- Nova Launcher’s sole developer will no longer be updating it
- It can still be downloaded but probably won’t be a viable option for too much longer
- However, there are lots of other Android launchers available
Nova Launcher is one of the oldest and best Android launchers – that is, overlays that you can download to replace the one your manufacturer put on your phone. But despite its enduring popularity, it’s now essentially shutting down.
Its creator Kevin Barry has put out a statement saying that he’s been the only one working on Nova Launcher for the past year, and that he’s now leaving Branch (which acquired Nova in 2022).
In preparation for that, Barry has been working on an open source release of Nova Launcher so it could live on, but he has now apparently been told by Branch to stop working on this. So it sounds very much like Nova Launcher won’t be continued in any form.
Other options
If you’ve been relying on Nova Launcher this is sure to be disappointing news, but there are some promising alternatives.
There’s Niagara Launcher for one, which is another popular option (though not in the same league as Nova Launcher). This is more minimalist than Nova Launcher but still quite customizable.
Then there’s Hyperion Launcher, which is perhaps slightly less well known than either Niagara Launcher or Nova Launcher but is similarly feature-packed and customizable to the latter, making it a good alternative if you want to get as close to Nova Launcher as possible.
There’s also Smart Launcher, which automatically sorts your apps into categories, will automatically change the theme color to match your wallpaper, and is fully customizable. Plus, the developers have actually posted some help for Nova users who might want to switch over to Smart Launcher.
Or if you find comfort in a big name there’s Microsoft Launcher, which provides customizable icons, daily wallpapers from Bing, a personalized feed, and more. It’s well reviewed, and has been downloaded over 50 million times.
In any case, for now Nova Launcher is still available on the Google Play Store, but if it stops being updated – as it sounds like it will – then its days of being useful or even compatible with new devices and Android versions are probably numbered.