Nova Launcher is one of the most popular and best launchers available for Android users. While the free version of Nova Launcher is easy to use and is quite fast too, where does it stand when compared to Nova Launcher Prime?
Today we are here to answer that exact question. We will go through all the features of both options to help you choose the best one! So keep on reading to find out more!
Gestures
The first topic to cover would be gestures. It is because gestures are shortcuts and give you a lot of freedom in using your phone. For example, it allows you to do many things just from your home screen. All you need to do is simply swipe and tap from the home screen.
Some launchers allow you to use gestures for free. However, you only get one gesture with Nova free that allows you to choose your preferred function when you press the Home button. With Nova Prime, you get several different features. A few of them are listed below:
| Available Features | What They Do |
| Home Button | Open App Drawer / Expand Notifications |
| Swipe Up | Expand Quick Settings |
| Swipe Down | Open Recent Apps |
| Double Tap | Screen Lock |
Transition Effects
Transition effects are the animation/effect that you see on your home screen when you are swiping left or right.
You only get three effects when you use the free version of the Nova launcher. They are card stack, cube, and simple.
With Nova Prime, you are being offered a total of 13 scrolling effects. Some of these features include in and out, wipe, flip, and much more.
Notification Badges
With the premium version of Nova Launcher, you are getting a bunch of extra features. These are features that you will not be able to get by default. You do not get notification badges with the free version of Nova Launcher.
Different notification badges are available, such as dots, numeric, and dynamic. Let’s take a look at them.
Dots
It is a notification feature that came with Android O. These are just simple dotted notifications.
Numeric Dots
These simple badges give you a count of your total notifications. Apart from the size and position features, it offers the style of the badges. They offer a few different styles and also options to create your own custom styles.
Dynamic Badges
This notification badge stays entirely relevant for your notifications. For example, if you were to get a message, the notification badge would show up with the person’s image. If the contact has no images attached to it, it shows up with the person’s initials instead.
Moreover, if you receive a notification for sports updates, it would show up with a sports icon on top of the Google icon.
App Hiding Features
It is a feature worth mentioning because it is something that many users prefer for their own private reasons. Knowing this is a privacy feature that is not available with the free version of Nova Launcher is better.
For those unfamiliar with this feature, it allows you to hide your apps directly from your app drawer. This tool is still incomplete because you only get to hide your apps from the app drawer, but the apps still pop up if anyone searches for apps from the search bar.
Moreover, Nova Launcher can improve compared to other Android launchers because no password feature protects the apps you are hiding. It might affect the privacy issues of the user.
App Drawer Groups and Folder
One of the cool features you are getting with the premium version of Nova Launcher, Nova Launcher Prime, is the app drawer folders and groups. It also shows all your folders at the top when you are in the app drawer.
You can create tabs and folders in the app drawer by using the drawer tabs/groups. It is a beneficial feature because it allows you to categorize your apps to separate your games, entertainment, work, home, and more. You also get the option to choose whether or not the folders show up at the top of your app drawer.
Is the Money Worth it?
You can look up this on the internet and go through a bunch of subreddits to find an answer. Most of the answers would be yes. However, just because you are seeing a lot of people saying that it is worth it does not mean that you should just go ahead and pay for the premium version of Nova Launcher.
We went through some of the essential features most people would need when using a new launcher for their phone. It is ultimately up to you to go through these features and decide whether or not you need the premium features available with the Nova Prime Launcher.
You might not need the premium features offered with the premium version, and you might be all set with the free version of the launcher. If you are feeling confused about what you mainly want, you could always try out other launchers to see what fits you the best and the features you need the most.
The Nova Prime Launcher is a premium tool from which you can benefit quite a lot. However, the fact that it is something you need to pay for changes a lot of things. It is why it is a decision that you need to make based on the features that you require the most.
