Nova Launcher Gets a New Owner and Ads

Nova Launcher has been acquired by Instabridge, which says it will keep the app maintained but is evaluating ad-supported options for the free version. Android Authority reports: Today, Nova Launcher announced that the Swedish company Instabridge has acquired it from Branch Metrics. Instabridge claims it wants to be a responsible owner of Nova and does not want to reinvent the launcher overnight. However, the launcher still needs a sustainable business model to support ongoing development and maintenance. To this end, Instabridge is exploring different options, including paid tiers and ad-supported options for the free version. The new owners claim that if ads are introduced, Nova Prime will remain ad-free. However, this is misleading, as ads are already here for some users. Last year, the founder and original programmer of Nova Launcher left the company, signaling its "death" as he had been the sole developer working on the launcher for the past year.

It's a "launcher"

[Chris Mattern]

What the hell does it launch? Apps? Web Deployments? Space Shuttles?

Re:

[TurboStar]

The title mentions owners and ads. Launching owners seems silly so I'm going with ads. It's an ad launcher.

Re:It's a "launcher"

[Luckyo]

Launcher is a type of software for android that is responsible for things like home screen. The name "launcher" comes from the fact that it's primary purpose is to launch applications.

Nova launcher was known as a heavily customizable, brand independent launcher. It was very popular.

Re:

[Bradac_55]

Not sure why an obvious tech illiterate would get an Insightful upvote but here you go:

1.) Nova Launcher is an Android Launcher if your stuck on that then stop now.
2.) Nova's primary selling point is it's app folder folders and sorting system nothing else out there comes even close and they know that.
3.) Nova's secondary selling point is how easy it is to resize your pixel layout on the Home Screen to resize fonts and icons in *separate* grids . Others come close but not better.

I'm curious on how much mone

Tough model to sustain

[ianbnet]

I've been a paid Nova Prime user for years, and I love it. Mostly. But I do wonder if the age of custom launchers is at an end. Effectively there's Samsung and everyone else, and as more services get integrated into the OS the launchers have more to keep up with. Migrating phones with Nova Launcher as my default, which i've done across at least 6 phones over the years, is now meaningfully more difficult than it would be if I was using native launchers. Worth it for consistency and customization, but I'm betting I'm a dying breed to think that.

Is there _anyone_ that has actually maintained a sustainable 3rd party launcher business that is feature competitive?

Re:

[alexru]

Ever since I installed it many years ago, I don't remember needing any new features. As long as it can launch apps and allow customization to remove vendor BS, it is feature complete. This also makes it hard to justify ongoing payment.

Re:

[RitchCraft]

"This also makes it hard to justify ongoing payment." - I'm honestly curious as to why you would think this? Over the last 20 or so years I've paid for a few different pieces of software that just worked with all the features I needed, even though updates were probably never going to come. I say reward the programmer for getting it right the first time.

Re:

[DeanonymizedCoward]

Total Launcher doesn't suck, and is nearly infinitely configurable (though not incredibly user-friendly), offers a usable free option, and has a one-time paid option that works in the usual way across devices if you have Google Play.

Re:

[Luckyo]

It's more like there's basic android launcher and it's minimally customized derivatives like the old oneplus's oxygenos default launcher, then there's samsung's oneui, and then there are noticeably customized derivatives of basic android launcher that can be found on a lot of current chinese phones.

Hilariously, one of the currently most popular custom android launchers... is the microsoft one. Fucking bizzarre, but here we are.

https://play.google.com/store/... [google.com]

Re:

[kbrannen]

I was avoiding all updates on my old Pixel 4a because they were doing their best to shove Material 3 at me (which I don't care for). Despite my not updating, some how the default Pixel launcher got updated. While I can configure the colors to "Basic" and avoid some of the color problems, what I can't avoid is the new launcher now has minimum sizes for some of the widgets.

For example, I used to have my calendar widget at 3x2, which allowed me to keep my most used app icons on the home screen ... and the scre

Re:

[Bradac_55]

Nope none comes close that's why Nova's been bought twice. Google hasn't had the desire to roll it's two best features into Android which is baffling as hell.

I've migrated at least that many phones mostly Pixel's and I've never had issues with Nova. Anyone with any security & privacy sense will not use Samsung that's a non-starter for me I'd switch to iPhone first.

Re:

[rta]

Me too.
i really don't need/want much from my launcher, that i know of.

The only reason i even installed this thing (starting around 3 or 4 phones ago) is because there was just no way to disable Google Assistant in the default Pixel Launcher and it creeped me the heck out. And i haven't had any need/desire to move back....

Not sure if i'm missing some excellence in the default Android launcher, but compared to friends' and families Samsungs it seems fine.

Oh, i maybe kinda wish Nova had an easy default "comp

Re:

[mikeymikec]

The reason I ended up being Nova Launcher was that the QuickStep launcher that came with my Nokia 8.3 was mildly irritating to begin with in that it required a Search box on the home screen, then later it became more annoying when the Clock widget suddenly required either Location or Calendar connectivity (I don't use Calendar and Location is switched off on my phone unless I require it), otherwise it would have an error message in the middle of my home screen. I don't ask Nova to do very much at all, just

Re: Tough model to sustain

[Tomahawk]

I'm a paid user too.

I recently switched to Lawnchair.

Took a little while to get used to the differences, but I now prefer it.

Paid version

[alexru]

If there is a paid version, I'm fine with that. One time pricing pretty much does not matter, subscription will have to be priced well. If there are ads, I'll just uninstall it. It would suck, but there is no world in which I'm tolerating ads.

Trackers

[bill_mcgonigle]

According to a report I listened to (on "Android Explained", IIRC) the main problem is several trackers added to the update; ads being somewhat less alerting.

Support the guys at LawnchairLauncher/lawnchair or LineageOS or GrapheneOS for decent open-source launchers.

Re:

[Bradac_55]

I run two separate tracking blockers and DDG's browser "App Tracking Protection" feature blocks all but one of them out of the gate without issues.
The bigger fuck you is it's also running Facebook trackers even on a phone without Facebook (like mine) fortunately I block all of those to.

There running 31 Google trackers and 29 Facebook trackers.

I just switch from Nova to Lawnchair (OSS)

[skinlayers]

My stepmom was given a new Google Pixel about a month ago, but I couldn't customize the default launcher to look like her old phone.
For some reason it eats a chunk of real estate at the top of the screen for widgets, that you can't reclaim.
After switching her to Lawnchair, I switch my own Samsung phone from Nova to Lawnchair.
No complaints.

https://github.com/LawnchairLa... [github.com]

I've started building my own.

[devslash0]

All those custom launchers are just an overkill. All you need is:
- a grid and a bottom widget
- a list of apps to start
- ability to hide apps
- ability to group apps (folders, tabs)
- some minor transparency to see the wallpaper beneath
- search
- perhaps an integration with your favourite browser.

All those gestures, animations, fancy menus, per-app customisation, themes and all that are just a total overkill.

That's why I've started working on my own launcher. Probably should be able to finish it in the next cou

Re:

[jrronimo]

Good luck with the project! I hope you do distribute it; I'd be interested to try it.

Re:

[PsychoSlashDot]

I applaud your efforts but...

All you need is:

Whichever feature(s) of Nova Launcher a given user uses it for.

Just to make the point... on your list, "search". IMHO if you've got so many app icons you can't find what you want in an alphabetic list, you're beyond help.
In return, on your list, where's "additional shortcuts via gestures such as double-tap"? Or the ability to replace icons?

With any software that has a lot of features, it's safe to assume someone wants those features. An "all you need is" developer is (pr

Re: I've started building my own.

[devslash0]

All I'm saying is that I'm fed up with existing launchers, I just need basic functionality because I don't use the launcher for anything fancy, so I'm going to build my own launcher so that it fits MY needs.

Besides, if you've got so many apps that you can't find anything, you've got bigger problems.

Re:

[Fly Swatter]

Where most developers inevitably fail is trying to please all users. All it ends up in is a bloated mess. It is very difficult to keep a project simple and only within your own vision for it. If you aren't in it for money don't worry about alienating users that your project was never intended to please.

Re:

[robot5x]

all you really need is quick access to favorite apps and ability to search. there are so many already available that do this, why would you build another one?

good example right now on f-droid is OLauncher [f-droid.org]. Minimalist AF home screen, swipe up to search, auto-open apps on unique search string. All you need.

Re:

[devslash0]

1. Because I can. As a long-time software engineer, it's a pretty straightforward ask.
2. Privacy.
3. Tailor-made - I'd like an app that does things exactly how I want it to.
4. Consistency - I'd like an app that won't change on a moment's notice and f... me over like Nova Launcher has just done.

If my purchased product is sabotaged...

[Shadow of Eternity]

then I should be entitled to a refund. I bought a product. It was ad free and worked. If that product is later sabotaged by new owners then that's the crime of destruction of property, vandalism, and theft. Fix it or give me a full refund.

Hopefully they offer a permanent ad-free buyout...

[ctilsie242]

I have been using Nova Launcher for over a decade. Nothing beats it. Yes, there is new stuff with phones and their OEM launcher... but Nova Launcher works and works well, and I can get all my apps configured the way I want to. I'm just glad it has remained supported for so long, and hasn't faded into history like many cool old-school Android utilities like xPrivacy, Titanium Backup, etc.

Remember when people made software just for fun?

[wecnal]

Pepperidge Farm remembers. Before ads and paywalls, before micro-transactions, before subscriptions. Just.. software for the sake of software. Sigh.

Re:

[Fly Swatter]

That's back when the internet required skill to set up a connection. And putting something up wasn't immediately facing security break in attempts from around the world (port scans so maybe a bit), someone wasn't immediately copying the site to put up their own with advertisements, someone else wasn't suing you for thinking you infringed their idea, trolls weren't constantly trying to deface it (ok maybe they were), bots weren't posting crap to anyone with a forum or bug tracker, and AI wasn't slashdotting