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What is an App Launcher?

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  What is an App Launcher? croy <croy@spam.invalid.net> - 2026-08-04 14:57 -0700
    Re: What is an App Launcher? Maria Sophia <mariasophia@comprehension.com> - 2026-08-04 16:29 -0800
      Re: What is an App Launcher? Nuno Silva <nunojsilva@invalid.invalid> - 2026-08-05 12:41 +0100
        Re: What is an App Launcher? Andy Burns <usenet@andyburns.uk> - 2026-08-05 12:45 +0100
          Re: What is an App Launcher? Maria Sophia <mariasophia@comprehension.com> - 2026-08-05 09:59 -0800
          [OT] Windows NT and Write (was: Re: What is an App Launcher?) Nuno Silva <nunojsilva@invalid.invalid> - 2026-08-14 13:10 +0100
            Re: [OT] Windows NT and Write Andy Burns <usenet@andyburns.uk> - 2026-08-14 13:27 +0100
              Re: [OT] Windows NT and Write Maria Sophia <mariasophia@comprehension.com> - 2026-08-14 08:42 -0800
              Re: [OT] Windows NT and Write Nuno Silva <nunojsilva@invalid.invalid> - 2026-08-15 10:12 +0100
    Re: What is an App Launcher? Dave Royal <dave@dave123royal.com> - 2026-08-05 08:36 +0100
      Re: What is an App Launcher? Nuno Silva <nunojsilva@invalid.invalid> - 2026-08-05 12:52 +0100
      Re: What is an App Launcher? croy <croy@spam.invalid.net> - 2026-08-05 09:59 -0700
        Re: What is an App Launcher? Andy Burns <usenet@andyburns.uk> - 2026-08-05 18:29 +0100
          Re: What is an App Launcher? Maria Sophia <mariasophia@comprehension.com> - 2026-08-05 10:10 -0800
        Re: What is an App Launcher? Dave Royal <dave@dave123royal.com> - 2026-08-05 19:27 +0100
          Re: What is an App Launcher? "R.Wieser" <address@is.invalid> - 2026-08-05 21:52 +0200
            Re: What is an App Launcher? Dave Royal <dave@dave123royal.com> - 2026-08-05 21:59 +0100
              Re: What is an App Launcher? "R.Wieser" <address@is.invalid> - 2026-08-06 09:03 +0200
    Re: What is an App Launcher? Arno Welzel <usenet@arnowelzel.de> - 2026-08-05 20:47 +0200
    Re: What is an App Launcher? "R.Wieser" <address@is.invalid> - 2026-08-06 14:26 +0200
      Re: What is an App Launcher? Maria Sophia <mariasophia@comprehension.com> - 2026-08-06 08:01 -0800

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#154679 — What is an App Launcher?

Coming from DOS, then Windows, I don't know what an app launcher even is.

-- 
croy

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#154680

croy wrote:
> Coming from DOS, then Windows, I don't know what an app launcher even is.

It's the window system that you click around in to launch apps.

In DOS, you typed this to launch a text editor.
C:\> edit

In Windows 95+, you clicked:
 Start -> Programs -> Accessories -> Notepad

On Android, you tap "Text Editor".
Or, if it's in a folder, then you tap "Documents -> Text Editor".

The thing you tap on that shows the home screen and the app folders
so that you can launch apps by tapping them is the app launcher. 

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#154683

On 2026-08-05, Maria Sophia wrote:

> croy wrote:
>> Coming from DOS, then Windows, I don't know what an app launcher even is.
>
> It's the window system that you click around in to launch apps.
>
> In DOS, you typed this to launch a text editor.
> C:\> edit
>
> In Windows 95+, you clicked:
>  Start -> Programs -> Accessories -> Notepad

I'd actually do super+R, "notepad", followed by return or enter.

Probably the similar if I were a winword user, for "winword". Also, same
for "write" I guess.

> On Android, you tap "Text Editor".
> Or, if it's in a folder, then you tap "Documents -> Text Editor".
>
> The thing you tap on that shows the home screen and the app folders
> so that you can launch apps by tapping them is the app launcher. 

Isn't the home screen a separate application in itself? Or perhaps it's
the home screen that provides the launcher? At least in the ones I
remember using or otherwise looking at, it seems to be.

I have Zeam launcher on an android device, I wonder what happened to
it... wait, it still exists? (On the install I have, it needs to be
restarted to refresh its app launcher with new installs.)

Now is there some home screen app that allows creating shortcuts in a
more advanced/manual way, instead of being limited to a list of
launchable apps or shortcuts generated by other apps? Say, if I want a
shortcut to open a specific file with a specific application, bypassing
any "open with" screens. It'd be quite easy to edit a shortcut to do
this in Windows 4, how can this be achieved on Android?

-- 
Nuno Silva

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#154684

Nuno Silva wrote:

> I'd actually do super+R, "notepad", followed by return or enter.
> 
> Also, same for "write" I guess.

"Write" is gone for most users ...

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#154694

Andy Burns wrote:
> Nuno Silva wrote:
> 
>> I'd actually do super+R, "notepad", followed by return or enter.
>> 
>> Also, same for "write" I guess.
> 
> "Write" is gone for most users ...

I don't remember "write" but I started on Windows with an IBM AT clone.

Since I came from the days of the punched tape and punched card, I've been
using various forms of "ed" (aka vi, vim, gvim) since the dawn of the PC.

As for Nuno's quite apropos question of "Isn't the home screen a separate
application in itself? Or perhaps it's the home screen that provides the
launcher? "

Yes. For sure. The home screen is not only a "separate application", but
it's a system default, so you must set a home screen as your default.

Regarding the changing of the launcher when Nuno aptly mentioned "I have
Zeam launcher on an android device, I wonder what happened to
it... wait, it still exists? (On the install I have, it needs to be
restarted to refresh its app launcher with new installs.)"

The restart is only because it's an old launcher using old API's 
(How do I know that? I looked it up just now. That's what I found.)

Modern launchers keep a live database of installed apps and they now update
instantly.

The nice thing about default apps is you can swap them out at will. For
example, you can change your home screen to anything today, and change it
to something else tomorrow. Of course, certain customizations (like icon
placement) may very well change in between, but you should be able to get
back where you were if the launcher supports icon placement backup/restore.

Regarding Nuno's rather interesting technical question of "Now is there
some home screen app that allows creating shortcuts in a
more advanced/manual way, instead of being limited to a list of
launchable apps or shortcuts generated by other apps?", I've written a lot
about this. 

Android doesn't give the users a *direct* way to create one-tap shortcuts
to activities (which are screens that show up inside any given app). 
 <http://xdaforums.com/t/tutorial-illustrated-mostly-privacy-based-one-tap-shortcuts-so-that-you-can-access-in-a-single-tap-any-buried-android-setting-or-app-activity.4625951/>

And, while almost every launcher gives users the ability to create widgets
that open up activities within apps, widgets suck for a variety of reasons.

I've documented how to create one-tap shortcuts here and elsewhere though,
so the answer to Nuno's question is as simple as installing Muntashirakon.
 <https://github.com/MuntashirAkon/AppManager> (apk)
 <https://muntashir.dev/AppManager/en/> (doc)

If an app "does something" by showing a screen (aka, an activity), then
Muntashirakon App Manager will allow you to create a shortcut to it.

You put that shortcut into your shortcuts folder, which I keep in my dock.

To further elaborate on Nuno's example of "Say, if I want a
shortcut to open a specific file with a specific application, bypassing
any "open with" screens. It'd be quite easy to edit a shortcut to do
this in Windows 4, how can this be achieved on Android?", I hesitate to
mention Nova Launcher because of its history of riches-to-rags, but some
launchers like Nova Launcher, Apex Launcher, Hyperion Launcher and Smart
Launcher allow you to create shortcuts that point directly to custom
intents to perform those tasks, so we're always looking for a better
launcher.
 <http://xdaforums.com/t/nova-launcher-used-to-be-the-best-free-android-launcher-until-now-so-whats-better.4474961/>

However, it's likely better to just get a text editor which can open any
file, and then set a shortcut for that text editor to open that file.
 <http://xdaforums.com/t/how-hard-can-it-be-to-find-a-simple-text-editor-that-edits-any-text-file-stored-anywhere-you-want-it-to-be-stored-on-your-internal-or-external-sdcard.4529815>

As always, anything I say can be wrong (and probably is), so please 
fix where I err or omit so that we end up with more knowledge overall.
-- 
On Usenet, friendly kind-hearted people help each other out daily.

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#154961 — [OT] Windows NT and Write (was: Re: What is an App Launcher?)

On 2026-08-05, Andy Burns wrote:

> Nuno Silva wrote:
>
>> I'd actually do super+R, "notepad", followed by return or enter.
>>
>> Also, same for "write" I guess.
>
> "Write" is gone for most users ...

I can still start it that way in NT 6.1, but I really have no idea about
newer versions. That's the one I have licenses for and I suspect also
the newest version I can stand, even with some difficulty. Although I
should check if I can replace the Windows Shell with something more
usable indeed...

-- 
Nuno Silva

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#154962 — Re: [OT] Windows NT and Write

Nuno Silva wrote:

> Andy Burns wrote:
> 
>> Nuno Silva wrote:
>>
>>> I'd actually do super+R, "notepad", followed by return or enter.
>>>
>>> Also, same for "write" I guess.
>>
>> "Write" is gone for most users ...
> 
> I can still start it that way in NT 6.1,

aka Win7, that's no longer "most users"

It has been removed from Win11, but can be manually put back, no idea 
about Win8 and Win10, probably left intact?

> but I really have no idea about
> newer versions. That's the one I have licenses for and I suspect also
> the newest version I can stand, even with some difficulty. Although I
> should check if I can replace the Windows Shell with something more
> usable indeed...

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#154966 — Re: [OT] Windows NT and Write

Andy Burns wrote:
> Nuno Silva wrote:
> 
>> Andy Burns wrote:
>> 
>>> Nuno Silva wrote:
>>>
>>>> I'd actually do super+R, "notepad", followed by return or enter.
>>>>
>>>> Also, same for "write" I guess.
>>>
>>> "Write" is gone for most users ...
>> 
>> I can still start it that way in NT 6.1,
> 
> aka Win7, that's no longer "most users"
> 
> It has been removed from Win11, but can be manually put back, no idea 
> about Win8 and Win10, probably left intact?
> 
>> but I really have no idea about
>> newer versions. That's the one I have licenses for and I suspect also
>> the newest version I can stand, even with some difficulty. Although I
>> should check if I can replace the Windows Shell with something more
>> usable indeed...

I may not understands what Andy and Nuno are speaking of, but if anyone on
any version of Windows wants to start anything whatseover, that's trivial.

If people don't know about this key, they're definitely not efficient.
   HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\App Paths\

Note, I am serious.
Anyone who does not know of that key, can't possibly be efficient on a PC.

For everything I need to start that I use a lot, I create an App Path key.
Then to start it, I click the taskbar-pinned "RunBox" and type a key combo.

For example, to start Notepad++, I simply type "n" and then hit the return.
Note I pin my RunBox to the tasbar, but most others would use "Win+R".

  Win+R > n      ... brings up Notepad++ GUI opened to the last file
  Win+R > r      ... brings up regedit sans UAC & open to the last key
  Win+R > admin  ... brings up a red admin command window sans UAC
  Win+R > toyota ... brings up a text file of my Toyota particulars
  Win+R > ahk    ... opens up the directory for the autohotkey scripts
  Win+R > ai     ... brings up MS Edge with tabs for non-account AI's
  Win+R > killch ... instantly kills chromium windows & related processes
  Win+R > killsw ... instantly kills the gateway using a killswitch toggle
  Win+R > path   ... brings up the GUI to the Windows path editor
  Win+R > vipw   ... brings up the encrypted keepassXC password file
  Win+R > spell  ... runs Herbert's spell-checking enforcer which 
                     verbally asks the user 3 times to spell words
                     randomly selected from his redsquiggled mistakes
  etc.

I'd wager it's impossible for anyone to be efficient on Windows if they
don't make extensive use of the magic inherent in the App Paths key.
-- 
Posted out of the goodness of my heart to help others do what I do.

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#154995 — Re: [OT] Windows NT and Write

On 2026-08-14, Andy Burns wrote:

> Nuno Silva wrote:
>
>> Andy Burns wrote:
>>
>>> Nuno Silva wrote:
>>>
>>>> I'd actually do super+R, "notepad", followed by return or enter.
>>>>
>>>> Also, same for "write" I guess.
>>>
>>> "Write" is gone for most users ...
>>
>> I can still start it that way in NT 6.1,
>
> aka Win7, that's no longer "most users"

Well, that was on 2008R2, although I do have a couple 7 installs too.

> It has been removed from Win11, but can be manually put back, no idea
> about Win8 and Win10, probably left intact?

(Wasn't there some release which had it on the install medium? Or was
that about the NT 5.1 version of Write in later releases?)

-- 
Nuno Silva

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#154682

croy <croy@spam.invalid.net> Wrote in message:

> Coming from DOS, then Windows, I don't know what an app launcher even is.
> 
Windows doesn't have an equivalent. You launch apps using Windows
 itself or its utilities such as Explorer.

An Android system has two 'layers': the Launcher, which provides
 the User Interface (UI) - the part you see - and the Operating
 System which runs apps, handles files, networks, security, and
 lots more. Each manufacturer of an Android device can provide
 their own Launcher, so unlike Windows not all Android devices
 look and are operated the same. 

This Samsung device's launcher is called 'One UI'. Most people use
 the launcher that the manufacturer provides but on some devices
 you can install alternatives. There's one called 'Lawnchair' for
 example. 

For completeness: desktop Linux also has 2 'layers' - the OS and
 the UI, the latter being called a Desktop Environment or DE. On a
 PC you can install any DE you like and they can look quite
 different - which can initially disconcert ex-Windows users. Some
 DEs have been made to mimic the behaviour of Windows to make it
 more familiar to them. 

-- 
Remove numerics from my email address.

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#154685

On 2026-08-05, Dave Royal wrote:

> croy <croy@spam.invalid.net> Wrote in message:
>
>> Coming from DOS, then Windows, I don't know what an app launcher even is.
>> 
> Windows doesn't have an equivalent. You launch apps using Windows
>  itself or its utilities such as Explorer.
>
> An Android system has two 'layers': the Launcher, which provides
>  the User Interface (UI) - the part you see - and the Operating
>  System which runs apps, handles files, networks, security, and
>  lots more. Each manufacturer of an Android device can provide
>  their own Launcher, so unlike Windows not all Android devices
>  look and are operated the same. 

I think on Windows this is or was handled by the *Windows shell*. Which
may be the same executable as the Windows Explorer, but replacements for
it were known at least in Windows 4 times, although I haven't used any
myself.

e.g. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LiteStep>

And, thinking of it, doesn't MS-DOS have one too? DOS shell:

<https://www.abandonedtimes.com/?dosapp=dos-shell-ms-dos>

> This Samsung device's launcher is called 'One UI'. Most people use
>  the launcher that the manufacturer provides but on some devices
>  you can install alternatives. There's one called 'Lawnchair' for
>  example. 
>
> For completeness: desktop Linux also has 2 'layers' - the OS and
>  the UI, the latter being called a Desktop Environment or DE. On a
>  PC you can install any DE you like and they can look quite
>  different - which can initially disconcert ex-Windows users. Some
>  DEs have been made to mimic the behaviour of Windows to make it
>  more familiar to them. 

-- 
Nuno Silva

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#154691

On Wed, 5 Aug 2026 08:36:27 +0100 (GMT+01:00), Dave Royal
<dave@dave123royal.com> wrote:

>croy <croy@spam.invalid.net> Wrote in message:
>
>> Coming from DOS, then Windows, I don't know what an app launcher even is.
>> 
>Windows doesn't have an equivalent. You launch apps using Windows
> itself or its utilities such as Explorer.
>
>An Android system has two 'layers': the Launcher, which provides
> the User Interface (UI) - the part you see - and the Operating
> System which runs apps, handles files, networks, security, and
> lots more. Each manufacturer of an Android device can provide
> their own Launcher, so unlike Windows not all Android devices
> look and are operated the same. 
>
>This Samsung device's launcher is called 'One UI'. Most people use
> the launcher that the manufacturer provides but on some devices
> you can install alternatives. There's one called 'Lawnchair' for
> example.

If One UI is a launcher, then launcher = user interface?

-- 
croy

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#154692

croy wrote:

> If One UI is a launcher, then launcher = user interface?

Yes, android started with a single home screen of icons or widgets, then 
additional screens could be slid left or right, now the screens can have 
nested folders and there's likely an app drawer for overflow icons too.

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#154695

Andy Burns wrote:
>> If One UI is a launcher, then launcher = user interface?
> 
> Yes, android started with a single home screen of icons or widgets, then 
> additional screens could be slid left or right, now the screens can have 
> nested folders and there's likely an app drawer for overflow icons too.

It turns out the "app drawer" Andy speaks of, is a critical component.
However, the launcher does about a half-dozen or so critical tasks.

1. It draws the homescreen (including wallpaper, icons, widgets, screens)
2. It also handles what happens when we tap the Home button (home intent)
3. It provides an app drawer which allows people to launch from it
4. It hosts widgets, handling placement, sizes, and interactions
5. It manages all sorts of shortcuts (pinned, dynamic, deep, custom)
6. It handles the gestures like swipingup or down or sideways
7. And, of course, when you tap on any given icon, it launches it
-- 
Learning from those who know more than I ever will, is my favorite skill.

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#154697

croy <croy@spam.invalid.net> Wrote in message:

> On Wed, 5 Aug 2026 08:36:27 +0100 (GMT+01:00), Dave Royal
> <dave@dave123royal.com> wrote:
> 
>>croy <croy@spam.invalid.net> Wrote in message:
>>
>>> Coming from DOS, then Windows, I don't know what an app launcher even is.
>>> 
>>Windows doesn't have an equivalent. You launch apps using Windows
>> itself or its utilities such as Explorer.
>>
>>An Android system has two 'layers': the Launcher, which provides
>> the User Interface (UI) - the part you see - and the Operating
>> System which runs apps, handles files, networks, security, and
>> lots more. Each manufacturer of an Android device can provide
>> their own Launcher, so unlike Windows not all Android devices
>> look and are operated the same. 
>>
>>This Samsung device's launcher is called 'One UI'. Most people use
>> the launcher that the manufacturer provides but on some devices
>> you can install alternatives. There's one called 'Lawnchair' for
>> example.
> 
> If One UI is a launcher, then launcher = user interface?

The terms are not identical. The launcher /has/ a UI, to launch
 apps, manage desktop icons, interact with functions of Android -
 sign-in, notifications, etc. Apps also have a UI, so apps and the
 launcher together provide the UI for the device. Manufacturers
 like Samsung provide their own apps too to replace the default
 ones, and that also makes Samsung devices distinct from those of
 other makes.

'One UI' is what Samsung call the launcher on my 6yo tablet.
 Perhaps it brought together several earlier different launchers:
 'One UI to rule them all' - I don't know. I don't know if it's
 latest one - I'll find out when I replace it. I doubt if most
 Android users know what a launcher is - you don't have
 to.
-- 
Remove numerics from my email address.

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#154701

Dave,

>> If One UI is a launcher, then launcher = user interface?
>
> The terms are not identical. The launcher /has/ a UI, to launch
> apps, manage desktop icons, interact with functions of Android -
> sign-in, notifications, etc.

To me it sounds like you are describing Windows Explorer...

Also, a GUI isn't a launcher - it just uses graphical elements to allow you 
to use a mouse to select stuff and "click" buttons.  In Windows 
double-clicking an app-icon just causes the GUI to ask the Windows kernel 
(CreateProcess) to actually load and run the related executable.

IOW, I do not quite understand the distinction you make between an Android 
app launcher, and Windows Explorer.

Regards,
Rudy Wieser

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#154704

"R.Wieser" <address@is.invalid> Wrote in message:

> Dave,
> 
>>> If One UI is a launcher, then launcher = user interface?
>>
>> The terms are not identical. The launcher /has/ a UI, to launch
>> apps, manage desktop icons, interact with functions of Android -
>> sign-in, notifications, etc.
> 
> To me it sounds like you are describing Windows Explorer...
> 
> Also, a GUI isn't a launcher - it just uses graphical elements to allow you 
> to use a mouse to select stuff and "click" buttons.  In Windows 
> double-clicking an app-icon just causes the GUI to ask the Windows kernel 
> (CreateProcess) to actually load and run the related executable.
> 
> IOW, I do not quite understand the distinction you make between an Android 
> app launcher, and Windows Explorer.

In that post I wasn't comparing the Android launcher with Windows
 Explorer or anything Windows. I was commenting on the OP's
 suggestion that the Android launcher = a user interface.
-- 
Remove numerics from my email address.

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#154712

Dave,

> In that post I wasn't comparing the Android launcher with Windows
> Explorer or anything Windows.

I was responding to the whole, still short, thread, starting with "Windows 
doesn't have an equivalent. You launch apps using Windows itself or its 
utilities such as Explorer."

> I was commenting on the OP's suggestion that the Android launcher = a
> user interface.

And than how would you define a "user interface" ?     It only draws stuff 
and thats it ?    Or does it perhaps also allow "the drawn stuff" to "catch" 
mouse-clicks and interact with an underlying program too ?

IOW, you're again making a distinction that I cannot quite follow.


To me an Android "app launcher" is equivalent to the Windows Desktop 
(Explorer).   Both are there to allow the user to interact with the OS, 
including selecting and starting programs - and than interact with those 
too.

Also, you've yet to answer the OPs question, telling him/us what an "App 
launcher" *is* (defining it).

Regards,
Rudy Wieser

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#154699

croy, 2026-08-04 23:57:

> Coming from DOS, then Windows, I don't know what an app launcher even is.

That is the program which is reponsible to show the home screen of the
smartphone and launch apps, when you tap the icons for it. In Android
you can install alternative app launchers if you don't like the one,
which came with your device.


-- 
Arno Welzel
https://arnowelzel.de

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#154716

Croy,

> Coming from DOS, then Windows,

Same here.

> I don't know what an app launcher even is.

I copy/pasted the subjectline into DDG and got, among others, the below
results :

https://www.velocenetwork.com/tech/what-is-app-launcher/

https://www.pcmag.com/encyclopedia/term/app-launcher

https://gizmodo.com/what-is-an-app-launcher-5920312

What they seem to agree about is that an "App Launcher" is software which
*replaces* the build-in thingamagotchy which does the same thing.

So, although the build-in thingamagotchy (homescreen, desktop) is not 
referred to as such, its also an App Launcher (No idea what the "replaced" 
distinction is good for).

Regards,
Rudy Wieser

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