Nova Launcher Receives Second Update in One Week, Future Remains Uncertain
Nova Launcher, the popular Android customization app, has received its second update in just one week, with version 8.1.4 rolling out to beta testers today, November 5, 2025 at 20:39:00.
The rapid release follows last week’s 8.1.3 update, which users noted appeared to be comprised of previously completed work. According to a post by former Nova developer Rob Wainwright, the majority of changes in the 8.1.3 update were built by the original team over a year ago, but he cautioned, “we can’t make any promises regarding data collection or analytics.” This latest 8.1.4 release focuses on stability improvements and bug fixes, indicating continued maintenance of the app despite changes in its development team.
The updates arrive after developer Kevin Barry announced his departure from Branch Metrics, the company that acquired Nova Launcher in 2022. The continued updates are a positive sign for the app’s longevity, as many users feared abandonment following the acquisition and subsequent developer departures. Maintaining a functional and secure launcher is crucial for many Android users who rely on customization to optimize their mobile experience. For more information on Android customization, see Android’s official customization page.
While the identity of the current developers at Branch Metrics remains unknown, the consistent stream of updates suggests a commitment to supporting Nova Launcher. The future of feature development remains unclear, but the focus on stability is a welcome sign for the app’s dedicated user base. You can find discussions and updates on the Nova Launcher subreddit.
Branch Metrics has not yet commented on long-term plans for Nova Launcher, and further updates will be monitored as they become available.
Earlier this year, fans of the popular Nova Launcher found themselves waking up to some bad news. Back in September, developer Kevin Barry shared that he had finally left Branch Metrics, the firm which acquired the launcher in 2022. While that looked like the end of the road for Nova Launcher, just last week users started noticing a new 8.1.3 update hitting their devices — and now it’s already being joined by a new release.
When that 8.1.3 update landed, another former Nova developer, Rob Wainwright, posted to share a little insight into what it included. According to him, this largely represented old work that hadn’t yet been pushed out to users:
Please be aware that … nobody in the original Nova Launcher team works at Branch Metrics anymore. While the majority of the changes in this update were built by the original team over a year ago, we can’t make any promises regarding data collection or analytics.
Today, over on Reddit’s Nova Launcher sub, user Dankees98 has spotted a new 8.1.4 update arriving for beta testers. As you’d probably be able to guess from how quickly this is landing on the heels of 8.1.3, it doesn’t look like there are any new features here, and the release is instead focused on stability and bugfixes:
Admittedly, after last week’s back-from-the-dead update, that’s a little underwhelming, but there mere fact that we’re getting another update so soon could still be great news for Nova fans. While the original team isn’t around any longer, somebody at Branch sure seems committed to keeping up with fixes, and that’s absolutely better than seeing a beloved project like Nova Launcher go abandoned.
The bigger question concerns what the app’s situation might look like going forward, and that’s still an open one. Will we keep getting regular bugfix updates like 8.1.4 in the months to come? Is there any hope of seeing more new features arrive? And just who is working on this code now? Despite all those unknowns, it’s still nice to think that Nova’s story isn’t over quite yet.
