Folio LauncherThe iOS launcher for Android without the ads
Free, open source, no ads, no analytics, no account. Not a trial, not a pro tier, and nothing that already works will ever move behind a payment.
Why this page exists
Search for an iPhone-style launcher and you get apps that show you a full-screen ad for changing a wallpaper, ask for a subscription to unlock the dock, or quietly ship an analytics kit. In January 2026 Nova Launcher, the one everybody recommended, was sold and had ads and trackers added within a day. It is a reasonable thing to be tired of.
What Folio does instead
No ads, at all
There is no ad SDK in the app. There is no placement to unlock, and no paid tier that removes one.
No analytics
Folio reaches the network twice: to ask GitHub whether there is a newer release, and to send a crash report if you choose to. Nothing else leaves the phone.
Read PRIVACY.mdNo account
Nothing to sign up for. Supporter codes are checked on the phone itself and tell me nothing about who redeemed them.
You can check all of it
The source is public under the MIT licence, every permission is documented, and each release publishes its checksum and signing certificate.
Every permission, explainedWhat you get
The Home screen, Side Bar and status bar, a Dynamic Island that wraps the camera, Notification Center, Control Center, Spotlight, Today View, Smart Stacks, folders, Icon Stacks, App Library search and Focus modes. Plus tweaks rebuilt from the jailbreak ones I missed, which you take only if you want them.
It is built for foldables and tested on a Galaxy Z Fold8, and it lays out by how much room a screen has, so it works on ordinary phones and tablets too.
The honest parts
- It is early. Rusty in places, and it settles down as more people use it.
- It is not on Google Play. You install it from GitHub, and the download page shows how to check what you downloaded.
- Supporting is optional. Ko-fi supporters get new things early. Everything they have today is already in Settings for everyone.
Try it
5.1 MB, Android 12 and up. Press Home and pick your old launcher any time you want it back.