[Mark Szymanski]

I just bought a Nokia 820 running Window phone 8. I get home and I find out I can't use customized text alerts. I'm a support person. I need to get reminded of SMS (text) messages I don't hear initially. Give me the ability to use some obnoxious customized SMS alert to wake me up in the middle of the night OR/AND give me the ability to replay alerts of SMS (text) messages that I don't initially hear.

Is this possible today on Windows 8 without HACKing into the phone ?

If I can't figure this out, I'm dumping this phone and getting a smart phone that will do this for me.

Pagging devices have been around for many many years that do this function. I need my Windows 8 phone to be able to act like a pager device like most of the other smart phones can !

Wow I'm frustrated.

[Mystictrust]

I really think custom alert tones are needed - I thought for sure it would be in WP8 (it's so basic) - but I guess not. It sounds like it's make or break for you... you're not going to get it in WP8 (it required a fully interop unlocked device for the homebrew app in WP7).

End the frustration and get yourself a phone that does what you need. Microsoft kind of dropped the ball on such a basic feature... and nobody knows if/when they'll ever get it.

[Mark Szymanski]

At this point I would be happy if Microsoft could just add a couple of LOUD and LONG playing SMS text alert tones to the standard ones they ship. The standard tones are short and wimpy.

Then I would have a chance hearing it in the middle of the night !