Robert Triggs / Android Authority
TL;DR Swedish company Instabridge has acquired Nova Launcher from its previous owners, Branch Metrics.
Instabridge pledges not to reinvent Nova Launcher but is exploring monetization options, including possible ad integration in the free version of the launcher.
The latest Nova Launcher version (v8.2.4) contains code for Facebook Ads and Google AdMob trackers, as well as strings for ad integration. Users have also spotted ads already.
Nova Launcher’s death in September last year left many Android fans heartbroken, especially as it signalled the imminent end of Android’s tinkering era as it once was. However, despite being “dead,” Nova Launcher received a couple of surprise updates in November. The launcher has once again received updates, but they come along with a change in ownership, and surprise, surprise, ads!
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Nova Launcher gets sold, again Nova Launcher was acquired by analytics firm Branch Metrics in 2022, which retained the founder and original developer, Kevin Barry, to remain involved in the project. Last year, Barry announced that he had left Branch and would no longer be involved with Nova Launcher, signalling its “death,” as he had been the only one working on the launcher for the past year. After Barry’s departure, though, it seems Branch has had other plans for the launcher, as it rolled out a few updates that resolved the app drawer crash issue.
Today, Nova Launcher announced that the Swedish company Instabridge has acquired it from Branch Metrics.
Instabridge claims it wants to be a responsible owner of Nova and does not want to reinvent the launcher overnight. However, the launcher still needs a sustainable business model to support ongoing development and maintenance. To this end, Instabridge is exploring different options, including paid tiers and ad-supported options for the free version. The new owners claim that if ads are introduced, Nova Prime will remain ad-free.
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