So you installed the Microsoft Launcher on your Android device and don’t care for it. It can’t just be uninstalled like other Android apps. Turn off The Microsoft Launcher first, then you can uninstall it. Turning it off isn’t as intuitive as it could be, but it is simple.
What’s Microsoft Launcher?
Maybe you came to this article because this is the first time you’ve heard of Microsoft Launcher. So before we go into how to turn it off, you may want to know what Microsoft Launcher is.
Well, we think it’s one of the best Android launchers. If you can power search in Outlook, plot a linear regression in Excel, and know how to give a PowerPoint presentation without making people fall asleep, you’ll get the most out of Microsoft Launcher. If that’s you and you want to install Microsoft Launcher, skip to the end of this article.
Backup Microsoft Launcher Settings
First, back up your Microsoft Launcher settings, just in case you decide to try it again.
- Long press on the background of the home page until it changes. Near the bottom-right, select Nā hoʻonohonoho hoʻolaha.
- E kaomi i lalo a koho Hoʻihoʻi a hoʻihoʻi.
- E koho i Back up Microsoft Launcher.
- You can choose between backup to ao pūnaewele ai ole ia, waihona ʻāina kūloko. Cloud storage will be safer, in case something happens to your phone. For cloud storage, it will use whatever Microsoft account you set as the primary when you installed Microsoft Launcher. It will automatically store the backup in your OneDrive space. Select the Kuhi i luna pihi.
- Select the settings you want to save. It’s best to select them all. Now select the E hoʻi i kēia manawa pihi.
- You’ll see a progress bar of the backup uploading.
- Finally, you’ll see the Backup successful! message. Now use one of the methods below to turn off Microsoft Launcher.
Turn Off Microsoft Launcher from the Home Screen
- Long press on the background of the home page until it changes. Near the bottom-right, select Nā hoʻonohonoho hoʻolaha.
- E hele i lalo Nā hoʻonohonoho kūlana.
- E koho i Switch to another launcher i ka Advanced settings screen.
- E koho i kahi ʻokoʻa Polokalamu home a laila Just Once or mau. koho Just Once if you want your Android to switch back to Microsoft Launcher automatically the next time you restart the device. Choose mau if you want to use the other launcher from now on.
Turn Off Microsoft Launcher from App Info
- Find and long press on the Microsoft Launcher icon. A box will appear above it. Select the right-arrow > to see more options. Select Pūʻōlelo noiʻi.
- I ka Pūʻōlelo noiʻi screen, scroll down and select Waihoia ma ke ʻano.
- E koho i ke pihi Holoi i nā paʻamau.
- The next screen will say No defaults set. Go back to your home screen.
- The phone should ask you to select a Home app now. Select the one you want and then select mau. You should be back to your original launcher.
Should I Uninstall Microsoft Launcher Now?
After turning off Microsoft Launcher, you may still notice it doing things like giving you notifications. If that’s annoying, it’s probably best to uninstall Microsoft Launcher completely. You can only do this after turning it off.
With your Microsoft Launcher settings safely backed up, proceed with uninstalling the Microsoft Launcher app.
- Go to the Microsoft Launcher app and long press on it. In the options box that opens, select Uninstall.
- The phone will ask you to confirm that you want to uninstall the app. Select OK.
- Once ʻike ʻoe i ka Uninstalled Microsoft Launcher message, any lingering unwanted effects of the launcher will be gone.
How Do I Restore My Microsoft Launcher Settings?
Either you’ve turned Microsoft Launcher back on or reinstalled it. Now you want to restore the Launcher settings you had before. Let’s do that.
- With Microsoft Launcher on, long press on the background of the home page until it changes. Near the bottom-right, select Nā hoʻonohonoho hoʻolaha.
- E kaomi i lalo a koho Hoʻihoʻi a hoʻihoʻi.
- E koho i Restore Microsoft Launcher.
- You can choose between restoring from ao pūnaewele or waihona ʻāina kūloko. Choose the one that applies to your backup. Select the Hoʻihoʻi i ka pihi.
- If you have multiple backups, they’re listed here. Select the one you want to use, then select hoʻihoʻi.
- Choose the settings to restore and then select Hoʻihoʻi i kēia manawa.
- To confirm that you want to replace the current layout, select Eʻae.
- Eʻikeʻoe i ka Downloading backup pae holomua.
- Once the download finishes, the phone will update. When the update finishes, you’ll be back at your home screen with all of your settings back in place.
How Do I Install Microsoft Launcher on Android?
Yes, it’s a bit odd that the installing Microsoft Launcher bit is at the end of the article. Frankly, it’s because people ask how to turn off Microsoft Launcher more than how to install it.
There’s nothing wrong with Microsoft Launcher, it’s just a flavor for a Microsoft crowd.
- E hele i ka Microsoft Launcher page on Google Play a ua koho hoʻouka. It will download and go through the initial installation.
- ka Welcome to Microsoft Launcher screen will appear when the initial install finishes. You can watch the introductory slideshow or select Hoʻomaka e hoʻomau.
- It will ask if you want to share data with Microsoft. Your choice, but we usually go with Aʻole i kēia manawa.
- Now it asks for permission to access the device’s location. If you want to get the most out of Microsoft Launcher, choose to ʻAe i ka wā e hoʻohana ana i ka polokalamu. Note that you’ll always be using the app, because it’s a launcher.
- When it asks for access to photos, media, and files on your device for the best performance, choose ae aku.
- Choose between your current wallpaper or a new wallpaper from Microsoft Bing every day. Select E hoomau.
- Next, you can choose to go with your current app set up on your home screen or Hoʻopilikino. Chances are you like the way it is, so choose E hoomau.
- We’re at the end, sort of. You can use the default account for your phone or Hoʻohui i kahi moʻokāki hana a kula paha. If you use Microsoft products heavily at work or school, add that account. If not, select E hele kākou and skip to step 10.
- If you chose to add a work account, do that here. If it’s already on your phone, it’ll show. If not, select E hoʻohui i kahi moʻolelo hou a hahai i nā hoʻoheheʻe.
- Now you can set Microsoft Launcher as your default launcher. First, select Mai hōʻike hou, a laila koho Waihoia ma ke ʻano.
- Your phone will ask you to set a Home app. Choose Microsoft Launcher a mau.
That’s it! Microsoft Launcher is installed and configured. Go through it and check out all the features.