Microsoft has quietly released the first version of its Arrow Launcher for Android. To try it you can join them through the Google + community or manually download the apk file and install it.
Arrow – The first Android launcher from Microsoft
On this page, you can find the APK file of the Arrow Launcher, the first home screen replacement from Microsoft which is still in beta. Arrow is not the first Android app of the company, there are office apps like Word and Excel, in fact, there is also Cortana (Google Now competitor), Hyper Lapse (for making time-lapse videos), and Office Lens (scanning documents), all can be found in Google Play Store.
Arrow Launcher differs from other launchers because there are only three home screens for contacts, (common) apps, and notes and reminders. On the left-most home screen, you can find people with whom you have recently had contact by telephone or email. At the top of the screen, you can quickly launch the phone app. The middle home screen is intended for recently launched apps and applications you use regularly. When you delete an icon here, it will be replaced by another frequently used app.
Finally, the right-most home screen is useful for those who tends to forget matters quickly. Here you can enter notes and tasks and check off if desired. Completed tasks are displayed at the bottom. You can swipe from bottom to top from any screen to see frequently used apps and contacts and access the settings.
Microsoft Arrow Launcher
The beta version of Arrow Launcher is still quite limited in functionality, but it works smoothly and quickly. It is possible that the final version of the launcher will offer more customization. Would you like to try it now?, you can download the 4MB installation file via this link. If you don’t like the launcher, you can always delete it to restore your device to its original state.