Google Now Launcher to be pulled from the Play Store in Q1 2017

Enlarge / The Google Now Launcher. (credit: Google)

The Google Now Launcher has been the go-to choice for Android users looking for a simple, stock home screen since its general availability in 2014. If you had a skinned phone and wanted something that looked a little more like "Google's Android," you could hop down to the Play Store, install the app, and get a home screen with Google's predictive Google Now cards integrated.

Sadly, the Google Now Launcher will probably be gone soon. According to Android Police, Google is sending out letters to OEM partners declaring that the Google Now Launcher will be retired in Q1 2017. Devices that have the launcher installed will be able to continue using it, but the app will no longer show up on the Play Store.

Google actually has two home screen apps on the Play Store, the Google Now Launcher—which is widely available and the stock launcher on the Nexus phones—and the Pixel Launcher, which is exclusive to the Pixel and Pixel XL. Neither app actually contains the code for the home screen; they are just small "enabler" apps.