Kvaesitso
by U. N. Owen · GPL-3.0-or-later · open source
A home screen app that puts search first: type instead of scrolling an app drawer, with a calculator, unit converter and quick actions built in, plus clock, calendar, weather and music widgets.
Needs:No root · Android 8.0+
2113 Apps is independent, not affiliated with or endorsed by U. N. Owen. Official sources: source code on GitHub.
- Version
- 1.41.0
- Size
- 13.9 MB
- Requires
- Android 8.0+
- Updated
- 2026-09-15
Screenshots
Introduction
Kvaesitso is an open-source launcher, the app that draws your home screen. Its developers describe it as “a search focused, free and open source launcher”: instead of scrolling through an app drawer, you start typing.
What it does
From the project’s user guide:
- Search with a built-in calculator, unit converter and quick actions, plus filters to narrow the results.
- Online results, from services such as Wikipedia and OpenStreetMap, are opt-in. The guide says that “online results are disabled by default”, to protect your privacy and avoid unnecessary network traffic.
- Widgets for the clock, calendar, weather, music, notes and your favourites.
- Plugins: for now, only weather providers and file search can be added this way.
- Since version 1.40.0, the gestures that open the notifications and quick settings no longer need the accessibility service.
Its manifest asks for access to contacts, calendar, location and all files, and can read tasks from Tasks.org; you decide which of these to grant.
Before you install
- Kvaesitso needs Android 8.0 or later; the developers recommend Android 11 or later.
- It isn’t on Google Play. If you install it from a file on Android 13 or later, you may need to allow restricted settings before it can get notification access (see the questions below).
About this file
- This is the developer’s own build, from IzzyOnDroid, signed with the developer’s key (SHA-256 fingerprint starting BF:65:BB:D6).
- F-Droid builds its own version, signed with F-Droid’s key and with fewer weather providers. The two can’t update each other.
- IzzyOnDroid flags it NonFreeDep and NonFreeNet: it includes Google Drive libraries, which depend on non-free parts, and can connect to Google services. Our scan found no tracker libraries.
- The 13.9 MB file runs on ARM and x86, 32- and 64-bit, and declares 29 permissions, 10 of which need your approval.
What’s inside the APK
Trackers
No code matching the Exodus Privacy tracker signatures.
Native code
Runs on 64-bit and older 32-bit ARM phones.
Android versions
Built for Android 16 (target API 36).
Permissions
10 of them need your approval first.
Flagged by IzzyOnDroid:
- NonFreeDep: Depends on a non-free app or library.
- NonFreeNet: Relies on or promotes a proprietary network service.
CPU types in this build: arm64-v8a (64-bit ARM, almost every phone since 2017); armeabi-v7a (32-bit ARM, older and budget phones); x86 (32-bit Intel, emulators); x86_64 (64-bit Intel, emulators and Chromebooks).
Asks you first (10)
Android shows a prompt before the app can use these.
- Approximate location · ACCESS_COARSE_LOCATION
- Precise location · ACCESS_FINE_LOCATION
- Place phone calls directly · CALL_PHONE
- See the accounts on the device · GET_ACCOUNTS
- Show notifications (Android 13+) · POST_NOTIFICATIONS
- Read calendar events · READ_CALENDAR
- Read your contacts · READ_CONTACTS
- Read shared storage (Android 12 and older) · READ_EXTERNAL_STORAGE
- Change calendar events · WRITE_CALENDAR
- Write shared storage (Android 10 and older) · WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE
You switch these on in Settings (2)
Special app access. Nothing is granted until you turn it on yourself.
- All files access · MANAGE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE
- Install unknown apps · REQUEST_INSTALL_PACKAGES
Granted at install (13)
Low-risk permissions Android grants automatically, plus any we have not classified.
- ACCESS_HIDDEN_PROFILES
- ACCESS_MEDIA_LOCATION
- ACCESS_NETWORK_STATE
- EXPAND_STATUS_BAR
- FOREGROUND_SERVICE
- INTERACT_ACROSS_PROFILES
- INTERNET
- QUERY_ALL_PACKAGES
- RECEIVE_BOOT_COMPLETED
- REQUEST_DELETE_PACKAGES
- SET_ALARM
- VIBRATE
- WAKE_LOCK
Defined by other apps (4)
Permissions that belong to another app or to this app itself.
- com.android.alarm.permission.SET_ALARM
- com.kieronquinn.app.smartspacer.permission.ACCESS_SMARTSPACER
- de.mm20.launcher2.release.DYNAMIC_RECEIVER_NOT_EXPORTED_PERMISSION
- org.tasks.permission.READ_TASKS
More Information
- Package name
- de.mm20.launcher2.release
- Version
- 1.41.0 (build 2026091500)
- File size
- 13.9 MB (13,936,180 bytes)
- Requires
- Android 8.0 or later
- Category
- Customization
- License
- GPL-3.0-or-later
- Developer
- U. N. Owen
- Source code
- github.com/MM2-0/Kvaesitso
- Released
- Sep 15, 2026
- Signer SHA-256
- bf65bbd617997397800d02e0ac2e45cee153151518545c23ef66b3cb2cfdf7bc
- File SHA-256
- 55e4a287f1198be22f040c2ad1443f5861b58b1d1394d7377221f1ad4448b810
- Checked
- , against the IzzyOnDroid index · how we check · verify it yourself
Common questions
Is this APK the official Kvaesitso release?
Yes. It is the developer’s own release of Kvaesitso 1.41.0, byte for byte as IzzyOnDroid distributes it. Its SHA-256 matches IzzyOnDroid’s signed index, and it is signed with the certificate IzzyOnDroid records for the app (SHA-256 bf65bbd617997397800d02e0ac2e45cee153151518545c23ef66b3cb2cfdf7bc).
What Android version does Kvaesitso need?
Android 8.0 or later (API level 26). Version 1.41.0 is built for Android 16 (target API 36). Runs on 64-bit and older 32-bit ARM phones.
Can Kvaesitso access the internet?
Yes. The APK requests Android’s internet permission. In total it declares 29 permissions, and 10 of them need your approval first.
Does Kvaesitso contain trackers?
No known trackers: our scan of version 1.41.0 found no code matching the Exodus Privacy tracker signatures. The scan covers known tracker libraries; it doesn’t show what data the app itself sends.
Is Kvaesitso open source?
Yes. Kvaesitso is released under the GPL-3.0-or-later licence, and its source code is published at https://github.com/MM2-0/Kvaesitso.
Can I switch between the F-Droid and IzzyOnDroid versions of Kvaesitso?
Not by updating. F-Droid builds Kvaesitso itself and signs it with its own key, and the project’s documentation says the two versions use different signing keys, so “you cannot update one with the other”. Uninstall the one you have before installing the other. https://kvaesitso.mm20.de/docs/user-guide/troubleshooting/update-not-installed.html
Why is notification access greyed out for Kvaesitso?
Since Android 13, some settings are restricted for apps installed from a file, including notification access, which Kvaesitso uses for notification badges and music controls. Try to turn it on once, then open Kvaesitso’s App info, use the three-dot menu to choose Allow restricted settings, and try again. https://kvaesitso.mm20.de/docs/user-guide/troubleshooting/restricted-settings.html
Recent releases
| Version | Released | Size | Requires |
|---|---|---|---|
| v1.41.0 · this download | Sep 15, 2026 | 13.9 MB | Android 8.0+ |
| v1.40.2 | May 31, 2026 | 13.8 MB | Android 8.0+ |
Versions currently kept in the IzzyOnDroid repository. We host and check only the newest one. Full changelog.
Alternatives and related apps
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Lawnchair A Pixel-style launcher with an app drawer, icon packs and grid controls, if you’d rather keep a classic home screen.Download -
KISS Launcher Another search-based launcher, smaller and simpler, that doesn’t request internet access at all.Download