Nova: No Go?

Parody

Earlier this week the developer of Nova Launcher, an alternative launcher for Android devices, announced that it had been sold to Branch. Branch's main product enables "deep linking", often used to go between the web and apps. In no way would companies use it for extra data collection. Trust us!

Anywho, as you can imagine the Android enthusiasts were unhappy with a favorite program being sold to an analytics company. The developers of Nova and Sesame Search (also acquired) and the CEO of Branch were out doing damage control. They apparently did most of their chatting on Nova's Discord, making it easy to find for all involved.

I use Nova, mostly because it lets me remove the search bar and Google ~~Now~~ ~~Feed~~ Discover page from my home screens. Hopefully this is just your typical Internet overreaction, but for now I've set it to not update while we wait to see if they junk it up like a few other apps I used to use.

LaoC

No va.

Tsaukpaetra

@Parody said in Nova: No Go?:

junk it up like a few other apps I used to use.

Thanks for the notice.

@Parody said in Nova: No Go?:

I use Nova, mostly because

It's one of the few launchers that allows the navbar to follow screen rotation. I don't know why this feature is a launcher-decided thing, but alas, unless I'm using Nova the navigation bar buttons are always on the physical lower side of the screen and it's fuckin' annoying...

Parody

@Tsaukpaetra said in Nova: No Go?:

It's one of the few launchers that allows the navbar to follow screen rotation. I don't know why this feature is a launcher-decided thing, but alas, unless I'm using Nova the navigation bar buttons are always on the physical lower side of the screen and it's fuckin' annoying...

FWIW, I use 3-button nav on my Pixel 3a and the buttons are always on the narrow side of the screen next to the USB port. The only adaptation it makes is making the Back button's triangle always point left. Never had them on a long side in any orientation with Nova or the Pixel Launcher.

Benjamin Hall

You guys rotate your screen for something other than taking photos?

Tsaukpaetra

@Parody said in Nova: No Go?:

Never had them on a long side in any orientation with Nova or the Pixel Launcher.

Huh, weird. I don't know how to suggest a fix then. 🙃

Tsaukpaetra

@Benjamin-Hall said in Nova: No Go?:

You guys rotate your screen for something other than taking photos?

Often times videos. Or games.

Parody

@Benjamin-Hall said in Nova: No Go?:

You guys rotate your screen for something other than taking photos?

Viewing media (videos and pictures) and playing games. Very rarely when looking at the Web or other file types. If I need to do anything extensive I'd rather get out my Windows tablet than fight with the size of the phone.

Parody

@Tsaukpaetra said in Nova: No Go?:

Huh, weird. I don't know how to suggest a fix then. 🙃

I like how it works on my phone and wish Windows would let me tell it to keep the Taskbar on a narrow side on my tablet. Can't win them all. :)

Applied Mediocrity

@Parody said in Nova: No Go?:

mostly because it lets me remove the search bar and Google Now Feed Discover page from my home screens

What's that? Is it mandated by Google in the newer versions or something?

Parody

@Applied-Mediocrity said in Nova: No Go?:

@Parody said in Nova: No Go?:

mostly because it lets me remove the search bar and Google Now Feed Discover page from my home screens

What's that? Is it mandated by Google in the newer versions or something?

The search/Assistant bar can't be removed. You can turn off the Feed page, but it doesn't give you the ability to put things to the left of the first home page. This is in the Pixel Launcher on an unlocked Pixel 3a with the last version of Android 12 it will get.

Applied Mediocrity

@Parody I see. Shit like this just reinforces my unwillingness to ever upgrayedd. If Pixel now has unremovable shit, others will have either that or worse.

Parody

@Applied-Mediocrity said in Nova: No Go?:

@Parody I see. Shit like this just reinforces my unwillingness to ever upgrayedd. If Pixel now has unremovable shit, others will have either that or worse.

I kept my last phone for 5 years and would have gone another couple if the battery was easy to replace. No need to rush. :)

Tsaukpaetra

@Parody said in Nova: No Go?:

No need to rush. :)

Until every service provider decides 3g should die and your device is found wanting for service.

Ask me how I feel about my phone having a VoLTE compatible modem that is blocked from actually using it...

Parody

The guys from Branch and Nova are going to do a public interview to clear the air.

Mishaal Rahman on Twitter

Unsurprisingly, the Reddit folks are not impressed.

hungrier

For now I'm going to keep using it until the next update, but I'll keep a look out for an alternative ( notwithstanding). This would be a good time for some open source dev to put a good launcher up on F-Droid. Maybe there already is

Captain

@Parody fukk I use it too. I even paid for the full version. I like being able to use the same configuration on all my android devices.

But I'll quit that shit.

Parody

I listened to the talk today and put my notes w/timestamps below. TL;DL: They didn't say much more than what they'd been saying on their Discord and Reddit:

Branch makes a Search product they sell to OEMs to integrate into their launchers.
Nova will be used as a rapid UI and feature testbed for this product.
We'll be good stewards for Nova as well as any data we do collect. Trust us.

We'll see.

Ironically, I couldn't listen to it live because the audio kept cutting out on the Android app.

 4:00 - Actual Start
 5:20 - Alex (Branch CEO) Talks About Branch.io/Branch Analytics
      - (Was an app developer.)
      - (Wants to help people search across apps.)
      - (Got developers to put links into their apps for them to search.)
10:00 - What's a (Branch) Deep Link?
      - (A common use is the annoying "Open this in our app." popups.)
13:40 - What happens if you don't have the related app installed when you "click" on a Branch Deep Link?
      - (The app/website maker picks.)
14:20 - Talking about Deferred Deep Links and having to install apps.
      - (Alex is surprised we still have apps.)
16:40 - Are Branch's Deep Links the core business of Branch?
      - (Alex really wants a discovery/search engine for apps.)
18:20 - Who uses Branch Deep Links?
      - (Too many people.)
20:55 - Does Branch sell ads?
      - (No, but I don't think everyone assumed that.)
      - (Branch sells their software library and hosting for the links if you want.)
22:15 - Kevin speaks!  Branch is similar to Google's Firebase.
24:00 - More about information collected to do Deferred Deep Links.
      - (Doesn't exactly answer the question, but says that they only pass the link along.)
      - (Doesn't believe that you can make a company now that uses data to monetize?)
27:50 - How does Branch('s library) identify a device?
      - (IP, Ad ID, anything else the company using Branch's stuff already has.)
      - (Keeps insisting they don't use your data for anything but providing links.)
29:35 - Device ID Finder app.
      - (More about Branch not keeping your data.)
31:00 - Why did you want Nova Launcher?
      - (They want to improve app search and discovery by building their search and deep link info into OEM launchers.)
      - (Since they're selling their libraries to OEM launchers, they don't get much feedback.)
      - (Nova is going to be their beta test platform, with Nova's users as the guinea pigs.)
37:15 - Give us an example of what your search in Nova (or other launcher) will enable.
      - (Blah blah Soundcloud.)
      - (Search your Soundcloud downloads and go directly to there in the player.)
      - (Did you know Mixcloud also has downloads?)
      - (A mix of searching your phone, not having to open apps to do everything, and advertising other apps.)
40:10 - Problems with the stream.  (Apparently Twitter Spaces don't work well on Android.  Ironic, that.)
40:40 - How did Nova's search and Nova+Sesame Search work before Branch?
      - (Nova just listed Intents.  Sesame does something similar to what Branch Search does, but did it by decompiling apps vs. deep links.)
43:10 - How will Nova's development and monetization be affected?
      - (Agile Testbed.  Ugh.)
      - (Nova makes money and they don't want to affect that.)
      - (Kevin doesn't want to change what Nova is.)
45:30 - What data will Nova collect for Branch?  How will it be collected?
      - (No changes in 8.0.2.)
      - (Things like: What do people select after a search?)
48:20 - Audience Q&A starts?
48:45 - Alex: this Branch isn't the one owned by Facebook.  (This one is a startup.)
49:50 - More about Twitter Spaces not working on Android and features not existing on the web.  Also dead air.
51:55 - Any comments on the acquisition and response?
      - (Kevin: it was hard on me.  Acquisitions are disruptive.)
      - (Alex: never thought about Branch as a data company and how it looks to outsiders.)
      - (Both: communication is the issue.)
      - (Kevin: privacy focus.)
55:05 - Free to make up your own mind. (But you're overreacting.)
57:00 - More technical problems.
58:00 - Wrap up.