It's been over a year since Nova Launcher's last update (June 2024), and without news from the development team, the project seems to be frozen.
Because of this, we're often asked if Smart Launcher can replace Nova.
Both launchers earned their reputation by giving you almost total control over your home screen with custom grids, gesture shortcuts, icon packs, fast performance, and more. But Smart Launcher isn't Nova, and Nova isn't Smart Launcher. So yes, you can replace Nova with Smart Launcher, but you shouldn’t expect everything to be identical.
What's different?
Nova has always aimed to enhance the stock Android launcher by building on existing features. Smart Launcher took a different approach: it rebuilt the home screen experience from scratch to explore new possibilities. Because of this, you'll probably need some time to get familiar with Smart Launcher and discover everything it offers.
For example:
- In Smart Launcher, you don't drag icons onto each other to create folders; instead, you create folders directly from the home menu.
- Smart Launcher doesn't have Nova’s subgrid positioning, but it lets you resize widgets freely, so you can place them exactly where you want.
- Smart Launcher doesn't use Nova’s Branch-powered search. Instead, it offers Smart Search, which quickly finds shortcuts, files, calendar events, contacts, and more.
- Gestures in Smart Launcher differ from Nova's. Some gestures are not available, while others that Nova doesn’t have are.
Of course, not every Nova feature will have an exact match in Smart Launcher. Some features might not be available yet. But we're actively listening to your feedback to make Nova users feel at home with Smart Launcher.
What you'll find in Smart Launcher
Our team releases weekly beta updates through our official Telegram channel (https://t.me/smartlauncher). This means we've already introduced features that weren't available when Nova had its last update, like multi-display and private space support.
You'll also enjoy other unique Smart Launcher features developed over recent years:
- A customizable news feed reader, letting you pick your favorite sources, great if you're looking for an alternative to Google Discover (which stays also available)
- An automatically sorted app drawer for quick app access.
- Fingerprint-protected hidden apps.
- Beautiful blurred UI themes.
- A collection of exclusive built-in widgets.
- Full integration with Icon Pack Studio
- KWGT widgets backup
- Indipendent layouts for Foldables
Of course, this is not meant to be an exhaustive comparison between the two launchers. There are tons of reasons to prefer one launcher over another, and often you only need one reason.
Finally, if you try Smart Launcher, we’d love to hear from you. Join our Reddit community at www.reddit.com/r/smartlauncher
We are always looking for feedback and new ideas for improvements!
