Surface Duo gains support for Microsoft Launcher's own 'Screen Time' feature

By Zac Bowden
published

Microsoft Launcher now has its own Screen Time feature on Surface Duo.

Surface Duo Screentime
Surface Duo Screentime (Image credit: Windows Central)

What you need to know

  • Microsoft Launcher update 6.2.201004.92360 enables Screen Time on Surface Duo.
  • It's the first Microsoft Launcher feature to be enabled on Surface Duo outside of the initial featureset.
  • More Microsoft Launcher features are on the way.

Microsoft Launcher on Surface Duo has been updated with its own Screen Time feature, something that's been available on other Android devices for a while, but was curiously missing on Surface Duo at launch. Screen Time lets you see an overview of your device usage, including screen on time, how many times you've opened apps, and how much time you've spent inside an app.

The feature is almost identical to the Screen Time feature available on other Android devices with Microsoft Launcher, except on Surface Duo you can span the it so that it gives you an overview of the day on the left screen, and an overview of the last week on the right screen. That's a nice touch, as it means you can see all the data on your Surface Duo at once thanks to that 8.1-inches of screen real-estate.

Duo Screentime Screenshot

Source: Windows Central (Image credit: Source: Windows Central)

The update is rolling out now for Micosoft Launcher beta (6.2.201004.92360) testers on Surface Duo, meaning it shouldn't be far behind for those sticking to the stable builds of the Microsoft Launcher. It's worth noting that some users have mentioned that this update wiped their home screen. That didn't happen to me, but worth keeping an eye out for.

Update November 10 — Release notes now available

Microsoft has updated the release notes for this Launcher update, noting the addition of screen time on Surface Duo, along with several other Surface Duo-specific improvements. Here's a look at the release notes:

  • Feed page improvements on Surface Duo
  • Overview improvements on Surface Duo
  • Screen time supported.
  • App group creation via context menu supported.
  • Keyword search supported on MS Office apps.

This latest update is version 6.2.201004.92370.

Microsoft has said that it will slowly be adding popular Microsoft Launcher features to Surface Duo over time, as the launcher on that device launched with a limited featureset. I'm told that Microsoft is currently in the process of bringing back the ability to customize icons with third-party icon packs downloaded from the Play Store, which would make customizing Surface Duo's home screen much more fun.

In the meantime, what are your thoughts on Surface Duo and its version of Microsoft Launcher? Let us know in the comments.

Microsoft Surface Duo

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Zac Bowden
Zac Bowden
Senior Editor

Zac Bowden is a Senior Editor at Windows Central. Bringing you exclusive coverage into the world of Windows on PCs, tablets, phones, and more. Also an avid collector of rare Microsoft prototype devices! Keep in touch on Twitter: @zacbowden.

16 Comments
  • This looks great! Where is the November security update?
  • For those who, like me, had no idea where to find this, it's a card that is accessible on the glance page of your phone's home screen (swipe all the way left) and then toggle from the news display to the glance display.
  • I believe there's also a widget you can place on the home screen, but that just shows you total time on the device in minutes, not broken out by type. (This is on my pixel using the Microsoft launcher) Not sure if it's maybe another app/system providing that widget though.
  • It wiped my icons, as mentioned in the article. Beta, so understand.
  • I've been using Square Home Launcher on my Surface Duo on this whole time. And it's great
  • I demand a screenshot :)
  • I join you in demanding.
  • Sick! Great idea
  • Waiting for the transparency slider to show up, though I note it is now absent on the beta for single screen devices. :-(. Automatic Bing Daily Wallpaper would be nice too!
  • Yea. I missing the automatic Daily Photo too. It's a little thing, but hey. They will get around to it sooner or later. I did get daily wallpapers to change with the Wallpaper app, but it ain't easy to figure it out.
  • I was for some reason expecting to see screen time in a per screen breakdown. To me it only seems natural.
  • Same here. Would like to see that too.
  • I like it a lot. Keep the updates coming. My device is worlds more stable than day 1. Besides the camera, I've notice I rarely have any issues using this device now. Pi wish it was this refined before all those first reviewers got their devices. It's working! The plastic around my USB port finally cracked, though. Lol
  • Yeah, wiped my icons too. But its been a smooth experience for the most part for me. It's been my daily driver for almost a month now and haven't looked back for a moment. Also, no hardware issues at all....hope that continues.
  • "App group creation via context menu supported." What? Huh? Is this a Duo thing?
  • Yea. It's an option to create a two app group that opens one on each screen. You can tap the resulting icon and open TEAMS on the left and OneNote on the right for example.