There are lots of good FOSS options.
I would strongly recommend checking this site for the trackers in an app if you’re at all concerned about privacy. Links to each app’s exodus privacy report is also at the end of the table linked above.
FYI, Nova has been owned by a data mining company for many years and it is worth moving away from even if you think it is good enough now and doesn’t need updates.
i’ve been using android since 2007… and the home screen paradigm for me has always been a customizable dock at the bottom with an app drawer button in the middle, and multiple home screens with whatever widgets you want…
i’ve tried almost all the suggestions for a nova replacement and almost all of them break my workflow i’ve used for almost 20 years. it’s very frustrating. it seems like the latest launchers fall into two camps…
“minimalist”, no widgets, have to search everything with keyboard
“modern”, takes a lot of cues from iOS on the home screen
that’s the problem with finding a “nova replacement”… almost everyone’s “nova” is completely different from each other… does anyone have a suggestion for a launcher that carries on the old school android layout, but also FOSS? (GO launcher still maintains the old-school paradigm, but not FOSS)