Android Nova Launcher Founder Kevin Barry Resigns, Open-Source Plans Now Uncertain

On September 8, according to a report by tech media outlet Android Authority, Nova Launcher’s founder and original developer Kevin Barry announced last weekend (September 6) that he has left Branch and will no longer be involved in future projects.

Originally developed by a small team led by Barry, Nova Launcher was acquired in 2022 by the analytics company Branch, which at the time promised not to turn the launcher into a subscription-based, ad-driven, or intrusive tracking product.

In 2024, the team announced on X (formerly Twitter) that Nova Launcher had undergone massive layoffs, leaving Barry as the sole developer. At that time, Barry reassured users that development would continue and that he would remain responsible for the project.

Barry later explained:

“Over the past few months, I’ve been cleaning up the codebase, reviewing licenses, removing/replacing proprietary code, and coordinating with the legal team to ensure Nova Launcher could eventually be open-sourced.
Although Branch promised when it acquired Nova Launcher in 2022 that the launcher would be open-sourced if I ever left, I’ve now been asked to stop development and to terminate the open-source effort.
I truly believe Nova Launcher is an incredible project with a passionate community of users, and I’m deeply grateful for your years of support, feedback, and enthusiasm.”

Android Authority noted that Nova Launcher has long been one of the most popular third-party launchers for Android, offering far greater gesture, icon, and app drawer customization than stock AOSP launchers.

Since its 2022 acquisition, Nova’s future has remained unclear. While the acquisition initially introduced deeper analytics and experimental features, Branch laid off nearly the entire development team in 2024, leaving Barry as the last developer. The launcher’s final stable update was released in May 2024, and now with Barry’s departure, the project’s future is virtually nonexistent, with the open-source plan left in limbo.

Some users, upon hearing the news, posted “tribute threads” on Reddit, calling Nova Launcher a “legendary third-party launcher.” One user wrote: “I’ve watched Nova Launcher grow. I started using it on the Nexus 5 and stuck with it all the way to the Samsung S23 Ultra. Thank you for your efforts.”