For over a decade, Nova Launcher was the first app I installed on any new Android device. It was the gold standard for customization, offering a level of control that manufacturer skins simply could not match. It was clean, it was fast.
Whether you wanted a pixel-perfect layout or complex gesture controls, Nova was the reliable, private, and lightweight tool that defined the stock-style experience for millions of enthusiasts. At least for me, it was a fundamental reason I stuck with Android phones. While the writing has been on the wall for a bit now, that era officially ended earlier this year following Nova Launcher’s acquisition by Instabridge, a company primarily known for its data-heavy Wi-Fi mapping app. A few months down the line, we’re seeing the results of that acquisition, and Instabridge has sent Nova Launcher down a path that is impossible to ignore.