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Nova Launcher added Facebook and Google Ads tracking

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Re: Nova Launcher added Facebook and Google Ads tracking

#91

Post by princevegeta89 »

breput wrote: post #63

I was a 10+ year long Nova Launcher user and knew this day was coming after the sale and layoffs[0][1]... This evening I at looked several replacement launchers, such as Lawnchair and even the stock Pixel launcher again, but Octopi Launcher[2] is the more modern, more refined Nova replacement that you are looking for. It was a very easy, natural transition process from Nova - all of the Nova features that I used were…

What a coincidence of shitholery here. I've been a very loyal user of Nova for almost a decade now, and I have never even thought of using any other launcher. Now, strangely since 2 weeks ago, on my Samsung phone, I've been experiencing a lot of freezing and random crapping out of my Nova launcher, where it would just not let me do anything and show a blank home screen with a wallpaper. So this most likely is the reason, I'm not sure, but this sends a very bad vibe down the line now.

I am going to look for a nice open source launcher and get used to it. To hell with the shittification of our beloved apps and services.

Re: Nova Launcher added Facebook and Google Ads tracking

#92

Post by my_throwaway23 »

I've been using https://aiolauncher.app/ the past few years. It's great!

Bit of a sidenote, and I might be an exception here, but I don't get the point of all these launchers - they're all the same! Some might look a little better, some might have an option or two extra, but otherwise they're all the same. Mostly the same drawer, mostly the same panel for quick access.

Re: Nova Launcher added Facebook and Google Ads tracking

#93

Post by lawn »

flexagoon wrote: post #14
fireflash38 wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Any good alternatives people are using? I've used Nova for absolutely ages

Kvaesito is a great search-focused FOSS launcher

This is also what I migrated to a while back.

It's quite different compared to Nova and other launchers but after using it a while I've come to love it. Do yourself a favor and give it a few days before you dismiss it.

Re: Nova Launcher added Facebook and Google Ads tracking

#94

Post by ssl-3 »

breput wrote: post #63

I was a 10+ year long Nova Launcher user and knew this day was coming after the sale and layoffs[0][1]... This evening I at looked several replacement launchers, such as Lawnchair and even the stock Pixel launcher again, but Octopi Launcher[2] is the more modern, more refined Nova replacement that you are looking for. It was a very easy, natural transition process from Nova - all of the Nova features that I used were…

Thanks for the tip.

I opened up my phone to see about giving Octopi a shot, and (amusingly? alarmingly?) Nova Launcher produced a popup warning me that it would now feature ads.

Anyway, my launcher needs are pretty minimal. Switching over and recreating a familiar layout was easy enough.

I do find one function missing, though: Some shortcut functionality seems missing in Octopi that was present in Nova.

For instance: Shazam. I use it to identify the music I hear, and that's all I want it for. With Nova, I was able to create a single-tap button on the home screen for a "Shazam Now" shortcut that immediately went straight to the identification phase with zero nonsense. This worked slick, and I'd been using it this way for a decade or so.

With Octopi, I can long-press the Shazam icon and pick "Shazam Now", and that does work. But that's multiple steps instead of just one, and I can't drag that shortcut to the home screen. There is also a list of apps with shortcuts that I can add, but Shazam is missing from that list.

Thus, the single-tap Shazam Now function I'm familiar with is presently lacking. Perhaps some day. :)

(Otherwise, Octopi fits with everything else I want to do, so I'm buying the dev a coffee.)

Re: Nova Launcher added Facebook and Google Ads tracking

#95

Post by 31rf89e1f5e6 »

Been using it for well over 15 years, and I have paid for Prime. But recently ~1-2 years, when it go acquired I was sad, but hopping it would go open source... maybe. But after today, I'm removing it from all of my devices, and all of my relatives devices. And leaving an updated review, so people know about this.

Re: Nova Launcher added Facebook and Google Ads tracking

#97

Post by anilakar »

Semaphor wrote: post #71
calderwoodra wrote: post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've been using Niagara for a few years and I love it.

Completely different style of launcher though.

Yes, and it does exactly what a launcher should do. It is not designed to show a dozen widgets spread over five workspaces.

Priced at 15 eurobucks (back in the day) it's the most expensive piece of Android software I have ever bought. I have felt no buyer's remorse whatsoever.

Edit: looks like the perpetual license costs EUR 40 nowadays.

Re: Nova Launcher added Facebook and Google Ads tracking

#98

Post by amne »

breput wrote: post #63

I was a 10+ year long Nova Launcher user and knew this day was coming after the sale and layoffs[0][1]... This evening I at looked several replacement launchers, such as Lawnchair and even the stock Pixel launcher again, but Octopi Launcher[2] is the more modern, more refined Nova replacement that you are looking for. It was a very easy, natural transition process from Nova - all of the Nova features that I used were…

that same moment I switched to Niagara launcher. After 10 minutes of using it bought the Pro level and that was it. I kept around 5 apps in main screen, YT music widget automatically pops up on top when I connect headphones. The side scroll is very well thought out. For each letter the most used apps are on top. This one clicked with me.

Re: Nova Launcher added Facebook and Google Ads tracking

#99

Post by Semaphor »

anilakar wrote: post #97
Semaphor wrote: post #71

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Completely different style of launcher though.

Yes, and it does exactly what a launcher should do. It is not designed to show a dozen widgets spread over five workspaces. Priced at 15 eurobucks (back in the day) it's the most expensive piece of Android software I have ever bought. I have felt no buyer's remorse whatsoever. Edit: looks like the perpetual license costs EUR 40 nowadays.

My screen is pretty simple, 5 folders with icons, 10 other icons, one calendar widget, one weather widget. It’s what a homescreeen should do for me. Because not everyone is you.

Re: Nova Launcher added Facebook and Google Ads tracking

#100

Post by dwedge »

DanOpcode wrote: post #34
blcknight wrote: post #31

That’s disappointing. My primary launcher on my eink devices since it works so well on them.

What devices are those? A phone with eink?

In my case, Mudita Kompakt phone and Boox Go tablet for reading textbooks. Mudita has the stock launcher, Boox is full of bloatware and I installed Niagara
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