Here's what Microsoft's Android apps can do on Surface Duo

Surface Duo Source: Windows Central

Microsoft's Surface Duo is coming soon. Nosotros're getting closer and closer to an official launch, simply nosotros haven't nevertheless heard anything most the software experiences we can expect to see when Surface Duo is set. Microsoft has been working behind the scenes to update most of their outset-party Android apps with back up for Surface Duo.

While non all apps are ready, we've pulled together a collection of Microsoft's Android apps that do already have in-progress support for Surface Duo to requite you an thought of what using these apps across two displays volition be similar. Support for Surface Duo isn't only about spanning, but the power to ink, every bit well as drag and drib content between apps.

Surface Duo specs we know so far

Microsoft Launcher

Microsoft Launcher Dual Screen Source: Windows Fundamental

Microsoft Launcher is the default home screen experience on Surface Duo and, as such, has deep dual-screen integration. By default, the user has access to two home screens and docks that can be customized with widgets and app icons, simply like a normal launcher.

Swiping between home screens will move the content across displays, and revealing the Microsoft Launcher "shelf" will push button the home screen and dock to the right display. The dock itself is dynamic and volition move between the two displays when opening apps so that your dock icons are always available to you if you lot're not spanning or running two apps side by side.

The shelf itself has a sticky notes feature which supports the Surface Pen besides, and will sync with the Glutinous Notes app on Windows 10.

Microsoft Launcher also has a new "group" feature that lets yous pair 2 apps under the same icon then that you can open both on each display with a single tap. You can customize the proper name of this group, and fifty-fifty choose which app opens where. For case, I can gear up OneNote to open on the left, and Twitter to open up on the right, all with one icon.

Microsoft Edge

Microsoft Edge on Surface Duo Source: Windows Central

The default browser experience on Surface Duo is Microsoft Edge, and it too has back up for dual-screens. The UI volition automatically adjust when spanning the app beyond both displays, putting the address bar on the left and the favorites hub in an icon on the far right on the right brandish.

Spanning Edge will besides span websites, but most websites will be left with the Surface Duo's bezel cutting into the content. Web developers can choose to back up dual-screens, but not every website will. Spanning Microsoft Border makes more sense when using the app in portrait style, as it gives you much more than content at once without cutting down the middle of it.

Microsoft Border also supports dragging and dropping images, text, and links from webpages into other apps that support drag and driblet. For case, I was able to highlight text in Edge, open Word on the other brandish, and drag the highlighted text from Edge to Word and permit get to paste information technology into a Word document, just like you'd await.

Outlook

Outlook on Surface Duo Source: Windows Central

Microsoft Outlook is preinstalled on Surface Duo and is the premier e-mail and agenda experience for the device. Information technology's besides what manages your phone'due south contacts, with hooks into the Surface Duo's settings app that lets you synchronize your contacts stored with Microsoft through the Outlook app.

On Surface Duo, the Outlook app has two icons for email and calendar by default. The calendar icon shows the electric current date and provides quick access to the calendar portion of the Outlook app. The principal Outlook icon will take you to email, just every bit Outlook usually does on other smartphones.

Microsoft Outlook supports spanning, with your inbox on the left display and email contents on the right brandish. Borer on an email when spanned will let you read the email on the right display without leaving the e-mail inbox. Spanning when in the calendar will spread out the calendar across both displays. Information technology likewise supports drag and drop.

OneNote

OneNote on Surface Duo Source: Windows Fundamental

Microsoft OneNote is also preinstalled on Surface Duo and will exist a cardinal component in the Surface Pen experience on Surface Duo. The app supports spanning, which will put your notebooks and pages on the left display, and a selected folio on the right. You can link straight into the page you've selected.

Microsoft Office

The Microsoft Office app has back up for drag and drop, as well as spanning across both displays. On the left display are all your recent documents that are stored in OneDrive, and tapping on a file will open it in its respective app on the right brandish.

To Do

To Do on Surface Duo Source: Windows Central

Microsoft's To Exercise app for Android too supports spanning across both displays. When spanned, tapping a to-do item on the left display volition showcase its contents on the right, giving the user access to dissimilar options for that specific to-do item without leaving the main to-exercise list.

OneDrive

OneDrive on Surface Duo Source: Windows Central

OneDrive is also preinstalled on Surface Duo and has ties with the Surface Duo's settings app for things like the automated backup of photos. It supports spanning, with files on the left display and a preview of a selected file on the correct display. For sure documents, you'll be able to ink directly onto them with Surface Pen and save them equally a PDF.

SwiftKey

Surface Duo Swiftkey Source: Windows Central

SwiftKey is the default keyboard feel on Surface Duo and has support for dual-screens. You can drag and drib the keyboard across each display if you desire to move it around, and I'm told the final product should also have a divide thumb fashion that works across both displays, too.

The unique changes to SwiftKey come when using the Surface Duo in etch mode similar a mini laptop. When in portrait style, SwiftKey volition automatically full screen on the lower display when tapping into a text field, giving you a total-screen keyboard for typing.

SwiftKey also has two exclusive themes on Surface Duo, which are cleaner versions of the default SwiftKey theme already available. There's a light and dark theme for SwiftKey that matches your system theme.

Settings

Surface Duo Settings Msa Source: Windows Key

Surface Duo's settings app also supports spanning, with setting categories on the left display and selected settings on the correct brandish. It will provide options for Microsoft Launcher, Outlook, OneDrive, Surface Pen, Peek Mode, and more, but is still distinctly Android by offer all the usual Android customization settings besides.

General system behaviors

Surface Duo Lockscreen Source: Windows Central

The lock screen places the time, date, and quick access to the torch and camera buttons on the left brandish. Notifications and missed calls are located on the correct display. The right display is also where the user can swipe up to unlock the device with a pivot.

Surface Duo treats its correct brandish as the "primary" 1 for system tasks such as phone calls and notifications. It'due south unclear if this volition be customizable, but information technology likely won't be as the speaker for telephone calls is above the right display, and that'due south what determines which display is primary.

Surface Duo Notification Source: Windows Central

Surface Duo uses gestures for navigation, and they are an integral part of the dual-screen experience. To close an app, swipe up from the bottom but similar an iPhone or Pixel device using gesture navigation. To span, an app across both displays, swipe the app upward, but instead of letting go, elevate the app over to the middle bezel and let go there. Information technology's very fluid and intuitive.

Past default, all apps open up in single-screen mode on the display where the app was initiated from. For example, if I had Twitter pinned to the left brandish and tapped on its icon, the app would open up on the left display. I've not meet any apps that automatically span themselves upon opening, which I'chiliad told is a deliberate user experience conclusion.

More to come

That's everything nosotros've had the chance to examination so far. Co-ordinate to my sources, most, if non all, Microsoft apps will back up Surface Duo's unique capabilities at launch. I'm told to wait apps like Microsoft News, Skype, and Xbox Game Streaming to have spanning modes and drag and drop where applicative. Those new features aren't in testing just still, but we'll update this article when that starts to happen.