After spending the past couple of weeks in beta, the rebranded Microsoft Launcher is now available for download in the Play Store. This is what was formerly known as Arrow Launcher and this update, version 4.1 for those keeping score at home, brings a lot of polish to the already impressive launcher.
From a features perspective, you aren’t going to find a lot of new things in this update. Outside of the new “Continue on PC” feature, which requires the upcoming Fall Creators Update on Windows 10, you won’t find a lot of new stuff. Instead, there are a lot of refinements to the launcher. For example, the Utility page now has a top banner with a greeting, the weather and the number of events you have on your calendar for the day. Also, the Utility page has more clearly defined cards and they can now be themed both in colors as well as if you want the cards Light, Dark or Transparent.
One of the single most request features of Arrow Launcher has made its way into Microsoft Launcher: Swipe to open the App Drawer. Through the Gestures settings, you can now have the App Drawer open by swiping up on the screen (I customized mine to open when I swipe up on the Dock). Gone is the requirement for an App Drawer button.
Other refinements include a new look to the Clock & Weather widget which is now a simple outline design, significant speed and stability improvements and a new walkthrough wizard for those who are setting up the Launcher for the first time.
As I put in my review of Arrow Launcher, if you are a heavy user of Microsoft solutions, the launcher should be one to consider for your Android phone or tablet. Now, with the refinements and overall improvements of Microsoft Launcher, it is a must to consider.
You can download it for free from the Play Store
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