Making a commitment to minimalism<\/p>\n
Why did I try Niagara yet again?<\/p>\n
Like many people, I\u2019m constantly trying to keep my phone usage in check. I recently shared a tip for finding apps more quickly<\/a>, and that was brought on by a desire to be more intentional when I\u2019m on my phone. In the process of writing that, I remembered Niagara Launcher and decided to give it another try.<\/p>\n Niagara\u2019s \u201capp drawer\u201d is a vertical line-by-line list with a nifty gesture for finding apps quickly. You can simply slide your finger along the left or right edge of the screen, which brings you directly to an alphabetical section of apps. Need to find Discord? Just slide down to \u201cD\u201d and tap the app. Easy.<\/p>\n Niagara decreases your screen time with efficiency rather than roadblocks.<\/p>\n The app drawer pulled me back in, but it\u2019s not the main attraction. I also really like the home screen. You only get one page to work with, and that forces you to think hard about which apps are truly essential. The cool thing is, it doesn\u2019t feel restrictive. I don\u2019t pin some apps that I would normally keep on my main home screen because I know I can easily find them, but that ends up making me use them less anyway (which is good!).<\/p>\n Related<\/p>\n \t\t More and more people are looking for a break from screens and endless notifications. The good news is you might already have everything you need to build your own \u201cminimalist phone,\u201d and it\u2019s already right there in your pocket.<\/p>\n Finally becoming a \u201cPro\u201d user<\/p>\n Unlock the full potential of Niagara Launcher<\/p>\n I was enjoying Niagara so much this time around that I started looking into Niagara Pro. Several of the features sounded genuinely useful. I\u2019ve been in contact with the nice folks at Niagara in the past, so I did a quick inbox search and, sure enough, they had previously offered me a lifetime key. Thank you!<\/p>\n The main Pro feature I was interested in trying was the widget stack and widgets in pop-up menus. By default, Niagara has a minimalist clock with the date at the top of the home screen, but it can be replaced by any widget. That\u2019s how I\u2019ve used Niagara before, but you’re limited to one widget without a Pro membership.<\/p>\n The widget stack allows you to put up to four widgets in a carousel at the top of the home screen. I love this because I can use the widgets I\u2019ve come to rely on\u2014Google Tasks, Google Calendar, and Weather\u2014while keeping the one-screen, minimalist setup.<\/p>\n Widgets in the pop-up menus are awesome too. This is where app shortcuts<\/a> appear, and you can stuff a widget in the menu as well. Let\u2019s say I want to turn a light off in the Google Home app. Rather than launching the app, I can long-press the icon to reveal the widget and quickly tap the light toggle. It\u2019s also possible to add shortcuts from other apps to the pop-up menu.<\/p>\n Other Pro features include the full suite of themes, support for icon packs, and more options for Niagara\u2019s built-in clock\/calendar\/weather widget. It costs $14 per year or $45 for a lifetime key.<\/p>\n Niagara Launcher strikes a perfect balance<\/p>\n I\u2019ve realized that Niagara is a minimalist launcher that doesn\u2019t necessarily feel like a minimalist launcher. Yes, the design is clearly minimalist, but the functionality is not. As I said, it\u2019s about efficiency over restrictions. That\u2019s a key difference compared to similar launchers.<\/p>\n![\"Illustration](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/android-user-profile.jpg\"\/)
<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\tYour Android phone already has a minimal phone built-in
\n\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n
![\"Niagara](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Niagara-Hero.png\"\/)
<\/p>\n