Microsoft Launcher Preview is Apparently Being Deprecated

It looks like Microsoft is getting ready to pull the new look and feel of the Microsoft Launcher Preview into the shipping product.

“This is the pop-up message that will inform you about the depreciation of [the] Microsoft Launcher Preview,” Alessandro Paluzzi posted on Twitter, noting the shot above.

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According to the shot, the Microsoft Launcher Preview, which was designed to test some new user experiences that could end up in Surface Duo as well, will “phased out” by the end of July. But there will be a new version of the shipping (non-preview) version of Microsoft Launcher to take its place. That new version of the Microsoft Launcher is not yet available, from what I can tell.

Microsoft began offering the Microsoft Launcher Preview in January, and then it moved the product into Beta in June. Presumably, the coming version of the Microsoft Launcher will be upgraded to version 6 to meet the preview’s version number, and will include its new UX.

As for Surface Duo, Microsoft’s eagerly-awaited dual-screen Android not-a-phone device is still expected sometime this summer.

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Conversation 8 comments

  • bart

    Premium Member
    14 July, 2020 - 8:50 am

    <p>"<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Microsoft’s eagerly-awaited dual-screen Android not-a-phone device" is that the official description Paul? :)</span></p>

    • Paul Thurrott

      Premium Member
      15 July, 2020 - 8:44 am

      It’s not a phone! OK, it’s a phone. No. It’s not a phone!

  • djross95

    Premium Member
    14 July, 2020 - 9:01 am

    <p>Between MS with this phone and Google with the Pixel 4a, we're seeing a master class in how not to launch a key product. Wake me up when they're here… </p>

  • mog0

    14 July, 2020 - 9:26 am

    <p>Not surprising given it was already redundant. When they made it beta, they pushed it as the beta of the main launcher. The preview was a separate Google play listing so people could test it while still pushing betas for the main product.</p><p>Retiring this doesn't necessarily mean any (further) change to the shipping product as the beta is still a bit buggy.</p>

  • james.h.robinson

    Premium Member
    14 July, 2020 - 10:14 am

    <p>So, they are going to replace the Preview with the actual product? If so, what are people complaining about?</p>

  • Shel Dyck

    14 July, 2020 - 10:36 am

    <p>neither the preview nor the regular version can handle screen rotation on any LG dual screen phone. I've reported it to LG, and microsoft's feedback many times. update after update nothing gets done. if you rotate the phone with 2 screens active the icon locations go absolutely nuts. </p>

  • Cdorf

    Premium Member
    14 July, 2020 - 11:23 am

    <p>I got the new version a couple days ago. They even put out a minor patch after I got it. Works really well, and I like the new look. </p>

  • bleeman

    Premium Member
    14 July, 2020 - 10:28 pm

    <p>Not looking forward to this at all. Up to now I've really liked Launcher. However, I tried the preview and they made a mess of folders unless they went back and fixed it after I uninstalled the preview. In the preview version it only showed, I think, 9 icons per page so you had multiple pages to scroll through. Makes no sense in this era a large screen phones. In addition, the option to sort alphabetically was no longer there as well. So if you want it alphabetically you have to manually move everything around. Not sure what they were thinking when they implemented this mess, but it sure seems to be a major step backwards.</p>

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