Nova Launcher is one of the best androidof launchers for advanced users and personalization enthusiasts. Its developers recently released beta version 8.0 with a redesigned settings menu and a dynamic Material You theme. But now users of the launcher may be questioning its future, as it has emerged that it and its associated Sesame Universal Search app have been bought by analytics firm Branch.
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Nova Launcher creator Kevin Barry explained that Branch had purchased both apps and had hired a team consisting of himself, community manager Cliff Wade, and Sesame Universal Search developers. Branch's core business is providing a platform for managing and analyzing direct links to developers' creations. Since 2014, its technology has been integrated into more than 100 applications, including those from companies such as Adobe, BuzzFeed or Yelp.
Barry assured users that the original team is still in control of both Nova Launcher and Sesame Universal Search development, and promised that it won't become a regular androidnew launcher with paid access, ads or intrusive tracking. The monetization model should not change significantly either, and Nova Launcher should still be a one-time purchase to unlock all advanced features. In addition, most of the new features associated with the Branch service are intended to be completely optional. Believe it or not, money changes more than words.
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Long-time users of the launcher may understandably be concerned that a new owner could "mine" their data due to the level of access and system permissions the app gets. While Barry says Branch is interested in using the launcher to provide "research, development, expertise and feedback," he assures users will be able to choose not to contribute to statistics. So it seems that the new ownership will not bring any major changes for users.
