Commonly reported bugs
Sometimes, Niagara Launcher does not quite work as it should. Since we are a small team and do not have the time or devices to test Niagara on every system and with all configurations, we are really grateful when members of our community report issues.
When an issue affects many users, it is reported many times. Because of that and because it makes it easier for our community to stay up to date on which bugs are known and when we will address them, here is a collection of frequently reported bugs.
How we track bugs
We generally track feature requests and bug reports on GitHub but have listed the most notable ones here for convenience and ease of access. Please note that we will remove fixed bugs a while after the fix has been implemented to keep this list short.
Also, we categorize these reports for our and our users' convenience:
- ✅ Fixed
- 🚧 Currently being worked on
- ❓ Known issue, but no clear way to fix
- ❌ Infeasible / Can not fix
Frequently reported bugs
🚧 Disappearing widgets
We have been aware of issues with widgets disappearing and not resizing correctly since version 1.10.x and are working on a fix. We have already identified two primary reasons for the faulty behavior and fixed them. Make sure to update Niagara to take advantage of these changes.
You should be able to fix the issue temporarily by removing and re-adding the widget.
❓ Niagara freezing/unresponsive / Tap in favorites opens app above
We are aware of issues with Niagara's user interface freezing. At the same time, the launcher itself keeps working, leading to the impression that the launcher is unresponsive and different apps opening than the one users tapped on.
We have reproduced the issue on some devices. This is just one cause, and it seems there are others. If you have a consistent set of steps leading to this behavior, please let us know.
Help us investigate:
We would also appreciate you sharing your device information on GitHub so that we can pinpoint the issue more accurately, namely:
- Android version
- Device name
- The flavor of Android running on your device (OneUI, MIUI, OxygenOS, etc.)
- The version of Niagara Launcher installed
Possible workarounds:
- go to your system settings
- tap
Accessibility - tap
Niagara Launcher - tap the toggle and allow Niagara Launcher accessibility access
or
- force-stop Niagara Launcher (should fix the issue momentarily)
Possible causes:
Our current theory is that the issue appears on devices running Android 14. When the screen is locked and another application takes charge of its awake state, Niagara Launcher and other third-party launchers have issues realizing they are in the foreground after unlocking the device and thus will not update their UI while staying responsive to actions.
This takeover was reproduced via Tasker opening an app in the background while the device screen is turned off, using Google Assistant, and receiving a call.
❌ Most recent app is transparent in recent apps screen/overview
We are aware of an issue where, in the recent apps screen (also called overview), the entry for the most recently used app shows a cutout of the wallpaper rather than the original app's content.
Tapping on this entry will lead to the home screen rather than opening the app. Sadly, there is nothing we can do on our end since third-party launchers do not handle the recent app screen.
We plan to reach out to the Android team and report this issue in hopes of fixing it.
❌ Navigation issues
Niagara Launcher is something called a third-party launcher, meaning that different organizations make the physical device and the software representing the home screen. While this allows for a custom user experience, this also comes with limitations. One of these limitations is a third-party launcher's influence on the phone navigation. The navigation buttons, gestures, animations, and the recent-apps screen (sometimes called overview) are all controlled by the device rather than the launcher, meaning that Niagara cannot change or influence these. This also means that issues regarding navigation are rarely something we can fix on our end.
❌ Recent apps gesture/button not working
We have gotten several reports about the recent apps' gesture/button not working. The app overview does not open. We have investigated the issue, and it seems to be caused by Android itself. It affects all third-party launchers.
We have gotten reports of this happening on Android 12 and 14, specifically on MagicOS and XOS.
If you encounter this issue, please check if it appears on other third-party launchers. If it does not, please open a new bug ticket.