Nova Launcher Update Appears After Months of Silence – Check Features

Android users assuming the Nova Launcher had reached its end are still wrong. The famous alternative launcher has finally get its first update since May 2024, which is the version 8.1.3, rolled out on Google Play Store.

The release followed close on the heels of Nova’s founder Kevin Barry who departed from Branch Metrics, the parent company, in September 2025. Nova Launcher was acquired by Branch in 2022, which led to a gradual reduction of the team until Barry was left alone in 2024 and then he left. The update now gives rise to the speculation concerning whether the app is still actively maintained or it has merely been released from the existing development.

Reddit users from the Nova Launcher community, particularly colinaspinall, were the first ones to report that the update had appeared on the Play Store beta channel. Currently, it is still not available through the stable channel and also not for manual download from the launcher’s official beta site.

Rob Wainwright, the ex-Nova developer, provided clarification through a Discord chat. He made a remark that “the original Nova Launcher team has stopped working for Branch Metrics.” He further mentioned that “most of the developments in 8.1.3 were finished over a year ago. We can’t assure you what data collection or analytics are involved.”

The update, despite being quite old, brings with it quite a number of functional improvements. Novus Now users can, for instance, not only have permission prompt cards for first-time access but are also granted the option to either save or discard web search history within the launcher. Furthermore, the update includes renewing Cards with new Media, Weather & Calendar Card designs. Spotify integration has also received an upgrade, although the release notes do not provide comprehensive information.

According to the feedback on Reddit, the update is not seen by all beta users at this point, and the APK has not been uploaded for manual sideloading. Wainwright opined that there might be some internal confusion at Branch concerning the publishing of the files.

Even though the update indicates that Branch has not completely relinquished control, it is improbable that it will trigger a full-blown resurrection. The absence of the majority of the initial developers and the update being derived from previous work together lead to the conclusion that Nova Launcher’s future still holds uncertainty for a long term period.