- Nova Launcher appeared to have shut down for good last month when its founder, Kevin Barry, left its parent company Branch Metrics.
- The launcher received a rare update on the Google Play Store today, its first since May 2024.
- The update includes new features and improved compatibility with newer Android versions, but its former developers say it’s over a year old.
Nova Launcher, the popular alternative Android launcher that appeared to shut down last month, is getting an unexpected update. The launcher was sold to analytics firm Branch Metrics in 2022, but by 2024, the company underwent mass developer layoffs. Only Nova Launcher’s founder, Kevin Barry, remained working on the launcher until September 2025, when he too left Branch. Now, there’s a glimmer of hope Nova Launcher might not be completely dead yet.
Nova Launcher users spotted an unexpected version 8.1.3 update roll out on the Google Play Store beta channel, according to a post on Reddit’s Nova Launcher sub from user colinaspinall. As of now, the latest update hasn’t appeared through the stable release channel, or Nova Launcher’s official beta website. While the update is a sign someone at Branch is paying attention to Nova, former developer Rob Wainwright took to Discord to provide additional context.