TL;DR
- Nova Launcher’s recent updates lay the foundation for an ad-supported free tier — and add unfortunate bugs.
- App users on Reddit are reporting multiple issues that cause the launcher to crash during the setup process and hide their app icons.
- The latest Nova Launcher build is version 8.2.8, now rolling out across the beta and stable release channels.
Nova Launcher, the popular Android launcher thought to have shut down in September 2025, is officially back, but with a twist. The app started receiving regular updates in November ahead of an ownership change this month. Branch Metrics sold Nova Launcher to the Swedish company Instabridge, which quickly began laying the groundwork for in-app advertisements. Now, the recent updates to Nova Launcher appear to have broken the app, with users on Reddit reporting critical bugs and crashes.
The most recent Nova Launcher beta build, version 8.2.8, started reaching users a few days ago. The latest version 8.2.8 is also rolling out across the stable channel as of Saturday, January 24, according to the app’s Google Play Store listing. Since the update’s release, multiple Reddit users (1, 2) are experiencing crashes immediately after installing Nova Launcher. Continuing to launch the app loads a “Nova Launcher keeps stopping” pop-up for some users.
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Reddit users took basic troubleshooting steps, including reinstalling the app and re-enabling it, to no avail. As a temporary solution, users can download and install the APK for an older version of Nova Launcher. Some users suggest turning off automatic Play Store updates in the meantime. It’s worth noting that not every Nova Launcher user is experiencing the crashes, and this bug seems to specifically affect the initial app setup process.
The major setup crashes aren’t the only issues starting to plague Nova Launcher users. Separately, multiple Reddit users (1, 2) are seeing their home screen app icons disappear after leaving an opened app or unlocking their device. The bugs span across multiple phone models, with Reddit users reporting issues on Google Pixel, Samsung Galaxy, and OnePlus phones.
The problems with Nova Launcher’s latest update, which also introduced ads, have kicked off Instabridge’s ownership of the fan-favorite launcher to a rocky start. Notably, Instabridge said its job “is to be responsible owners” and won’t show ads for paid Nova Prime users. However, fans have expressed concern about yet another ownership change. Nova Launcher was first acquired by Branch Metrics in 2022, which then spun off the app to its current owner Instabridge.
Are you sticking with Nova Launcher under new ownership? If so, are you experiencing bugs with the latest app builds? Let us know in the comments below.
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