Nova Launcher has been acquired by a new firm that's considering integrating ads into the launcher to support its development and maintenance.
New year, new owner
Things haven't been very smooth for Nova Launcher over the last few years. In 2022, it was acquired by an analytics company called Branch Metrics. The acquisition led to many changes within the company and the launcher itself. Most of the development team, other than founder Kevin Barry, was laid off. Development of the app also became very slow, and as a result, updates became very irregular.
Then, in September, Barry also exited the company after he was told to stop working on the launcher and not to put any effort into making it an open-source project. Following this, everyone, including us, believed that this was the end of one of the best Android launchers. Fortunately, there's a new twist in the story. A new company named Instabridge has acquired the Nova Launcher from Branch Metrics.
In the announcement post, the company first clarified that Nova is not going to shut down. It mentioned that it is not going to revamp the launcher all at once overnight. Instead, it will currently prioritize keeping the launcher stable, maintained, and compatible with the latest Android updates.
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Instabridge's post also highlights that Nova will always give preference to performance and customization. As of now, the company will reportedly work on addressing the reported bugs and working on the feedback it receives from Play Store reviews, Reddit, and other community channels.
Ads are coming
Ads in Nova Prime. | Image Credit - Reddit user RIP_MacMiller and Jabpi.
Nova Launcher is alive, and that's definitely great news. But what you will not appreciate as its fan is that Instabridge's post clearly hints ads will be integrated into it. Here's what the FAQ about whether ads will be added to Nova says:
Nova needs a sustainable business model to support ongoing development and maintenance. We are exploring different options, including paid tiers and other approaches. As many of you have already anticipated, we are also evaluating ad based options for the free version.
While the FAQ hints that ads could be introduced, some reports clearly indicate that they are already present in the launcher. On Lemdro (an open-source platform like Reddit, especially designed for tech enthusiasts), a user named KOZ reportedly shared that version 8.2.4, which is the latest build available for Nova Launcher, contains Facebook Ads and Google AdMob trackers. Reports also confirm the existence of strings related to ad services, as well as code for the trackers that were added by the previous owner of the launcher.
Instabridge clearly mentions that ads will not be shown in Nova Prime, which costs $3.99. Surprisingly, two Reddit users (RIP_MacMiller and Jabpi) shared that they are seeing ads even in Nova Prime. So, not showing ads in the prime version of the launcher is just a false promise, or there's something wrong in the coding that's resulting in users seeing ads in Nova Prime? This still needs to be answered.
That said, the now-parent company of Nova says that it will collect a very minimal amount of user data and make very clear why it is being collected. The collected data will reportedly not be sold to anyone. Kevin Barry's thought of making the launcher open source might also become a reality, as Instabridge mentions that it is evaluating that aspect as well.
Which Android launcher do you use on your Android device?
Nova Launcher.
33.33%
Niagara Launcher.
16.67%
Smart Launcher.
16.67%
Lawnchair.
0%
Microsoft Launcher.
0%
Who even uses an Android launcher in 2026?
33.33%
Everything's not perfect with Nova Launcher now
While Android launchers are definitely not as popular as they used to be, there's still a huge segment of Android users that use them, and among them a good portion of users must be using Nova Launcher. I think that the introduction of ads will make things even worse for any Android launcher, including Nova. Nobody would appreciate seeing an ad in their app drawer.
You definitely have the option to switch to Nova Prime. But as aforementioned, the Prime version is also currently showing ads for some reason. That said, there are a few things you can do for now.
First, get used to seeing ads in the app drawer. Second, sideload a Nova Launcher version that was released before it was acquired by Branch Metrics. However, since that version would be quite old, you might run into compatibility issues while installing it on your device. Lastly, you definitely have the option to switch to a different Android launcher. Personally, I prefer Niagara Launcher.
Aman Kumar is a tech news writer with a long-standing passion for smartphones. Aman specializes in everything smartphones, from AI features like Pixel’s Camera Coach to understanding ideal hardware combinations. He loves breaking down complex features in a simple, clear way and hopes manufacturers bring back bold designs like the Nokia N-Gage. When he’s not writing, he’s either gaming on PUBG or talking fitness as a dedicated gym enthusiast.
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