How I finished Nova Launcher from monitoring me with out sacrificing my setup

It’s honest to mention that Nova Launcher used to be as soon as the top of the Android launcher house. Whilst lots of its dependable enthusiasts nonetheless imagine it’s, there’s for sure it has skilled some ups and downs lately.

You most likely know the Nova Launcher tale via now. The app used to be bought in 2022, lay dormant for years in a while, and used to be just lately bought, with construction ramping up another time. The launcher’s new custodians have concerned with steadiness over new options, however some being concerned additions have alienated me. From an injection of trackers to the proliferation of advertisements, to plans for an agentic AI assistant, and an admission within the privateness coverage that the launcher might pattern person knowledge — I simply don’t really feel relaxed the use of Nova anymore. However, a slew of customers nonetheless depend on this app as a very powerful cog of their in moderation synchronized workflows — yanking it merely isn’t an choice.

So, what are you able to do? Neatly, when you don’t wish to let cross of your in moderation constructed Nova structure and wish to regain a point of keep an eye on over your person knowledge, there are alternatives. Right here’s how I made it more difficult for Nova Launcher and different apps on my telephone to observe me.

As I discussed within the advent, Nova Launcher’s newest variations now raise a number of further trackers in comparison to earlier iterations. The 2 libraries that had been at the beginning a part of the launcher within the 2023 variations have expanded to 8 in more moderen builds.

Whilst trackers aren’t inherently problematic (some are really helpful for builders in search of insects or tactics to support the person enjoy), I’d somewhat now not have apps monitor my task throughout my gadget if I will be able to assist it. Sure, many apps just do that, and a few are way more flagrant than Nova, however the launcher is the core of my telephone.

The one solution to be sure that the launcher can’t make use of those trackers is to dam them, and there are a number of tactics you’ll do that.

My desire is NextDNS. I element its setup and features in a separate, extra in-depth hands-on, however in brief, NextDNS blocks requests from trackers and advert domain names. I will be able to keep an eye on precisely which domain names are blocked via the use of blocklists or manually including trackers.

TrackerControl is any other helpful app that does what it says at the tin. It runs as a non-public VPN on-device and filters out tracker requests made via apps. The place it excels over NextDNS is its talent to turn precisely which apps are making those requests, and the way regularly.

In the end, a devoted ad-blocking software like Blokada is any other excellent choice. It plays a an identical content-filtering provider to NextDNS, but it surely runs as an app at the gadget. It’s an excellent resolution if you wish to have a manageable resolution that may be disabled briefly.

Permissions are corridor passes for Android apps, letting them get right of entry to more than a few options and information streams that can be required to serve as adequately. Continuously reviewing those for all apps to your telephone will have to be a part of your Android privateness and safety tick list. Relying to your setup, chances are you’ll want to grant Nova Launcher sure permissions. Then again, there are a handful that I deny.

Close by units, Location, and Calendar are 3 specifically, and don’t actually serve a goal in my setup. Your mileage might range, so it’s essential to study those requests ceaselessly and forbid Nova — and some other Android app, for that subject — from having access to any deemed pointless.

It’s additionally a good suggestion to study Nova Launcher’s inner settings. I all the time make some extent to disable Error & utilization reporting, which is enabled via default. And with Nova AI rolling out, I uncheck the Open Nova AI with Input key choice. It’s value noting that Nova AI is totally opt-in, so there’s no actual concern about it overreaching.

For those who choose a extra decisive measure than filtering visitors or blocking off trackers, it’s worthwhile to restrict Nova Launcher from getting access to the web totally.

There are a number of tactics to do that, however my favourite is the use of the open supply firewall app ShizuWall. It shall we me block any app on my telephone from getting access to the web, and it really works with out occupying Android’s VPN slot.

ShizuWall isn’t moderately install-and-go, despite the fact that. It calls for a gentle studying curve. Initially, you’ll want to set up Shizuku — an open supply software that provides apps get right of entry to to Android’s extra privileged features. It’ll require activation by the use of ADB. As soon as it’s up and operating, you’ll grant ShizuWall get right of entry to to it, upload Nova Launcher and some other app you wish to have to disable web get right of entry to, and get started the app. There’s one small drawback: you’ll must restart Shizuku every time you turn at the telephone, which is a minor inconvenience and is beautiful simple to overlook.

Particularly, if that is an excessive amount of of a chore, TrackerControl additionally has a transfer to sever an app from the web.

Moreover, chopping off Nova Launcher from the web will render a number of options pointless, together with the launcher’s integrated Google Seek features, any playing cards that require server knowledge, and the in-app replace function. It’s possible you’ll wish to reconsider this measure when you view any of those as very important.

If not one of the above answers quell your emotions of discord and doubt, imagine rolling again to an older model of Nova Launcher. My tips come with:

• Model 7.057, which is the overall Teslacoil model.
• Model 8.1.6, which is the remaining Department model with minimum trackers.

Importantly, when you’ve constructed your Nova Launcher setup with any of the gear presented after those variations, operating an older model of the app will ruin your builds. I’d counsel backing up your settings and noting your present Nova model sooner than taking the bounce.

Moreover, when you do roll again to an older model of the app, be sure to disable automated updates within the Play Retailer to forestall Nova from updating itself to its newest model.

Whilst Nova Launcher is the topic of this information, the rules it outlines will have to observe to a variety of Android apps we use and set up on a daily basis. And sure, you will have to take a look at each unmarried app to your units if private knowledge privateness is essential to you. If now not? Elevate on. Then again, there’s simply one thing I don’t like a couple of launcher — the spinal wire of my telephone — having trackers following me round my gadget. I will be able to forgive advertisements and subscription fashions, either one of which might be important assets of source of revenue, however I’ve to attract a line someplace. It doesn’t subject what the app samples or the way it makes use of my knowledge; it’s the truth that it does it anyway.

Whilst Nova will have misplaced my full-time usership, it’s transparent that Android Authority readers nonetheless hang the app in prime regard. Subsequently, this information is in the long run intended to toughen those customers; customers who don’t wish to surrender what they’ve constructed over many years however wish to regain some keep an eye on.

As a Nova Launcher fan, you will have to definitely toughen the builders. Certainly, I am hoping they in the end strip trackers from the paid variations of Nova Launcher. This would definitely be a step massive and sweeping sufficient for me to rethink my place at the launcher itself. Then again, supporting an app you’re keen on and safeguarding your utilization knowledge shouldn’t be an either-or resolution.