The future of the popular Android home screen application, Nova Launcher, has become uncertain following the departure of its creator, Kevin Barry, and a reversal on plans to open-source the project.
The Departure of Nova Launcher’s Creator
In a recent public statement, Barry, the original developer who founded and built Nova Launcher, announced he is no longer involved with the app. He stated that he had been preparing to release Nova Launcher as an open-source project for several months, which involved cleaning the codebase and addressing licensing issues.
This effort was in line with earlier public commitments made by Alex Austin, the then-CEO of Branch, the company that acquired Nova Launcher in 2022. Austin had publicly commented that if Barry were to leave, the code would be open-sourced and given to the community. However, according to Barry, he was ultimately asked to stop working on both Nova Launcher and the open-sourcing effort.
An Uncertain Future
In response to the news, a moderation team for Discord community channel called “Nova Launcher Lives!” issued its own statement. They acknowledged Barry’s departure and confirmed that Branch has decided against releasing the app as open source at this time.
However, the team stressed that this does not necessarily mean Nova Launcher is “dead.” The app is still owned by Branch, which could choose to continue development, change its direction, or stop working on it entirely.
The moderation team also noted that a leadership change at Branch may have contributed to the situation, and that some of the promises Barry may have relied on were not formalized in writing.
A petition has since been created by the community asking Branch to release Nova Launcher as open source, with the goal of preserving the app’s future. The petition is being shared in the community, urging users to have their voices heard.