Nova Launcher's New Owners Consider Adding Ads to Free Version, But Commitment Remains
The acquisition of Nova Launcher by Instabridge, a Swedish company that makes an app helping people connect to Wi-Fi hotspots, has brought new life to the popular Android launcher. However, the free version of Nova Launcher may soon feature ads, which could raise concerns among users.
According to Instabridge, its focus is on keeping Nova Launcher stable and compatible with modern Android versions while maintaining it actively. The company, however, is "evaluating ad-based options" for the free version of the launcher. This means that some users have already reported seeing ads in the latest update for Nova Launcher, as confirmed by Reddit.
The decision to add ads will not affect the paid experience, Nova Launcher Prime, which will continue to be ad-free. Instabridge's commitment to open sourcing Nova is still unclear, with Kevin Barry, Nova Launcher's founder and sole developer at the time of his departure from Branch Metrics, stating that he hasn't been contacted by Instabridge about potentially releasing the code.
Barry believes that open sourcing Nova "has to be a component" of rebuilding trust with the community. He has already completed the prep work for an open-source release, but emphasizes that Instabridge needs to make a decision on this matter. The community will likely be eager to see what can be done with Nova 9 if a reliable release is not forthcoming.
As Instabridge and Branch didn't immediately respond to requests for comment, users may need to wait for further clarification from the new owners of Nova Launcher.
The acquisition of Nova Launcher by Instabridge, a Swedish company that makes an app helping people connect to Wi-Fi hotspots, has brought new life to the popular Android launcher. However, the free version of Nova Launcher may soon feature ads, which could raise concerns among users.
According to Instabridge, its focus is on keeping Nova Launcher stable and compatible with modern Android versions while maintaining it actively. The company, however, is "evaluating ad-based options" for the free version of the launcher. This means that some users have already reported seeing ads in the latest update for Nova Launcher, as confirmed by Reddit.
The decision to add ads will not affect the paid experience, Nova Launcher Prime, which will continue to be ad-free. Instabridge's commitment to open sourcing Nova is still unclear, with Kevin Barry, Nova Launcher's founder and sole developer at the time of his departure from Branch Metrics, stating that he hasn't been contacted by Instabridge about potentially releasing the code.
Barry believes that open sourcing Nova "has to be a component" of rebuilding trust with the community. He has already completed the prep work for an open-source release, but emphasizes that Instabridge needs to make a decision on this matter. The community will likely be eager to see what can be done with Nova 9 if a reliable release is not forthcoming.
As Instabridge and Branch didn't immediately respond to requests for comment, users may need to wait for further clarification from the new owners of Nova Launcher.
that's so whack... but at the same time i get it, companies gotta make money somehow. like if instabridge is gonna keep nova launcher stable and updated, then maybe they deserve to get some cash for their efforts... but still, it's annoying when u start seeing ads everywhere 
and it ruins the whole experience of using a free app... idk how kevin barry feels about this, but hopefully he'll keep his promise to open source nova launcher soon 
- like no way, that would be so unfair to all us users who already rely on this awesome launcher for our daily android experiences 
- and whats up with instabridge's plans for open sourcing nova? kevin barry said he didnt get a call from them about releasing the code 
... this is getting more complicated by the minute 
but it turns out there's an ad 
"
i remember when i first got into android and nova launcher was literally my go-to launcher, but then it stopped getting updates and now it's in this weird limbo 
what do you guys think? should they stick with the ad-free model or is a little bit of cash gonna be okay? 
, now we gotta deal with ads in our favorite launcher? Like, what's next? Paying for Google Chrome just to browse the web? I'm all for a bit of extra cash, but not when it's forced down my throat... or rather, on my phone screen. 
I'd rather keep my free version ad-free than have some random logo in my face while I try to customize my home screen. 
also whats up with instabridge not being clear on whether nova launcher will be open sourced? that was a big part of why kevin barry started using it in the first place. lets hope they make the right decision 
like nova launcher prime is a thing and it's still ad free so why do they need to ruin the free version?! 
anyway i'm keeping an eye on this and if instabride decides to open source nova launcher, that would be amazing 
but at the same time I get why they wanna make some cash 
. But ads in the free version? That's a bit of a bummer 
. I'd love to see them stick to their guns on open sourcing Nova Launcher like Kevin Barry wanted 
it would be so cool to have more control over our favorite launcher and maybe even contribute to its future development 
. Fingers crossed they figure out what's gonna happen with the ad situation soon 
i'm kinda worried cuz kevin barry was super clear about wanting to keep nova open sourced and now instabridge is just "evaluating ad-based options"... what even does that mean? 
. I'll believe it when I see it, though. Until then, I'll just be over here keeping my eyes peeled for any shenanigans... 
The thought of ads on the free version of Nova Launcher is kinda a bummer, you know? 
It's like they're gonna water down the experience just to make some cash. 
The community is counting on them to keep Nova Launcher stable and free. Fingers crossed they change their minds! 
. i get it, they gotta make some cash, but can't we just keep it free and support devs in other ways instead? 
I hope Kevin Barry doesn't have to leave again because of these corporate changes.
It's like my grandpa used to say: "If you want something for nothing, you gotta be willing to put in the work yourself!" 
. The thought of ads ruining that aesthetic is kinda off-putting to me. Plus, what if they start messing with the code? Kevin Barry was right about needing open sourcing - it's a big part of building trust with the community 
.