I can see why it’s not implemented.

… but it WAS implemented in nautilus before nautilus was dumbed down!

What is an android-style application launcher?

I mean the “App Switcher” for want of a better term. Generally, you swipe up to get to it. I think it used to be called the “App Grid” or “App Tray” when there was a middle physical button (or emulated target) for it. These days, I use Nova Launcher because (Guess what!) I wanted to add icons for my own scripts and a few O/S entry points that aren’t strictly apps on their own. … so my involvement with Gnome and Android launchers is a little out of date. I’ve moved on.

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Is the GNOME app grid not a grid-view application launcher?

It’s pretty big to fit on one screen. It takes two MOUSE CLICKS to get to it. Is there a HOT KEY? Can you add icons for your own scripts? Gnome always had nautilus, but they wanted something completely different.

One-click to swap between the views I want

Yeahbutt the view you choose for a given folder does not persist from session to session. It used to… Nowadays, I use pcmanfm as a nautilus alternative, which features this retro feature. Persistence is important to me. I guess I can’t see why it isn’t to you…

I really want an Android-style (grid-view, spatial paradigm, or whatever) application launcher, but all I can find are so-called semantic launchers, which follow a series of key strokes. Well, nuts to that! Unless I write one with considerable personal effort, I am still stuck with a plethora of file managers of various types (orthodox and navigational), many of which are forks of older packages that try to subvert trends in user-interface design toward touch-friendly devices.