It took Microsoft one whole month to finish testing Microsoft Launcher 5.1 with beta users, but the update is finally rolling out to the general public. This is the last major update that the Launcher will receive in 2018, and it's pretty significant.
Among the changes in this release, it's now possible to access your Sticky Notes through a dedicated Notes card, as Microsoft continues to make the service as cross-platform as possible. Similarly, tasks from To-Do, Outlook, and Skype can also now be accessed through a new card.
Another new addition is a screen time tracking feature, not unlike Google's own Digital Wellbeing app for Android Pie. "Hey Cortana" voice activation is also now available in beta form, though you'll need to have the Launcher visible on screen for the feature to work, so you can't be using any other apps. Here's the full changelog:
- Track your screen time, app usage and phone unlocks with the new screen time card
- To Do card now shows tasks from apps like Microsoft To Do, Outlook and Skype
- Notes card now shows your Notes from Sticky Notes on Windows, Outlook and OneNote mobile
- Cortana now has an updated card with commute/traffic
- "Hey Cortana" as a beta feature for the en-us market
- Cortana support in the es-ES market
- Bing mini-answers shows you quick answers for stocks and currency
Microsoft Launcher is increasingly becoming a way for the company to make its services and cross-platform features available on Android. If you haven't yet, you can download it from the Play Store.
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