Rotation lock is poorly implemented

[Nik Rolls]

I'm hoping they make some quick on/off setting available in the volume quick settings, something like in iOS 6(haven't used iOS 7) you double tap the home button and you of course see your multitasking, but when you swipe right you can press screen rotation on or off.

Apple broke the ease-of-use of that feature in iOS 7. Now you have to go to your home screen and drag the settings pane up to change it; still quicker than Windows Phone, but not as quick as it used to be or as easy as Android.

 

[Adretheon]

Do you have a long neck and turn your head upright, perpendicular to the rest of your otherwise prone body?

No, I lay on my side and I can use my phone at any angle. Even laying on my back holding the phone above my face doesn't cause any issue. You guys must be holding your phones wrong.

 

[psykojello]

Do you have a long neck and turn your head upright, perpendicular to the rest of your otherwise prone body?

rotfl

http://ts1.mm.bing.net/th?id=H.4709669036754604&pid=1.7

 

[Ishan Pandya]

I agree with you. All the settings should be well organized.

 

[j o e l]

Pressing a volume button should also show toggles for Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, rotation lock - in addition to the ring+vibrate toggle.

Shouldn't be too hard.

 

[Jupast]

Windows Phone is an awesome OS, and things like GDR3 only make it better, but man, they really need to pick up the pace here. I know Microsoft has always liked to take things slow, but in this fast moving, mobile internet driven world, there's no time for stagnation. They need to act, and they need to act now.

I agree with you. However i saw this on a number of sites today...

'Belfiore also said that Microsoft is moving faster than some people might think in adding features to Windows Phone 8. He added, "The work we are doing is valuable, and a lot of people aren?t aware of it."

That's because your team doesn't say anything Joe. Make us aware (without over promising).

 

[jiayit]

I'm thinking that they could've implemented it like iOS, in the multitasking page.
A little circle with a lock icon in the bottom middle of the screen. Fits nicely with the design language of WP8 as well.

 

[phander]

I'd like to see something as good as the lock in UC Browser, Fuse etc.

The current implementation in GDR3 is poor. And I couldn't agree more with the OP. Even some effort at grouping settings appropriately would help. You would expect the most often used settings to be moved near the top but 'lockscreen timeout' is way up there on mine - I've set mine once, never touched it again. If this reordered dynamically according to use or was customisable, even better.

One of the reasons I left Android was that the settings became overwhelming. I was forever hunting for something. They are far from overwhelming on WP8 but for something so otherwise elegant, it's clear that they need some careful reorganisation/consolidation.

 

[SwimSwim]

I'd like to see something as good as the lock in UC Browser, Fuse etc.

The current implementation in GDR3 is poor. And I couldn't agree more with the OP. Even some effort at grouping settings appropriately would help. You would expect the most often used settings to be moved near the top but 'lockscreen timeout' is way up there on mine - I've set mine once, never touched it again. If this reordered dynamically according to use or was customisable, even better.

One of the reasons I left Android was that the settings became overwhelming. I was forever hunting for something. They are far from overwhelming on WP8 but for something so otherwise elegant, it's clear that they need some careful reorganisation/consolidation.

Agreed, Settings page is starting to become a mess, and that just contradicts the clean philosophy of Metro/Windows Phone.

 

[SwimSwim]

I'm thinking that they could've implemented it like iOS, in the multitasking page.
A little circle with a lock icon in the bottom middle of the screen. Fits nicely with the design language of WP8 as well.

I personally like the idea of a little settings button in the lower left corner of the multitasking pane. Tapping it would cause a grid to fly out (much akin to tapping a letter above names in the People Hub). This grid would have icons for frequently used settings, like Bluetooth, WiFi, rotation lock, etc. Since it's in the multitasking window, it's always easily found and accessible.

I'm also fond of the idea of putting all the settings in the volume control.

 

[Joe920]

In the meantime I hope someone makes an app that acts as a shortcut to the rotation lock setting. Like connection tiles.

 

[SwimSwim]

In the meantime I hope someone makes an app that acts as a shortcut to the rotation lock setting. Like connection tiles.

I'm hoping for the same.

 

[nocial]

+1 Settings need to be better organised.

 

[Adretheon]

Agreed, Settings page is starting to become a mess, and that just contradicts the clean philosophy of Metro/Windows Phone.

And the sad part is that Win8 settings is still a mess. So I don't see them doing anything to fix it soon.

 

[SwimSwim]

And the sad part is that Win8 settings is still a mess. So I don't see them doing anything to fix it soon.

Well, granted, Windows 8 has far more functionality than other mobile OS, therefore more settings that have to be organized. But for Windows Phone, yeah, it's ridiculous and needs to be addressed.

 

[Dustin Hodges]

I like Windows Phone, but a quick access menu is sorely missing. WebOS was more advanced than WP in many ways and it died a long time ago.

WP's best hope is that it basically be becomes WinRT, which has a much better interface.

THIS.



I swear, MS should "steal" some of webOS' features. Its way of closing app cards was way more intuitive (Microsoft's feeling like a "classic windows" approach using the X button), and its quick settings would work beautifully with WP. Since a swipe up top shows the status bar, adding a tap on the status bar could show a similar menu, with things like rotation lock, airplane mode, nearby hotspots, Bluetooth/WiFi power switches, and a link to settings (they could also include a "silence" mode switch to hide all push notifications temporarily similarly to Win8/RT, if MS was to add such a feature). It'd work without disrupting the flow of the OS like some other suggestions out there I've seen.

 

[Kavu2]

In the meantime I hope someone makes an app that acts as a shortcut to the rotation lock setting. Like connection tiles.

As ref'd by Joe Belfiore on Twitter...
-----------------------------------
joebelfiore ‏@joebelfiore 11h @DrPizza
And... the doc showing how you devs can create a tile app for quick setting rotation lock is now updated. URI schemes for launching built-in apps for Windows Phone 8 ?
-----------------------------------
So with MSFT updating their developer URI Schemes to include screen rotation setting, a shortcut tile is but a developer's creation away it would seem.

 

[tgr42]

Well, granted, Windows 8 has far more functionality than other mobile OS, therefore more settings that have to be organized.

Somebody help! I can't stop laughing at this.

 

[Dustin Hodges]

Somebody help! I can't stop laughing at this.

They made an unfair comparison. Windows 8 runs full desktop software, so it of course it's better than a mobile OS. Windows RT, however, despite being more functional, lacks enough apps to cause a few laughs at the moment (though its getting better).

 

[michail71]

I'm hoping they will throw a more granular version of it in the new "control panel/notification center implementation with 8.1. It definitely needs to be more easily accessed to be practical.

It took Apple countless years to figure that out. At least jailbreaking was an option there. The was the main reason most people JB'd their iPhones.