Uninstalled within seconds. I’m trialling Hyperion launcher now, which seems pretty crisp.
Man how the mighty have fallen. It’s rather sad actually
Nova Launcher unashamedly inserts malware ads into your home screen now.
Submitted 1 month ago by Agent641@lemmy.world to mildlyinfuriating@lemmy.world
https://lemmy.world/pictrs/image/04a4bb7a-63be-4182-bf11-caabebc34acc.png
Comments
stefenauris@pawb.social 1 month ago
InFerNo@lemmy.ml 1 month ago
What’s so special about launchers? I fail to see its or understand what it does, and if I should change mine?
Agent641@lemmy.world 1 month ago
I’m just a fussy bastard, and I like everything to be ‘just so’ on my computers and phones. If I want to move a zig, I’m gonna find a way to move that zig.
cenariodantesco@lemmy.world 1 month ago
Launchers allow you to have a customised UI, maybe you don’t want to have a Google search bar in you home screen, the default UI doesn’t allow you to change it, a launcher does. What about changing order of icons, maybe you want your icons to shape the capital letter F, with a launcher you can, or you know that real gangstas use IBM Plex Mono instead of Roboto, you ain’t nobody’s bitch, a launcher helps you with that
Dozzi92@lemmy.world 1 month ago
I changed mine finally after Google kept adding shit to the search bar, specifically AI stuff. And it was conveniently placed right where my thumb had pressed prior to the implementation of this new shitty feature.
I went from the stock Google launcher on Pixel (still using my 6a, til it dies) to Lawnchair. Lawnchair is essentially the stock Google launcher, but I could get rid of stupid features. It looks and performa nearly identically.
Yerbouti@sh.itjust.works 1 month ago
On a shield Android TV, the official launcher show ads for stupid shows. I don’t want any of that crap and want to organize apps the way I like.
MonkderVierte@lemmy.zip 1 month ago
Launchers are your homescreen and app overview. There’s basically the two kinds of launchers, app grid and app list. And hundreds of iterations over them: some have only the grid (no widget area), some have categories and auto-sort, some are just a text list, others have fancy animations (Niagara), some want to predict what you use next, some have a special integration of a app/feature/network. Stuff like that.
Phoenix3875@lemmy.world 1 month ago
For a command line like experience (or macOS spotlight), try KISS launcher. Never looked back. f-droid.org/packages/fr.neamar.kiss/
Shady_Shiroe@lemmy.world 1 month ago
On the subject of android launchers, I gotta advertise: github.com/RoBoT095/win95_launcher
Made it in two days, released yesterday, still needs work but I want to know what people think of it.
pir8t0x@lemmy.ml 1 month ago
I suggest Lawnchair to you
CocaineShrimp@sh.itjust.works 1 month ago
So tthhaattss why they’ve added Google / Facebook tracking… lemdro.id/post/35102061
ViperActual@sh.itjust.works 1 month ago
Will things still be okay if I disabled updates for it?
nshibj@lemmy.world 1 month ago
I would recommend switching to anther launcher already. Even if you don’t get ads, Nova Launcher is tracking you and sharing your information with Facebook and other sketchy companies.
Skanky@lemmy.world 1 month ago
OneUI honestly isn’t that bad. Not as good as Nova, but it’s fine - especially when using the Goodlock customizations.
On a related note, is there any way to change all my apps on the play store to not auto update? I assume I have to do this one by one, because why would they make it that easy…
Tilgare@lemmy.world 1 month ago
Agreed - we’re a LONG way past Touchwiz nightmare fuel at this point. Other than the Samsung branded bloat, it’s pretty close to stock android these days. The home screen has tons of customization features, and Goodlock adds even more. I stopped using Nova because of a LONG time Android bug with 3rd party launchers where apps would just show a blank screen or otherwise wouldn’t launch when opened immediately after going home. I found Pixel launcher to be passable (but I heavily preferred Nova), and found that Samsung’s launcher might have actually been better when I switched phones later.
I jumped on a Google issue tracker thread in 2023 that still sends me emails because it gets a flood of people all these years later still reporting the issue is not resolved.
Now I’m on a Fold 7 anyways, and Samsung handles your home screen while folding and unfolding pretty well, I don’t expect that Nova does.
flop_leash_973@lemmy.world 1 month ago
As gross as it is, this writing has been on the wall for years now. As soon as Branch did the initial purchase anyone that cared about such things should have starting looking at alternatives.
tumblechinchilla@sh.itjust.works 1 month ago
Well this sucks. Been using Nova for a long time. God fucking damnit I hate this timeline. To all the folks recommending lawnchair thanks. Ended up settling on lawn chair.
titanicx@lemmy.zip 1 month ago
You know I’m still waiting to see any of these ads. Soon as they pop up I’ll be switching but until that point I’m sticking with what I like.
nshibj@lemmy.world 1 month ago
I would recommend switching already. Even if you don’t get ads, Nova Launcher is tracking you and sharing your information with Facebook and other sketchy companies.
0_o7@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 month ago
Using a minimalistic launcher called Ion Launcher. I don’t use a launcher all that often so this fits in well.
systemglitch@lemmy.world 1 month ago
What is Nova launcher?
Agent641@lemmy.world 1 month ago
A launcher is the thing that displays your home screen and app list. Where you can dock and undock apps, widgets, ect. Also known as a “home app”. The default android one is Quickstep, but it’s dogshit and not customisable.
A 3rd party launcher lets you tweak size, appearance, shape and colour of app symbols, home screens, and widgets.
Nova launcher was the GOAT of launchers until some corpo bought it and shoveled spyware and ads into it.
No hate against the original developer, he did a good job and honestly I would have sold my project too if it bought me financial security and freedom from the tyranny of the daily grind. Besides, by that time there were already other good 3rd party launchers out there
jpeps@lemmy.world 1 month ago
What was the free experience like prior to this? I paid for it ages back and haven’t really thought about it. I can’t remember what I even gained from doing that.
Crashumbc@lemmy.world 1 month ago
I mean you should have uninstalled it when they sold it… Knee this was coming.
VerilyFemme@lemmy.blahaj.zone 1 month ago
Yeah, Nova has been dead for a while now. I thought there was a fork, but I’m just now finding out that’s no longer in development.
I’ve migrated around other launchers, and I now use μlauncher, which fulfills my needs for a minimalist launcher with function.
sverit@lemmy.ml 1 month ago
I like Octopi. Relatively new but good so far. play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.otp.oct…
mfed1122@discuss.tchncs.de 1 month ago
So excited for this to totally bankrupt and put an end to them
jbloggs777@discuss.tchncs.de 1 month ago
I have used Nova Launcher for years. Was surprised I hadn’t already bought it. Discovered a 3 buxk playstore credit from google, so I paid 1 buck in the end. An easy decision.
Apparently it was in maintenance mode for years with a single developer who left in late 2025, and it was sold to a swedish company that plans to develop/support it further. Hopefully they do it well.
bamboo@lemmy.blahaj.zone 1 month ago
it was sold to a swedish company that plans to develop/support it further. Hopefully they do it well.
Narrator: They aren’t
jbloggs777@discuss.tchncs.de 1 month ago
Perhaps. Software comes and goes, and paying a small one-off amount for something genuinely useful, after many years of service, is acceptable to me. There are alternatives too, which is good.
boonhet@sopuli.xyz 1 month ago
and it was sold to a swedish company that plans to develop/support it further. Hopefully they do it well.
Well they’ve already added ads and tracking so “well” is not on the table at this point.
jbloggs777@discuss.tchncs.de 1 month ago
True… many people don’t get the opt-out option, I suppose. There are alternatives, anyway.
starlinguk@lemmy.world 1 month ago
I have it. No ads. It has two tracker libraries (Branch, Bugsnag) that get blocked by tracker control.
kamen@lemmy.world 1 month ago
I’m on one of the last versions from before the acquisition (8.1.1) and intend to use it for as long as I can while searching for alternatives. Thankfully my Prime key still works (email one, not Play Store), maybe the checks are hardcoded in some way.
What I’m thinking now is to get the APK and self-sign it as a way to prevent Play Store from auto updating it. I’m with a non-rooted device, this seems to be about the only way I have. I have already unchecked the auto update for it, but it still appears in the update list, and if I tap “Update all”, it would update. Does anyone have experience with this?
TheSeveralJourneysOfReemus@lemmy.world 1 month ago
Reminds me of go launcher ex. Used to be this funny looking launcher, yet invasive and with ads. Back then nova was the apex predator of launcher: keeping a stock android look but with advanced customsied settings.
randamumaki@lemmy.blahaj.zone 1 month ago
For those looking for alternatives: Fossify is making a decent enough launcher as well. github.com/FossifyOrg/Launcher
trashcroissant@lemmy.blahaj.zone 1 month ago
Hey, me too! I tried a couple of other ones I saw here like lawnchair and Niagara but I think Hyperion is the closest so far. I miss the side slide drawer, I hate scrolling down, but other than that its pretty close.
I had nova for so long too, I hate this shit.
sphere074@piefed.ca 1 month ago
When I first saw this I thought it was one of the “intentional bad design” images that are common on Lemmy. I am disappointed.
pewgar_seemsimandroid@lemmy.blahaj.zone 1 month ago
do you have dns adblock btw?
khanh@lemmy.zip 1 month ago
An ad for an ad blocker. Ironic.
eletes@sh.itjust.works 1 month ago
Thanks for the reminder to uninstall, I had switched to lawn chair months ago but never got rid of nova
tumblechinchilla@sh.itjust.works 1 month ago
Chose lawn chair because of you. Thanks person. Appreciate.