Microsoft Launcher 4.11 Gets Widespread Release with UI Tweaks and Multi-Turn Cortana SMS

A significant Microsoft Launcher update is rolling out to all users after spending time in the beta channel. Version 4.11 of the app comes with a number of new features and improvements that refine previous additions. Among the most notable is multi-turn SMS and calling for Cortana. The functionality is present in competitors like Google Assistant and lets users continue a conversation without having to invoke the AI multiple times. It's joined by several UI improvements that touch the welcome and settings page, as well as the widgets and context menu. One of the most notable changes is to the widgets page, where the alphabetical scrolling is now much easier to reach. Another small but welcome UI addition is the ability to disable page indicators on the homescreen. In the settings menu, you can now remove page signifying dots, reducing visual clutter without impairing much functionality.

A New Audience

To make customization even easier, you can drag and drop screens in the overview to delete them, much the same as you would an app. At this point, Microsoft is just polishing a very refined app, but it's appreciated all the same. The team is also looking to appeal to a wider audience, specifically parents. A previous build introduced the ability to track children's location, and this build lets them hide kids in the family card to reduce clutter. Finally, Microsoft has made unspecified improvements to reading articles in Edge, as well as the usual bug fixes. You can grab the latest version of Microsoft Launcher from Google Play.