I finally broke that streak and tried Niagara Launcher on my phone.
I tried Smart Launcher, and I'm seriously impressed with what it offers.
Smart Launcher doesn't boast minimalism, but it compensates with smart organizationCloseThe Niagara launcher boasts minimalism, and it deserves all the credit for nailing it.
Although it sounds like an advanced feature for a launcher app, it's available in the free tier.
No single launcher is best for everyoneI wish there existed a launcher that packed the best of Niagara and Smart Launcher.
Launchers are the gateway to your Android experience, so a bad one can potentially alter your perceptions about Google's mobile operating system.
Despite knowing their importance in the Android setup, I was too lazy to explore how some of the best Android launchers have evolved.
I finally broke that streak and tried Niagara Launcher on my phone.
It would be an understatement to say that it blew my mind, especially after trying all its features (thanks to its founder, Peter Huber, who was kind enough to let me try Niagara Pro)
After a month of using it as my default launcher on all three of my Android phones, I was trying to decide whether Niagara is unbeatable and whether it's the greatest Android launcher of all time.
I didn't have to think about this for long because I came across another launcher that I thoroughly enjoyed using.
I tried Smart Launcher, and I'm seriously impressed with what it offers.
Smart Launcher doesn't boast minimalism, but it compensates with smart organization
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The Niagara launcher boasts minimalism, and it deserves all the credit for nailing it. I'd even argue that minimalism is its biggest strength.
I like this design philosophy because it helps me access important apps quickly, not because I take immense pleasure in looking at something that looks clean.
Like Niagara, Smart Launcher wants to help you get quick access to all your important apps, but it adopts a completely different approach to accomplish ease of access.
Instead of relying on minimalism, it uses a smart trick to organize your apps to give you quick access to your important apps.
Like how Niagara doesn't require users to put in extra effort to achieve minimalism, the Smart Launcher didn't ask for my help to organize my apps.
After setting the Smart Launcher as my default, it automatically places apps into the appropriate categories.
For example, apps like WhatsApp, Slack, email apps, and other social media platforms come under Contacts.
Another category is called Media, where you find all your streaming apps like Spotify, YouTube, Netflix, and Google Photos.
The Smart Launcher organizes all your apps into six categories. In addition to those two, it has separate pages for Games, Utilities, Settings, and Internet.
This is not to say that Smart Launcher's approach is better, but its approach certainly has an edge over Niagara when you don't remember the apps' names.
In that case, the alphabetical list makes no sense at all. You may end up scrolling to the bottom and still not find what you're looking for.
In the case of Smart Launcher, all you have to do is know what type of app it is, and you can reach the category it belongs to and quickly find it.
Without trying the Smart Launcher, I wouldn't have realized that minimalism isn't always the answer to every accessibility issue.
The categorized app drawer is my favorite feature in the Smart Launcher.
What else do I love about the Smart Launcher?
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In addition to the categorized app drawer, the widget stack is another feature I love. It allows you to group multiple apps in a single space on your home screen.
The widget stack is also customizable, allowing you to choose from four shapes, including Honeycomb, Arch, Grid, and Flower.
The launcher also supports fine positioning of widgets, so I can move, resize, and elevate down to the pixel.
On top of all this, I have a particular appreciation for its built-in RSS feed reader feature.
You can swipe to the right to access the Your Feed page, where you can add your favorite RSS feeds.
You can either type the name or choose your favorite topics from the suggestions.
It also supports importing OPML files, so you can export all the news sources from your existing RSS app to the Smart Launcher.
Although it sounds like an advanced feature for a launcher app, it's available in the free tier.
I've stopped using the Feedly app after switching to the Smart Launcher because of its built-in RSS reader.
No single launcher is best for everyone
I wish there existed a launcher that packed the best of Niagara and Smart Launcher.
That would've been the ideal one for me, but real-life scenarios are far from ideal, and each app has its strengths and weaknesses.
For Niagara, it's minimalism, while the Smart Launcher focuses more on organization and customization. It ultimately comes down to your priorities.
Since I currently have three Android phones, I can easily accommodate the Smart Launcher and continue using it.
That's what I plan to do because I don't want to quit Niagara this soon.
Since no one is perfect, using both launchers is the only way to enjoy the best of both worlds.
