Microsoft has added a “Digital Health” feature with Cortana support on the beta version of its Android launcher to enable users to track app usage.
Windows Central reported this Wednesday that Microsoft’s launcher “Version 5.1” attempts to give users more control over how they interact with social media. And the ‘Digital Health’ feature is being accompanied by the new update integrating the “To-Do” list and “Sticky Notes” to allow users to sync their tasks and notes.
The launcher’s ‘To-Do’ card now shows tasks from apps Outlook and Skype along with the ‘Notes’ card showing your listings from ‘Sticky Notes’ on Windows, Outlook and OneNote mobile, added the report. It also noted that the updated beta version has been made available for testers on Google Play Store and is expected to roll out to all users in the following weeks.
This step is one in a series of steps being taken by major tech companies like Apple, Facebook and Instagram, who have recently added features like “Screen Time”, “Your Activity”, and “Your Time on Facebook” respectively, to alert users about their app usage.
For its part, Microsoft announced this October that Windows 10 would soon fully embrace Android in order to mirror mobile apps on computers; an announcement backed up by the fact that the company has been aggressively updating its Android launcher throughout last year.
Earlier this year Microsoft added family-focused location-tracking feature to its Android launcher app and an activity report feature that helps maintain records of the apps being used on a device, and the duration for which they are being used.
