Nova Launcher stops and Android fans are broken heart

A beloved Android customization tool is coming to an end. Nova Launcher, known for a long time to be one of the best third -party launchers you can get for your Android phones, is officially closed, and users who have been counting for more than a decade crying.

The founder and original developer of Nova, Kevin Barry, made the announcement During the weekend. On September 6, Barry published a message confirming that he had left Branch, the analysis firm which acquired Nova Launcher in 2022 and would no longer be involved in the project.

“I was the only one to work on Nova in the past year,” wrote Barry in his farewell message entitled “So Long”.

“I had to let you know that I left Branch and that I am no longer involved with Nova Launcher,” he said.

Barry continued by explaining that he had prepared to free Nova as an open source, to clean the code base and to coordinate with the legal teams. Branch’s management had publicly promised that if it started, the code would be given to the community. However, Barry said he was finally invited to stop working on the open-source effort.

Nova Launcher is one of the best third -party replacement screen launchers for Android since its inception. It allows users to deeply modify their reception screens, gestures and application drawer in a way that goes far beyond what action launchers have to offer.

However, the application course was uncertain since Branch acquired it in 2022. The agreement gave Nova access to a deep user analysis which fueled new experimental features. But by 2024, Branch had dismissed more than a hundred developers, leaving Barry as the sole maintenance of the launcher. The last stable update of the application arrived in May 2024. With Barry now out, Nova Launcher does not seem to have much future.

Naturally, the faithful fans of Nova are extremely upset by its disappearance. Reddit threads are filled with appreciation and tribute publications of users calling Nova “legendary” to shape their Android experience.

“Very sad. Nova is legendary. It has contributed to the success of Android as a platform and has been the choice on my devices for years. It still works very well for me on several devices, so no immediate need to change, but I suppose it is time to start exploring alternatives,” said a user.

“Nova is with me every day since my first smartphone, even on my brand new S25 bought last month. It was such a fruitful purchase. Thank you for all these years of dedication,” said another user.

“From my Nexus 5 to my S23U, I was a user of Nova. Thank you for all your work ”, yet another user.

Barry also answered some of the comments saying: “Reddit’s comments have always been difficult for me, and today it’s a difficult day. I intend to just deactivate the internet after my ad but I did not have self -control. I appreciate comments like yours. ”

For the moment, Nova Launcher is still working and can be downloaded. However, without active development or open source release, it will finally become redundant. Here are some Nova Launcher alternatives if you are looking to change.