So Branch straight up fucking lied about open sourcing it.
If they didn't lie they wouldn't have asked the founding developer to stop.
this post was submitted on 07 Sep 2025
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Mozilla promised to open-source Pocket and they closed it without doing so also. It's common. Google did open-source Pebble stuff a decade later, so it's never too late!
It was already dead for a lot of users when they sold it to an analytics company in 2022.
I stopped using it then and I actually thought they went under, huh.
Yep - and I recall arguing at the time with one of the Nova people sent to Reddit to try and sell us on the idea that everything was just fine, and nothing would change, and hey, look over there, a huge distracting thing...
It was bullshit then, and so it's proved. What a waste of a truly exceptional launcher.
yeah i didn't know it still exists lol
Niagara Launcher is a great, but different launcher. A modern + minimalist Android home screen optimized for one-✋ access and staying focused. Designed by a German team who really cares, believe they group just went fulltime after having been done with university. They also allow you purchase the apk to avoid Google. They have a free version and a trial of the premium version.
Kvaesitso from droidify. Different first but pretty solid.
I'm fairly new to Android, so have been using Nova on a friend's recommendation since I got my phone. I installed Kvaesitso and can't for the life of me figure out how to make it just look like what I'm used to.
I hate this shit. Why do people have to change my stuff!
I like ion launcher.
KISS launcher (minimal mode). FOSS available on fdroid.
I tried KISS but unless I didn't find how to, it didn't have multiple home pages and widgets were limited. I also don't like to type to find an app, it feels like too many inputs :/
I love KISS, its so simple yet has a decent amount of customization. It's all you need in a launcher.
Deny network permissions and keep using Nova until it won't work.
I would have just switched to another launcher at that point. There are plenty of Launchers (Lawnchair) that have all the features Nova had, if not more. Plus, it values privacy and consumer first.
Nova arguably died a long time ago. People only wanted to stick with it this long due to the nostalgia and the fear of letting it go. It's a bloated app full of bugs.
I hate Lawnchair for some reason. I will try again.
I don't think you even can deny apps network permission on most Android builds anymore. Didn't Google kill that option years ago for the sake of ads? (I'm on GrapheneOS now, where it certainly is possible, but if I remember right I couldn't do it on the stock Pixel OS.)
I'm using firewall features from RethinkDNS to block internet connections per app. Still using Nova Launcher v7.0.58 with auto update disabled.
GrapheneOS.
So, yes, you're right. But I don't fuck around with stock shit.
You could use netguard, tracker control or rethinkdns for this. Surely there are other apps as well.
I didn't even know google gave this option, been using netguard since 2017.
I don't think you even can deny apps network permission on most Android builds anymore. Didn't Google kill that option years ago for the sake of ads?
The solution to this is rooting your phone. Root allows you to get around those arbitrary blocks.
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They can still communicate through Google services, even without network permission themselves. If i recall correctly gmaps doesn't really use the network permission, but uninstall Google Play Services and suddenly nothing loads.
Incorrect. I have been running it this way for years. GrapheneOS.
Anyone have any alternatives they like?
Lawnchair is great
I tested a few launchers that were not to my liking, and then I settled on Lawnchair.
I might change at some stage, but so far it's working for me.
I installed Lawnchair yesterday, so far, for my needs at least, I like it. It doesn't have a paged app drawer, but I just created folders instead and I'll get used to it.
I made a switch to Smart Launcher which has been quite fantastic. They don't rely on a subscription model like most other launchers which is a huge plus in my book. They offer quite a bit of options for customizing your screen. Not as much as Nova, but it's still good. I used Nova for a long time as well, but this has made it easier to transition to. Aside from that, Hyperion Launcher has plenty of options as well.
I had Nova Pro back in the day and decided to give KISS a try. It's a completely different philosophy but I ended up liking it and I've been using it for years now. I can't imagine a faster launcher nowadays, it just gets out of your way.
I like Niagara. Simplistic. Minimalist.
For full features you need a subscription. For a phone launcher. Hard no.
We all have our hard lines, and I don't fault yours.
However for the scrollers passing by, they have a lifetime membership of about ~$45 USD. I found it worth it. It was super easy to get used to, and I honestly can't stand any other launcher now.
I like it a lot and would hate to see it die out, so it was easy to justify for me.
@not_that_guy05 @candyman337 FOSS?
KISS is very similar to Niagara, and is FOSS. I have used it for years
No
Neo launcher:
Last release 2022. There are a few bugs that I endured for more than a year, then I moved.
Lawnchair now is my best friend.
Since the new release of Lawn Chair I have the bug (listed on Github issues) where I can't add widgets, so I'm stuck with Neo Launcher for now
But I can't wait to switch back
But last update was 3 months ago?
I've found Total Launcher to be an easy 1:1 replacement for Nova and has some useful, additional features
Not FOSS though.
I used it for a while and really liked it, but the not-FOSS aspect didn't sit well, especially since I'm starting to migrate off of proprietary services - including Play services.
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I switched to Smart Launcher. Tried all the recommended launchers for some time but none met my needs. After some time getting used to it and changing the settings, Smart launcher is the one.
KISS, you can find it on F-Droid
I use Apex Launcher. It's not exactly the same but it works for me.
I moved to Nova because ADW stopped getting supported. I still prefer the latter, and I guess I have no reason to use the former now