Nova Launcher’s shutdown felt final in September 2025, and the community had already started mourning it. But as it turns out, hope wasn’t misplaced after all.
Swedish company Instabridge has now purchased Nova, and the new owners are committing to keeping the app alive. However, there are new changes that may make or break the app. Ads are among them.
Nova Launcher is here to stay with new management
After Nova was acquired by Branch in 2022, the company went through layoffs and significantly downsized the Nova team. By 2024, Kevin Barry, the app's original creator, was the only developer left maintaining it.
Nova is not shutting down. Our immediate focus is simple: keep Nova stable, compatible with modern Android, and actively maintained.
We also know many of you have lived through a long period of uncertainty. Nova has a strong identity and a community that still cares deeply. We take that seriously.
Instabridge
Development slowed to a crawl, with the last major update arriving in mid-2024. After that, things went silent on its status.
Barry had been working to release Nova as open source. Branch had previously stated that if he ever stepped away, the community would inherit the code. But just when he was preparing the transition and working with lawyers, the company told him to stop operations.
Once he announced his departure, there was simply no one left to steward the launcher, which led to plans for it to be shut down. Luckily, Instabridge has saved the day by acquiring the launcher. They made the announcement on the official blog.
Instabridge is a connectivity company. They help people get online through a global WiFi map, affordable eSIM data plans in many countries, and a free phone plan in the US. They also have a data-saving browser and a lightweight home launcher besides Nova that works with their ad-supported free data system.
You will now see ads on your home screen
With businesses moving towards an ad-fueled experience for free plans, Nova Launcher is no longer an exception. Although it has always been a free app with a paid Nova Prime upgrade, Instabridge says it’s exploring new ways to keep the app financially sustainable, and that includes the possibility of putting ads in the free version.
Existing Prime users won’t lose access to anything they’ve already paid for, and they won't see the ads. However, one user already reported seeing them on Reddit, even with their premium subscription active. It covers a noticeable portion of the screen.
It's weird as the team promised to keep any ad implementation clean and non-intrusive. But it’s a tricky move for a launcher. Ads inside something as personal and system-level as your home screen are straight up tacky, no matter how small they are. It's one of the many reasons many third-party launchers like HiOS have lost their appeal over the years.
Another major update is the pricing as Nova Prime’s cost briefly increased. Instabridge has reversed the spike and set the price at approximately $4 again, while also saying they may revisit the pricing structure later.
If they do, they plan to communicate those changes clearly instead of surprising people. Open sourcing the launcher is still undecided. They're evaluating the legal and technical aspects before making a final call.
