PSA: Nova Launcher is owned by an analytics company
Nova Launcher has been acquired by analytics company Branch
Since a few folks seem unaware of this, I'm posting anew for visibility.
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.
Be aware that using open source doesn't protect you completely from this, look at what happened to Simple Mobile tools, best install your open source applications from f-droid.
Do you have any good open source alternatives for Nova Launcher?
Of course, but when something like that happens to a popular app there will be an outcry. If you are not a tech person you might miss that, but I'd argue if you care about what launcher your phone has and you care about this issue to go foss you are probably the type of person who'd hear about it.
I use KISS launcher but there are many other options mentioned here that are also good. Yes, nothing is exactly like Nova. But lots of other stuff is good too.
What happened to simple tools? And I downloaded them from F-Droid
I backed up the APK of the last "clean" version before the sale. I'm going to keep using it until some OS update breaks it.
You don't have to do it! :)
One of the original maintainers of Simple Mobile Tools forked the project and he's adding new features and fixing bugs.
The project is called Fossify and you can already download the apps from both Play store and F-Droid
Please dont tell me I have to leave Niagara. :(
Depends how important some features are for you, e.g. read here https://help.niagaralauncher.app/article/20-sesame-integration
Right now its probably OK, but Nova was also OK for a while. If a FOSS launcher does this and is popular, it will be forked. Niagara won't be forked.
Switched to Niagara Launcher a few years back... it's awesome... clean, fast and actually different (most other launchers are just icon packs)
I like Niagara but it's insanely expensive, especially as a subscription. I don't know how people justify it.
Edit: The above was based on me getting duped by a Play Store sponsored search result and installing some crap that charges £70 for a lifetime licence. In comparison Niagara feels like much better value, but it's still expensive compared to most apps and I still don't like subscribing to software in general.
I looked at the paid features and none of them look useful to me so I'm just not going to give them money.
Subscription? That sucks.... I bought it outright a bit back, it was pricey, maybe $15 CAD? (Can't remember)
Sorry to hear it has gone up so much... But that does seem to be the way of the app world... Pricey, subscription (even when they cannot possibly justify it) or both!
It is 30 bucks for lifetime. I don't think it is that insane. It is well worth it IMO. Also they have a fair policy in prices across the globe.
Lol, here in India it is 100 INR (1.2 USD) yearly. Thank god for regional pricing.
Simple—just don't pay for the premium tier. Free one is good enough for most.
Same here, I was a big fan of Nova until I discovered Niagara about a year ago. It's a totally different concept from the icon based launchers. I love the minimalist approach to widgets and the self optimizing app list. Tying it in with sesame has led me that product as well and I'm finding the whole solution to be really nice
Niagara launcher is worth the time it takes to change your habit. Once you understand it you just can't conceive how people waste their time with normal home screens and organisation. It's just so damn fast to get to where you want to be with Niagara launcher.
What the fuck are you even doing with your phone that this even matters? Are you running multiple Fortune 500 companies from it? solely?
Honestly, your comment reads so much like advertising copy that I half-suspect you're a bot.
Honestly, don't care. Until it gets shitty (which it still has a good chance of doing so), I'll continue to use it.
2 points for brutal honesty.
A launcher owned by an analytics company? In my OS owned by an ad company?
It's more likely than you think!
The way I see it, unless I'm at risk of having personally identifiable information leaked, ad companies can waste all the money they want on me. I don't see anything they make anyway.
Me neither really. I don't love this, but I think a lot of people misunderstand what the analytics tools are mainly used for. It's not often that much to do with advertising, and it certainly isn't about farming your unique information in a clandestine way. It's about what's happening with the app, what features are being used as an aggregate, and most importantly for tracking the crash rate of the app, and why it's crashing.
I think this is more tied with advertising analytics, but I share the same opinion. I don't love it, but it's not a killer. The fediverse tends to attract a more idealistic and paranoid crowd, which I don't think is reflective of how most people are.
Reaction from a lot of people seems as if Nova now has some kind of keylogger and some random dude from Nigeria will try to access your bank account.
Like I've said elsewhere, the fediverse tends to have a lot of paranoid zealots. It's a bit offputting really.
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.
Where is the beta and why isn't it the main version?
The man dev quit the project and others are picking up the pieces. They might not have access to the Play Store account, or maybe they do. Either way, the new team has not produced a new final version yet. Just a string of alphas and betas. As of now the beta is the main version. It's good enough for daily use.
The beta was the first release in a few years.
The released the nightly build a few hour ago: https://github.com/LawnchairLauncher/lawnchair/releases/tag/nightly
I guess we can expect the final version in the coming days/weeks
Why is anything in the world the way it is?
Who knows where thoughts come from? They just appear... Yeah.
Could you please link to the right place, then?
I looked at Droidify and only found an old unmaintained version.
You need to work on how you ask for things... This isn't my product and I don't work for you.
I don't know if this is news to you, but the "then" on the end of your statement has some sharp edges on it and represents you as entitled (making you aware if that wasn't your intention)
A little more grace goes a long way when you're asking strangers for help on the internet, friend.
Thanks for the tip man 👍
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.
But they promised that they won't use the data for it 😜
They paid millions for it just for charity
I could believe them if they were a nonprofit. 😂
Having participated in many "charities", you'd be a fool to believe an operation just because it is registered as a "not for profit".
Look at the executive-pay, and if it is over 2x the cost-of-living, you're looking at a money-funneling-to-executives scam, that is masquerading as a not-for-profit.
The amount of spine required to have real integrity, in this planet, is apparently greater than the amount of spine available in a human life?
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
Yeah, but I paid for Nova Prime back then.
Now they have your money AND will track you.
If a product is not free but is a digital service with a paid subscription you are also the product. They ain't gonna stop data mining you b/c you give them 10 bucks a month.
Lol fuck me why even try anymore
it was JULY 2022 and almost nothing seems to be changed
how would you know?
oh crap
Well this fuckin sucks! I guess I'm switching back to the lame default launcher.
When that first happened I switched to KISS Launcher. Fully search based. really simple and really fast.
Hi, I've installed KISS after reading this comment and there's one thing I don't understand. Is one supposed to manually select their 'Favourites' or are they populated by KISS with use? I couldn't find an answer to this anywhere else.
Had an old, barely living phone. Tried very hard to die on sole fact it had to display icons. KISS actually made it usable once again. ^^
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.
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.
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 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
Same, been using Smart Launcher since I heard they were getting bought. No lie, I miss Nova's customizability, and some of Smart Launcher's quirks annoy me; but I vastly prefer it to being data harvested. Smart Launcher is good enough for me, and leaps and bounds better than ANYTHING else I tried.
Same here. There are quirks by I think I'm really use to them now. I tried Nova, Lawnchair and some others over the years but I think my long term Smart Launcher still fits me like a glove.
While you're at it, check out their other product, Icon Pack Studio. It's the last icon pack you'll ever need.
I used smart launcher right up until they pushed an update one day that made my phone basically unusable. The launcher would just error whenever I went to my home screen, making the launcher (and thus home screen completely unusable).
After that I changed my 5 star review to 1 star, uninstalled, and there is absolutely nothing they can do to ever get me to trust them again.
Failing that hard at QA on something as critical as a phone launcher is completely unacceptable to me.
If you want evidence, look at reviews from Jan 2022 on smart launcher 6.
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.
They have a paid version of the Nova launcher. I am certainly not a lawyer, but it also looks like they have a pretty clear privacy policy https://novalauncher.com/privacy/
I don't currently use it, but it is a nice alternative if they aren't doing anything fishy.
i use nova for it's name and icon customization (previously used lynx)
Nova isn't free.
What that means is Linux is spyware. So are pretty much every Foss project out there.
Except FOSS explicitly implies the user is free (as in freedom, not 0$), and the software isn't a product or service, but a tool.
That line only applies when a non-free service or software that's supposed to be meant for profit doesn't have a clear money income. Don't compare "oh how generous is google for giving me free email and drive for no shady reasons at all" to "i host my own email and cloud using foss projects".
Also, windows is basically spyware with a bit of unoptimized OS on top and you still (should) pay for it.
Yeah. It's a dumb statement because there are plenty of paid things that make you the product and plenty of free ones that don't.
it do be a dumb statement because it generalizes a lot but in propiertary software it msot often is true
Great point! Maybe I need to amend my statement to not include FOSS?
I give up
I gave up years ago. Security fatigue permeates my entire life.
You can switch off Error & Usage option in advanced setting in Nova.
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.
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.
can't analyze my data if I dont let you connect to the internet
mostly yes but it will depend how you block your Internet connection, with exception GrapheneOS approach all the other ways to "block" internet on Android devices may leak some data.
The chances of some data being leaked is always possible but I'll roll the dice if it means getting to keep using a launcher that's not god awful or pixel-based until some other launchers become more mature.
If we're were talking financial information or something, sure, the chance of leaks is a huge problem, but some usage analytics leaking is more annoying than anything else.
Imagine not using Lawnchair or Neo Launcher in 2024
Niagara launcher user here. Dont forget us!
And Kvaesitso Users!
(FDroid only)
Yes!! It takes a bit to get used to, but it can have a very clean look. Been using it for a while now.
It's extremely easy to when neither has all the features that Nova does.
Imagine if it didn't work on your device. Lawnchair apparently isn't available on Android 12 without sideloading.
In the list of available apps I see "Neo Launcher Hyperion SciFi" (no plain "Neo Launcher") and the first thing that I notice with that is the "contains ads" flag.
Nova, meanwhile, comes up consistently among searches for launchers, and up until when I stopped using it provided a good mix of functionality and customization (ad-free, and without sideloading). It's disappointing to learn it's run by a company that may be likely to harvest data
Check F-Droid
Shit I've been using Android phones since version 2 and never needed any replacement launcher. The apps and files are right there where I need them already, easy to access with a couple of taps.
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.
Someone correct me, but I think they can still send and receive data if using the Google services.
Correct
I just checked and Nova has never tried to call home. Granted, I just did a hardware reset yesterday, so I only have two days of data to work with.
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!
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.
Switched to Niagara launcher (Pro version) about a year ago and now I cannot imagine using a phone with an traditional app drawer.
If you use more than one widget it's a terrible choice. I know they have stackable widgets, but it looks awful swiping with differing size widgets.
Also using it since almost a year back i think now. But not pro. I can't find a reason to pay that much for functionality I don't really need even if I would pay to support the dev.
Came here to mention Niagara. Been using it almost 5 years now and it's perfect. Early on had some stuff that I missed, like folders or browser shortcuts, but the overall UI made up for it. But now? Flawless. Peerless. Just fucking, delightful.
I don't even think about it until I see someone else use their launcher, and feel the need to give them a short Niagara demo.
I don't understand why no phone company has considered making at least something similar as default. A vertical list of apps is way more intuitive than a mess of dozens of apps with too many colors. Now if switch to a new phone, I even have to check if it supports gestures for third-party launchers. Another a-hole feature of some brands (specifically Xiaomi). Using Niagara with the bottom navigation buttons makes no sense.
So what's the recommended replacement?
I will not go back to the stock launcher because they're dog water.
I use Niagara Launcher and love it... maybe you will too
I've just tried it and it's not for me.
I quite like the hidden gestures on Nova. I hide my security related apps and use gestures on certain things to bring them up. Yes, it is a layer of security through obscurity and I know the Reddit/Lemmy echo chamber says it's a bad thing, but I respectfully disagree.
Is the Microsoft Launcher something you'd try? I've had it for awhile and it's great, though I'm no expert on launchers.
I didn't hear about it before but I now have Niagara launcher. It was weird at first but after a few days I love it.
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.
How are you restricting internet access for it?
Adguard can firewall it. Now I'll wait for somebody to reply to me saying how horrible adguard is for privacy haha
Check out TrackerControl on the F-Droid app store. It lets you block Internet access to individual apps and selectively block trackers and other analytics. It does this by acting as a VPN in the android OS so it won't work while on another VPN but that's good enough for my needs.
Thank you. I was not aware of it. Uninstalling now
sigh
Dang this is my favorite. I might look into a good alternative later on. I'm not on my phone that much anymore.
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.
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.
Awesome.. I just installed kvaesitso after (...about 10?) years of being a paid Nova Premium user. I uninstalled Nova and so far so good. Thanks!
To keep it updated I recommend Obtainium ( https://github.com/ImranR98/Obtainium) if you don't want to use fdroid.
They discuss the acquisition and analytics concerns here: https://novalauncher.com/branch
Oh this is almost 2 years old then ... yeah honestly, I'm not that worried at this point.
Thank you for this heads up
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!
And I BOUGHT pro! Went to Neo launcher when I started GraphineOS. May move to launchair if/when it supports work profile.
I have lawnchair and it supports work profile. At least as far as I know. I can swipe left/right to see my work apps in the app drawer. Not sure if there's something else.
I'm running 14 beta 2 https://github.com/LawnchairLauncher/lawnchair/releases
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.
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.
I switched from Nova Launcher to Lawnchair (GitHub) over a year ago. I think it's great. https://github.com/LawnchairLauncher/lawnchair
Well damn. I've been on Nova launcher for years. Even bought prime and all that.
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.
It is a closes source program owned by an analytics company. I don't know if there's a good way to conclusively tell, but why else would they have bought it?
Well shit, time to find an alternative
I ditched it for Lawnchair, and I have no regrets. Works just as well as Nova did.
Lol nah. I tried it recently. Lawnchair is lacking in so much customization compared to Nova it's kind of appalling to compare them imo.
That being said, if you are ok with the Pixel launcher and pretty basic / generic customizations Lawnchair is a pretty awesome app.
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.
Well this sucks because I love Nova :(
Notre: the change of ownership happened 2yrs ago
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.
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 :(
Neo Launcher is close but not yet all the way there
I know, still use it. It's just never allowed to call home. Simple.
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.
Grapheneos and blocked internet for the launcher.
Are there comparable alternatives? I never found another launcher that I like as much.
I switched to Lawnchair 2. It's free, open source and quite versatile. Probably not as much as Nova, though it's been a few years since I last used it.
It is significantly less than Nova. People keep suggesting it but it's not a true replacement for those that were actually using Nova to its full potential. They're frankly isn't a replacement right now that goes all out on providing users customization options. That's not in vogue anymore, apparently.
Lawnchair 2 isn't available for my phone since the app is too old, and I'm only on Android 12.
Edit: this only applies to the Play Store version
Lawnchair 2 is no longer under development. The development team always starts to develop a new launcher based on the latest stock launcher every time a new Android version is released (so basically every year). This way the app usually never gets past the alpha or beta builds till they already move on to start from scratch. I don't understand their strategy.
Free - Lawnchair | Kvaesisto
Paid - Niagara Launcher
Shoutout for Niagara. High quality reliable launcher. Only switched away after 2+ years cuz I got a little bored of the interface
Niagara's free version is still pretty great too. I usually pay for apps but don't want a subscription for my launcher, so I use it in free mode. Despite the limitations it's methodology of getting you to the app you're looking for as quickly as possible is a game changer. I don't know if I'll be able to go back to icons and folders + app drawer launchers haha
I used Niagara free for quite a while. It does have a fair few features locked behind the paywall, but it's certainly usable.
This will be down voted, but I also tried a bunch of launchers and never found one I liked better than Nova. I ended up installing TrackerControl and Nova has its internet connection fully disabled. It doesn't need Internet for any features I use, so I felt like this was a good compromise, personally. I ended up starting to block trackers in all my apps now because of it, so I see it as a net win.
Maybe also check out Total Launcher.
Seconding Total, that's where I ended up after leaving Nova and trying a few. Very, very customisable, but a bit of a learning curve.
For me Hyperion ended up giving me the closest out of the box experience to what I wanted.
TotalLauncher
Nope. And since so far they're doing nothing, Nova it is for the time being. There just isn't anything remotely as customisable.