When you use the search function on the home screen, it opens up results in Edge, which can send the browser tab to your Windows 10 PC. It integrates well with MS Office and Microsoft Edge: This is particularly helpful for Windows 10 users, because you can sync your Edge browsing and productivity across devices. You don't get quite as many options as Nova Launcher, which remains the gold standard, but there are still enough features here to satisfy most power users. You can also set your home screen and lock screen to download mobile-optimized wallpaper from Bing once a day, if you like to keep things fresh. Do you want your app folders to be square or circular, and do you want that with a light or dark background?Īlso, if you're using an older device, you can enable 'high performance mode,' which turns off animations and other visual effects.

You can also set the launcher to use a light, dark, or transparent theme, the last of which even has sliders for the amount of transparency and background blur. High degree of personalization: Unlike the Google Pixel Launcher, you can enable your own app icon packs for better personalization. If you want to customize this section, there's a small gear icon in the upper right that opens your launcher settings. Below that is a slider to control screen brightness. Swiping up from the bottom of the screen shows you an app dock containing two rows, below which you have shortcuts to toggle airplane mode, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, the flashlight, and mobile data. The interface looks nice and is easy to navigate: The home screen search bar (which uses Bing instead of Google) is located at the bottom of your screen for more ergonomic one-handed use.

If you've been frustrated with the navigation tools on your phone, or you use Windows 10 a lot, this free app is worth checking out. It also integrates with other Microsoft products made for Android, such as Office 365, the Microsoft Edge web browser, and the Cortana virtual assistant. The Microsoft Launcher is a free set of interfaces that replaces the standard home screen, dock, and app drawer on your Android phone or tablet.

Install microsoft launcher