Microsoft Launcher beta picks up new family feature, Edge improvements

Microsoft Launcher is shipping out another new set of features for beta testers to check out on Android. And like other recent updates to the launcher, this one focuses on a new family feature and some smaller tweaks here and there.

One of the biggest pieces of this update is the ability for parents to now choose which kids to show or hide on the family card. This builds off of the foundation of a relatively new family safety feature Microsoft recently added, which allows parents to keep an eye on their kids' activity on Android phones running launcher, along with Windows PCs and Xbox consoles.

Microsoft Launcher

Other new bits include general improvements to reading news articles in Microsoft Edge, support for multi-turn SMS and calling with Cortana, and more. Here's a look at all of what's new:

  • Family: parents can show/hide kids in the Family card;
  • Improvements to reading news articles with Microsoft Edge browser;
  • Toggle to hide page indicator on home screen;
  • Cortana: support multi-turn SMS + calling;
  • UI improvements: welcome page, settings page, widgets & context menu;
  • Support for removing screens in overview mode via drag & drop

If you're enrolled as a beta tester, you can grab all of what's new in Microsoft Launcher version 4.11 now on Google Play. And if you aren't yet giving the beta a go, you can sign up to become a tester. Otherwise, version 4.11 should be rolling out to the general release for everyone soon, is testing goes well.

See at Google Play

Dan Thorp-Lancaster

Dan Thorp-Lancaster is the former Editor-in-Chief of Windows Central. He began working with Windows Central, Android Central, and iMore as a news writer in 2014 and is obsessed with tech of all sorts. You can follow Dan on Twitter @DthorpL and Instagram @heyitsdtl