Microsoft Launcher has a new update rolling out that should get those of you who are on the Fall Creators Update for Windows 10 excited.  The updated version of what was once known as Arrow Launcher is build 4.1.1.37741 and it brings with it a Fluent Design inspired look to the Utility page.

For those who are not Windows users, Fluent Design is Microsoft’s take on the semi-transparent look of apps that you find in MacOS and mobile.  To this point, the Utility page has had two themes:  Light or Dark.  Now you can change that to be transparent and can adjust how much blur you want behind the cards or widget.

Microsoft’s Skype for Android has hit a rare benchmark.  The communications app has hit the 1 billion downloads mark, something that few apps have reached, especially those outside of Google itself.  The messaging, calling and video app has been around in various names for years and is one of the linking apps between phones and PCs for Windows users.  It may have taken it a while to hit one billion downloads but it did it and many others have never come close.  Indeed, even Microsoft’s other apps are mostly in the 100 million download range.

Like many of their other Android apps, Microsoft has continued to update the features of Skype and that continues today.  There is a small update that is rolling out in the Play Store that bring messaging improvements.  The update is version 8.9.0.64295 for those keeping score at home and should be rolling out to users over the course of the next few days.

Microsoft OneNote for Android has a new update rolling out that finally brings support for setting passwords on note sections.  The updated build is version 16.0.8625.2040 for those keeping score at home and with it comes the ability to set a password on a section of notes and to open that section using your phone’s fingerprint scanner (or password if you phone doesn’t have one).

Password protection of sections has been in OneNote for a while and while you could open up a section on your Android device, you could not set the password in the app itself.  You had to use the OneNote desktop app in order to set passwords.  No more.  Now you can long press a note section in the app on your device and you will see a new Protect Section option on the menu.  Tap it, set the password for the section and you are good-to-go.

The popular keyboard app SwiftKey has a new update rolling out in the Play Store today.  The update, version 6.6.9.32 for those keeping score at home, is primarily a performance and bug fix release but there are a couple of new features of note too.

First, the app now supports signing in and synchronizing of your learned words and typing patterns with your Microsoft account.  Support for Google and email sign-ins have been support for some time now but not for those who prefer to use their Microsoft account.  Why is this a big deal?  Because Microsoft owns SwiftKey.  They bought the company in February 2016 so it seems odd that it took this long to bring support for their own accounts to their own apps.

In a series of Tweets answering users questions on Windows Phone, Microsoft’s Joe Belfiore admits that, outside of business customers, the platform is in maintenance mode.  It is the closest yet that the company has indicated that they have no further plans for developing a mobile platform.

Of course we’ll continue to support the platform.. bug fixes, security updates, etc. But building new features/hw aren’t the focus. 😟 https://t.co/0CH9TZdIFu

— Joe Belfiore (@joebelfiore) October 8, 2017

Based on Mr. Belfiore’s sad-face emoji, it doesn’t appear he’s all too thrilled with the situation for fans and users of Windows Phone, but the reality is that the phone platform will slowly ride off into the sunset.

The Microsoft Band app, the Android app which supports the company’s now defunct fitness tracker, has received a surprise update today that owners of the Band 2 will certainly appreciate.

Sync problems have plagued the Band 2 for a couple of months now and while Microsoft did say they found the source of the issue early on, it has taken them a long time to address it both in the Android app and in their Windows 10 app.  The new update for Android is build 2.3.31002.0 for those keeping score at home and it is rolling out to the Play Store now.