If Microsoft Launcher becomes, at its core, different from the regular Android version, using the current 'single app' method may no longer be viable. Since Surface Duo is a journey for Microsoft, it makes sense that Microsoft Launcher may soon fork the codebase as it heads into Android 11 (and perhaps even the just-announced Android 12L) territories. While the pre-installed version on Surface Duo 2 is ahead of the public version, there's not much new in it save for some updated graphics for the feed area. Our Surface Duo 2 review remarked that Microsoft Launcher had been effectively stagnating for most of its life on Surface Duo with only modest bug fixes but no new features. Of those two explanations, number 2 is the most interesting.

Microsoft Launcher may soon be going in a very different direction with new code that requires a different delivery method.

Microsoft wants tighter control over Microsoft Launcher for Surface Duo.

From now on, Surface Duo and Surface Duo 2 owners should expect Microsoft Launcher updates via system updates similar to the one pushed last week for Surface Duo 2.Īs to why Microsoft is doing this, two theories come to mind:

While a rather terse explanation, it does confirm that this is deliberate and not some Play Store error.

Surface duo launcher