Final 12 months, Nova Launcher founder and sole developer Kevin Barry introduced he had left Department Metrics, Nova’s mum or dad firm on the time — which adopted an announcement from 2024 that just about everybody engaged on the mission had been laid off. However the launcher is getting new life: in a weblog put up on Tuesday, the Swedish firm Instabridge, which makes an app that helps individuals connect with Wi-FI hotspots, introduced it has acquired Nova Launcher.
“Nova shouldn’t be shutting down,” in response to Instabridge. “Our fast focus is easy: preserve Nova secure, appropriate with trendy Android, and actively maintained.” Nevertheless, Instabridge says it’s “evaluating advert based mostly choices” for the free model of the launcher.” However the latest replace for Nova Launcher has trackers for Fb Adverts and Google AdMob in its code and customers on Reddit have already reported seeing ads, as reported by Android Authority.
If adverts are added to the launcher, the paid expertise, Nova Launcher Prime, will “stay advert free.”
Instabridge can also be “actively evaluating” open sourcing Nova. When saying his departure in September, Barry mentioned that he had been “requested to cease engaged on Nova Launcher and the open sourcing effort” although a former Department CEO said publicly that “If Kevin have been to ever depart, it’s contracted that the code shall be open sourced and put within the fingers of the group.”
“Open sourcing a product responsibly includes licensing, safety, construct tooling, contribution workflow, and trademark stewardship,” Instabridge says. “We do not need a call to share but, however we shall be clear as soon as we do.
Barry, Instabridge, and Department didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.
