Best Android Launchers (Summer 2022)

Reviewing the best Android launchers in 2022 that you can download for free or for a small fee from Google Play - no setup or rooting required. From long-standing classics like Nova 7, Lawnchair and Microsoft, to newer choices such as Minimalist, Ratio and Nothing (no, not that one actually). These are my top 15-ish favourite launchers for Android smartphones right now.

Nova v7 is one of the biggest and greatest around, offering impressive customisation and personalisation - you can set up your UI exactly how you like. Ratio is one of the new kids on the block, with a streamlined approach similar to Niagara and KISS. Minimalist Launcher is another great one to prevent distractions and keep you focused on what matters. Android is unrecognisable with any of those on board, great for keeping yourself focused.

Poco Launcher 2.0 is a light and fast launcher which proves perfect for older or more budget-friendly phones, as are the Lean and Pear offerings. Meanwhile fans of Microsoft are well catered for with the manufacturer's excellent Google Play option. Speaking of which, Windows Phone fans should definitely check out Square Home, which replicates that slick tile-based desktop.

Let me know your own favourites down below!

Best Android Launchers 2022 Chapters:
0:00 - Get on with it!
0:53 - Nova Launcher 7 (& Prime)
1.45 - Poco 2.0
2:47 - Pear
3:27 - Lean
3:47 - Lawnchair v2
4:27 - Microsoft v6
5:11 - Square Home
5:51 - Minimalist Launcher
7:26 - OLauncher
7:48 - Niagara
8:51 - Ratio
9:23 - KISS
10:32 - Smart Launcher 6
11:38 - Big Launcher
12:31 - Nothing Launcher (AVOID!)

[tanujnotes]

Hi, I'm the developer of Olauncher at 07:26. Very happy to see it in the list. :)

[HerrBrisby]

Niagara is my favorite launcher since almost 2 years.

[wylerXL]

i'm a long time Nova Launcher user. but with the new tweaks Smart Launcher 6 did, its definitely ahead now. Far simple with their trademark auto app category. What i really like is their departure from Google dependency. Best for those who love to explore outside Google ecosystems.

[staticvoidmain]

the comment about the queen did not age well

[ryanjackson]

"Been around longer than the Queen..."

Well... I chose the right day to watch this...

[ebshadow]

I keep finding myself going back to Niagara launcher. Fairly intuitive and a clean setup.

[boumeyers]

The one launcher for people that can't find what they like, is the TOTAL LAUNCHER. No one ever mentions Total. You can literally build your own launcher with that app. You imagination is all that's needed. I've built my own very unique launcher with Total and get asked quite frequently what phone I'm using or what launcher. PLEASE DO A VID ON TOTAL LAUNCHER! It's a bit to understand at first, but once you understand how it works, sky's the limit. You can even use GIF stickers as icons or backgrounds or literally whatever. The same developer makes Square Home. Absolutely brilliant. Please do a vid on Total

[Ashlord]

Using Lawnchair right now and it works amazingly for me. Anytime a person sees my phone, they complement it cuz of how cool it looks. 100% recommend :)

[JohnScigulinsky]

I've tried several of these, but I keep coming back to the Square Home. Sure, it has that Windows Phone vibe for nostalgia purposes, but you can also turn the blocks transparent so that you can actually see your wallpaper, and then the phone desktop just looks amazing. All the apps I need are right there up front, alerting me to notifications with live tiles and I can group them by type into their own little areas of the screen, so messaging apps are together, socials together, etc. It is fantastic for anyone who hates searching through an apps drawer and also isn't a fan of the stock android look.

[jimmyquck]

i personally love niagara. it's a super elegant solution for the homescreen and app drawer. smart launcher is something that i also may try out in the future

[kiranrathod]

I have Nova prime and kept it in my app list
My favourite ones are O launcher for minimalism and lawnchair (root-gesture support) for customisation

[MichaelBeattie]

I've tried a lot of launchers but keep going back to Niagara. Using it one handed is fantastic, especially when walking and you can scroll through your apps from A to Z in one swipe.

On my 10" tablet, I use Nova, as the stock launcher leaves too much empty space. I don't need icons an inch apart! Nova lets me cram loads into one screen, which works better for a tablet which I'm not walking around and typing on.

[paulbowler]

Nova is one of my favourites as well, might check out some of your other suggestions as well

[beforelabs]

Many thanks for mentioning the Before Launcher!

[leomoore]

Microsoft Launcher and Lawnchair have been my favorites for a long time. The second I bought this pixel, I downloaded the Microsoft Launcher from the go (and the Bing rewards are an added bonus too!).

[kronosaurus]

Nova Launcher alternative launchers that doesn't use branch metrics would be a great new video.

[kingkal]

I'm currently using the OnePlus 8T with Android 12 Oxygen OS. I don't mind it, it's basically stock android but with a few extra features. Decent

[parsahatami]

I love ratio, my only complain is the battery life and phone getting really warm while using the launcher, but it looks really good and also has really good features

[srsgonu]

Thanks for the video. Never tried pear launcher before and it turns out to be great, . Even nova don't have option to change fonts but this does.

[rubentapia]

I love Niagara, it's simple and straight forward. With its search Sesame shortcuts is the most practical.