...ad promised both via a contract and publicly that if Kevin were to ever leave Branch, Nova Launcher would become open source. You can find that quote here:

https://www.reddit.com/r/Android/comments/w2q6al/comment/igzoniu/

and another very similar quote with similar conversation here:

https://www.reddit.com/r/Android/comments/w2q6al/comment/ih25ntz/

The reason for this post is to try and draw some attention to the folks at Branch, specifically folks like Harish Thimmappa to do the right thing and honor these promises and any writings in the contracts from 2022 and to fully focus on releasing Nova Launcher as an open source app.

The community deserves this more than anything, since that was something that Kevin was very adamant about when he allowed Branch to acquire Nova Launcher back in 2022. Plus, this is just something that Branch should do since it is something that has been promised.

There is currently a petition on Change.org to try and get Branch to do this as well. After only 3 days of it being posted to Change.org, it sits at almost 1,500 signatures, and that's with very little to no press coverage at this time, which is something that would be super useful to bring full attention to this situation. You can find the petition here:

https://www.change.org/p/make-nova-launcher-open-source-let-the-community-continue-its-development

I ask that everyone who sees this post can share it with their followers as I would love to see Branch do the right thing and follow through with their promises that were made back in 2022 when they acquired Nova Launcher and release it fully as an open source app now that Kevin is no longer working for Branch and not involved in Nova Launcher.

I'm going to tag some folks below that I worked with at Branch in hopes of getting this post seen by as many folks there as possible.

#NovaLauncher #Nova #Branch #BranchMetrics #OpenSource #OpenSourceNova #Petition #Android #Apps #Google

@informapirata@mastodon.uno

@informatica

Appello per tutti: contattate i membri delle istituzioni europee per fermare la follia dell'obbligo di #google di doversi registrare da loro per creare programmi per #android! https://digital-markets-act.ec.europa.eu/contact-dma-team_en

Ps: condividete il più possibile per piacere

Nuovo video tutorial su @FreeTube@fosstodon.org (Windows, macOS, Linux e Android), @invidious@social.tchncs.de (web) e Tubular (Android) per guardare #YouTube senza pubblicità con software libero.

PeerTube: https://videos.gianmarco.gg/w/myCVxF9Jqy4emPmZXPe6fD
Odysee: https://odysee.com/@gianmarcogg03:e/freetube:a
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNlyFjL173o

@opensource@diggita.com

#FreeSoftware #LibreSoftware #SoftwareLibero #OpenSource #FOSS #Video #Privacy #Linux #GNULinux #Android #Windows #Mac #macOS #Ad #Ads #AdBlock #Google

#Google denies ‘misleading’ reports of #Gmail using your emails to train #AI

https://www.theverge.com/news/826902/gmail-ai-training-data-opt-out

#privacy #Gemini

Commerzbank (one of the largest German banks) just banned GrapheneOS:

https://discuss.grapheneos.org/d/28440-commerzbank-one-of-the-largest-german-banks-bans-grapheneos

There is literally zero reason why banking apps shouldn't work on GrapheneOS, and yet so many European financial institutions prefer to rely on the security assurances of megacorporations controlled by a foreign country.

At least I hope that the current geopolitical madness will contribute to stopping this plague.

#google #android #aosp #grapheneos #lineageos #bigtech #enshittification #security #privacy #digitalsovereignty #usa #eu #europe #politics #germany #commerzbank

#Google recovers “deleted” #Nest video in high-profile abduction case

https://arstechnica.com/google/2026/02/google-recovers-deleted-nest-video-in-high-profile-abduction-case/

#privacy #NestDoorbell #NancyGuthrie

The #FDroid website has a new banner on top to remind visitors that #Google did not change course and #Android will be locked-down in under 200 days.

If you care about the freedom to control your devices and care about the privacy of you data, please contact your representative and make your voice heard.

https://keepandroidopen.org/ (thanks @marcprux@mastodon.social) has the resources to guide you.

We know users will rarely visit the site so the Client(s) will get a banner soon too.

Thank you for your support!

KDE supports the "Keep Android Open" campaign

#Google will cut off independent developers to #Android if they do not register with Google first. This will kill independent platforms like @fdroidorg@floss.social and severely impede FLOSS devs from creating apps for Android.

https://keepandroidopen.org/

Many KDE apps are deployed for Android: KDE Connect, Itinerary, Tokodon, and there's even a test version of Krita for Android.

KDE calls on Google to reverse course and @keepandroidopen@techhub.social.

https://keepandroidopen.org/open-letter/

Motorola announces partnership with Graphene OS to bring us secure phones!

https://motorolanews.com/motorola-three-new-b2b-solutions-at-mwc-2026/

So the mysterious manufacturer GOS was working with was Motorola, not OnePlus as early speculations suggested. This is good news, Motorola is owned by Lenovo and makes cool phones!

Reminder that Graphene OS is still based on AOSP and therefore, IMHO, eventually doomed to succumb to Google's shenanigans. However, for now and for the foreseeable future, that's the best we can have.

#grapheneos #motorola #android #aosp #linux #pixel #google #enshittification #security #privacy

Remember? "Sideloading" is here to stay, and won't go away, they said? Don't be afraid, they said? Something something "we heard you"? Suuuure! Who would ever doubt it!

Attached the copy of a mail developers with apps in the PlayStore CURRENTLY receive. Please, read the text in the red box carefully:

"Apps not registered by September 2026 WILL NO LONGER BE INSTALLABLE ON CERTIFIED ANDROID DEVICES in select countries."

See an exception there? I don't.

#Google #Android #DeveloperCertfication

Well, the new Google ReCaptcha is awful, sheesh

It's a QR code you have to scan with a "proper" device - aka with Google Services installed

Goodbye last 10 years of phishing awareness, time to scan random QRs without a thought while you are purchasing things, woo! Seriously what were they thinking?

And because it's recommended to be put in "high risk" places, people will expect them to be seen there, and so a scam/phishing QR will be so much easier to slip in.

https://cloud.google.com/blog/products/identity-security/introducing-google-cloud-fraud-defense-the-next-evolution-of-recaptcha/

#google #captcha #recaptcha #phishing #infosec #cybersecurity

#Google publishes exploit code threatening millions of #Chromium users

https://arstechnica.com/security/2026/05/google-publishes-exploit-code-threatening-millions-of-chromium-users/

#Chrome #cybersecurity

🚨 Google is now asking you to grant camera access and show your hands to prove you're a human?!

--> I am not a robot tests have officially gone to far.

Just when you think the Big Tech can't get more privacy-invading, it does! 🫣

#Google #verification #privacy

#Android verification is coming: #Google confirms timeline and supported app stores

https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2026/06/google-shares-updated-timeline-for-rolling-out-android-developer-verification/

#sideloading #privacy #FOSS #cybersecurity

#GDPR / #Cookies: You CAN NOT make it up: #Google, #Germany and #France are now lobbying to keep (!) the Cookie Banners in the EU, when the European Commission has proposed to replace them with a simple signal. #Lobbying against the vast majority of voters worked. Details: https://noyb.eu/en/eu-member-states-and-google-suddenly-want-keep-cookie-banners

More than 200k users said NO!

More than 70 organisations signed a letter saying NO!

#FDroid wrote posts on why NOT!

We've talked with you and your representatives, around the world.

We've made the #KeepAndroidOpen website to explain it.

If you read the #Android tech news, you saw it.

If you use a search engine, you found it.

If you've asked their own #Gemini, you got the summary.

But who didn't see, hear or read anything from above? Yes, #Google

For your saftety? https://f-droid.org/2026/07/01/adv-malware.html