[WPCentral Question]

Title says it all. I just wanna hide the status bar and the damn clock in start screen and apps. Is there a way to do so?

[RJ Priest]

This needs to be a mandatory option in a future version of WP8 (to toggle whether those icons are always on, or hidden unless we open the action center). I loved how all those icons were hidden in WP8.0, I don't want to see my signal strength, wifi, etc icons at all times. Part of the beauty of the WP design language was that those icons were hidden from view. It's one of the reasons why I don't want 8.1 yet. Hidden signal icons, beautiful photos hub, and agenda view are all great things from 8.0 which have been lost in 8.1. :(

[Martin_H]

The new status bar is horrible. I really don't care about my battery or signal strength when I'm taking a note or reading an email.

And the new calendar is also pretty bad.

[RumoredNow]

On the other side of the coin, users are asking for more persistent notifications of all types... Like SMS alert tones that won't stop until you enter Messaging, etc.

This type of icon bar is a pretty standard view for most smart device users. It doesn't bother me, but I do appreciate how it disappears when certain apps are open. Maybe at a minimum a toggle would be nice... Or force it to hide and give back the real estate when ANY app opens rather than just if the Dev programs it to hide. You can always swipe down the window shade and see it...