PSA: Nova Launcher is owned by an analytics company

Are there comparable alternatives? I never found another launcher that I like as much.

Anyone here not using an open source launcher after this announcement is seriously learning nothing from this. You are just trusting the next company that either already or eventually will go the same way. Like the dude mentioning Microsoft launcher as alternative, that one has branch analytics baked in as well as far as I remember.

Lawn chair is the main FOSS alternative.

Be aware that there is a play store version that is not updated (version 2) and a beta that is actively maintained (version14.2 now)

They are quite different.

Lawnchair is a fork of the original pixel launcher that gives some quality of life upgrades to an already good piece of software, like being able to remove the search bar, resizable / reshapable icons and fonts usw. Its also open source, so feel free to check out the github.

There is no app store release right now but they are working on it. I've used the alpha versions for two years now and it has worked fine so far.

https://lawnchair.app/downloads/

But they promised that they won't use the data for it 😜

They paid millions for it just for charity

Switched to Niagara Launcher a few years back... it's awesome... clean, fast and actually different (most other launchers are just icon packs)

Honestly, don't care. Until it gets shitty (which it still has a good chance of doing so), I'll continue to use it.

Well damn. I've been on Nova launcher for years. Even bought prime and all that.

Niagara is what I moved to from Nova. Less widget focused layout, but any app is literally 2 presses and one swipe away from the home screen.

Doesn't matter, as long as you restrict internet access for it.

Since there are no alternatives coming even close, I refuse to switch just because.

it was JULY 2022 and almost nothing seems to be changed

Fuck. Using nova kept me sane. Even though they say, nothing changes....it will. With an analytics company, if they spend that much on nova, they are either going to go behind a paywall, or start data mining the shit from every user.

Remember, if the product is free, then you're the product

Lol fuck me why even try anymore

You can switch off Error & Usage option in advanced setting in Nova.

can't analyze my data if I dont let you connect to the internet

oh crap

When that first happened I switched to KISS Launcher. Fully search based. really simple and really fast.

Well this fuckin sucks! I guess I'm switching back to the lame default launcher.

Woah, seeing Nova launcher name with enshittification makes me trip down memory lane.

I remember using one of these launcher apps on my Jelly Bean 2013 lenovo phone, Nova Launcher app being one of them that felt good to me, though as time passes and more I delve into rooting and custom roms, I just stick to whatever launcher is included in the rom or just use stock launcher. Maybe I'm becoming old timer that need "it just functions, simple, and no bs" guy. Been using stock launcher on android since 2016.

Begone, bitch. Removed from my phone. I even had prime.

If you aren't paying, you're the product.

Microsoft Windows addendum: even when you pay, you're the product.

PS: I know this goes for more than M$. They're just the easy target here on Lems.

Switched to Niagara launcher (Pro version) about a year ago and now I cannot imagine using a phone with an traditional app drawer.

They discuss the acquisition and analytics concerns here: https://novalauncher.com/branch

I use Smart Launcher. I'm surprised there aren't more users of it.

I've been using it on all my phones and tablets for years now. Doesn't matter what type of Android phone I use, they mostly end up being the same feel with Smart Launcher

Thank you. I was not aware of it. Uninstalling now

I switched from Nova Launcher to Lawnchair (GitHub) over a year ago. I think it's great. https://github.com/LawnchairLauncher/lawnchair

Ah man I've been using this app for years... It's really convenient!

Thanks for the info, as a long-time Nova Launcher user, I was not aware. Good thing I didn't give it any internet access.

To remove internet access from Nova, in android go to:

Settings->mobile network->data usage->network access

Go to Nova and select "disable network access"

Nova will complain after but functions just fine.

Adguard seems to do a good job blocking the Nova calls to home. Thing is, it's like an AV or VPN, you can only guess that it's working over time, you really don't know for sure.

I switched to Kvaesitso (https://github.com/MM2-0/Kvaesitso) and Lawnchair (https://lawnchair.app/downloads/).

Not quite the same customization, but worth it. Kvaesitso is my primary and I love it.

Well this sucks because I love Nova :(

I've been looking since this was first announced forever ago but can't find a comparable alternative. My two main requirements are being able to create folders for apps in the app drawer and being able to assign "swiping up" on my home screen icon for the to open hidden apps or actions. I would love if anyone had a suggestion that included those two features.

There are a lot of comments here about which launchers are "close enough" to the Nova feature set, but very few people are talking about specific features and the alternatives that support them. I really just use two, and everything else is a cherry on top that I can do without if push comes to shove.

1. Icons that open a folder if you swipe them, but launch the first app in the folder if you tap them. That way my apps all pull double-duty as both the one-tap app AND the list of alternatives I use less often.
2. Google Now integration that swipes in from the left.

Action Launcher used to be my go-to, and it's still the best implementation of #1 because of the little indicators it adds to let you know if something is a "cover" (folder when you swipe) or "shutter" (widget when you swipe). Sadly it's gotten rather bloated over the years and spends more time force-closing from one glitch or another than it does actually running properly. Nova was my backup because it added "covers" a few years ago and I remembered enjoying the app about a decade ago. Now what?

I ditched it for Lawnchair, and I have no regrets. Works just as well as Nova did.

I give up

I switched to Lawnchair a few years ago (IIRC 6 years ago) and it's been a solid experience, I'm very happy with it.

Well. Fuck.

KISS is all I need.

I had Nova prime and reluctantly moved to KISS when this was announced in 2022. The lack of features was quite the change, but I've been using it since and wouldn't go back. Searching and quick launching apps feels the fastest it can possibly be with KISS.

Grapheneos and blocked internet for the launcher.

OK, if they say so, it must be true. I mean, they bought it because they had nothing better to do with the money, and that they are a data mining company means nothing. They just wanted a Launcher because "why not?".

Just keep your Nova launcher and don't opt-in to the tracking, nothing will change. 🤔

I've been seeing too much of this lately. They can't get us to get their nasty tracking malware ridden software, so they bet on us being too stupid to move away from one they purchase because we used to trust it. Same thing that happened with the Simple apps suite.

We'll be seeing more and more of this moving forward.

Thank you for this heads up

Uninstalled

i paid for https://aiolauncher.app/ ... just sleek.

what i use for annoying apps i kinda need: use karma FW. It basically routes all your phones traffic through itself and you can block apps to not use internet at all. Having it set up as always on works best.

Imagine not using Lawnchair or Neo Launcher in 2024

Great. Still using it until I have a good reason not to.

And I BOUGHT pro! Went to Neo launcher when I started GraphineOS. May move to launchair if/when it supports work profile.

It is unfortunate and I was looking at dozens of other open source launchers, but I was not able to find one that fits my needs and is as customizable as Nova Launcher :(

Reading the article and justification given I do actually get the idea of it. They want to levarage the parent company's clout and connections in order to convince other app makers into implementing a way for Sesame, the universal search app/plugin, to pull results directly from those apps. For the parent company it would give them a USP in the analytics market.

In short: Think of searching for a product from the launcher and rather than it opening Google, it returns results directly from the Amazon app, or eBay, or any other app that supports the functionality. Obviously there'll be an affiliate kickback for any click-through and you've got a decent revenue source.

It's a good idea, I get it. Would I feel comfortable using it? I don't know. On the one hand it just cuts out the middle-man of searching for and clicking through to products via Google etc. On the other hand, all of the concerns already raised in this thread!

Where is my tldr bot

Is there evidence that they are collecting data from the app?

I love Nova launcher but will switch to an alternative if I have to.

Dang this is my favorite. I might look into a good alternative later on. I'm not on my phone that much anymore.

Switched back to action launcher when this happened

Main feature I love, which to my knowledge action did first anyway, is to have a folder of app icons where one is the most frequent. You tap on it to open the frequent option or swipe it to open the folder.

Basically means you almost never need the app deserter l drawer

Is there any launcher that works well with Pixel's transition animations when using gesture mode? I haven't tried for a few years because there would be weird animation glitches from things like switching apps or going back to the home screen.

I switched to T-UI Launcher like 7 years ago and never looked back. The F-Droid version is the best version, the one on Google Play lacks SMS and some other features.

Command line launcher is unironically by far the best and most efficient thing I've ever used. I tried T-E-L but I found it was a real battery hog. I may give it another go though. Maybe it was just a problem with the phone I was using at the time.

Lanwchair is a great replacement but I am facing many problems with its widgets and don't forget the default launcher is always the best option if you consider less surface attack

So what's the recommended replacement?

I will not go back to the stock launcher because they're dog water.

Saved for the launcher recommendations, although all of my experiences with them have been bad because of the broken animations since A12 I think... Some look slightly better, like kvaesitso.

sigh

Is the Nova 7 apk that everyone references actually "safe" or is that just regurgitated rumor without source?

I've been using KISS for I don't know how many years at this point. I can't imagine using anything else at this point. I'm sure that there's plenty of other great FOSS launchers out there!

I know, still use it. It's just never allowed to call home. Simple.

Would it be safe if I stayed on some older version of the app?

So I've been using nova for awhile, and recently it's started to work less and less. I feel like this has gotta be the nail in the coffin for me.

Any recommendations for a new launcher? I really like nova, and would like it to function similarly.

I'm aware, I just don't care tbh lol

And off you go!

Well shit, time to find an alternative

I use Nova integrated with Sesame. Unless I can find apps that can have the functions offered by these two apps, I've got no choice but to stay.

I didn't even bother to install 3rd party launcher on my current device. I had been using Nova ever since I got my first android device.

I used to be super excited about new device releases but I've lost nearly all my interest in smartphone technology. LG V10/V20 was peak smartphone in my opinion and they've been just gotting more and more boring since. My current one most resembles that of some old granny except for the lack of bloatware. I could barely be bothered to look for a new wallpaper.