After several months of solo development, Sola Launcher is officially available on the Google Play Store as of today. It's a bit of a special moment: watching the project go from "something on my phone" to "something other people can install on theirs."
Why another launcher
Android launchers are a mature market. Nova, Niagara, Lawnchair, and a few others already cover most needs. So why build one more?
The initial motivation was simple: I wanted a launcher that didn't look like any other, and above all one that was rigorously smooth. Not "pretty much smooth," not "smooth on paper." No janky animations, no frame skips, no abrupt repositioning. That rule became the project's throughline — to the point of being written down in black and white in the code guidelines: everything must be smooth, no exceptions.
Alongside that smoothness requirement, three other choices shape Sola:
- Zero ads, zero tracking, zero servers. No data ever leaves your phone. The launcher works entirely offline (except for weather, which you can enable if you want).
- Three pages, each with a clear role. On the left, a dashboard (weather, calendar, steps, top app). In the center, your home screen with grid and widgets. On the right, an app drawer automatically sorted by category — or a built-in mini web browser.
- A clear business model. Free download, a full 14-day trial of every feature, then a one-time €5.99 to unlock the full version for life. No subscription, no tiers. The free launcher remains usable indefinitely with a reduced feature set.
What version 1.0 brings
The version published today (1.0.7) is already mature — it's the result of several private iterations and testing across multiple Android devices.
Home screen
- 4×5 grid with smooth drag & drop
- Folders created by simply dragging one icon onto another
- Native Android widgets + "glass" widgets with gyroscope-responsive reflections
- Customizable dock with 4 slots
App drawer
- Automatic sorting by category (Social, Productivity, Games, etc.)
- Fast fuzzy search (name, alias, category)
- Unread notification badge visible on every icon
- Built-in mini web browser as an alternative to the drawer
Visual customization
- Built-in animated wallpapers (30+ themes) or import from Pexels, Pixabay, Mixkit
- 6 bundled icon packs (Pixelarticons, Lucide, Fluent Emoji, etc.)
- Compatibility with third-party icon packs from the Play Store
- Material You: automatic colors from your wallpaper
Privacy
- No internet connection outside of the optional weather feature
- All data stored locally (Room)
- 62 languages supported from launch
What's next
Sola is a living project. The immediate roadmap focuses on three areas:
- Smoothness on more modest devices. The Pixel 8 Pro is my development device, but I want Sola to stay smooth on recent mid-range Android devices too. Profiling work is underway.
- Native Sola widgets. 4 in-house widgets (Date Block, Quick Notes, Now Playing, Sun Path) are being finalized and will be enabled in an upcoming version.
- Continuous improvement from user feedback. Every bug reported on the Play Store is handled and fixed quickly. Don't hesitate to leave a review (5★ or 1★) — I respond to all of them.
An app made by one person
Sola is developed entirely solo. That means every decision — technical choices, UX direction, release timing — is made with an artisan's rigor, but also with the relative slowness of a one-person studio. If you run into a bug or have an idea, reach out directly at support@sola-launcher.com. Emails get read.
Thanks to everyone who tested the internal builds and who will be installing Sola in the coming days. Your feedback is what will shape the next versions.
Download on Google Play