Survey shows loyal Nova Launcher fans are sticking it out till the actual end arrives

Our poll received over 9,650 votes, making it one of the most popular polls in recent memory. More than 4,300 people say they will stick with Nova until it stops working, marking it the most popular way forward with ~45% of total votes.

Android Authority reader bhs76.harold echoes the sentiment that many of us long-time Android users have had. Much like this reader, even I used Nova Launcher on my first Android phone, the Samsung Galaxy Fit S5670 back in 2011.

For me, it was not only a replacement for the stock launcher, but also a way to preserve my customization and launcher settings when moving across custom ROMs, as I wiped the data on my phone a LOT in those days. Nova Launcher felt like a safe haven of familiarity while I jumped across Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich-based custom ROMs that had a 50:50 chance of throwing my phone into a bootloop. I could try something new on my phone, and still instantly have a familiar launcher in place just the way I like it, all thanks to Nova.

Much like reader muroadriano95, Nova Launcher Prime was the first app I ever paid for. Granted, I did pick it up when it was on sale for an exceptionally low price of Rs. 10 (~$0.10), but it was the easiest decision I could have made at the time since the app served me exceptionally well for years and across multiple devices.

Reader David Watson echoes my sentiments and possibly those of many others: The loss of Nova feels personal.

Many of those unwilling to stick with Nova are just fine sticking with the stock launcher on their phones. More than 1,900 people voted for this option, representing ~20% of the votes in our survey. It makes sense, too — stock launchers have gotten very good over the past few years as Android has matured as a platform, so there’s less need to try something else.

Google also gimped third-party launchers by tying some animations and experiences, such as navigation gestures and the Recents screen, to the launcher, which actively disincentivizes users from moving away from the stock launcher.

Over 1,400 votes come from people who have switched to another third-party launcher, representing ~15% of the total votes. It doesn’t come as a surprise, since Nova hasn’t been updated in a while, and the app also doesn’t play as nicely with foldables.

With almost 1,000 votes and a 10% vote share each, there are people who are unsure what they will do and people who have never used Nova Launcher on their phones.

I am surprised some people have never used Nova. Since Nova has been around for so long, you were bound to give it a shot at some point to see what the fuss is all about.

As reader Tyler points out, Nova Launcher has been synonymous with customization on Android since the very early days, and its loss makes the future of Android feel depressing. Those who can move on will, while the rest of us will stick around until the launcher stops working completely. So long Nova, and thanks for all the fish.