A minimalist, gesture-driven Android launcher that blends the best ideas from OLauncher, Niagara Launcher, and a touch of HAL 9000.
Clean typography · Swipe gestures · Instant search · Configurable magic button
Home Screen — A handful of favorite apps displayed with beautiful typography (Josefin Sans + Work Sans) and icons. A live clock sits at the top; real-time notification summaries appear below each app. Organize favorites across multiple panels (e.g. Personal / Work).
Swipe Gestures — Swipe left for Camera, right for Phone, up to open the app drawer, down to pull notifications. Every gesture is fully configurable or can be disabled.
App Drawer — Full app list with instant search. Typing filters results live and auto-launches on a single match — type spo and Spotify opens immediately. Prefix a query with ! for a DuckDuckGo bang search. An alphabet sidebar lets you jump quickly through the list.
Folders — Tap to expand inline on the home screen. Assign an emoji icon, reorder apps, and manage contents from a long-press menu.
Magic Button — A glowing HAL 9000–inspired button at the bottom of the screen. Tap, long-press, and double-tap actions are each independently configurable: launch an assistant, toggle the flashlight, lock the screen, open any app, and more.
Settings — Tweak everything: number of favorites, gesture targets, magic button actions, hidden apps, font size, dark mode, and left-hand mode.
Coming soon.
# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/ykatchou/ylauncher.git
cd ylauncher
# Build a debug APK
./gradlew assembleDebug
# Run tests
./gradlew testRequires JDK 17 and the Android SDK (compile SDK 36, min SDK 26).
| Layer | Technology |
|---|---|
| UI | Jetpack Compose · Material 3 · Dynamic Color |
| Architecture | MVVM · StateFlow · ViewModel |
| Persistence | Room (favorites, folders) · DataStore (preferences) |
| DI | Hilt |
| Navigation | Navigation Compose |
| Language | Kotlin 2.1 |
| Testing | JUnit · MockK · Turbine · Robolectric |
- OLauncher — Swipe gestures, text-focused minimalism, auto-launch on single match
- Niagara Launcher — Typography, icons alongside labels, aesthetic design
- HAL 9000 — The glowing red eye as a floating action gateway
This project is licensed under the GNU General Public License v3.0.
Fonts bundled under the SIL Open Font License: Josefin Sans by Santiago Orozco · Work Sans by Wei Huang