Nova vs Lawnchair vs Microsoft Launcher on a Fire Tablet
Nova, Lawnchair, and Microsoft Launcher are three free launcher options people often use with Fire Toolbox. All three replace the Amazon home screen with a more standard Android home screen. None of them is the best choice for everyone. The best choice depends on taste: how much you want to change, how clean you want the home screen to look, and whether you use a Microsoft account.
This post compares them only on general grounds. It does not give version numbers, ratings, or prices, because those change and this draft does not verify them at publish time. It also does not link to any store as an affiliate link. All three are free launcher options used with Toolbox, and you pick the one whose style fits you.
What a launcher changes
A launcher controls the home screen, the app drawer, icons, widgets, and gestures. Changing the launcher does not change Fire OS underneath. Your apps stay where they were. Only the way you open them changes.
On a Fire tablet, the stock launcher is Amazon’s home screen, with Amazon content and layout. A third-party launcher gives you a cleaner grid, your own wallpaper and widgets, and folders or a drawer layout you choose. If the home button stops working after a launcher change, that is a known setup issue with its own fix. See Fire Tablet Home Button Not Working After Launcher.
Use How to Change the Fire Tablet Launcher for the install steps, and How to Set Up Fire Toolbox if you have not run the tool yet.
Nova Launcher: deep customisation
Nova is known for deep customisation. You can change grid size, icon size, labels, folders, gestures, and the app drawer layout in fine detail. If you like to tune every part of the home screen, Nova gives you the most knobs to turn.
That depth has a cost. More settings means more time spent tuning, and more chances to set something you later forget. Nova suits people who enjoy setting up a home screen once and then leaving it alone, or who want a very specific layout, such as a dense grid for many apps.
If you want a simple setup and do not want to dig through settings, Nova may feel like too much. Start with its defaults, change one thing at a time, and keep notes on what you changed.
Lawnchair: a clean, simple look
Lawnchair is known for a clean, simple look close to stock Android. It gives you a plain home screen, a simple app drawer, and a small set of settings. It suits people who want the Amazon home screen gone, but do not want a long settings list.
Lawnchair is a good first pick if you are new to launchers. Install it, set it as the home screen, pick a wallpaper, and you are done. You can still add widgets and folders, but the defaults already look tidy.
The trade is less fine control. If you want very detailed gesture control or a highly custom drawer, you may find Lawnchair simpler than you want. For many Fire tablet owners, that simplicity is the point: the tablet becomes a plain Android-style tablet, with less to maintain.
Microsoft Launcher: Microsoft account features
Microsoft Launcher is known for its Microsoft account features. If you use Outlook, OneDrive, Microsoft To Do, or a Windows PC with a Microsoft account, the launcher can tie those together on the home screen, with a feed for calendar, tasks, and recent files.
That link is the main reason to pick it over the other two. If you do not use Microsoft services, that feed adds little, and a simpler launcher may fit better. If you do use them daily, having calendar and tasks on the home screen can be handy on a tablet you use for work or study.
Microsoft Launcher still gives you a normal home screen, app drawer, and widgets. It is not only a Microsoft feed. It is a full launcher with Microsoft extras on top.
Side-by-side view
| Launcher | Best for | Watch out for |
|—|—|—|
| Nova | Deep customisation, dense grids, fine control | Many settings, more time to tune |
| Lawnchair | Clean look, simple setup, stock Android feel | Less fine control than Nova |
| Microsoft Launcher | Microsoft account users, calendar and tasks feed | Extras add little if you do not use Microsoft services |
None of these rows is a verdict. A clean look matters more to some people. Fine control matters more to others. Microsoft features matter only if you use them.
How to try them without regret
Try one launcher at a time. Install it, set it as the home screen, and use it for a few days. Do not install all three and switch every hour. You will not learn which one fits you that way.
If a launcher feels wrong, switch to another in the launcher settings, or restore the stock launcher from Fire Toolbox. Changing launchers does not erase your apps. Back up first anyway, as with any change, and check that the home button works after each switch.
You can get the tool from the download page, and return to Home for the full guide list.
FAQ
Which launcher is best on a Fire tablet?
There is no single best choice. Nova fits deep customisation, Lawnchair fits a clean simple look, and Microsoft Launcher fits Microsoft account users. Pick by taste, not by a ranking.
Are these launchers free?
Yes, all three are free launcher options used with Fire Toolbox. This post does not list prices, paid extras, or store links, and none of them is an affiliate link here.
Will changing the launcher erase my apps?
No. A launcher only changes the home screen and app drawer. Your apps stay installed. Back up first anyway, as with any tablet change.
What if the home button stops working after I switch launchers?
That is a known setup issue. Check the home-button guide linked above before you reinstall anything, and restore the stock launcher if you need a working home screen at once.