Google has been sending out letters to OEM partners stating that the popular app for Android users, the Google Now Launcher, will be discontinued in the first quarter of 2017.
Some Android users rely on the Google Now Launcher to achieve a classic Android look, replacing stock launchers of their smartphones with a bloat-free app. Sadly, Google Now Launcher will soon come to an end, and it is inevitable as excerpts from the email which has been sent to GMS partners stated the intent of Google to remove the launcher and replace it with the newly tested SearchLauncher app.
In the first quarter of 2017, "Google Now Launcher will be unpublished from Google Play. Although users would not be able to download and install the launcher from Google Play Store, Google will continue to support existing users of the Google Now Launcher by updating the Google Search app," the company said in its email.
By March 1, 2017, "Google Now Launcher will be removed from optional GMS. New devices with Google Now Launcher on the system image will no longer be approved." Google also stated that the GMS partners could alternatively use the SearchLauncher app which integrates Search Launcher Services library to stock launchers of new smartphones.
Since most of the Android smartphones heavily rely on Google's search services, replacing the search functionality of the stock launcher has to be done in advanced. The Google Now Launcher will still be available as long as the user has it on his/her smartphone but there would be no further updates, and probably, Google Assistant would cease to function on the Google Now Launcher one day. Some users could opt to replace it with third party apps or the Pixel Launcher to use the full functionality of Google Assistant. It seems that Google's Pixel Launcher will be the new Google Now Launcher but then again, Google will need to open up the Pixel Launcher to work with most versions of Android smartphones.