When you've been using Android for over a decade, you form attachments to the apps that shape your daily routine. Nova Launcher was one of those apps for millions, the customization powerhouse that made Android feel truly yours. After more than 13 years of steady innovation and polish, that chapter has closed.
Kevin Barry left Branch after serving as the sole developer for over a year, which marked the end of Nova’s development. What stings even more is that Branch's leadership blocked his push to open-source the project, despite earlier promises to the community. So the app many of us spent years tuning and tweaking now sits in corporate limbo, slowly turning into legacy software.
The end of an era, but not the end of choice
After a decade of watching Android evolve, Nova’s story feels personal, like losing an old friend who taught you how to bend your phone to your will. The app wasn't just another Play Store download, it stood for Android’s original promise of flexibility and user control, right down to the tiniest animation.
What makes it frustrating is how avoidable it seems. Branch could have honored its word and open-sourced Nova, letting the community carry it forward. Instead the app becomes a museum piece, admired, then slowly forgotten.
Still, the Android community is stubborn in the best way. Projects like Lawnchair keep the spirit alive, embracing the open source model Nova was denied.
If you are still on Nova, enjoy it while it runs. Screenshot your layout, back up what you can, and start testing options before something critical breaks. The chapter Nova wrote is ending, but the urge to make Android personal is not going anywhere.
This is not just about losing Nova Launcher. It is about holding on to what we valued in Android’s promise of user control, and making sure that spirit finds a home in whatever tools come next.
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