It’s been over a year since Microsoft released its Arrow Launcher for all Android devices. Since then, this Android user interface which allows users to customize their home screen, launch apps, make calls, and perform all other tasks one performs with a phone has been receiving updates on a regular basis. The last major Arrow Launcher update debuted in September and added Bing integration, more customization options, and performance improvements to Microsoft’s popular Android launcher. Today, Microsoft released a new beta version of Arrow Launcher which introduces several major features to the app.
The Arrow Launcher version 2.6 comes packed with new widgets, customization options, bug fixes, and significant memory improvements which make the app more efficient. More specifically, the app now offers an option to customize icon sizes and adds full support for app shortcuts on app pages. The latest release of Arrow Launcher also introduces a dedicated home page for widgets which allows for even more flexibility in the process of customizing the Android home screen. The Widget screen is similar to the one that was recently removed from the app due to performance issues and has only gone through some minor design changes. The update also fixes some annoying bugs related to wallpapers and specific widgets. So, all in all, Arrow Launcher version 2.6 introduces several new features while improving stability and performance. That’s pretty good for a single update, and it’s likely millions of existing users of Microsoft’s launcher will be rather happy with what developers came up with this month.
The Arrow Launcher version 2.6 is still limited to Microsoft’s beta program, and there’s no word on when this new set of features will officially hit the Google Play Store. If the company’s previous testing and release patterns are any indications, it probably won’t take long before the stable release is updated with these latest additions. On the bright side, you can already try out the beta version 2.6 by joining the Arrow Launcher beta community on Google+. The latest release of Arrow Launcher is no different to the version 2.5 in terms of hardware and software requirements. In other words, you’ll be able to install the app on virtually any device running Android 4.0.3 Ice Cream Sandwich or newer.