Microsoft released a new Windows 10 Insider Preview build today, and alongside it, the company announced general availability of Microsoft Launcher version 6.0. Those on the beta program have been testing it out for about a month, although users with the separate Microsoft Launcher Preview app have actually been testing it out since January. In fact, the Preview app has been discontinued.
The reason that Microsoft Launcher 6 has been in testing for so long is because, you guessed it, this is the version that"s supposed to ship on the company"s upcoming Surface Duo smartphone. And if it"s not, this is the one that builds in dual-screen support and packs a bunch of other goodies for the device.
This is an all-around big update though, including a bunch of new features for traditional smartphones as well. Here"s the full list of new features:
- Personalized news: Stay in the know. 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.
- Landscape mode: Microsoft Launcher supports vertical and horizontal orientations to enhance your viewing preference.
- Customizable icons: Give your phone a consistent look and feel with custom icon packs and adaptive icons.
- Beautiful wallpapers: Enjoy a fresh new wallpaper from Bing every day or choose your own photos.
- Dark theme: Reduce eye strain when using your phone at night or in low light environments. This feature is compatible with Android’s default dark mode settings.
- Improved performance: Microsoft Launcher now loads faster, uses less memory, is more battery efficient, and offers fluent animations.
If you haven"t downloaded Microsoft Launcher, you can find it on the Google Play Store here. You can also use the listing to update your app, or it will be updated automatically.