OnePlus Launcher reappeared on the Google Play Store on Sunday, just under three weeks after being pulled from Google’s digital marketplace. The BBK Electronics-owned company initially published the launcher on the Google Play Store shortly after introducing the OnePlus 5 and presumably in an effort to be able to update the service independently of general system updates for its devices, though the company delisted the app shortly after. OnePlus has yet to comment on the matter in any capacity and the firm also didn’t reflect on the launcher’s reappearance as of this writing, but as things stand right now, it seems that the service went through some changes in the last three weeks of its absence from the most popular Android digital store on the planet.
The changelog accompanying the latest build of the launcher still isn’t particularly telling, as it only mentions some general performance enhancements and bug fixes that are supposed to improve the end-user experience of the app but aren’t elaborated on by the Shenzhen, Guangdong-based original equipment manufacturer (OEM). Still, the app itself is now seemingly available for download for all owners of compatible OnePlus-made devices and will presumably be updated on a regular basis in the future. It’s currently unclear whether the original beta program that accompanied the first release of the launcher in early July is still supported by the service, though there’s little reason for it not to be.
Having its proprietary mobile software suite listed as an Android app on the Google Play Store allows OnePlus to issue OnePlus Launcher updates in a more efficient manner as it’s able to host the new builds on Google’s servers and its team working on the service doesn’t need to wait for other software departments and bundle its patches with those of their own. As users can simply set the app to be automatically updated through the Google Play Store, they can continue receiving the latest features before anyone else while still not having to worry about manually updating any software on their devices. The reappearance of the app came to light shortly after the Chinese phone maker confirmed that the most high-end variant of the OnePlus 5 is now back in stock and is shipping momentarily.