When you buy through affiliate links in our content, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Learn 
Android’s most popular third-party interface, Nova Launcher, has run unto problems after its parent company Branch announced large-scale layoffs.
Branch let go of more than 100 employees, cutting the Nova Launcher X team from about 12 people to one person, founder Kevin Barry. While there are still plans for updates, the group’s Rob Wainright said Barry is working on a “cut scope” for the project.
The long-term fate of the launcher is unclear. Without a significant development staff, however, it could be difficult to both provide new features as well as ensure compatibility with a wide range of devices.
Hi everyone, Rob here.
I imagine you've seen the seen the news by now. It sucks. We've gone from a team of around a dozen people to just one full time developer — the original founder, Kevin.
— Nova Launcher (@NovaLauncher) August 8, 2024
Nova Launcher has had over 50 million downloads and, in many ways, epitomizes Android’s flexibility. You can customize many elements of your phone’s interface, including icon theming that’s only sometimes available on Android and just coming to the iPhone with iOS 18.
For some, the launcher is a way to catch up with the interface features of newer Android devices. The layoffs pose a major problem in that regard — it’s no longer clear that your older phone will stay current.
The Android aftermarket customization scene has had its share of problems over the years. The unofficial CyanogenMod firmware ran aground in 2016 after its commercialization failed, leading to the development of LineageOS. The rise of bootloader-locked devices (where you can’t change the firmware) has led people to turn to tools like Magisk, which lets you get root access, but even that has had trouble as app and OS developers can block it.
Tools like Nova Launcher haven’t been as necessary in recent years as some customization features have found their way into Android. Still, the layoffs won’t be thrilling to Android fans who see tweaking as an important part of the experience.
