My nova install has been frozen at the last version before the analytics company took over was. Since then I try to check out lots of launchers but none have the features of Nova.
Maybe one day, but I'm not holding my breath anymore.
Which version was that, and is it still possible to swap to it?
Edit: by the power of actually researching it instead of bothering someone else, I found it. They were bought by an analytics company in July of 2022, and the last full release version of the app before that on APK mirror was 7.0.57
Anyone here not using an open source launcher after this announcement is seriously learning nothing from this. You are just trusting the next company that either already or eventually will go the same way. Like the dude mentioning Microsoft launcher as alternative, that one has branch analytics baked in as well as far as I remember.
Be aware that using open source doesn't protect you completely from this, look at what happened to Simple Mobile tools, best install your open source applications from f-droid.
Do you have any good open source alternatives for Nova Launcher?
Of course, but when something like that happens to a popular app there will be an outcry. If you are not a tech person you might miss that, but I'd argue if you care about what launcher your phone has and you care about this issue to go foss you are probably the type of person who'd hear about it.
I use KISS launcher but there are many other options mentioned here that are also good. Yes, nothing is exactly like Nova. But lots of other stuff is good too.
Yes, nothing is exactly like Nova. But lots of other stuff is good too.
Then they aren't good alternatives, they're passable.
Seems crazy to me that the software that's owned by an analytics company is also the one focused on giving the user the most customization options. None of the FOSS alternatives have the same mentality as Nova. They're all focused more on minimalism, or evoking Pixel, or pushing a specific niche type of interface of their own design. None of them provide anywhere near as many tools to the user.
If I have to use a closed source app provided by an analytics company just to get a launcher that actually empowers the user, so be it. Maybe more of the FOSS alternatives could start taking note of why Nova is the most popular.
I use Smart Launcher. I'm surprised there aren't more users of it.
I've been using it on all my phones and tablets for years now. Doesn't matter what type of Android phone I use, they mostly end up being the same feel with Smart Launcher
I switched to Lawnchair 2. It's free, open source and quite versatile. Probably not as much as Nova, though it's been a few years since I last used it.
It is significantly less than Nova. People keep suggesting it but it's not a true replacement for those that were actually using Nova to its full potential. They're frankly isn't a replacement right now that goes all out on providing users customization options. That's not in vogue anymore, apparently.
