Nova Launcher update adds numeric dots, Google Discover dark theme, more

XDA

Nova Launcher 6.1.6 stable adds numeric dots, an undo bar, dark theme in Google Discover, and more

By Tushar Mehta

Published Apr 12, 2019

Nova Launcher 6.1.6 is getting some useful features like notifications dots as a replacement for TeslaUnread, a dark theme for Google Discover, and more.

Nova Launcher is among the longest-running and the most feature-packed third-party launchers for Android and one of the reasons behind this is the consistency of its updates. Last month, we witnessed a major update to Nova Launcher and it brought some notable improvements in terms of icon and folder customizations as well as settings for the launcher itself. Now, the launcher has been updated with some more new features that improve usability and the consistency of the interface.

The latest update to Nova Launcher i.e. version 6.1.6 brings numeric dots. Earlier, an app called TeslaUnread by the developers of Nova Launcher could be used to show the number of unread notifications as badges over icons. Doing away with TeslaUnread now, the developers have integrated badges for unread notifications within Nova Launcher. This is a slightly improved version of the notification dots introduced with Android 8.0 Oreo but instead showing just dots, it shows the number of unread notifications. It also allows you to preview the unread notification within the shade when you long-press on an app's icon.

Aside from this, the latest update also adds an Undo bar to revert accidental deletion of an icon from the homescreen. Another improvement, specific to smartphones with notches, shows the wallpaper in the notch area when the notification bar is hidden. Aside from this, there are some bug fixes and optimizations.

At the same time, one more feature coming to Nova Launcher is the option to turn on the dark theme in the Google Discover feed. The feature has been present on Google Pixel devices with the official Pixel Launcher and other smartphones running the unofficial or modified versions of the Pixel Launcher - as well as the beta version of Nova Launcher. To enable the dark theme, you must download the Google Now Companion app and turn the feature on from Nova Settings>Integrations>Google Discover. You can also enable auto dark mode to change with the Night Mode settings in Nova Launcher.

Do note that numeric dots are limited to Nova Prime, the paid version of Nova Launcher which unlocks a host of other customization options. Meanwhile, even though TeslaUnread has been removed from the Play Store, you can still download it from this link.