One of the great advantages we have as Android users is undoubtedly the ability for personalization. If you don’t like something or you’re bored, you can easily change the lookThe same thing happens with the Android customization layer thanks to the launchers.

There are all shapes and sizes of launchers, but today I’m going to tell you which ones I’ve been using for the past two months and why. It changed my relationship with my Android phoneAnd no, it’s not a new one, it’s the good old Niagara Launcher, which is fine even if you don’t have Android Auto.

After two months of use, I wouldn’t trade Niagara for anything in the world (maybe just Nothing OS…)

If you want to change the look of your Android, there are two waysThe easy way is to download a launcher, the complicated way is to change the ROM, something that is no longer used but is also recommended to give a second life to an old mobile. On the other hand, a launcher allows you to change the aesthetics and functionality, in part, of the mobile, but behind the launcher there is still the customization layer of the manufacturer (which is usually visible in elements such as the settings or the shortcuts and the notification panel) and Android.

A ROM is different because what you’re doing is replacing the manufacturer’s layer with something new. It can even be as strange as going from a POCO F3 with MIUI to a POCO F3 with the Pixel ROMI. I have multiple phones with custom ROMs, but on the phone I use every day, I prefer launchers.

I’ve had many Android phones, which I loved in terms of features and software. But all those different layers of customization are starting to bore me. This has led me to try out different launchers over the past few months. For a while I stuck with Microsoft Launcher, a very functional layer, with integration of various Microsoft services and a dual app area hidden under a simple gesture.

It helped me keep my phone cleaner, but It still had an aesthetic that was very similar to any Android tierwith the icons in a grid, the big clock and it didn’t really change the way I interact with the phone. Also, that integration with the Microsoft suite is great… if you work with it, and I’m more of a Google guy. So, I tried again with launchers and chose Niagara.

Now I’m (at least for now) very happy with the phone, because I’ve found that this minimalistic launcher (although there are even more minimalistic ones) is perfect for both my daily life and in my car.

That’s a dynamic notification, if you tap on it you can reply without opening the app.

If you already know Niagara, I don’t have much more to tell you, but if you don’t, you will already see from the pictures that everything is extremely cleanThe apps I use most often are within reach. I probably should have less of them to make it even more minimalistic. But finding the other apps I use often but don’t want on the screen all the time is very quick.

Swiping up will open an app search function. And there’s no real app drawer, just a list of apps sorted alphabetically. If you swipe down on the left side of the vertical axis, you can access all the apps on your phone.

Swiping from the side of the screen will reveal a list of installed apps.

And yes, I’ve realized that I have a lot that I don’t use, but with that gesture, My muscle memory has learned that you have to stop at a certain height. from the screen to find the banking app, Slack, Magic Earth, or the Amazon app.

But if there are two things I love about Niagara, aside from that minimalist aesthetic, they’re the dynamic notifications and especially the interface, because it adapts perfectly to the carThe first thing that’s great is that a preview of the notification appears next to the corresponding app. For example, if it’s a message, you can click on the notification and it won’t open the app, but it will open a pop-up with a quick reply.

In addition, You have the option to swipe an icon from left to right to perform some quick functions. It’s more useful in some apps than others, but it’s pretty good. And in the car, it’s a plus. I don’t have Android Auto (I use a tablet that I’ve converted into my Android Auto), so I use the phone both horizontally and vertically thanks to a holder on the air conditioning vent.

Niagara can be set to rotate when you turn your phone horizontally and the icons are like the ones we would have in Android Auto. If you put Waze, Google Maps, Magic Earth, Apple Music or Telegram in it, it is similar (it will never be the same of course) to the infotainment system in the car. When I’m standing still while waiting in the car, it’s very fast to interact with the icons and react to something thanks to that dynamic preview.

The bad? Well, we don’t have the option to put Google Discover (you have to go to the Google app if you want to check Discover) and there are also a lot of basic features, like the weather clock widget, which are for paying users. Yes, There is a Pro version of Niagarabut I don’t plan on buying it because once I fall in love with this launcher, another one might come out that I like better and then I’ll have wasted my money.

Anyway, I’m happy with the free options. It helps me interact with my phone in a different way. And if you’re tired of your own layer, I highly recommend you give Niagara a try.