Katapult by gezimos

Katapult — Community App Review
Version: 1.1

A simple launcher for the Mudita Kompakt, similar to the default launcher but with notification indicators, app re-ordering, and customizable home screen shortcuts.

9 Likes

Review for version 1.1
User rating: ★★★★★

Thanks so much! my favorite launcher, although I haven’t tried your InkOS, Katapult seems more akin to the stock launcher which I like.

2 Likes

Review for version 1.1
Author’s rating: ★★★★★ · Author of this review

@adizzy Thank you so much for the comment and the coffee :slight_smile:

You’re right this launcher was built specifically because a part of the community likes the stock launcher they just were asking for some customizations.

Review for version 1.1
User rating: ★★★★★

What a great launcher! You’re a man full of pleasant surprises. :smiley:

The launcher is nearly perfect in my eyes, but given there have only been two versions thus far, I have noticed a couple of bugs. I have some feature/design wishes too. I’m not entirely sure where to post them, so I’ll dump them here if that’s okay.

Bugs:

  1. The Katapult home menu (containing settings, hidden apps, etc, and their respective menus) should close when the home button is pressed or if the empty area outside it is touched. At the time being, it can only be closed using the back button. I often find myself pressing home to no avail.
  2. This might be a bug in Mudita K OS, but just in case it’s related to Katapult: in the stock SMS app, if I press the “+”-button and proceed to write the name of a contact or a phone number, the button which appears saying “Send to: [contact or number]” does not forward me to a chat page. If I have written a number and press the button, the area where I would input text and the keyboard both flash briefly, and the text that I inputted is immediately cleared. The same thing happens if i input the name of a contact and click their name.. I am in neither case forwarded to the page where I can send them a message. The only workaround is to create a group containing only the recipient and myself. If I want to send an SMS to a number, I have to first create a contact with that number, then add them to a “group”.

Wishlist:

  1. I would love an option to have the clock on the home page be identical to the clock on the stock K OS lock screen (i.e the screen featuring the bottom text saying “touch the power button to unlock”). I’m thinking in terms of size; placement; font; date/day formatting (“Friday, 01 May” vs “May 1, 2026”) ; 24hr formatting (e.g. "9:00” vs “09:00”); am/pm placement (and font); etc. Visually speaking, unlocking the device would in this scenario only affect the bottom half of the screen, unveiling the dock row(s) and media player if it is turned on. If the status bar is visible, it would also be nice if its little clock could be removed so that it would only show network/wifi to the left and the battery to the right. The status bar clock should be visible in the app pages, though.
    1. Placement-wise, this would have to take into account whether the status bar is enabled.
  2. It would perhaps be nice to be able to swipe left [= finger moving to the right???] back into the home page from the first app page, and vice versa. But it’s also fine as it is.
  3. I would like the option to remove the arrows in the bottom of the app page, but to keep the page indicator dots as well as the slightly compressed, above-center placement of the apps. Optionally, the arrows could be inside bubbles instead of rounded squares, while keeping the apps as rounded squares.
  4. With InkOS, I really appreciated having the option to add "system apps/features” such as notification log, but I have found no way to access them with Katapult. Since there is no notification page or simple tray in this launcher, I hoped that I could check my notifications by adding that app/feature to the home or app page, but this was not possible. I would love to be able to add notification log or a similar system app which could gather and display notifications as a badge on the app icon.
    1. Alternatively—although you’ve said that you’re not going to add it, so feel free to disregard this wish—a notification page in a simple list format would be super helpful, perhaps accessible by swiping left on the home page (and also allowing to return to home by swiping right, or pressing home or back). The notification page could be the stock notification log or notification history app/feature.
      1. Alternatively, the home page could feature an optional bell icon with a notification counter (similar to InkOS) over or underneath the clock. Pressing it could take the user to the notification log or notification history app/feature… or in my wildest dreams: a list-formatted notification page native to Katapult.
  5. Now come to think of it, swiping left on the home screen to open a specific app is a nice feature overall. With InkOS, I used it to open the camera. Then again, lacking this option is also fine—it’s even somewhat nice in its simplicity.
  6. As a last thing, I wish that the stock K OS app icons were available in the “Change icon” menu.

Again, you’ve done some fantastic work, gezimos. I wish I could help with the development in a more hands-on way, but I simply don’t know how. I am however fairly good at writing long lists, in case that’s helpful. :slight_smile:

1 Like

Review for version 1.1
User rating: ★★★★★

Your notification issues will be fixed with downloading KompaktX. I actually think it does notification view and access better while providing must-haves (for me) to make the Kompakt experience better. I see what you’re saying about the date, and I agree. Although as an American, I like the current date and time format that Katapult offers. I really hope Mudita does the exact same format for their lock screen.

1 Like

Review for version 1.1
User rating: ★★★★★

I started using my Kompakt again last month after seeing this launcher. It has made all the difference.

1 Like

Review for version 1.1
User rating: ★★★★★

Absolutely love it. Custum icons. is the cream on top.

1 Like

Review for version 1.1
Author’s rating: ★★★★★ · Author of this review

@Orbis_Tertius

Thanks so much for the kind words and the feedback :slight_smile:

Bugs:

  1. This was done on purpose, it’s not a bug. I like to experiment with UX in some cases it might be counter-intuitive.
  2. Indeed this is not related to the Launcher

Wishes:

  • There’s Notification log and app notification shortcuts in Katapult settings. Swipe to 2nd page. But there will be no notifications page added like inkOS.
  • The icons that are on presets are icons that I created myself, I can’t include Mudita icons in my app, I don’t have permission to do that. I’ll see if i can redraw similar ones myself and include them but I can’t promise anything.
  • Time/date comes from the system automatically depending on android/language settings, but I’ll see to add a format switch.

For the rest: All good ideas, however out of the scope of the app at least for the moment. The idea was to just fix the fundamental shortcomings of the default launcher, not make it super customizable.

Review for version 1.1
Author’s rating: ★★★★★ · Author of this review

@lightsaber Great advice, anyone looking for advanced notifications like in inkOS could pair Katapult with KompaktX.

@jmudita Glad you like it :slight_smile:

@Henrik_J Thank you :slight_smile: