Link: https://www.androidauthority.com/nova-launcher-ai-plus-subscription-apk-teardown-3658932/

Nova Launcher could soon introduce Nova AI, a built-in AI assistant complete with a chatbot, and a new Nova Plus subscription tier

Nova Launcher has always been one of the few Android launchers worth paying for, but 'proactive AI' is just a rebranded data-harvesting feature. The moment a launcher starts predictive-SEO-ing your behavior behind a subscription paywall is the moment you switch to Niagara or Lawnfeed. How long before 'Nova AI' is just a wrapper around an LLM API with your app usage logs attached?

Nova as far as I'm concerned became malware the second it was sold

Guess it's time to leave Nova. Any recommended alternatives?

Octopi Launcher

Got rid of Nova with the last round of bullshit. No chance I'll be back

I just got the latest Beta from their website, 8.1.1. It's from June 2024, so much older than on the playstore. So no enshittification

Total Launcher.

Lets you customise a lot of layout options.

Lawnchair
Yagni

Hyperion ... I tried the other ones listed here and didn't like them for one reason or another, but, this one has been alright.

Well, someone had opinions about that, lol ... sorry that you don't like Hyperion and feel strongly enough about it to downvote someone who does, random internet asshole!

Still nothing bad for those of us who paid?

Still no alternative launcher that is 100% free (because if $4 15 years ago was too much… you’re not gonna pay now) that does what Nova users want?

So, I’m on an iPhone; my Android phone has a very specific use as a cosplay prop. (It’s also a functional smartphone and a backup for my music collection. I’m not dissing the platform. Also, Gboard on Android beats any keyboard on iOS, no contest.) I need big icons, custom icons with custom text, and I need a 3x3 icon grid with no dock. My Android phone is a NookPhone, like you get in Animal Crossing. Down to the case. If I were really smart I’d just make my own launcher, but I’m not. Still, my NookPhone is awesome. And I can’t use a half assed launcher.

I'm using NOVA for almost (or more than, i can't quite recall) a decade, used to be my favorite investment on android beside with Minium Keyboard and PowerAmp.

I can't belive i just gonna look for a new launcher after that long.

Anyone know a lite and customizable FOSS launcher ?

To nobody's surprise....

I moved from Nova back when it changed hands. I went back and forth between a few different launchers (all open source) and landed on lawnchair. It ticks most of the boxes that Nova provided for me.

I looked at Neo-Launcher which is promising, but while active, development is quite slow (they may have a full release now, but has (had) been beta for a long time).

I switched to Smart Launcher when Nova started looking bad

I went with smart launcher, it has the features I needed (use defined icon grid)

Octopi launcher was the most comparable for myself. After a bit of tinkering, it feels great.

I found Lawnchair to have a more similar feel to Nova than others I tried. Been using it for a while now and am pretty happy with it.

Here's their github

This is the final nail in the coffin for an otherwise such a great product. Never going back I guess...