Android smartphones can do many things that cannot be done on Apple iOS devices (iPhones). One of the attractive Android-only features is the ability to change the look, feel, and behavior of your device – a complete overhaul – by simply installing a third-party launcher.
One of the more popular launchers is Microsoft Launcher (an updated version of the Arrow Launcher of the Microsoft Garage project).
Microsoft Launcher Brings Windows Integration and a Lot More to Android”/>
Microsoft Launcher, designed primarily to help your Android device integrate into the Microsoft ecosystem, won’t make your device look and behave like Windows 10.
Instead, in addition to providing a customizable user interface (UI), it helps make your Android smartphone easier to assimilate into Microsoft’s workflow with apps and services, as well as your Windows laptop or desktop PC.
Why a third-party operator?
Depending on your phone, its manufacturer and service provider, your Android phone comes with a default launcher that includes the home screen, various control panels, and applications installed on your device.
There are several launchers available and some of them like Apex, EverythingMe, Smart Launcher 3, Google Now Launcher, and Pixel Launcher are quite popular, including Microsoft Launcher
As I wrote this, on the Google Play Store alone, the app was installed over 10 million times and received a 4.6 out of 5 rating. Considering the number of high-profile Microsoft skeptics nowadays, these are impressive numbers.
In any case, the answer to the question “Why a third-party launcher?” primarily the same as the answer to the question “Why does Android dominate the global smartphone OS market?” Well, because Android is highly customizable; users aren’t tied to the same simple vanilla experience. Or better yet, how about this cliché? Users can customize their phones to be they .
Why Microsoft Launcher?
At last count, the Wikipedia article “List of Android Launchers” (updated 2015) has over 60 entries. Another report I read says there are “hundreds” of Android launchers available.
My search for “Android Launchers” on the Google Play store showed only about 300 applications, including several designed to emulate the Android iPhone device. In other words, there are many options for customizing the look and feel of your Android smartphone.
Microsoft Launcher Brings Windows Integration and a Lot More to Android”/>
All launchers allow you to personalize Android by changing wallpapers, theme colors, icon sets and, depending on the launcher itself, much more. Microsoft Launcher is designed primarily for those who live, work, and play in the Microsoft ecosystem.
In other words, you use MS Office to create and edit business documents, Outlook for email, to-do lists and calendar; you save these and most other files to OneDrive; and you may be playing and having fun with your Xbox, using Cortana for voice commands, video calling, Skype conferencing, and more. You get the idea.
Microsoft Launcher Brings Windows Integration and a Lot More to Android”/>
When you integrate Microsoft Launcher with, for example, your Microsoft work or school account, you get easy access to your MS Office 365 documents and other files, recent activities in your personalized ribbon and calendar, and more – from Android.
You can even access open items like documents, photos and web pages on your Windows PC, and MS Launcher will in turn open them on all your devices.
Key Productivity and Convenience Features
As mentioned, Microsoft Launcher is not an attempt, like the previously defunct Windows Phone OS, to bring Windows to your smartphone. Not only are there no live tiles, but I have been using them for several weeks now and I am not getting it (again, except for immediate access to Office apps like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote, OneDrive, etc.) a lot like Windows.
Instead, the app connects my Microsoft ecosystem with my Android device, allowing them to run smoothly, if not somewhat elegantly, side-by-side, while still providing some very useful features, namely:
- Do important contacts are important: most of us have several people whom we often write, call and write by e-mail. With MS Launcher, you can pin your favorite contacts to your home screen, dock, icon folders, or anywhere for quick access from anywhere on your phone.
- Continue on PC: put your phone down, start where you left off on your computer. Edit a document in Word 365 at lunchtime; continue to your desktop when you return to the office. Take a picture with your phone and instantly edit it on your PC.
Microsoft Launcher Brings Windows Integration and a Lot More to Android”/>
This also works with music and links. Listening to the song on your smartphone? Click Continue to PC under / More / Share to send it to your computer. With links, even if you’re using Chrome on your smartphone and by default using Edge on your PC, Windows Launcher pushes URLs across a large gap to open the corresponding browser.
- Search the web, on your PC, and your phone at the same time: Browse your files, apps, documents, messages, and web results – all – with Microsoft’s universal search bar Launcher.
- Personalize your personalized feed: You choose your feed content instead of Google or Microsoft. Set the feed as your default home screen and fill it as you see fit with calendar events, documents, contacts, and assigned news topics.
- Gesture Your Way: You tell Android how to react to your gestures; double tap to open Messenger; swipe up to see your contacts – you get the idea.
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And for those of us who love talking to our smartphones, Microsoft Launcher also includes Cortana in Android. I used it instead of Google Assistant to launch commands, open apps, set up appointments and tasks, all without a hitch and just as smoothly as doing the same tasks on my desktop PC.
Microsoft Launcher Brings Windows Integration and a Lot More to Android”/>
Performance
I tested Microsoft Launcher on Samsung’s flagship Android, Galaxy Note 9, Samsung’s fastest and smartest smartphone to date. The app worked flawlessly with no noticeable lags or crashes. The only real problems I had was when trying to establish a connection between the app and Microsoft or Google services.
I couldn’t, for example, log into my Office 365 account because whatever the launcher sent to Microsoft for my email address was not recognized as a valid email template – the same address I used to authenticate to my Microsoft account several times. seconds earlier.
I had a similar problem when trying to install an app installed with Launcher to authenticate to my google account. Overall, however, Microsoft Launcher is a very well-behaved application. In terms of processing speed, if it is consuming resources, resulting in delays, the ultra-fast Note 9 is the last place to appear.
Well done
I’m not the type to spend hours setting up my equipment, although I’m always eager to find ways to make my production machines work together.
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Yes, Microsoft Launcher made prettier my interface, but what I really love about this app is how easy it is to switch between my phone and my desktop PC, almost to the point that I’m seriously considering that on my next business trip, I left my Windows laptop at home and only took my Android smartphone.
Also, another Android convenience is that you can install as many launchers as you want and navigate between them simply by enabling them in the settings. In any case, Microsoft Launcher is free on Microsoft and the Google Play Store and is well worth the time it takes to install (a few seconds) and check. Enjoy!
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