5 Best Free Open Source Android Launcher Apps

Here is a list of best free open source Android launcher app. Android launchers give additional features and themes to Android users that they don’t get in their default Android launcher. Unlike standard Android launcher apps, these launchers are free and open source, thus users can download and edit their source code without any restriction.

Most of these Android launcher apps offer a beautiful and functional interface with customizable themes. Although, one of these launchers is specially designed for minimalistic users. Apart from a beautiful user interface, these apps also provide many useful features that stock launchers don’t have. Useful features that you get in these apps are Icon Pack, Hidden Apps, App History, Night Mode, Gestures, and more. With the help of the Icon pack, users can manually adjust the size, shape, and design of app icons. Through the Hidden app feature, users can hide an app from the main gallery. The Night Mode turns the whole interface dark to reduce strain on eyes during night time. Using Gestures, users can quickly access certain apps like swipe right to launch the camera, swipe left to launch contacts app, etc.

These open source Android launchers also provide many additional tools like Root Mode, Lock Device using proximity, Double-Tap to Lock/ Unlock, etc. Go through the list to know more about these apps.

My Favorite Open Source Android Launcher App:

Emerald Launcher is my favorite app because it offers a beautiful and functional interface. Plus, it offers useful features like Keep In Memory, History, App Search, Icon Pack Support, and more.

You can also check out lists of best free Open Source Camera App, Open Source eBook Reader App, and Open Source Messaging App for Android.

Emerald Launcher

Emerald Launcher is a free open source Android launcher app. It is a fast and lightweight Android launcher that you can use to customize the main interface of your Android device. Apart from the look of user interface, it also changes the app drawer, icon size, layout, etc. Let’s discuss main features of this app now.

Main Features:

• Icon Pack Support: In this app, you can add custom icon packs to change the appearance of icons.
• Hidden Apps: This launch also lets users hide apps from its main interface. When users want to see the hidden app then they can use its Access Hidden Apps section.
• App History: This app automatically saves all the apps used by users. By going to the App History, users can view and quickly open up all the previously accessed apps.
• Keep In Memory: It is an advanced feature that keeps selected apps in memory for a long time so that users don’t need to load the whole app again.
• Categories: This app divides the main interface into four main categories namely All Apps, Unclassified, History, and Hidden. By swiping left or right on the main interface you can switch categories.
• Search: It is another useful feature that allows users to search for apps by their names.

Final Thoughts:

It is one of the best and beautifully designed open source Android launcher app that offers many useful features that you don’t get in a stock Android launcher.

Rootless Pixel Launcher

Rootless Pixel Launcher is another free open source Android launcher. This app is designed to give non-Google Pixel Android users a Pixel launcher experience. It provides some really interesting features along with standard ones. Checkout primary features of this Android launcher below.

Main Features:

• Stock Interface: This app offers the stock Pixel interface which is responsive and smooth similar to the Pixel device launcher.
• Wallpaper Based Theme Selection: It is an advanced feature that changes the launcher theme according to the wallpaper color profile.
• Long Press Icon Settings: By long-pressing an icon of an app, you can discover app shortcuts like for a camera app you get options to directly record video and capture photos. In the case of a social media app, you can get shortcuts to access the main feed, access timeline, etc.
• App Drawer: Similar to the stock Android launcher, it also offers an app drawer to find all the app in one place.
• Search App: Use it to search for apps by their names.
• Icon Shape Selection: For Android 8 and above devices, it offers an icon shape selection tool so that users can manually adjust the shapes of app icons.

Final Thoughts:

It isa great open source Android launcher app that anyone can use who wants a smooth and stable launcher.

Zen Launcher

Zen Launcher is yet another free open source Android launcher app. This app is specially designed to integrate apps and settings with its search tool so that users immediately find apps and settings that they want to use. Besides this, it also offers many other useful features that you don’t get in a stock Android launcher. Now, have a look at the main features of this app.

Main Features:

• Advanced Search: This launcher offers an advanced search bar through which you can quickly launch an app and also find any system setting by specifying its name.
• Night Mode: It is another handy feature that lets users turn the whole interface of your device dark to reduce eye strain when using your device in a low light environment.
• Barcode Reader: This launcher offers its own bar code reader to read bar code and QR codes with ease.
• History: In this section, you can view all your recently accessed apps and settings which you can again visit.
• Favorites: It allows users to add all their favorite apps on the main interface.
• Blue Light Filter: It is a useful feature that reduces the harmful blue light emits from your Android device screen.

Additional Features:

• In this app, you get many additional features like Root mode, Lock Device with Proximity Sensor, Improved Calculator, Zen Flashlight, and more.

Final Thoughts:

It is another good open source Android launcher app that improves the overall user interface and simplifies apps and settings access.

Olauncher

Olauncher is one more free open source Android launcher app. It is a lightweight and minimal Android launcher that specially designed for users who like a minimal user interface. To make the interface minimal without losing important features, this app takes advantage of gestures. Unlike other similar apps, it doesn’t bring more features to the table when compared to the stock Android launcher. Now, check out the main interface of this app.

Main Features:

• Minimal Interface: On its interface, you only get options to add names of four favorite apps along with a clock.
• Gestures: This app offers various useful gestures like swipe right to open up contacts, swipe left to open up the camera, and swipe up to open the app drawer.
• No App Icons: Unlike other similar launchers, it doesn’t show icons with app names to continue the minimal philosophy at every aspect of this launcher.
• Double-tap to Lock and Unlock: It is another useful feature through which users can lock and unlock their Android devices by double-tapping on the screen.

Final Thoughts:

It is a simple and minimal open source Android launcher that simplifies the overall interface of an Android device.

Lawnchair 2

Lawnchair 2 is the next free open source Android launcher app. This app offers a fully customizable launcher that users can adjust according to their requirements. Now, check out the main features of this open source launcher.

Main Features:

• Icon Packs: In this app, you can add one or more icon packs to customize the size, shape, and designs of app icons.
• Gestures and Tap Settings: Using gestures and tap tools users can easily add double-tap to open app action, touch and hold action, swipe down to open app gesture, swipe up to open app gesture, etc.
• Themes: This app comes with various themes to quickly change the look of your Android device.
• Automatic Dark Mode: This feature automatically enables dark mode when needed according to ambient light conditions.

Additional Features:

•  This launcher offers many additional features like Notification Dots, Integration with Google Feed, Integration with Android Recents, etc.

Final Thoughts:

It is yet another good open source Android launcher app that offers a beautiful interface and improved functionality over stock Android launcher.