{"id":284084,"date":"2026-02-14T16:34:09","date_gmt":"2026-02-14T16:34:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/284084\/"},"modified":"2026-02-14T16:34:09","modified_gmt":"2026-02-14T16:34:09","slug":"survey-suggests-nova-launcher-remains-one-of-androids-darling-apps","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/284084\/","title":{"rendered":"Survey suggests Nova Launcher remains one of Android\u2019s darling apps"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"nova<\/p>\n

Andy Walker \/ Android Authority<\/p>\n

It\u2019s safe to say that Nova Launcher<\/a> has experienced some ups and downs in recent years, but somehow, it\u2019s still going.<\/p>\n

Since 2022, it was sold by its founders to owners who left it dormant for years. It underwent several staffing reshuffles and was presumed dead<\/a> at the end of last year. But there\u2019s never a dull moment in the life of this launcher. In January, it was confirmed<\/a> that Nova Launcher was purchased and resurrected by a new developer.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s great news for fans who believed that one of Android\u2019s most impactful apps had run its course, but the first few weeks post-purchase have signaled a few issues. For one, the free versions will now include ads, and the app itself received several new trackers. That certainly raised my eyebrows, but according to our latest polls, it\u2019ll take a lot more to shake Nova Launcher\u2019s popularity.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t want to miss the best from Android Authority?<\/p>\n

\"google\"google<\/a>Nova Launcher is still a hugely popular Android app<\/p>\n

We\u2019re looking at the results of two reader polls today, and both highlight just how popular Nova Launcher remains in the Android community.<\/p>\n

Almost two-thirds (63.2%) of respondents use Nova Launcher to some degree, whether as their full-time Android launcher or on-and-off with other launchers.<\/p>\n

Remarkably, 35.8% of these users are committed to the app and have no foreseeable plans to ditch it, although 22% are \u201cgrowing concerned about recent developments.\u201d Presumably, these worries are fueled by the app\u2019s new ad-supported model, but they may also stem from the general distrust fostered by the lack of a clear development path across the past four years.<\/p>\n

In contrast, 14.3% of respondents used Nova Launcher during the Branch ownership era, only ditching the app \u201cafter recent updates,\u201d while 13.5% left the app for dust after it was sold to Branch in 2022.<\/p>\n

The best Android launcher, now and forever?<\/p>\n

Now for the second poll. This survey asked readers if Nova Launcher is still the best Android launcher available. The response is largely in the app\u2019s favor.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Nearly 60% support this statement to some degree. ~30.5% believe that Nova was and remains the best option on Android, while 28.3% of readers are questioning this status due to the app\u2019s recent stuttered development.<\/p>\n

In contrast, 23.8% believe that there are better options available, even if Nova was once the best option. This is where I find myself, having left Nova Launcher for Kvaesitso, Niagara, and AIO Launcher in recent years.<\/p>\n

A rather slim sliver (5.4%) doesn\u2019t believe that Nova was ever the best Android launcher. Given the relatively few votes for this answer, this is a rather controversial stance.<\/p>\n

Overall, it\u2019s clear that the new Nova Launcher owner, Instabridge, has plenty to work with. The app still has a huge following with more positive sentiment than recent years would suggest. Even with the app\u2019s new ad-supported free tier, the additional trackers, and the potential paid tier future, fans are optimistic.<\/p>\n

Thank you for being part of our community. Read our\u00a0Comment Policy<\/a> before posting.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Andy Walker \/ Android Authority It\u2019s safe to say that Nova Launcher has experienced some ups and downs…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":284085,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[17994,342,111,139,69,145],"class_list":{"0":"post-284084","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-mobile","8":"tag-android-launchers","9":"tag-mobile","10":"tag-new-zealand","11":"tag-newzealand","12":"tag-nz","13":"tag-technology"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/284084","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=284084"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/284084\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/284085"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=284084"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=284084"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=284084"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}