no introduction, though it can be easy to forget that it first appeared way back in 2013.In addition to the usual customization options, Nova added tweaks specific to Ice Cream Sandwich, such as allowing users to change the shape of folder icons.Unlike prior custom launchers, Nova managed to quickly embrace each new version of Android, remaining the go-to launcher for people wanting a relatively stock version of Android that they could make their own.
This reign continued for roughly a decade before tragedy struck.Branch acquired Nova in 2022 and then laid off most of its developers in 2024.The original creator stepped away from Nova in 2025.
The launcher gained new owners again in 2026, who introduced ads to the free tier.What lies ahead remains to be seen.Niagara Launcher A minimalist launcher for an era of tech addiction and AI Unlike the other launchers on this list, Niagara Launcher isn't a heavily customizable version of stock Android.
If you're looking for that in the absence of Nova Launcher, Lawnchair is your best bet.But this time around, a different type of launcher is amassing far more downloads.Niagara Launcher is a different idea of what a phone launcher can be.
Instead of a grid of icons, you get a list of app names, and the interface is entirely designed to be easily used with one hand, making Niagara the best launcher for large phones.Niagara regularly appears on tech blogs and in YouTube videos, with many of us eager to give it our endorsement.Devices like the Daylight DC-1 tablet and the Clicks Communicator smartphone ship with what appear to be modified versions of Niagara Launcher.
The Minimal Phone technically uses a different launcher, but the vibes sure are similar.At a time when the addictive nature of our phones has become common knowledge and most phones come with a degree of AI slop baked in, Niagara Launcher is a refreshing way to reclaim a bit of control.Which launcher is your current favorite? While I'm a big fan of Niagara Launcher, I currently use the even more minimalist Escape Launcher, which has the added perk of being open source.
New and imaginative launchers continue to pop up all the time, with Kvaesitso and kybd taking distinct and striking, QWERTY-based approaches toward launching your apps.Custom launchers may no longer be the big deal they once were, but the field is as diverse as ever.
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