And some Android 12-exclusive goodies, too
The minimalistically-styled Niagara Launcher is getting ready to bring some of Android 12’s improvements not just to Android 12 users, but to almost everyone that can use the app. You can see some of these changes in action by sideloading the beta APK right now.
As Android launchers are necessarily aesthetics-first, it shouldn’t be surprising to see whiffs of Google’s Material You design philosophy being incorporated here: wallpaper-based dynamic theming and widget boxes with rounded corners are coming to all Niagara users from Android 5 (the app’s minimum targeted API level) and above. One special usability boost is wallpaper tinting that should improve readability on certain backgrounds that clash with Niagara’s favored white text with drop shadow.
Improvements specific to Android 12 users include live previews for widgets and the implementation of the new refined location permission for determining the location for weather reports — users are able to allow approximate location retrieval through the initial prompt, then go into the system settings for the app to revoke them or permit fine location retrieval later on. The app notes even prior to Android 12 that it protects the privacy of its users by scrambling location data server-side before sending it to the weather provider or logging errors.
Niagara has posted its full changelog for its Android 12 app beta on Medium and has distributed it through its Discord, Telegram group, and GitHub. The official release is scheduled to arrive at the Play Store in 2 weeks.
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