14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft has just released the first 5.2 beta version of Microsoft Launcher for Android, as the company begins the work on another major update for the app.
Microsoft Launcher 5.2 obviously comes with several important improvements, and the first of them is a new Microsoft Rewards daily deal card.
Starting with this update, users can earn Rewards point just for running Microsoft Launcher on their devices, with bonus points offered when completing other tasks.
This certainly makes the app even more compelling for users, though it goes without saying that the limited availability of Microsoft Rewards reduces the impact this new feature would have on the Microsoft Launcher userbase.
Still a beta, watch out for bugs
Version 5.2 also updates the Launcher to no longer ask for call and SMS permissions by default to align with the Google Play Store policies and, at the same time, introduces an option to send a CPU profile when reporting bugs in case any performance issues are experienced.
Microsoft has also added other smaller refinements in this update, including so-called non-full screen folders that can be used easier with just one hand on large devices. This feature comes in particularly handy these days as more and more manufacturers launch bigger phones with increased screen estates.
Beginning with this new version, users can just long-press shortcuts on the home screen even when a lock is in place, while the launcher font size will now respect the system font size in order to provide a more seamless transition and integration with the operating system.
Keep in mind that this build is still in beta, so some bugs may still be experienced. There’s still no ETA as to when the stable version would land, but it typically takes up to several weeks for Microsoft to promote new updates from beta to stable.