- By Alex David
- Tue, 09 Sep 2025 12:45 AM (IST)
- Source:JND
Nova Launcher, long regarded as one of the best third-party launchers for Android, may soon become a thing of the past. Founder Kevin Barry has announced that development of the beloved app will be discontinued following his departure from Branch, the company that acquired Nova.
In his statement, Barry revealed that Branch had abandoned its earlier promise to release an open-source version of Nova Launcher. He also pointed to comments from Branch’s co-founder, Alex Austin, suggesting there was once a contractual clause meant to “put [Nova] in the hands of the community.” Based on Barry’s update, however, those plans have been shelved.
What This Means for Nova Users
Now that development is no longer occurring, no further releases are anticipated. And although the launcher probably won’t be pulled from the Google Play Store right away, eventually it may do just that. Individuals will still be able to use the app for the time being, but nothing is promised when it comes to security updates, bug fixes, or compatibility with future Android releases.
A Loss for the Android Community
For more than a decade, Nova Launcher has been your go-to method of turning a grotty old Android UI into something that looks a lot more home-made, letting you customise everything from the grid of your app drawer to what some of your gesture shortcuts do. Its mix of flexibility and stability was just right for hobbyists and weekend modders.
Even for people who have moved on to more modern, minimal launchers like Niagara Launcher, Nova has an undeniable legacy. Its closure is more than mere app death: a loss for the culture of Android customization and thrashing.
What Comes Next?
The big question for longtime users is: what now?
- Will you continue to use Nova until it stops working entirely?
- Would you switch to your phone maker’s stock launcher for stability?
- Or would you explore alternative launchers like Lawnchair, Niagara, or Smart Launcher, even if they lack Nova’s deep customisability?
Some may even choose to sideload Nova APKs onto future devices until Android limitations make that impossible. Others might struggle with the challenge of adapting to different launchers — losing the muscle memory and workflows built over years.
The Bigger Picture
The discontinuation of Nova is also indicative of the larger problems related to life expectancy in the Android world. And when even the best most reliable full-function launchers can evaporate, consumers are reminded just how ephemeral this software add-on really is in a world increasingly dominated by default manufacturer software.
For now, Nova Launcher still functions — but time is short. The Android community will need to make a choice: Hold onto it as long as possible or otherwise leapfrog it, acknowledging that this is what customization in 2025 and beyond looks like now.
