getting started

prerequisites

• Android Studio Meerkat (2024.3) or later
• Android SDK 36
• device or emulator running Android 7.0+ (minSdk 24)

build from source

git clone https://github.com/dukex/will.git
cd will
./gradlew assembleDebug
./gradlew installDebug

first launch

Will opens with a guided onboarding the first time you launch it. the flow has three steps:

1. set Will as the default launcher — uses Android's role manager on Android 10+, falls back to the home-app picker on older releases.
2. grant the overlay permission — required for the floating active-task bubble.
3. grant the notification listener — optional. Will still works as a launcher without it; you just lose the auto-task pipeline.

each step opens the relevant system page. when you come back, Will detects the new grant and advances. you can replay the flow any time from settings → re-run onboarding.

if you skip onboarding entirely (e.g. installing through ADB), the rest of this section walks through the same setup manually.

set as default launcher (manual)

1. install the APK
2. press home
3. select Will from the launcher picker
4. mark Will as default when prompted

permissions (manual)

Will is useless without the notification listener — every other permission is optional and unlocks one specific feature.

permission	required for	how to grant
BIND_NOTIFICATION_LISTENER_SERVICE	capturing notifications as tasks	Settings → Apps → Special app access → Notification access → Will
SYSTEM_ALERT_WINDOW	active task overlay (floating bubble)	Settings → Apps → Special app access → Display over other apps → Will
RECEIVE_BOOT_COMPLETED	restore overlay on reboot	granted at install time

if the listener permission is missing, Will shows a small banner at the bottom of the home screen with a one-tap shortcut to the system page.

first-run walkthrough

once Will is the default launcher and the notification listener is granted:

• task feed — the home screen is the feed itself. notifications arrive as task cards. tap a card to open the source conversation. tap the checkbox to mark it done.
• pinned apps — long-press an app in the drawer to pin or unpin. up to 5 apps live at the top of the feed and scroll with it.
• app drawer — tap the apps button in the top bar, or swipe up from the feed.
• manual intent — tap the input field above the feed to type a task that did not come from a notification.
• filter sources — open settings from the top bar to silence apps whose notifications should not become tasks.
• focus dashboard — open from the top bar to see today's focus score, time-on-task, and context switches.
• done list — completed tasks live on a separate screen, reachable from the top bar. you can reopen or delete them from there.