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Instabridge has acquired Nova Launcher

novalauncher.com

151–160 of 173 posts

Re: Instabridge has acquired Nova Launcher

#151
post #14

Haven't heard of Nova in a very long time, this was one of the original customizable launchers for Android wasn't it? If it's gone this long without being open-sourced, it might be time to let go. Been using https://kisslauncher.com/ for many years and have no complaints.

The Nexus 5 bezel and the Google+ link in the footer don't make this launcher look modern and maintained... but I'll give it a try anyway.

Looks pretty well maintained[0]:

> v3.24.1 Latest

> @Neamar released this Dec 4, 2025

[0] https://github.com/Neamar/KISS/releases

Re: Instabridge has acquired Nova Launcher

#152

It blows my mind how many stories hit the front page, every day, that bottom out on whining about proprietary software. I've literally been talking about the Win10/11 whining for 3+ years, and yet EVERY. SINGLE. WEEK THERE ARE MORE. Lawnchair is *EXCELLENT*. I say that as a former Nova Launcher user. And Lawnchair is fully OSS and actively developed. I just cannot fathom people who enjoy this non-stop BS rollercoaste…

Lawnchair blacklists/used to blacklist apps they did not like. That does seem user friendly.

I cannot find any indication that this is true.

Re: Instabridge has acquired Nova Launcher

#153
I use Nova for to remove the Google search bar on the Pixel desktop. And as a secondary benefit, Nova remembers app locations when I change phones.

What should I do that's hassle-free? Is there an open source equivalent that's likely to stay alive in a year or three?

Re: Instabridge has acquired Nova Launcher

#154

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I've since moved to the apple ecosystem... Set and forget. Careful, you'll get blasted for that in these parts. Until about 7 years ago, I had been an Android absolutist. Custom ROMs, launchers, you name it. I sneered at those Apple-loving simpletons. Then, after missing several important phone calls in a day due to the phone 'app' not working properly, I got fed up and got a Nexus 6, the official Google phone and…

your pants are so on fire

no u

Re: Instabridge has acquired Nova Launcher

#155
post #37

What an undeserving fate. A beloved app now being passed from vulture to vulture who rip off every possible morsel they can. When Branch bought Nova, I moved on to use Lawnchair [1], which is open source. Although it has been in beta like forever, with occasional glitches, it works well enough and has enough features to satisfy my customization cravings. [1]: https://github.com/LawnchairLauncher/lawnchair

The write-up on the link seems promising, at least. I'm sure ads will come to the free version, but they appear to be respecting Nova's legacy and longtime Prime purchasers. Anything is better than the slow decay it has been enduring the last year or two. Can't do much but be cautiously optimistic.

You can just... not update? It's a launcher, how much more is there to change? I have a version from 2017 on my phone lol.

Re: Instabridge has acquired Nova Launcher

#156

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I've since moved to the apple ecosystem... Set and forget. Careful, you'll get blasted for that in these parts. Until about 7 years ago, I had been an Android absolutist. Custom ROMs, launchers, you name it. I sneered at those Apple-loving simpletons. Then, after missing several important phone calls in a day due to the phone 'app' not working properly, I got fed up and got a Nexus 6, the official Google phone and…

There's nothing wrong with iOS and iPhones. If that's what works best for you, then that's what you should use. With this said... Most people use their Android phone like iPhone owners do. They use the default launcher, default settings, and things work. Like you, they turn it on and it does things. They'll install their apps for work, social media, etc, just like iOS users. Maybe they'll install a different browser…

I care about privacy more than most people, so custom ROMs and the like were the "best" way to achieve that. I understand that most people don't do that. They just use the phone they got with their wireless plan to install gmail and whatsapp and facebook or whatever. The time I bailed on Android was when I also realized that Google was no longer the "don't be evil" company (yes yes, I know it never was, but they went mask-off). So, I've cut Google and Meta products out of my life and put all my privacy eggs in one basket, trying to reduce the attack surface with the one company who performatively claims to care about that. You're right, I changed and got old and don't have the time nor willpower to battle my phone anymore. I'm sure Android is just fine to use now, but I want no part of Google.

*edit* and everything I see about their Play Store is that it's still a lawless hellscape.

Re: Instabridge has acquired Nova Launcher

#158

Can someone explain why launchers matter so much to them? All the apps I use are on a single page and it's just one button press; what more would I need than that?

OEM launchers often include annoying anti-features, like a screen you can't remove and that has the brand's voice assistant. They also tend to be slow, bad at search, and have all kinds of unnecessary phone-home functionality like sharing your location with their owners (austensibly to show the weather forecast).

Besides, I have a work phone and a private phone - different brands, same launcher.

Re: Instabridge has acquired Nova Launcher

#159
post #137
post #3

> We will keep data collection minimal and purpose driven, and we will be clear about what is collected and why. We do not sell personal data. I don't believe this at all. If they aren't lying, then why did they add new trackers? https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46686655

> We do not sell personal data. Companies usually treat "anonymized" data as non personal. So in their eyes they aren't selling your personal data but their "non-personal" data. The fact it isn't does not matter because profit. The fact they added Facebook and google trackers and not listed a why is obvious enough. Fortunately for me it did not update yet and is now gone.

They don't sell the data, since it's collected by Facebook and not sent to the company itself? Smart (also, evil) if true.

Re: Instabridge has acquired Nova Launcher

#160
post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

KISS is a complete paradigm shift from other phone launchers. It takes some getting used to. It has made me rethink how I use my phone from time to time because I have it set to sort by recently used: I only have a few apps I use regularly it seems. Not for everyone, but it's my preferred way to use a phone now.

I suppose it doesn't matter because there is probably a search or something, but I only use my banking app and children's games every month or 2. I like knowing where they are at. 2 swipes away. Also, doesn't this mean more attention to the screen? I can blindly pick apps without looking at my screen. Makes it useful when running + audiobook + taking notes.

Yes. Search works for finding things once every few months. Or, I've found that they tend to not really be that far down the list, because I only use a few apps per month anyway, so "1 month ago" is actually pretty recent in that regard.

But I also have specific apps pinned. Messaging, Browser, Camera all have fixed icons across the bottom of the screen, so I could blindly pick those as well as on any other launcher.

And in some cases, it means more attention, but more intent - which I find good. I'm far less likely to randomly open an app just because I see it on the screen. "Oh I havent played this game in a few months" never pops up (unless I scroll the complete app list, which it still has).

It's a trade off, for me, it means faster (but not no look - but tbh, I never have had that level of accuracy with any launcher) access to my most common used apps, and a slight decrease in rarely used apps. So I save half a second 10 times a day, and lose 5 seconds once a week. It's a tradeoff that I'm willing to make based on my particular usage patterns.

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