Nova Launcher is being revived with a new owner, but you will now see ads unless you pay

Four months after its discontinuation, Nova Launcher is back on the Android scene following its acquisition by Swedish company Instabridge. This move marks the revival of one of the platform’s most widely used third-party app launchers. Instabridge’s immediate commitment is to keep Nova stable, fully compatible with the latest Android versions, and under active development.

Extending this approach, Instabridge underscores that performance, customization options, bug fixes, and maintaining pace with Android system changes remain central to Nova Launcher. The new owners stress that they will not attempt rapid or sweeping changes; instead, they will focus on fixing issues while prioritizing user control and flexibility.

Before enacting major updates or making structural changes, Instabridge will gather user feedback from platforms like Reddit, the Google Play Store, email, and other community spaces. These steps are aimed at ensuring that future developments match user expectations and needs.

In terms of sustaining ongoing development, Instabridge notes that Nova Launcher requires a new business model. They are exploring paid subscription tiers and ad-supported free versions, as reflected in recent changes to the app’s Play Store listing, which now confirms the presence of ads. For existing Prime users, all Prime features will remain accessible without further fees.