14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft has just released Microsoft Launcher 6.0 for Android, several months after the company started testing this build as part of its beta program.
Microsoft Launcher 6.0 runs on a new codebase, and Microsoft says this change allowed the company to bring a series of new features to Android users.
It all starts with the new look that seems to be inspired from the Fluent Design system that’s used across Microsoft’s products, including Windows 10. A dark theme is obviously offered too, and so is an updated wallpaper feature that relies on Bing’s daily homepage background.
Additionally, Microsoft Launcher 6.0 supports customizable icons – third-party icon packs were offered before as well, but Microsoft now says that this feature has been further enhanced with this release.
Known issues in this update
Personalized news is also part of this new update.
“The personalized news feed updates throughout the day with top trending stories, making it easy to stay on top of whatever’s relevant to you,” Microsoft explains.
And of course, the new launcher runs in landscape mode too, and it can enable this setting automatically when you rotate the screen.
The new Microsoft Launcher requires at least Android version 7.0, and it comes with a series of known issues, including broken down native Android 10 navigation gestures. The dark theme is only available on devices running Android 8.0 and newer, while Sticky Notes syncing might fail for some users. Notification badges also need to be enabled manually after updating to the new version.
Needless to say, Microsoft Launcher 6.0 is a massive release, and this shows just how committed Microsoft really is to the world of Android. Microsoft Launcher will also power the default experience on Surface Duo, Microsoft’s very first Android device launching later this year.