Microsoft buys company behind Android lockscreen app Echo

Microsoft acquires Double Labs, a company best known for the Echo Notification Lockscreen for Android. This software mainly focuses on displaying notifications quickly. It is not clear what Microsoft wants with the company.

The Redmond company confirmed the deal to VentureBeat after rumors arose about a Double Labs acquisition. It is not clear what Microsoft will pay for the start-up. Microsoft’s plans for Double Labs have also not been disclosed.

The Echo Notification Lockscreen that Double Labs has developed may have to become part of the Android software offering that Microsoft already has. For example, the company previously came with Next, also a lockscreen for Android. The Echo Notification Lockscreen is mainly intended for quickly showing notifications. According to Play Store data, the software has been downloaded between one and five million times.

Recently, Microsoft has focused more and more on developing software for mobile operating systems other than its own Windows-based OS. Earlier this year, for example, an Android launcher was released, called Arrow.