Nova Launcher, a popular Android launcher, will no longer be developed as its founder has departed.

The founder of Nova Launcher said he was told to stop his work on open-sourcing the project.

"""Austin departed from Branch in 2023, and in 2024, the company conducted layoffs of more than 100 employees, which included the entire Nova team. With Kevin Barry's departure, it seems improbable that Nova Launcher will be open-sourced in the future.

Many Nova enthusiasts have expressed strong feelings regarding this announcement. Reddit users have posted messages of support and gratitude, with one user describing the launcher as "legendary" due to its impact on Android's popularity. Kevin Barry commented on some of the posts, stating that he had a difficult day.

Additionally, users have created a petition on Change.org, requesting that the project be made open-source. The petition has received over 2,200 signatures.

It is unfortunate to witness the decline of such a well-known Android launcher. While this kind of software may not be as essential as it once was, it is clear that some individuals still rely on it. Given the previous commitment to open-source Nova, I intend to sign the petition and hope that the situation improves."""