Summary
- The founder and original developer of Nova Launcher, Kevin Barry, has announced his departure from the project.
- Barry confirms that the current owner of Nova won’t be releasing the launcher’s source code to the public, effectively halting development of the launcher.
- Nova Launcher has long been a customizable staple in the third-party launcher scene, and its sunsetting is a direct blow to the Android launcher ecosystem.
Nova Launcher, arguably the most iconic third-party launcher available for the Android platform, is effectively on death row. Founder and original developer of the application, Kevin Barry, has announced his departure from the project, spelling an uncertain future for the beloved home screen replacement tool.
“…I was ultimately asked to stop working on Nova Launcher and the open sourcing effort. Nova Launcher has been an incredible project and has an incredible community. I’m grateful for the years of support, feedback, and enthusiasm,” says Barry in a farewell blog post.
Nova Launcher was purchased by a data analytics firm called Branch in 2022. In 2024, a sweeping layoff took place, leaving only Barry to weather the storm solo. In recent months, the founder had been working on open-sourcing the launcher, which would have ensured its continued development while fortifying its code base for the future.
Barry’s departure and the news of halted development on the open-sourcing front doesn’t bode well for Nova’s future prospects. The launcher is at very real risk of becoming abandonware, with a high risk of software updates, support, and security patches drying up in their entirety.
Nova leaves behind an outsized legacy
Its sunsetting is a blow to the Android launcher space as a whole
Launchers are a special class of Android application that serve as total home screen replacement tools, capable of altering certain user interface elements like the app drawer, the home screen app icon grid, and the presentation of widgets and news feeds.
There are a ton of excellent third-party Android launchers available for the mobile OS; some focus on providing a novel interface design, while others, like Nova, attempt to build upon the existing home screen paradigm by adding in additional customization tools and configurable elements.
…I wouldn’t be surprised if Nova were to slowly fade away into obscurity.
Nova first hit the scene in 2011, and over the years, it’s cemented itself as one of the most iconic and popular launchers to ever land on Android. While not without its problems, Nova has traditionally been praised for its abundant selection of tweakable home screen configurations, allowing users to adjust everything from animations, to grid size, and everything in between.
For the time being, Nova Launcher (including its paid Prime tier) remains actively listed on the Google Play Store. With these recent events in mind, the app’s future availability is entirely uncertain. While I’d love to see another company or individual swoop in to save the launcher from its undue demise, I wouldn’t be surprised if Nova were to slowly fade away into obscurity, eventually becoming a relic of tech’s storied history.
