GoKawiilAndy Walker / Android Authority
It’s fair to say that Nova Launcher was once the pinnacle of the Android launcher space. While many of its loyal fans still believe it is, there’s no doubt it has experienced some ups and downs in recent years.
You likely know the Nova Launcher story by now. The app was sold in 2022, lay dormant for years afterward, and was recently purchased, with development ramping up once more. The launcher’s new custodians have focused on stability over new features, but some worrying additions have alienated me. From an injection of trackers to the proliferation of ads, to plans for an agentic AI assistant, and an admission in the privacy policy that the launcher may sample user information — I just don’t feel comfortable using Nova anymore. But, a slew of users still rely on this app as an important cog in their carefully synchronized workflows — yanking it simply isn’t an option.
So, what can you do? Well, if you don’t want to let go of your carefully built Nova layout and want to regain some degree of control over your user data, there are options. Here’s how I made it harder for Nova Launcher and other apps on my phone to monitor me.
How concerned are you about trackers in Android apps? 14 votes Very concerned; I actively avoid apps with trackers. 50 % Somewhat concerned; I try to limit my use of such apps. 50 % Neutral; I don't pay much attention to trackers. 0 % Not very concerned; I use apps regardless of trackers. 0 % Not concerned at all; I trust app developers to handle my data responsibly. 0 % I have a more nuanced take (Elaborate in the comments). 0 %
Discover and block the trackers
Andy Walker / Android Authority
As I mentioned in the introduction, Nova Launcher’s latest versions now carry several additional trackers compared to previous iterations. The two libraries that were originally part of the launcher in the 2023 versions have expanded to eight in more recent builds.
While trackers aren’t inherently problematic (some are genuinely useful for developers looking for bugs or ways to improve the user experience), I’d rather not have apps track my activity across my device if I can help it. Yes, many apps do just that, and some are far more flagrant than Nova, but the launcher is the core of my phone.
The only way to ensure that the launcher can’t make use of these trackers is to block them, and there are several ways you can do this.
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