Is Nova Launcher Safe?

There’s a lot of talk about staying safe online. And that safety can be interpreted in a lot of different ways. What is it that people fear with third-party apps like Nova Launcher? They worry about what permissions the app requests from them.

It’s no secret that people have forfeited their right to privacy and are likely to agree to all kinds of permissions, even if makes them feel uncomfortable. But how safe is Nova Launcher and what have other users experienced over the years?

Nova Launcher Permissions

Every time you download an app, you’re presented with a choice about access and permissions. Sometimes when an app asks for your location it’s to improve curate the content for you especially.

But sometimes there are requests that seem overly intrusive and downright unsafe. Over the years, Android launchers like Nova have become very popular. Some people have been using Nova for more than half a decade without experiencing any issues or witnessing any suspicious behavior.

However, Nova Launcher indeed collects data, but it doesn’t collect anything private like your Google password, or e-wallet password or stuff like that. Nova also requests access to your notifications and needs administrative permission. These are necessary to give you the accurate notification count and to setup gestures for your home screen.

You’ll also need to grant it storage access on your device if you want to create a backup for your Nova Launcher. But this also means that Nova Launcher can read, modify, and delete any content in your storage, which, no matter how you look at it, just sounds bad. But in reality, almost all apps that people install on their phones have that permission. It doesn’t necessarily mean that they’re unsafe.

And, of course, if you want to have access to an accurate, regularly updated weather report, you’ll have to grant it access to your location. In this respect, the app asks for your precise or approximate location. Nova Launcher can also control your phone’s vibration and modify system settings. But it’s not exactly clear if it ever does this or how often even.

Is Nova Launcher Safer Than Other Launchers?

No one really knows what the app does in the background or how the permissions and access you gave it are utilized and to what purpose. Most people just want to know that it’s not harming their phones in any way or putting them in some immediate unsafe situation. The truth is that most launchers aren’t harmful at all, and that applies to Nova Launcher as well.

You can view them as new stylish clothing or skin for your phone. The Nova Launcher is all about taking customization to impressive new levels. In that respect, it’s one of the best launchers on the market. In the end, it’s not more or less as safe as any other third-party you’ve got on your phone. Think of Instagram and many messaging apps.

What to Do Before Downloading Nova Launcher

One of the quickest and most reliable ways to download an unsafe app is to search for and download a pirated version of it. The Nova Launcher has a great score on Play Store and has been downloaded and installed many times, but that’s only the free version of the launcher.

There is a paid edition, called Nova Launcher Prime, which usually costs $5. Sometimes, there are discounts over the bigger holidays, and you can purchase it for $1. In the meantime, people might be tempted to get the Prime version for free, thus putting their phones and data at risk.

For that reason, going directly to the Play Store is the best option. You can then assess the permissions and reviews and rest assured that you’re using a launcher that’s safe. Users gravitate towards Nova Launcher because it doesn’t feel “heavy” on their devices, and it gives you so many personalization options.

Nova Launcher Is Safe Enough

And what this means is that you’re unlikely to find a safer Android launcher right now. Both Google and app developers are the ones who determine which permissions will be required for each app. The users get the final products and can make the decision.

All that’s left for you to decide is whether to accept the permissions and install the app or not. The former is usually what happens. But that doesn’t mean that those permissions are unsafe, just that the app is most likely profiting from them.

Let us know what you think in the comments section below.