WP8 Newbie Tips

[tositem]

There is no "need" to back out of IE. This is not Android, where you have to manage memory and processor time. This is Windows Phone, where the phone does the work....

...So don't stress about closing IE. And welcome to Windows Phone. Welcome home from the wild west.

Thank you so much for your resourceful info & explanation

Been a week with my Lumia, and love it more by each day! Hahaha.. Seems like i already forget where did i put my AcroS.

Thank you again, much appreciate it!

 

[hopmedic]

Thank you so much for your resourceful info & explanation

Been a week with my Lumia, and love it more by each day! Hahaha.. Seems like i already forget where did i put my AcroS.

Thank you again, much appreciate it!

You're welcome. Welcome to Windows Phone.

 

[mapleleafs89]

Something I haven't figured out. When you play music in xbox music, and you send it to the background and start changing the volume. The banner at the top comes down with the volume, ringer settings, and the music with next pause back functions. I go into the music player, hit the pause button (as there is no stop) and then double tap the back button to close the music app. But when I hit the volume rocker again the music controls are still there with the song I stopped it at.

Anyone know how to get that to go away?

 

[jlzimmerman]

Check out Rooms here: Use Rooms and Groups | Windows Phone How-to (United States)

And the Rooms and Groups FAQ which details some of the limitations: Rooms and Groups FAQ | Windows Phone How-to (United States)

And here's how to access Rooms in Windows Phone 7 and iPhone: Rooms on Windows Phone 7 and iPhone | Windows Phone How-to (United States) - but it has a number of limitations (all features are in WP8, group chat is missing in WP7 and iPhone, nothing for Android).

I love Rooms since my wife and I can share multiple grocery lists (grocery store, warehouse store, etc.), share private photos, IMs and such. I use Groups to keep track of social networking and emails from certain groups of people. I use Rooms for more closely-tied interactions. I hope that helps.

"People with a Windows Phone 7 or an iPhone can join your room, but their experience will be a bit different. They'll be able to set up and use the shared calendar on their phones, but group chat is only available on Windows Phone 8 (and the other features work best on Windows Phone 8)."
Does this mean people that don't have WP8 can't join your chat group, or does it mean that WP8 is the only Windows phone that offers the Group Chat feature from within the People Hub?

 

[msdugn]

"People with a Windows Phone 7 or an iPhone can join your room, but their experience will be a bit different. They'll be able to set up and use the shared calendar on their phones, but group chat is only available on Windows Phone 8 (and the other features work best on Windows Phone 8)."
Does this mean people that don't have WP8 can't join your chat group, or does it mean that WP8 is the only Windows phone that offers the Group Chat feature from within the People Hub?

It's the former - Without WP8, you can't join into a group chat. Technically, it's because chat is based on Messenger protocol - which was never implemented into the WP7.x and iPad/iPhone platforms. For a customer, it's a painful shortcoming.

 

[msdugn]

Something I haven't figured out. When you play music in xbox music, and you send it to the background and start changing the volume. The banner at the top comes down with the volume, ringer settings, and the music with next pause back functions. I go into the music player, hit the pause button (as there is no stop) and then double tap the back button to close the music app. But when I hit the volume rocker again the music controls are still there with the song I stopped it at.

Anyone know how to get that to go away?

It doesn't go away until you reboot the phone. Whether or not it's desireable, this is the design of both Windows 8/RT and Windows Phone 8 - and Microsoft's way of providing you super-quick access to resuming your music if - at any time in the past - you were playing it.

 

[Blkacesvf41]

It doesn't go away until you reboot the phone. Whether or not it's desireable, this is the design of both Windows 8/RT and Windows Phone 8 - and Microsoft's way of providing you super-quick access to resuming your music if - at any time in the past - you were playing it.

No need to reboot the phone. Just opening certain apps will clear it. I haven't been able to keep track of which apps though. Believe me, I use tunein on daily basis so I know what you're talking about.

 

[irspecere]

Something I haven't figured out. When you play music in xbox music, and you send it to the background and start changing the volume. The banner at the top comes down with the volume, ringer settings, and the music with next pause back functions. I go into the music player, hit the pause button (as there is no stop) and then double tap the back button to close the music app. But when I hit the volume rocker again the music controls are still there with the song I stopped it at.

Anyone know how to get that to go away?

There are a couple apps that will help with this:
STOP THE MUSIC (I use this one pinned to my Home screen): Stop the Music! | Windows Phone Apps+Games Store (United States)
KILL MY MUSIC (free): Kill My Music | Windows Phone Apps+Games Store (United States)

 

[weepatc]

I have apps for the Lock Screen, but do not see weather. Does anyone know if I need a certain weather app to get this (Nokia Lumia 822)?

You have to open the app in the Lockscreen settings page. There is a button under the apps list. Have you tried that? Obviously you need a weather app. that supports this though.

 

[weepatc]

If you have a lot of tiles on your home screen & want to return to the top quickly, hit the Windows button to save unnecessary scrolling. This takes you back to the top tiles in a flash.

 

[msdugn]

Not happy that your app list is longer since you installed enough apps to have WP8 add the alphabet into your app list? Just hit the Search icon in the upper left-hand side to collapse the list for quicker scrolling.



Of course, you can always just tap a letter of the alphabet and jump right to the section you want also.

 

[crav4speed]

Did anyone else notice you can now send your location via messaging??

I didn't notice this until today. It must have been included in the portico update. It sends your location using an attached picture of Bing maps... that's pretty cool!!!

 

[corinthiandoom]

Paper Shuffle is pretty good. I have over 50 pictures that automatically rotate through for my lock screen.

 

[hopmedic]

Did anyone else notice you can now send your location via messaging??

I didn't notice this until today. It must have been included in the portico update. It sends your location using an attached picture of Bing maps... that's pretty cool!!!

Yeah, sending voice notes is kewl as well. My wife loves getting them from me, but she's still on Trophy, so she can't send.

 

[OneMoreBeerPLZ]

Pressing the standby button and Windows key at the same time makes a screenshot and places it in a screenshot folder.

 

[Snoke]

If you have multiple apps opened. Holding the back button, brings up a screenshot of each which you can scroll & switch between them.

Don't know if this is new to windowsphone8 from 7.

How do you shut down these open apps - without having to touch each one and hit back button 2, 3, or even more times depending on how deep you went into the open app ?

 

[Nategreat]

Just switched to HTC 8x after android for years. I was incredibly nervous about it and my first day with the phone didn't help. I've had it for a week now and I'm blown away! WP8 is so great. I'm seriously loving this phone.

And thanks for all the tips, it helps us noobs.

 

[msdugn]

How do you shut down these open apps - without having to touch each one and hit back button 2, 3, or even more times depending on how deep you went into the open app ?

You don't shut down Windows Phone apps. They simply go dormant. Depending on the amount of free memory on your device, by the time the 6th or 7th app is loaded, the least-used app is closed by the phone operating system.

Some people believe that if you repeatedly press the back button to get out of an app, that closes it, but that's not true. Pressing the back button to exit an app (vs. simply hitting the Windows button to go back to the home screen), just clobbers your ability to easily scroll through and return to previously-opened apps.

 

[kutty japan]

anyone having idea how to create a pencil tool in WP8?

 

[Euan Mackinnon]

hi people, i have asked this elsewhere but i am desperate to find a solution...

is there anyway i can stream MP3s or download MP3s from a link to that MP3 posted on a website/forum/server list? On android it would download it or give options to stream, on ios it will stream through quicktime but on WP8 it says 'this file cannot be played on your phone'. I am definitly clicking on a link to an MP3.

Thanks in advance