Nova Launcher Added Facebook and Google Ads Tracking

https://lemdro.id/post/lemdro.id/35049920

100•celsoazevedo•3h ago

Comments

celsoazevedo•3h ago

For those still using Nova Launcher (custom launcher for Android), it seems that it's owned by a new company and the latest update comes with the Facebook Ads and Google AdMob SDKs and require extra permissions.

8.1.6:

- Branch (analytics)

- Bugsnag (crash report)

8.2.4:

- Facebook Ads (advertisement)

- Google AdMob (advertisement)

- Branch (analytics)

- Bugsnag (crash reporting)

- Google CrashLytics (crash reporting)

- Google Firebase Analytics (analytics)

fireflash38•2h ago

Any good alternatives people are using? I've used Nova for absolutely ages

canthonytucci•2h ago

Lawnchair is not as fancy but it works

Fire-Dragon-DoL•2h ago

It doesn't support adding pages to the home,sadly

notpushkin•46m ago

Did you mean tabs (to the drawer)? You totally can add new pages to the home – try moving an icon beyond the screen border.

Fire-Dragon-DoL•24m ago

No I mean that if in Brave I say "add this page to the home", the launcher gives an error

garciansmith•1h ago

Lawnchair is good. I just really want app drawer tabs, the only reason I've stuck with Nova.

sgc•2h ago

I switched from Nova to Smart Launcher a couple years ago because it allowed me better customization of app groups - although I did need to work on the config a bit. I like it.

dcl•2h ago

How much am I missing out by using the standard launcher my Pixel comes with? I haven't played with different launchers since the Nexus 4 and Android 2/3 (I think).

toast0•2h ago

I don't like the stock launcher because I can't remove the search bar and I never use the search bar. Nova feels like a no nonsense launcher that does what I need. I think last time it came up, the recommended option was missing something for me so I stayed with Nova, but the writing is on the wall.

Checked again and I don't see a way to get a button to show the app drawer on Lawnchair, and I don't want to use a gesture, so that's going to be hard to use.

array_key_first•48m ago

I switched to Nova for the same reason. I paid for it, too. I pay and donate for good software all the time, but this is another sober reminder to never pay for proprietary software.

spondyl•2h ago

As a relatively new convert back to Android, I've been using Niagra Launcher and enjoying it.

planetafro•1h ago

I use Niagra. So good once you get used to it.

cromka•56m ago

3. Types of Data collected Among the types of Personal Data that this Application collects, by itself or through the listed Data Processors, there are:

Unique device identifiers Approximate geographic position (city level) IDs (package names) from installed apps Usage Data Cookies

Oh boy...

flexagoon•1h ago

Kvaesito is a great search-focused FOSS launcher

Abishek_Muthian•1h ago

I haven't used an android launcher over a decade, stock LineageOS launcher works well for me i.e. to open app drawer and to click on apps.

What do you folks use 3rd party launchers for?

ipcress_file•58m ago

I've been using Nova Launcher to mimic webOS for almost 10 years. I might be slightly too resistant to change!

mkozlows•44m ago

For not using the default Samsung launcher, which sucks.

kenrick95•1h ago

I switched to KISS Launcher several years back and had been loving it. I like the philosophy of search-based launcher. This way, if I don't actively search for an app, I won't be distracted into opening one

yummybrainz•58m ago

KISS launcher is excellent. I've been using it for years now and would never go back to any other style of launcher.

The only improvement I could imagine is supporting multiple screens of widgets (i.e. swiping left/right or scrolling up/down).

For folks interested in checking it out:

Website: https://kisslauncher.com/ Source: https://github.com/Neamar/KISS Store: https://f-droid.org/packages/fr.neamar.kiss/

DanOpcode•37m ago

I made the switch to KISS some time ago. Really like it! I haven't missed anything. Simple and does the job. No distractions.

Krutonium•59m ago

I'm using Evie Launcher, but a really old version from just before the developer shut down the project and later removed it from the store. If you look today, you'll find a fairly convincing imposter that loves spamming you with ads, from a different developer.

The APK is at least 6 years old now.

dcreater•51m ago

Its ok to just stay on v7 no? Thats what im doing.

BLKNSLVR•38m ago

I moved to Lawnchair when I recently-ish migrated to GrapheneOS. I can't remember why I didn't go with Nova Launcher again, might have been related to the permissions required.

Lawnchair has fewer options, ie. is simpler, but I haven't, in practice, noticed any memorable differences.

flax•16m ago

I've been mostly happy with Action launcher. It has the few features I really liked from Nova that are missing from pixel launcher: I can make my home screens scroll in a circular/infinite manner, I can remove the search bar and the google news feed or whatever they call the left page, I can set more than one page in the dock.

Unfortunately, the app list page isn't quite as configurable. There are folders rather than tabs, and there's an extra click necessary to search by app name. Overall, it does the job.

Aluminum0643•11m ago

I've been using Octopi Launcher

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.otp.octopi...

raybb•4m ago

Do you know if this, or any other launcher for that matter, works well on the latest Android for Pixels? Ever dang launcher I try (Nova included) has this horrible problem where at some point during the day the app launcher becomes a wasteland of blanked out apps with no names and no order. Only fix is to restart the phone. It got a little better with Android 16 but not much.

another_twist•1h ago

Nova drained my erstwhile Android phones battery. Not sure if this has gotten any better.

rationalist•1h ago

Thankfully I am using GrapheneOS, so I never gave the app network permissions. I will look for a new launcher anyways now.

Thanks for sharing.

ipcress_file•1h ago

I'm still using an old version with the network access blocked. I'll use it until it stops working.

If anyone knows of another launcher with app drawer tabs, let me know.

Fej•1h ago

Do older versions of Nova have any security flaws which preclude using them?

I've been using this app for ages and it's been essentially feature-complete for several years. A part of me wants to switch launchers for no other reason than "it is supported and not tracking me", but it is possible for software to be finished, and I believe Nova falls into that category. If there's no meaningful vulnerabilities in it, there's really no reason for me to switch away, at least not immediately.

Atlas-Marbles•55m ago

Plenty of great open-source launchers on F-Droid.

DanOpcode•31m ago

Good advice!

aspbee555•46m ago

I have been trying to figure out why my phone has beep going stupid and laggy with the launcher lately, now I know why

blcknight•37m ago

That’s disappointing. My primary launcher on my eink devices since it works so well on them.

DanOpcode•30m ago

What devices are those? A phone with eink?

unethical_ban•35m ago

At least in Graphene, you can block the app from having network access, but stock launcher in Graphene has worked well for me.

Damn these privacy-invading leeches.

Semaphor•6m ago

Well, that sucks. When the sale was announced, I tried several launchers, free and paid, and none of them were as good as Nova :/ Guess I’ll do another round.

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