Microsoft Launcher on Surface Duo really sucks

Surface Duo 2 Widgets Source: Daniel Rubino / Windows Cardinal

Information technology'due south been well over a year since the first Surface Duo hitting the market, yet its built-in launcher experience even so pales in comparing to the version of Microsoft Launcher you can get on other smartphones. Heck, information technology pales in comparison to Pixel and Samsung launchers too regarding fit and terminate. For some reason, Microsoft has opted to leave the Microsoft Launcher on Surface Duo incredibly barebones, much to the disappointment of users.

This hasn't improved with Surface Duo 2, though Microsoft did update the UI with a minor design refresh, and that just recently rolled out to the Surface Duo i. Nosotros even so accept no new features, no enhanced customization tweaks, and the launcher itself is but bad at integrating itself with the Surface Duo as its native default launcher feel. As someone with a keen middle for UX design, the Microsoft Launcher is doing a terrible task on Surface Duo in a lot of areas.

For example, on most smartphones these days, the launcher and the gesture system get hand-in-paw. They complement each other. If you swipe up to get home when in an app, that app usually zooms out and back into the icon in which y'all tapped to open it. That'due south not and so on Surface Duo. The launcher acts like it's an entirely carve up entity, with zero ties to the rest of the Bone.

Surface Duo 2 Microsoft Launcher Store Source: Daniel Rubino / Windows Central

Additionally, for some inexplicable reason, the Microsoft Launcher on Surface Duo appears to unload itself when information technology's not on display. This makes information technology so the launcher "pops" back on screen when yous swipe up to get home, creating a super disjointed feel. On Pixel or Samsung, the launcher is e'er running, and the integration with gestures makes going between app and dwelling screen feel fluid and idea out. This is the kind of matter that'south missing with Launcher on Surface Duo.

Admittedly, this outcome is a footling hard to spot if you're not looking for it, simply it is at that place, and it's more than noticable if you lot're using light theme for some reason. When light fashion is enabled, the display will sometimes flash black when closing an app to go home when in single-screen manner. This happens because the Launcher has unloaded, and rapidly needs to reload as yous're swiping up. It's been a existent pet peeve for me, and I really promise Microsoft fixes information technology soon.

And then there'southward the feature drought. On Surface Duo, Microsoft Launcher is a barebones launcher feel. Information technology supports folders, an app drawer, and the Microsoft Launcher activeness feed, and that'due south about it. This is a real shame, as the Microsoft Launcher on other smartphones is so much more in-depth, with hundreds of customization options to cull from such equally custom icons, grid sizes, gestures, theming controls, and much, much more than.

Why is the Microsoft Launcher on Surface Duo devices nonetheless missing out on these customization options, well over a year into its existence on the market? It's well-nigh equally if Microsoft is purposefully limiting the Microsoft Launcher experience on this grade factor. If that's truthful, delight end. It's good to have rich customization options in your launcher experience.

Surface Duo Hero 2022 Source: Daniel Rubino / Windows Central

Regardless of the feature drought, the issues with Microsoft Launcher not feeling integrated with the remainder of the Surface Duo OS is a serious sticking point for me. The launcher unloads and reloads itself whenever you become into and out of an app, and it makes no attempt to tie itself to gestures to create a more fluid experience. It's just a poor UX all around, and I wish Microsoft would fix it.

Better yet, I wish the Surface Duo team would dump Microsoft Launcher and go its own route. Surface should create a special Surface Duo launcher that'due south designed for the dual-screen grade factor from the basis upwards. Integrate information technology deep with the gesture arrangement and the rest of the Bone, and allow it to feel like a component of the OS rather than a third-party launcher that isn't really integrated at all.

I will say I like the new Microsoft Launcher UI. It'south clean and consistent with the rest of Microsoft'south current design language. I too similar the fluid dock that moves icons depending on what screen yous're using, and the mistiness furnishings look cracking also. I just wish everything else I mentioned to a higher place would exist addressed, then information technology would be slap-up.

I love my Surface Duo 2, and I just want the OS to be perfect. I desire the UX to feel polished and fluid, and I desire the overall user feel to experience seamless equally if it were all built by the same team. The disjointed experience between the Microsoft Launcher and the remainder of the OS on Surface Duo is becoming extremely slow.

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