What does Meridian collect about me?
Nothing. There are no analytics, no ads, no trackers, no crash reporting and no accounts — and there is no Meridian server, so there is nowhere for data to go. Your layouts and settings live on your phone. Full details are in the privacy policy.
Does anything ever leave my phone?
Three optional features can reach the network, all off by default: weather (Open-Meteo, city name or coarse location), web search (your query, to DuckDuckGo), and the assistant (your messages, to the AI provider you configured with your own key). Turn none of them on and Meridian makes no network requests at all.
How does the assistant work? Where do my chats go?
It is off until you add your own API key — OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini, DeepSeek, Groq, Mistral, OpenRouter, Perplexity, Ollama on your own network, or anything OpenAI-compatible. Your chats go directly from your phone to the provider you chose, and nowhere else. No key, no network traffic.
Do I have to pay for the AI on top of the app?
You pay your chosen provider directly, and Meridian takes no cut. Google's Gemini Flash free tier covers ordinary use at no cost; paid providers typically land in pennies per month for what a launcher assistant does. You can also run a model locally with Ollama for nothing.
Why does Meridian ask about an accessibility service?
Only if you assign a gesture that needs it — recent apps, lock screen, notification shade or quick settings, which Android offers no other API for. The service reads no screen content and listens to no events, a disclosure dialog explains it in the app before anything opens system settings, and if you do not use those gestures it stays off entirely.
I'm coming from Nova — do I start over?
No. Meridian's setup wizard imports a Nova backup file (.novabackup), bringing your layout across so you can tweak from there instead of rebuilding.
Do KLWP and KWGT presets work?
Yes. Touches on a live wallpaper are forwarded through, wallpaper offsets are not reset when the launcher resumes, and Kustom's five-second delayed touch provider and action shortcuts are handled explicitly.
Can I have different home screens for work and home?
Yes — that is what Spaces are. Each Space is a whole home screen with its own pages, dock, folders, grid and icon style, and it can switch itself on a schedule or a trigger such as your car's Bluetooth connecting, with the launcher closed and the screen off.
What do I need to run it?
Any phone on Android 8.0 or newer. No account, no sign-in.
Is Meridian free?
Meridian is $2.99 once on Google Play, and that is the way to get it. There is also an APK for people who can't use Play — no Google account, an unsupported country, a device without it — and nothing is held back from it, because there is no Pro tier to hold back. Neither version has ads, analytics or in-app purchases.
Is there a subscription, or features behind a Pro tier?
Neither. Every feature is included in both builds the day you install, and there are no in-app purchases and no ads.
What's the difference between the APK and the Play version?
Nothing in the app itself — it is the same build, released to both at once. Play updates it for you; a sideloaded copy updates through Obtainium or by installing a newer APK by hand. A Play release spends a day or two in review first, so the APK occasionally arrives earlier.
What if I buy it and don't like it?
Google Play's standard refund window applies, and it is a real one. A launcher is also something you know about within a day — you will have set up a home screen and used it for an evening long before the window closes.
How do I move my setup to a new phone?
Meridian backs everything up — layout, settings, icon edits, gestures, Spaces — into a single file you keep, restorable on any device. Automatic rotating backups run alongside it.
Where do I get help or report a bug?
Join the Meridian Discord — there is a support forum for problems, a feature-requests board, and a channel for showing off setups. The developer reads everything.
How do I install the APK, if I can't use the Play Store?
Download it from the sideloading page, open the file, and Android walks you through it. The first time, your phone asks you to allow installs from your browser — a one-time switch in the dialog it shows. Afterwards, press home and choose Meridian to make it your launcher.
How do updates work for a sideloaded copy?
Install Obtainium, tap Add App and paste github.com/tjsouthern3/meridian-launcher-releases; every Meridian release is published there, so new versions then arrive like any other update. Or install a newer APK by hand — it updates in place and keeps your setup. Buying on Play is the version that updates itself with no extra tooling.
Can I switch between the sideloaded and Play versions?
Yes, with one step: Android will not install one directly over the other because they are signed differently. Make a backup in Meridian's settings first, then install the other version and restore it. Your Spaces, layouts and settings all come across.
Still stuck? The Meridian Discord has a support forum, or email me. The privacy policy has the long version of the privacy answers above.