What to know
- Released October 30, 2025, Nova Launcher 8.1.3 offers redesigned Nova Now cards, including Weather and an improved Media Card
- Adds saved search history with web suggestions and instant keyboard activation
- Updated Spotify integration and better support for the latest Android versions
- This update was developed over a year ago by the original team, who have since moved on, putting the app’s future in question
Nova Launcher’s October 30, 2025 update delivers a polished set of new features and improvements that enhance user experience while raising questions about its future development. The update brings important changes to the Nova Now feed, including revamped cards: the Media Card gets a fresh redesign, a brand-new Weather Card is introduced, and the Calendar Card receives updates. Users can now pin shortcuts inside cards and dismiss cards as needed, improving feed management.
Customization sees a boost with new options to tweak the Nova Now search bar style and an instant keyboard popup to jump into search right away. Spotify integration has been refreshed to offer smoother media playback controls within the launcher.
Search functionality is improved with saved and searchable search history for web suggestions, while respecting user choice by allowing this feature to be turned off. The launcher also gains updated compatibility to support the latest Android versions, ensuring smooth operation on newer devices. Stability improvements round out this release, making the launcher more reliable overall.
This update mainly consists of work done over a year ago by Nova’s original team, who have since left the project. While the new features provide a welcome freshness, the future of Nova Launcher remains uncertain under current stewardship.
This uncertainty has stirred up a wave of community buzz, as seen on the official sub - reddit of the Nova launcher
For users who love customizing their home screens and want the latest Nova Now enhancements and improved reliability, the 8.1.3 update is worth exploring. It could well be one of the final major updates for this beloved Android launcher.
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