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Nova Launcher update brings custom dock styles, new scroll effects, and unread count badge styles

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NOVA launcher banner

Our favorite Android homescreen replacement just received an update in the Google Play Store, adding a few new UI tweaks and features. It’s actually been awhile since we’ve seen an update from TeslaCoil Software’s Nova Launcher and today, you can now enjoy custom dock styles, new scroll effects, and custom “unread count badge styles.”

Nova Launcher v2.2 update.jpg

Pretty nifty, especially for those that really enjoy taking their homescreen customizing to that next level.
Download the update right now in the Google Play Store. Keep in mind the new scroll effects and badge styles are for paid Nova Prime users only.

[Nova Launcher on Google Play]

Chris Chavez
I've been obsessed with consumer technology for about as long as I can remember, be it video games, photography, or mobile devices. If you can plug it in, I have to own it. Preparing for the day when Android finally becomes self-aware and I get to welcome our new robot overlords.

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39 Comments

  1. Wipe is my favorite new scroll effect.

    1. Love it!

    2. So true. I have it on!

    3. Mine too!

  2. Who really uses launchers any more? With Vanilla Android I just really don’t see the benefit of a custom launcher… Other than bogging down memory and ram.

    1. There are plenty of benefits. Nova is my fav and even though it looks pretty much the same as the stock launcher, you can do things like changing the grid layout, remove the dock, have widgets over lap there are a ton of cool little extras that come with a launcher like nova and apex

      1. Agreed. Although my layout looks pretty plain and could easily be replicated on the stock launcher, the customizations as far as what happens when you tap, double tap and slide in different areas allows for a lot of flexibility with minimal clutter.

        Being able to swipe down anywhere on the home screen to drop the notification panel (instead of having to reach to the top of a 5″ screen with your thumb) alone is worth adding Nova.

        1. I never knew I could do that!!

      2. The ability (paid version) to create groups/tabs in the app drawer and hide unwanted/unused apps is worth the price alone.

      3. Like been able to do a back up your layout for future restoration is one of the best feature of Nova. It safes a lot of time if you change rom frequently.

        1. *saves

    2. While I can appreciate those that prefer Vanilla Android for certain things, I think 3rd party launchers, especially NOVA provide customization of the UI for those that either root their device or don’t root their device. In fact, I think 3rd party launchers clearly help differentiate Android from iOS, and sadly it’s not explained to those that are making the transition from iOS. The fact that one could create a completely custom layout, using a 3rd party launcher, without going through the trouble (although many of us know, it’s not that much trouble) of rooting the phone…that, in itself, is something that should be highlighted with Android. While I can apprciate what Vanilla Android does, I’d personally prefer a phone that had Vanilla android, but allow me to just use a customized 3rd party launcher. It allows me to configure my phone, in such a manner, that makes it easy to navigate through my daily duties, while having the phone look aesthetically pleasing at the same time.

    3. The swipe gestures on icons to launch other apps really comes in handy. For example, swipe up on my camera icon to launch the gallery app. Or swipe up on my phone icon to launch Contacts. Or swipe up on my Google Music icon to launch Tunein, my Internet radio app… You get the idea. It saves a lot of clutter on your desktop. That feature alone is worth the install.

      1. Holy wow…I didn’t even realize that you could set gestures on individual apps. I guess I’ll have to look into the settings again and do more customizing!

    4. I always use Apex (I’ve used nova too) because of how it fits the screen. The ability to customize to your heart’s content is what android is all about and that’s what a 3rd party launcher gives you. Plus… unless you are running an ancient device, you probably have 2GB of ram. Therefore its usage is negligible.

      1. What devices have 2GB of ram that weren’t released in the last few months? Your definition of ancient is quite amusing ;)

        1. My Nexus 4 was released more than half a year ago and it’s got 2GB of ram. Get with the times man! =P

          Still, with 1GB it’s pretty negligible.

          1. Half a year :p. I’ve got an S4 so I don’t have to worry about it haha

    5. I agree. I wouldn’t be using Nova if Google didn’t jack up the size of the icons in Android 4.3 for the Samsung Galaxy S4 GPe. The icons are huge. Made me feel like an old man.

    6. Stock launcher provides lackluster customization compared to 3rd-party offerings.

    7. Custom launchers do not take up more RAM than the built in one. At boot only the current default launcher gets started. Having a 100 of them installed would not eat into your memory usage one bit.

    8. If I use stock launcher on my Nexus 7, I see a stutter while sipping between screens. If I use Nova Launcher, all I see is butter between screens. Oh yea, and I can customize to my hearts content.

  3. zoom fade is quite amazing too.

  4. being able to edit icons and app names is a must for me.

  5. Nova is the best Launcher on the market. For guys like me, guys who frequently flash ROM’s, Nova’s backup and restore features are invaluable.

    1. I can’t make it’s backup work on my Nexus 4.
      When I try to restore it doesn’t show the path and therefore no restore is made.

  6. Nova is my favorite launcher, though Apex came close when I was using it. It looks and runs very much like the stock launcher, so nothing flashy gets in the way. But it allows me to tweak everything to my heart’s content like resizing all widgets, overlap of screen elements, custom transition effects, custom grid size, custom backgrounds. It is what the stock launcher should have been.

    1. Is it faster/snappier than Nova? Are there any other big differences? Can you tell I’m in the market for a launcher?

  7. Combined with Helium Backup, Nova is a great way to setup a new phone quickly. When I swapped my wife’s GS4 for my Note 2 recently, everything came in perfectly for both phones despite the drastically different screen sizes.

    1. the screen sizes aren’t really “drastically” different

  8. Now it just needs to NOT SLOW DOWN MY PHONE!

    1. Well, on my Galaxy S3 and my Nexus 4 it doesn’t.

  9. I tried finding this launcher and giving it a go. No luck. Damn this iPhone. ;)

    1. yes, you will encounter that problem more and more,the longer you have that phone

      1. The worst part of this phone is after I bought it and opened the box to reveal my new iPhone, I found out the screen ismissing inches. It’s only 3.5inches hmm.

  10. Not sure if its new or not, but the glass swipe feature is rather nice. Other features are nice, but nothing too spectacular

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      Being able to swipe down anywhere on the home screen to drop the
      notification panel (instead of having to reach to the top of a 5″ screen
      with your thumb) alone is worth adding Nova.

  11. How to make your non-stock Android phone look like a Google Play Edition device – See more at: http://windroidblog.blogspot.in/2013/08/how-to-make-your-non-stock-android.html#sthash.aND2AVDA.dpuf

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