ara is my choose for the perfect launcher on Android

The Android ecosystem is teeming with choices in relation to third-party home screen launchers. Some are higher than others, however Niagara Launcher particularly is my go-to selection, no matter which Android phone I occur to have in my pocket.

Here is what makes Niagara such a joyful expertise in my eyes, and why I believe each Android person ought to think about giving it a test run on their very own private system.

Niagara is accessible to all

Versatile monetization and a rock-solid free tier are each perks

The very first thing I really like about Niagara Launcher is the pragmatic method the builders take with regard to monetization.

To begin off, Niagara is free to obtain from the Google Play Retailer, with broad compatibility throughout telephone fashions from all the main Android manufacturers. The newest launch of the launcher works with units going way back to Android 5.0. The obtain itself is surprisingly small, coming in at solely about 11MB in dimension.

This free tier of Niagara is ad-free, and that is a call the builders behind the launcher are agency on: “What about inserting some humorous and colourful advertisements in between apps? Additionally, you would not thoughts watching a brief video earlier than altering your app icons, proper? No, simply kidding, that will not occur. Most of us, particularly me, cannot stand ads. Advertisements simply do not match right into a clear launcher,” says the Niagara crew.

Niagara Launcher

A novel and pleasant reimagining of the Android house display.

There’s an non-obligatory ‘Professional’ value tier out there, which prices both a lump sum of $29.99, or a recurring subscription of $9.99 per 12 months. For the associated fee, you get tons of additional goodies — a bespoke icon pack, built-in calendar and climate widgets, customized fonts, and extra.

I significantly admire the pliability offered by Niagara in relation to its monetization technique. Subscription-based software program has its place, actually. However the capacity to unlock the total suite of options with a single buy, and have them for all times, is a net-positive in my eyes.

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Niagara Launcher makes an attempt to shake up the way you launch your apps

Niagara would not shackle itself to the standard grid-of-icons setup we’re oh-so aware of

What makes Niagara Launcher stand out for me is its distinctive tackle the Android house display. The standard grid-based hoard of icons offers approach to a streamlined listing of pinned apps, which may be adjusted and combined in alongside widgets.

There is a robust emphasis on utilizing the scroll bar — which may be invoked from both the left or the best facet of the show — to rapidly flick thru all of your apps in an alphabetical listing. This form of factor is commonplace in most app drawers, however the setup right here incentivizes extra frequent interplay on this means.

Widgets may also be pinned alongside your vertical listing of favourite apps, and it one way or the other all feels cohesive and purposefully constructed. I really like the climate and calendar widgets which might be unique to Niagara Professional, as I discover them to mix in nicely with the overarching aesthetic.

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What makes Niagara such a pleasure to make use of?

It is all in regards to the fluidity of the person interface

Niagara Launcher

As soon as acclimated to Niagara, I discovered myself interacting with my house display for no different purpose than the intrinsic pleasure of swiping across the interface — sure, it is actually that nice to make use of. Animations are fluid, haptic suggestions is tastefully included into the combination, and all the things is completely responsive beneath my fingertips.

The actual magnificence within the setup is that it is inventive and distinct from grid-based house screens, however nonetheless easy and instantly comprehensible from a conceptual perspective. There are tons of superior settings beneath the hood, however the launcher well obfuscates the litter and gives a streamlined expertise by and thru.

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A phrase on Google’s help for Android launchers

Niagara can be a good higher expertise if Google would make proper with builders

When Google made the transition over to gesture-based navigation in Android 10, it wasn’t with out its points. Particularly, third-party launchers started to wrestle with a peculiar lack of smoothness that made them really feel unpolished when in comparison with default house display choices.

It seems that third-party launchers endure, in that they cannot absolutely faucet into the graceful gesture system applied by non-rooted Android units. The state of gesture management response varies based mostly on telephone mannequin, software program model, and launcher getting used, so outcomes range right here.

In my case, working Niagara Launcher model 1.12. on an Android 14-based Pixel 5, navigation is fairly easy. It would not really feel fairly excellent, however this seems to be a difficulty plaguing Android and never Niagara particularly.

With the launch of Android 15 now simply across the nook, it is unlucky to see that Google has but to totally resolve the difficulty. Fortunately, it is easy sufficient to change again to the three-button navigation system if the imperfect gesture fluidity turns into bothersome.

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It is price giving Niagara Launcher a shot

It took me now not than a couple of minutes to fall in love with Niagara’s interface

Niagara Launcher

There’s one thing significantly elegant in regards to the Niagara expertise, which is difficult to convey in writing. It is a kind of experiences that basically warrants in-person utilization to understand in its entirety.

Although I am a fan of a lot of competing house display launchers, I am unable to see myself switching off Niagara anytime quickly. The zippy interface, lovely design, and well-thought-out navigation paradigm make it a contender for my favourite app out there on the whole Google Play Retailer.

In case you’ve by no means tried Niagara Launcher earlier than, give it a spin for a few days. There is a strong probability that the software program will ‘click on’ for you in the identical means it did for me. If nothing else, it is a enjoyable and novel approach to break away from the boring and static grid of app icons that collectively adorn our house screens.

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