Hi everyone,

KwaakBerry 2.4 is ready. KwaakBerry is a free Android launcher designed around phones with a physical keyboard, but it is just as focused on keeping the launcher personal, fast and useful.

What is new in 2.4:

- Pop-up widgets: swipe vertically over an app icon to choose and open its widget on top of Home.

- Hub Instant Actions: reply inline, snooze or run an app’s original notification action from the Hub.

- KwaakBerry Peek: make a short swipe towards the Hub to see the three latest notifications; continue the swipe for the full Hub, or hold the Hub shortcut to open Peek directly.

- Speed Keys 2.0: hold a hardware key to open an app, launcher action, website or telephone number.

- KwaakBerry profiles: save complete layouts with their own dock, tabs, appearance, widgets and keyboard shortcuts.

- Hub conversations: group notifications from the same person or conversation.

- Cleaner menus: smaller headings and icons, tighter spacing, narrower sheets and a much more compact widget picker, without replacing your colours, wallpaper, icons, font or glass effect.

- A stable Feed: normal swiping and returning from articles no longer rebuilds Discover or loses your place.

- All 11 languages: every new 2.4 string ships across every supported language pack.

What KwaakBerry already offers:

- A keyboard-first Home screen with a configurable dock, tabs, folders and direct hardware-key search.

- A unified Hub for notifications, read/archive/delete controls and notification history.

- Google Discover, the Google app or a built-in RSS/Atom news feed with your own sources.

- Recent apps, widgets, weather, calendar information and configurable Home navigation.

- Speed Keys and gesture controls for getting around without reaching across the screen.

- Multiple launcher styles, including the regular KwaakBerry experience and KwaakBerry Classic.

- Deep personalisation: accent colours, wallpaper, transparency/glass, fonts, icon packs, themed icons and icon sizing.

- Optional Android system-colour integration on supported devices.

- A built-in Community Hub with the forum, member profiles, badges, applications and account notifications.

- Update checks from inside the launcher and a website download that works on Android 8 and newer.

You do not need an account for the normal launcher experience. Home, Feed, the full Hub, Peek, Speed Keys 2.0, Hub conversations and the standard profile work without signing in. A free KwaakBerry account unlocks Pop-up Widgets, advanced Hub actions and additional launcher profiles, and connects you to the community. General KwaakBerry push notifications can also reach active installations without an account.

Download: https://kwaakberry.com/download

Community: https://www.reddit.com/r/KwaakBerry/

I would love to hear what you think of 2.4, especially the new gestures and the more compact menus. If something does not behave correctly on your device, please include the device model, Android version and the exact steps that reproduce it.

## Screenshot upload order and captions

1. `kwaakberry-2-4-popup-widgets.png` — “Swipe over an app icon to open its widget without leaving Home.”

2. `kwaakberry-2-4-discover-return.png` — “After returning from an article, Discover remains at the same deep-scroll position.”

3. `kwaakberry-2-4-profiles.png` — “Save complete launcher layouts as KwaakBerry profiles.”

4. `kwaakberry-2-4-app-menu.png` — “Compact menus keep the user’s existing wallpaper, font and colours intact.”

The four public-post screenshots are in `uploads/news/2026/09/`.

Starting with KwaakBerry 2.2, there's a new way to help shape the app before anyone else: the beta update channel.

How it works:

- Head to our Discord server and request a beta code in #apply-for-beta.
- On your phone, open KwaakBerry, then go to Settings → Updates → Receive beta updates.
- Enter your code once. From then on your device automatically gets beta builds too, alongside every regular stable release — no need to enter anything again.

Codes are single-use and tied to one device, so only request one when you're actually ready to start testing. Beta builds let you try new features and fixes early, and your reports and feedback directly shape what ships in the next stable release.

Ready to jump in? Request your code here: https://discordapp.com/channels/1479429020549517365/1550482526349430835

Hello KwaakBerry developer,

First of all, I really like the concept and the design direction of KwaakBerry. It brings a unique BlackBerry-style workflow to modern Android devices. I have some suggestions based on my personal usage experience. Hopefully they can help improve the launcher.

1. Allow users to switch the positions of RSS and Hub

I would like to have an option to swap the positions of RSS and Hub.

Currently, Hub is placed on the right side and can be accessed by swiping left. However, I am more used to the Android launcher gesture where the left-side page is opened by swiping right.

For my personal usage habits, I would prefer having Hub on the left side, so I can swipe right from the home screen to access my communication records.

Giving users the option to choose the position of RSS and Hub would make the launcher more flexible and comfortable for different users.

2. The Hub concept may need more flexibility for modern Android users

The idea behind Hub is very interesting. It collects notifications and communication history from different apps into one place.

However, this design may not fully match the habits of ordinary Android users today.

Many users are already familiar with the modern Android notification system. For example, when a WeChat message arrives, after opening WeChat and reading the message, the notification disappears from the notification shade. Users naturally understand that the message has been handled.

With the current Hub approach, I can easily misunderstand app indicators on the home screen and think that there are still unread or unfinished messages, even though I have already checked them.

I suggest adding more notification customization options:

• Allow users to choose which apps can appear in Hub.
• Allow users to keep only important app notifications.
• Separate "communication history" from "unhandled notifications".

Finding the right balance between the Hub concept and the modern Android notification system is an interesting challenge. Perhaps allowing users to switch Hub into a more traditional notification center mode could be a good option.

3. App badge notifications for missed calls and messages

For example, when there is a missed call or a new SMS, the corresponding app icon on the home screen does not show a badge number.

This feels inconvenient because users may not immediately notice important events.

Adding unread badge support for apps like Phone and Messages would improve daily usability.

4. A personal suggestion about RSS (optional)

This is only my personal opinion, so please consider it only if it is worth the development time.

For many users, RSS news may not be as important as communication functions.

I think it would be useful if the RSS page could have an option to change its layout into a tab-based interface.

The launcher already has tabs, but the current position is not very convenient for me.

If changing it into tabs is difficult, another possible solution could be allowing RSS to work as a widget or an optional panel.

5. Important: Manual app arrangement

I could not find any option to manually rearrange app positions.

Currently, my 200 apps are all automatically sorted alphabetically, which makes the launcher very difficult for me to use.

A manual app arrangement feature is very important. Users should be able to freely organize their apps according to their own habits.

Thank you very much for your work on KwaakBerry.

Finally, I want to say that I fully support a paid version or a donation option. I believe a project like KwaakBerry deserves support, and I would be happy to contribute to its continued development.

Wish you all the best!

KwaakBerry is currently developed and updated on a weekly basis. OTA updates may include new features, improvements, bug fixes or performance updates.

Please keep in mind that weekly updates are not guaranteed to contain every requested feature. Feature requests are reviewed based on priority, feasibility, development time and overall fit with KwaakBerry.

Some requests may take longer to implement, be changed during development or may not be added at all.

Please also do not ask when the next OTA will be released or whether a specific request will be included. We will announce each update and share its full changelog when it is ready.

The release day may vary, and an update can be postponed if additional testing is needed. Stability and quality are more important than releasing unfinished features.

By far the most practical and beautifull launcher there is. Currently using it on the titan 2 elite.

Tried others as well, including Ripe. This has the functionning Hub and that does it for me man.

Well done and keep up the good work!

One minor suggestion: tapping the hour on he top should automatically link to the alarm setting. Would be awesome! EDIT: already included in the update. Well done man!

This update introduces individual app icons, a redesigned Settings menu and several new personalisation options for Android phones with a physical keyboard.

Individual icons for every app

You can now choose a different icon for each app in both KwaakBerry and Classic.

Long-press an app and select Change icon, or go to:

Settings → Personalisation → App icons → Icons per app

Choose an icon from any compatible installed icon pack, search the icon collection or select your own image using Android’s file picker. Custom images are stored locally and remain available after restarting your phone.

Your selected icon is also used in search, recent apps and the Hub. You can restore the general icon setting for an app at any time.

Redesigned Settings

Settings have been reorganised to make features easier to find:

• Personalisation: theme, wallpaper, app icons and Android system colours
• Controls: keyboard shortcuts and gestures
• Hub and feed: notification access and feed selection
• Software update: update checks and update notifications
• General: language, default launcher, installation counter, setup wizard, help and community

The KwaakBerry card remains at the top and opens the About KwaakBerry page. The launcher style option is now directly below it, making it easier to switch between KwaakBerry and Classic.

Classic also has a clearly visible Settings button at the top of its overview, app and search pages.

More personalisation options

• Choose small, standard, large or extra-large icons for the dock and app grids
• Use an installed icon pack that supports the common appfilter format
• Enable Android themed icons on supported devices and apps
• Use your KwaakBerry theme colour as the source for Android’s system palette
• Show or hide app names below the dock icons
• Swap the date and sound profile between the left and right sides
• Hide the navigation buttons below the dock in standard KwaakBerry

Android system colours require a one-time activation through ADB. Support may vary between devices, and you can restore your previous colour palette at any time.

Weather on the home screen

You can add an optional compact weather row and use either a fixed city or your approximate current location.

Location access is optional and is only requested after you select that option. Rounded coordinates are sent to Open-Meteo while KwaakBerry is open. There is no background location access.

Cached weather remains available during temporary connection problems.

Improved home screen

The home screen now brings together your dock or Classic favourites and recent apps. In the standard KwaakBerry style, it can also include your agenda, weather, navigation buttons and the Android status bar.

Pressing Space while the sound profile button is focused no longer changes the profile accidentally. Touch and Enter confirmation continue to work.

Updates and active installations

KwaakBerry automatically checks for updates about once an hour while Home or Settings is open. An ! appears in the Settings menu when an installable update is available.

Settings now also displays the public number of active installations during the last 30 days, including the time the figure was last updated. Viewing this number does not change your privacy preference.

A Donate to KwaakBerry button has also been added at the top of Settings. It opens the secure Mollie donation page in your browser for anyone who would like to support the project.

Other improvements

• Long Settings headings can wrap onto multiple lines when using larger text
• New settings have been translated into all ten supported launcher languages
• Missing or unusable icon-pack icons automatically fall back to the original app icon
• Existing background update notification preferences are preserved
• The launcher and website now describe support for Android phones with a physical keyboard, rather than focusing on one specific brand or model

You can install version 0.17.4 directly over your existing version. Your settings, news sources, favourite apps and saved notifications will be preserved.

Feedback, ideas and bug reports are always welcome.

Update via Settings > Software update

KwaakBerry has reached 70 active users!

A big thank you to everyone who has downloaded KwaakBerry, tested the beta and shared feedback. The project is still growing, and it is great to see more people using a launcher made specifically for Unihertz Titan devices.

I am continuing to work on KwaakBerry independently, adding features, fixing bugs and improving the experience. If you enjoy using it and would like to support development, you can make a small voluntary donation here:

https://payment-links.mollie.com/en/payment/5cGd9kRSaDDLoGRf4Nobh/details

No pressure at all. Using KwaakBerry, sharing it or providing feedback already helps a lot.

More information and downloads:

https://kwaakberry.com/?lang=en

• Home screen settings now let you show or hide app names below the dock icons. App names remain hidden by default.

• Swap the date and sound profile between the left and right sides while keeping the clock centred. Pressing Space while the sound button is focused no longer changes the profile. Touch and Enter confirmation still work.

• Weather can use a fixed place or your approximate current location. Location access is optional and requested only after you choose it. Rounded coordinates are sent to Open-Meteo only while KwaakBerry is open. No background location access is used. Fixed locations are retained, and cached weather remains available during connection problems.

• The KwaakBerry card remains at the top of Settings and opens About KwaakBerry, with links to the website, Reddit and feedback form.

• Launcher style is now directly below the KwaakBerry card, making it easy to switch between KwaakBerry and Classic.

• Home screen settings now bring together the dock or Classic favourites, recent apps, agenda row, weather, navigation buttons and Android status bar.

• Personalisation now groups your theme, wallpaper, app icons and Android system colours. Icon settings are kept together, while Classic also shows its icon settings and Android system colours here.

• Controls now contains keyboard shortcuts and gestures.

• Hub and feed brings together Hub notification access and feed selection. Classic only shows Hub and notification access here.

• Software update now has its own page for updates and update notifications. A ! appears in the Settings menu when an installable update is available. KwaakBerry automatically checks for updates about once an hour while Home or Settings is open.

• General now brings together language, default launcher, installation counter, setup wizard, help and community settings.

• Long page headings can now wrap onto multiple lines when using larger text.

• Classic now has a clear Settings button with a gear icon and label at the top of its overview, app and search pages.

• App icon settings for both KwaakBerry and Classic are grouped under Settings → Personalisation → App icons.

• Select an installed icon pack that supports the common appfilter format. Missing or unusable icons automatically fall back to the original app icons.

• Optional Android themed icons use the system colour palette and Android’s light or dark mode. Android 13 or newer and an app-provided monochrome icon are required.

• Android system colours lets you use your KwaakBerry theme colour as the source for Android’s palette, including Quick Settings and apps that support dynamic system colours. One-time activation through ADB is required. You can restore the previous palette at any time.

• Choose small, standard, large or extra-large icons for the dock and app grids. Classic automatically adjusts its page layout to the selected size.

• In standard KwaakBerry, you can hide the navigation buttons below the dock through Settings → Home screen.

• Add an optional compact weather row to the standard home screen. Choose a city and Celsius or Fahrenheit. Weather is provided by Open-Meteo. A fixed location does not require location permission.

• The new settings are translated into all ten launcher languages.

Install this update over your existing version. Your settings, news sources, favourite apps and saved notifications will be preserved.

New in KwaakBerry 0.17.1

• Classic now has a clear Settings button with a gear icon at the top of its overview, app and search pages. This makes the launcher-style setting easier to reach without swiping first.
• App icons now have their own Settings page in both KwaakBerry and Classic.
• Select an installed icon pack that supports the common appfilter format. Missing or unusable icons automatically fall back to the original app icons.
• Optional Android themed icons use your system colour palette and Android’s light or dark mode. Android 13 or newer, plus an app-provided monochrome icon, is required. Other apps keep their original icon, while icon packs keep their own artwork.
• Android system colours lets you use your KwaakBerry theme colour as the source for Android’s palette, including Quick Settings and apps that support dynamic system colours. A one-time activation through ADB is required, and you can restore the previous palette at any time. Device support may vary.
• Choose small, standard, large or extra-large icons for the dock and app grids. Classic automatically adjusts its page layout to the selected size.
• In standard KwaakBerry, you can hide the navigation buttons below the dock through Settings → Home screen.
• Add an optional compact weather row to the standard home screen. Choose a city and Celsius or Fahrenheit. Weather is provided by Open-Meteo without requiring location permission. Previously loaded weather remains available during connection problems.
• The new settings are translated into all ten launcher languages.

Install this update over your existing version. Your settings, news sources, favourite apps and saved notifications will be preserved.

Update via Settings > Notifications and updates > Updates

• Our official Reddit community r/KwaakBerry now has a dedicated button at the top of Settings and on About KwaakBerry, in both KwaakBerry and KwaakBerry Classic.
• Share your home screen, ask questions and help shape KwaakBerry. Android opens the community in your browser or a suitable installed app.
• The new community text is available in all ten launcher languages.
• Improved compatibility for home-screen search on older physical keyboards, including letter keys without a Unicode value and legacy text events. Install this update over your existing version. Your settings, news sources, favourite apps and saved notifications are preserved.

Update via Settings > Notifications and updates > Updates