Windows Phone 8.1 Thread

[psreloaded]

I hate that it opens the facebook app for browsing through photos of contacts. I liked that previously i could just go to the photo hub and click people and could browse my contacts shared albums from there.

 

Another annoyance is that under the albums list it does not list the facebook and onedrive albums directly. Instead it makes me go to the apps. Reallt a step backward imo.

 

Next comes the Music app. It does not have the recent and new list aymore.

[Brys]

Only annoyances for me are

- they gave us a sh**ty keyboard layout in my region (swiss french - no swype thing but it switched from our regular qwertz to a qwerty... it was fine why would they change it WHY ?) I hope that's just temporary. It would be stupid to release this with what is effectively a regression of the keyboard

- I've just started the music app it's "searching" or "updating my collection" or something and it's taking ages ! I hope it's only going to be an issue the first time

- (Also, I don't really care about cortana, but I always feel slightly insulted when they release something for the US only)

 

Other than that I guess I'm pretty happy with the rest of the stuff. I really liked the notification center, now I can silence some poorly made apps without having to turn off all notifications or remove the app

[XerXis]

Yeah, but the i-bar allowed you to move your finger out of the way but floating it above the text field first.

 

 

It still does, but they made it a bit harder :(. Press and hold to get the cursor with circle thing. Release hold. Press again on circle (try not to hit your keyboard :() and hold. You can now move the cursor without having to have your finger above the text.

[AsherGZ]

Love the new Internet Explorer. It finally feels like a modern browser. Swipe from edge to back/forward. Some pinned sites now have live tiles, just like in Windows 8.1. Neowin supports all three sizes, and you can even ask Cortana to "open Neowin" or any other pinned site and she'll take you there. Autocomplete in the address bar finally works! And streaming videos in the browser now stay in the background so if you navigate out of it, your position is saved and you don't have to start from scratch.

[George P Global Moderator]

While the Me and Photos integration with FB etc was nice and does feel like a step back, the fact is that by making it connect to an app any developer can hook into it, so a Flickr app and so on.  The downside to the OS integration was that it fell behind, with apps you can update them more often and so on.  Now if the photo "hub" was more like an app and not part of the OS they could update it as well as often as they'd like, maybe that comes later like what they did with Music and Videos. 

[BajiRav]

The music app is slower but I think part of that is because it's always checking for any streaming music in your collection.  Since I'm in a market that doesn't support Xbox Music and don't have a pass I turned that option off in the settings, now it starts up a bit faster.   Anyway, now that they've taken them out of the OS they can update them more, so expect performance updates in time, I wouldn't worry much about it.

I hope they do it fast because the app performance is horrible for me

 

- Taps on music tile

- Stares at "Resuming..."

- Lands in artists view

- swipe left for "albums"

- stares at empty view with "Loading..." on top

- swipe left for "songs"

- stares at empty view with "Loading..." on top

- "Loading..." on top disappears only to show up in song list for every visible song, which looks somewhat like below for almost a second before the list loads.

 

Loading...

Loading...

Loading...

Loading...

Loading...

Loading...

 

:laugh: :angry:

[George P Global Moderator]

I hope they do it fast because the app performance is horrible for me

 

- Taps on music tile

- Stares at "Resuming..."

- Lands in artists view

- swipe left for "albums"

- stares at empty view with "Loading..." on top

- swipe left for "songs"

- stares at empty view with "Loading..." on top

- "Loading..." on top disappears only to show up in song list for every visible song, which looks somewhat like below for almost a second before the list loads.

 

Loading...

Loading...

Loading...

Loading...

Loading...

Loading...

 

:laugh: :angry:

 

Do you use Xbox Music and or Music Pass?  I think if you turn off the feature that shows streaming music in your collection that the performance gets better.    We'll have to wait and see what they do but I wouldn't be surprised if we get updates to it and other apps the closer we get to retail release for new phones etc.  There's also no new Skype app yet but I'm pretty sure I remember that a new one is being done just for 8.1.

[subcld]

so far I love everything except for xbox music and photo app

[BajiRav]

Do you use Xbox Music and or Music Pass?  I think if you turn off the feature that shows streaming music in your collection that the performance gets better.    We'll have to wait and see what they do but I wouldn't be surprised if we get updates to it and other apps the closer we get to retail release for new phones etc.  There's also no new Skype app yet but I'm pretty sure I remember that a new one is being done just for 8.1.

I don't but I have turned off the streaming music option after your last post - hoping it improves. If nothing else, Rudy Hyun is working on a music app. I will just switch if he comes with something cool (as he always does).

[protocol7]

Just noticed a problem with the Music app. At the end of most tracks I'm getting a split second of noise. It doesn't happen 100% of the time, but most times. Doesn't matter if I'm shuffling through my tracks or playing an album in sequence.

 

All my music is in AAC format, either from the iTunes store or ripped with foobar2000. Didn't have this before with either the WP or Nokia apps.

 

Tried DeliTape and MixRadio and it's there too. I guess they all use the same system-level decoder.

[1337ish]

Also, muting takes a bit more work now. It used to be there when you hit the volume button. Now you have to expand the volumes dropdown and tap on the ringer icon to mute.

 

Add Quiet Hours to the notification menu and turn that on when you want silent/no notifications as a quick option.

[neo1911]

I have a query. I have enabled developer support in that developer app, I was able to update my Lumia 520 to 8.1

 

Now how do I get back to receiving updates from Nokia when they officially deliver 8.1 update OTA to my device?

[sagum]

After finding that access to my Facebook contact's photo albums was removed from the people hub I went and downloaded a few pictures of family and my girlfriend to my phone. Not too bad I thought, I'll make do.

Then just moments ago, I realised I'd not received a message from anyone for a while. So I go and check the messaging hub. Yup, Facebook messaging has been removed too.
 

I wouldn't have minded too much, but I've installed both the Facebook app, and the Facebook 'Messenger' app and both the people hub and messaging hub are now just a shell of their former usage. Feels like a step backward to have to use 'there's an app for that' ideology.

I really wouldn't have minded if these apps could have 'plugged' into the windows phone hubs, so I could send messages again from the messaging hub app (Facebook, Skype etc) or from the people hub so I could access Facebook photos, linked in contacts etc.
 

It's pretty much a deal breaker for me now. The integration was pretty much the main reason I stuck with the Windows Phone platform, and as much as I understand it's probably more to do with Facebook wanting to rip messaging out of all their own apps (and forced it upon Microsoft), It's a shame Microsoft didn't stick with what made it a step apart from the other mobile OS' out there.

Hopefully I'll find something worth salvaging from this now.

 

 

EDIT: Weirdly, the messages I receive from people via the facebook Messenger app show up in the notification center. So, it's not like they couldn't also be put in the messages hub, at least to read them. Takes forever now to load/resume the facebook messenger app.
And, facebook chat still works on outlook.com.

 

[George P Global Moderator]

Windows Phone 8.1 also has independent volume for Bluetooth and headphones.

 

Windows Phone 8.1, released yesterday through the Preview for Developer program, sure has a lot of new features. We tried to document most, if not all, of those in our colossal review/overview of the OS, but as suspected some items will fall through the cracks.

 

Reader of the site Nicholas M. brought to our attention that 8.1 not only has independent volume levels for Ringer + Notifications versus Media + Apps, but also a separate volume slider for headphones. We looked into the finding and also discovered that there?s a fourth volume slider, one for Bluetooth.

 

http://www.wpcentral.com/windows-phone-81-independent-volume-bluetooth-headphones?utm_source=wpc&utm_medium=twitter

[f0rk_b0mb]

I dug out my old Lumia 521 today, and I have to say, Microsoft really outdid themselves on this one. I really like all the polish they gave the OS--it finally feels like a final/full product.

 

The only issues I've had so far are:

 

1. It tends to lag more, but that could be due to the fact that this is an older lower end handset.

2. Open up the settings app. Sype left and notice "Applications" are alphabetical. Sype back. Why aren't "System" settings alphabetical?

3. You still can't clear the Music and Videos play history without 3rd party apps.

4. You still can't hide old app purchases in the store. Microsoft should give us an option to completely untie free apps from our account and hide paid apps. If thosde free apps are ever needed in the future, just re download. If its paid for, just unhide it. It's a little OCD feature, but helpful if you have a ton of stuff you no longer use.   

5. The apps formally known as the "Bing" apps (eg. Bing Travel, Bing weather) are not included by default with the OS. Microsoft should have the same default apps that are on the Windows desktop preinstalled on the phone.

6. No Cortana for Windows yet?

 

I know it's still beta, but this is just my two cents. Other than that, I'm really enjoying it so far. Maybe when my Moto G takes a dump, I'll consider upgrading. :)

[protocol7]

Add Quiet Hours to the notification menu and turn that on when you want silent/no notifications as a quick option.

 

Sounds like a fix, but isn't that tied to Cortana? I don't have that because I'm not changing my system settings to enable it. I'll just wait until it's rolled out.

 

The only gotcha for me right now is the audio playback issue. Hopefully they're aware of it and a fix is in the works.

 

Battery life has been great so far. Seems to be lasting better than before.

[Boolanger]

 As to the screenshot combo, it didn't need changing, however for constancy they matched it to Windows 8.1's combo

 

 

It is due to the introduction of onscreen button to replace home search and back

[George P Global Moderator]

I expect they're going to group the settings page later which is why they haven't bothered to sort it alphabetically and just added new things as they've come up at the bottom.     Remember the talk/rumors out there is that 8.1 will get 2 GDRs in 2014 with a new major version spring 2015, basically around this time next year we could be talking about WP9.    So in one of these two GDRs more things could change that we don't know about yet.

 

You guys can keep giving them feedback though, they are listening.

[Boolanger]

The only change that's thrown me so far is in the Music app. I used to be able to go into Songs and there was a play button at the bottom to start playing through them.

 

Now there isn't one and I have to pick a song to get started (I usually just shuffle through all the songs on the phone rather than play full albums).

 

That and the Music and Games tiles no longer animate or show my avatar.

 

When you go to the music app, on the collections page the 1st button on the bottum is two arrows crossing. This is a shuffle all button

[+chorpeac MVC]

Only going to talk about cons here...

1. Wish the games could be consolidated into the games hub like before.

2. Wish the integration could be returned into the Messaging/People hub like before...with updates!

 

Loving it so far!

[HawkMan]

I have a query. I have enabled developer support in that developer app, I was able to update my Lumia 520 to 8.1

 

Now how do I get back to receiving updates from Nokia when they officially deliver 8.1 update OTA to my device?

 

you get it automatically when there's an update. this isn't like Android roms :)

[Studio384]

Microsoft just send out an update for the Games hub.

Only going to talk about cons here...

1. Wish the games could be consolidated into the games hub like before.

2. Wish the integration could be returned into the Messaging/People hub like before...with updates!

 

Loving it so far!

That last one will return as soon as the apps that correspond to that feature are updated, Facebook is coming soon.

[Stoffel]

So I updated my L520 to WP8.1 but now when I look into my phonebook, I have every single contact in there with a phone nr, even the people from FB.

I checked the people app and there it says i'm excluding FB.

 

If I check the people app it shows the proper list. Shouldn't the phonebook and people app sync?

 

So my question is how do I get all these FB people with a listed phonenr out of my phonebook?

 

Anybody else noticed this?

[Niels.]

Microsoft just send out an update for the Games hub.

That last one will return as soon as the apps that correspond to that feature are updated, Facebook is coming soon.

 

My Games hub doesn't work at all after it just updated. It opens but under collection it just shows "Can't open. Try again later." after loading.

[George P Global Moderator]

So I updated my L520 to WP8.1 but now when I look into my phonebook, I have every single contact in there with a phone nr, even the people from FB.

I checked the people app and there it says i'm excluding FB.

 

If I check the people app it shows the proper list. Shouldn't the phonebook and people app sync?

 

So my question is how do I get all these FB people with a listed phonenr out of my phonebook?

 

Anybody else noticed this?

 

Maybe they're not synced and the phone book can't be filtered so it just shows everyone with a phone number (like a real phone book)?  I never used the phone book, I'd always hit the people hub and then call through that actually.

Microsoft just send out an update for the Games hub.

 

What's the version number you have now?