Android’s specialty has always been the ability to customize your phone to the extreme. But for those who primarily wanted to get closer to the experience Google intended, the Google Now Launcher was a life saver.
Indeed, it made it possible to avoid overlays that were too visually demanding for Nexus phones from certain manufacturers to find their media. While the Google Pixel and Pixel XL were launched, its developer abandoned it by offering the Pixel launcher for the first time.
Google Now Launcher ending in a few weeks
However, this appears to be a warning sign, according to internal information obtained by Android Police. The developer indeed warns his partners end of support Google Now Launcher.
From the first quarter of 2017, app will be removed from Play Store. However, it will continue to be supported by updates to the Google Search app. And from March 1, the app launcher will no longer be able to be integrated into manufacturers’ ROMs on new devices.
This change will be made to force manufacturers to integrate Google services directly into their overlays, thanks to the Search Starter Services library that is now available. It is the same API that will allow Sony to integrate the Now component into its overlay.
That said, there’s nothing to say that this is the end of a Google-signed app launcher available on the Play Store: Google may make the Pixel Launcher available on all devices by this date. At least we hope so, as Google Now Launcher can be really useful.
