

If you're just looking to run a couple apps and don't need the emulator to look like Android, you should try BlueStacks (Opens in a new window). How to Set Up Two-Factor Authentication.How to Record the Screen on Your Windows PC or Mac.How to Convert YouTube Videos to MP3 Files.How to Save Money on Your Cell Phone Bill.How to Free Up Space on Your iPhone or iPad.


Though Launcher takes over the smartphone to a point, access to previously installed apps remains intact. One of the biggest drawbacks of the old Windows Phone was the lack of third-party apps. The feed is a cool feature, showing me recent texts I’d sent and received with big windows for news stories as well as the photos I took over the last couple days. It was a bit of a shock at first as the layout of the screen changed, and a more Windows-esque display replaced the usual setup of my phone, but I was able to keep the same wallpaper. The setup doesn’t take long, and it mostly just requires signing in with a Microsoft account and granting a litany of permissions. A customized feed collects everything in one place, including documents, social media posts and emails.Īs an unrepentant Windows Phone lover, I gave Microsoft Launcher a quick test this week on my Android phone in the hopes of traveling in the wayback machine to the days of my LG Quantum with the slide-out keyboard. Launcher includes the ability to jump back into Office documents and other projects right where the user left off. Launcher makes the most sense for people who are deep into the Microsoft ecosystem and have to shuttle back and forth between devices often. The update, Launcher version 4.11, is rolling out gradually and has yet to appear widely in the Google Play store. Microsoft just released an update to Microsoft Launcher with a bunch of new features, including multi-turn text messaging through Cortana, which means users can send several texts within a conversation via voice command without having to invoke the digital assistant each time.
