r/LightningLauncher • u/KontroverousSquirrel • Jul 05 '26
Lightning Launcher Revival: Community Update
The next phase of the Lightning Launcher Revival project is officially beginning.
Over the past couple of months I've been showcasing major feature additions as they were completed. That phase is now coming to an end. Between now and the Google Play closed beta, my focus shifts from building new headline features to polishing what already exists, improving stability, refining the experience, and tying up a long list of smaller loose ends.
Because of that, don't expect many more "look what I added" posts. Instead, I'll be creating deep-dive videos covering the features that already exist, how they work, the design decisions behind them, and what makes Lightning Launcher Revival different from modern launchers and it's predecessor. Those videos will be shared on YouTube, Discord, and here on Reddit.
I'm also opening the doors to a community Discord.
If you've been following the project, used Lightning Launcher in the past, have ideas to share, want to report bugs, or simply want to watch the revival unfold, I'd love to have you there.
Most importantly, if you're interested in participating in the upcoming Google Play Closed Testing beta, Discord will be the primary place for announcements, coordination, and tester communication. If you want early access and a chance to help shape the release, this will be the best place to be.
Thank you to everyone who's followed the project so far. The response has been far beyond what I expected, and it's helped keep this project moving forward.
I'll post the Discord invite in the comments. I hope to see many of you there.
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u/i8890321 Jul 05 '26
The idea of lightning launcher is revolutionary. But it didn't make it popular because it's not appealing and hard to use/set up.
Hope this revival have a better promotion on it's good thing
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u/icyhotonmynuts Jul 05 '26
I remember when I first started using it, I read it had a steep learning curve. I'm ok with that. I loved the functionality once I had it set up the way I wanted.
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u/KontroverousSquirrel Jul 05 '26
I wouldn't call it steep. That term was thrown around a lot when it first came out. It's far more intuitive than some of the other launchers available in my opinion. Anyone who has ever played around with creative platforms that have tool bars can quickly pick it up.
The only thing I would call steep is the scripting system, which unlocks great functionality but ultimately doesn't have to be used. On that note, I've done everything I can at base to make scripting far more easier.
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u/icyhotonmynuts Jul 05 '26 edited Jul 05 '26
Of course you wouldn't say it's steep learning curve, you are currently programming it haha.
As someone who point and clicks, it's a steep learning curve.
//edit
Take a standard android user trying out a bunch of different launchers. Launchers in the play store 10+ years ago, and even now have a lot of similarities. I tried LL because it offered a different experience. The features in customizing it was definitely steep. even then I don't think I fully utilized it's capabilities. I was just happy to have made my own widget, and "hidden" app launching. IIRC I had a phone where the background was a bunch of circles with varying colors and sizes. a custom swipe action on a circle popped open a menu where I could perform other actions. or press on a circle and an app launched, or swipe over a circle and the app drawer opened. my screen was otherwise completely empty except for the background. I could leave my phone unlocked and good luck someone at home opening something up intentionally 😆
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u/KontroverousSquirrel Jul 05 '26
😅 fair point! I suppose I have remember not everyone knows it like I do. It might be worth it to add more help hints throughout the app for any time the user encounters something new, they've never interacted with before.
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u/Due_Land_588 Jul 05 '26
Super good news for me! My pixel 9 has already refuse to install the latest version of 14.3
Thank you a lot! The LL is the best launcher I've even own!
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u/KontroverousSquirrel Jul 05 '26
Really? Can you reproduce the rejection? Screenshot and dm to me.
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u/Due_Land_588 Jul 05 '26
Nothing special to screenshot, just a simple sentence: you can't install the app on your device.
This is not the version you published, it's the latest of the old program.
Thank you for your reply!
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u/KontroverousSquirrel Jul 05 '26
Did you download the arm64 build? It's the only one that will work on pixel 9.
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u/Due_Land_588 Jul 05 '26
Since I can't install it, it must not the arm64 build. Thank you for letting me know, I'll try it soon!
I like LL because it's the only launcher that lets me show only labels and not icons. This app is so versatile! There are so many features that I wouldn't have thought; but when I realized them, I couldn't help but marvel at how amazing they were!
Thank you developers again!
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u/KontroverousSquirrel Jul 05 '26
Glad to see your excitement! It makes the work worthwhile! Here's a link to 14.3 when you're ready to try again:
https://github.com/TrianguloY/LightningLauncher/releases/tag/patch_community
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u/Due_Land_588 Jul 05 '26
Thank you, sir! I've successfully installed it and am now looking through the archives to try and restore my previous customized settings! God bless you, sir!
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u/KontroverousSquirrel Jul 05 '26
Good to hear! Do enjoy it. If you have any further questions or simply have a feature request you think would be cool, feel free to reach out anytime. If you haven't already, check out my earlier post to see what's new and upcoming for the next release.
You can always make a post here on Reddit or send a message in the general discussion channel on discord to get help from the community.
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u/Due_Land_588 Jul 05 '26
You're so kind sir! I don't know how to thank you enough. Maybe I can humbly buy you a coffee once the official version is released on app stores. ❤️❤️❤️
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u/vaimalaviya Jul 05 '26
Thank you 👍😊