Android: Jobs cut at Nova Launcher

Job cuts at Nova Launcher are causing concern for the community: the popular Android launcher will be developed by only one person in the future. At least two other people employed by Nova Launcher have lost their jobs as part of layoffs at the parent company Arm.

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Nova Launcher is considered the benchmark among Android launchers, allowing users to edit the operating system’s home screen and its behavior in greater depth than Android normally allows. In 2022, the originally free Nova Launcher was purchased by the company Branch Metrics, which is now laying off 100 employees.

How many of them worked on Nova Launcher is unclear. Public posts from the Nova team suggest there were at least three. Kevin Barry, the original solo developer of the launcher, will be the only person to continue working on Nova Launcher. Barry wrote this in a blog post on the Nova Launcher website,

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“This week, Arm severed ties with a number of employees, including those involved with Nova. We recognize this decision is a blow to the people who have done great work at Nova and Arm,” Barry writes, before concluding: “I have always been the main person responsible for Nova Launcher, and that hasn’t changed. I will continue to control the direction and development of Nova Launcher.”

Development continues

Cliff Wade, who worked as community manager for Nova Launcher, was fired. Developer Rob Wainwright was also fired. Kevin Barry mentions both of them by name in his blog entry. It is unclear whether others worked on Nova Launcher.

In any case, Nova Launcher is on its way, confirms Barry. With his blog post he clearly wants to do just that Nova Community Dispel fears that Nova Launcher development is coming to an end. “For many years the original Nova team was just me,” Barry writes.

Nova Launcher is free to install on Android devices.The Prime version with additional functions can be purchased for 3 euros.

(There)