Android conversion N00B, how can I...

ret18057

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Maybe this can help as a place for Android converts to ask how to do stuff...first, I bought the phone, I am not a WP basher and I do not need to have it defended. I am just asking, so I can acclimate...

-as a disclaimer, the lack of a notification feature is a tough one, I am having some withdrawals. So, the power button is all that wakes it? I can't double tap (heh heh, means something else in my world)? Or hit the Windows key? I have to pick up and power on?

-once a tile shows messages (after I've done the above mess), how do I set the tile to display unread messages? Now (I think) once I open the app, it resets the counter, even if I haven't opened all the messages. Before you flame, sometimes older folks like me will have more than one message, and maybe don't want to deal with all of them right now, but want the counter to stay on so I will remember there is a message there I need to deal with (you'll see, getting old is a *****)...

-how do I set the tactile vibration feedback of the keyboard so it buzzes just a bit longer?

-is there a keyboard layout with numbers and punctuation with a long press?

-how do I add custom words to the dictionary? I have some, colloquialisms, shall we say, in my routine communication that seems outside the Windows ecosystem...

-can I change individual tile colors?

Here is a larger question, I keep hear-tell of the 8.1 update, which sounds pretty good. I know that in the Android world, Google releasing it still means it could take months to seed through the carrier to the user. People keep saying April for 8.1, but is that just a developer release? Or for the masses? Does Nokia have a pipeline on MS releases or does Verizon get a bite at the apple (so to speak)?

the phone is LIGHTENING fast, props for that. Faster than any Android device I've ever used (traded from an S4)...

Thanks for any help, maybe this could be a central place for Icon/WP question and answer for us newly converted.
 

horseybob

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to "Double Tap" :wink: your phone, swipe right and select Settings. Scroll down to Touch and set "Double tap to wake up phone" to On. You can also enable key vibration there. For specifying detailed status notifications, you can modify that under Lock Screen within the Settings menu. You can modify the accent colors of the native tiles under the Theme option, although this won't change the colors of most 3rd party apps. Have fun with your Icon! After I got my 822 and then 928, I haven't missed my android tablet at all!
 

slowburnaz

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to "Double Tap" :wink: your phone, swipe right and select Settings. Scroll down to Touch and set "Double tap to wake up phone" to On. You can also enable key vibration there. For specifying detailed status notifications, you can modify that under Lock Screen within the Settings menu. You can modify the accent colors of the native tiles under the Theme option, although this won't change the colors of most 3rd party apps. Have fun with your Icon! After I got my 822 and then 928, I haven't missed my android tablet at all!


That's usually where it is, but alas, on the Icon, we have no double-tap to wake. :crying:
 

w4rmk

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Welcome to the wonderful world of "you can't change much in WP8". Unfortunately you are coming from Android which is by far the most customizable mobile O/S over to the least customizable O/S. You can't change much, but fortunately there are some apps to help.

First if you don't like a particular tile that an app provides you can create your own and have it launch the application. Unfortunately you cannot replicate the "live" features only create a replacement static icon. You'll need to get the app Skinery Themes here:
Skinery Themes | Windows Phone Apps+Games Store (United States)

There are no custom keyboards available, but WP 8.1 is suppose to give us swipe capability.
Once you click on a live tile that is displaying notifications it wipes out the notification and set it back to zero. So if it says you have 10 unread emails and only read one of them it won't show 9 unread messages. Not a smart design and indicative of the immature O/S.
Having the side power button be the only way to wake up the phone totally sucks!!! Snap the Icon into a car holder and it's lights out, no way to power it up without removing it, really, really stupid. We can only hope that Nokia figures out a way to add double-tap to the Icon
 

xandros9

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-as a disclaimer, the lack of a notification feature is a tough one, I am having some withdrawals. So, the power button is all that wakes it? I can't double tap (heh heh, means something else in my world)? Or hit the Windows key? I have to pick up and power on?
Welcome aboard! In most Nokia phones, you have the option to double-tap the display to turn in on, but for some reason unknown to the public (besides a generic "hardware limitations" excuse) glance and the double-tap feature are omitted (i think) from the icon. Yo can check for yourself but the instructions given above.
-once a tile shows messages (after I've done the above mess), how do I set the tile to display unread messages? Now (I think) once I open the app, it resets the counter, even if I haven't opened all the messages. Before you flame, sometimes older folks like me will have more than one message, and maybe don't want to deal with all of them right now, but want the counter to stay on so I will remember there is a message there I need to deal with (you'll see, getting old is a *****)...
I would like this option as well, but alas, it is not an option as of now.

-how do I set the tactile vibration feedback of the keyboard so it buzzes just a bit longer?
no option exists.

-is there a keyboard layout with numbers and punctuation with a long press?
no custom keyboards as of now, i wish they bring the desktop Windows KB with swipe over.

-how do I add custom words to the dictionary? I have some, colloquialisms, shall we say, in my routine communication that seems outside the Windows ecosystem...
type it in and tap it, there is usually a "+(whateverworditis)" in the word suggestion box.
-can I change individual tile colors?
apps sometimes do have individual colors like some Nokia apps and the Office tile being red, but nothing we can change without something like Skinery which has been outlined above.

Here is a larger question, I keep hear-tell of the 8.1 update, which sounds pretty good. I know that in the Android world, Google releasing it still means it could take months to seed through the carrier to the user. People keep saying April for 8.1, but is that just a developer release? Or for the masses? Does Nokia have a pipeline on MS releases or does Verizon get a bite at the apple (so to speak)?
April would likely be the "developer" release, i use quotes because the barriers to entry are insanely low so that its pretty much an early access program to any yahoo who can follow directions. Its just advertised as a dev-only program to keep the carriers at bay.
Verizon does get its fingers in this pie for the official push though.


the phone is LIGHTENING fast, props for that. Faster than any Android device I've ever used (traded from an S4)...
wow, good to hear!

welcome to yet another episode of xandros9's "my comments in bold above"!
 

ret18057

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Thanks guys, starting to feel the luv, like a community should.

After Day 1, I have to say, the notification thing is going to be quite an adjustment...I REALLY hope they get on that, as I can see novice Android adopters pulling the plug on the WP experiment and never coming back. It just seems so basic...

So, any idea how I can stream MY mp3s? Not from a PC at home, but from a cloud (since we have no SD support). With no Amazon MP3 app, I guess I can load songs on Skydrive? And it will stream? I'm on unlimited data, so no worries there.

And I know this may sound silly, but my contact pics don't show up in phone calls or on text conversations. Is this normal?? What's App also seems to be a "nerfed" version, with none of the pics as well. Pics are on the contact, but don't display anywhere else. Normal?
 

ret18057

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All right, I'll try and help myself, too...

On the WP keyboard, if you press and hold the "." key, you will get a pop up for other punctuation marks...it's a start...

Any help on the rest of this stuff would be dandy...
 

xandros9

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Um, another silly question...the WP Central app is free on Android but costs on WP? Is that right?

I think its just a forums app whereas the WP one has everything.

Before you blow up about how its not fair, or its illogical, or its _____, check out this thread that has talked about it already. (there is a trial that works great if you want free)

http://forums.windowscentral.com/wp...ion-app-wpcentral-new-year-gift-wp-users.html

i dont think thats it exactly, but same idea I believe. Do ignore the jabs, there's actual content in there!
 

savagelizards

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Um, another silly question...the WP Central app is free on Android but costs on WP? Is that right?

I was wondering this too. Also the Windows 8 app is free and it lets you do everything (not just forums). So why charge for the WP app? Especially since you can just use the browser (which has always been my default with website apps)... I'm just saying...
 

peachy001

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Check the site, I know either Jay, or one of the others has covered this off in the last couple of weeks. I seem to think that I only paid 69p for it, and to be fair it was well worth it. No ads is always my preferred choice.
 

ret18057

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Anyone know about these issues?

So, any idea how I can stream MY mp3s? Not from a PC at home, but from a cloud (since we have no SD support). With no Amazon MP3 app, I guess I can load songs on Skydrive? And it will stream? I'm on unlimited data, so no worries there.

And I know this may sound silly, but my contact pics don't show up in phone calls or on text conversations. Is this normal?? What's App also seems to be a "nerfed" version, with none of the pics as well. Pics are on the contact, but don't display anywhere else. Normal? There seems to be a black screen where a pic would go, but alas, nothing but darkness.

Also, is there voice typing? Not like voice commands, but where I can trigger a voice prompt to type me email or text on the fly?

Also, do apps run in the background? Like, if I have navigation on, and get a text, is there a way to read it while nav keeps working? Will I hear a prompt?
 

Mr Hyde

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Some answers (but not all)

When your phone is unlocked you can press and hold the windows button and your phone should start "Listening" From there you can do several things but to address one of your questions, you can say "Text ____" Just insert a contact name in the blank. You can even use an assigned nickname. It will open up texting and you can "Say your message" and it will write it for you. This also works well when connected via Bluetooth for replying to messages.

If you are running the Here Drive app you will still receive incoming calls and texts. If you are connected via Bluetooth you can set your phone to read the incoming texts to you. Actually there are several options for this in the "Speech" section in settings. for phone calls (at least on my phone) they override the Here drive app but you can just go to card mode and select Here Drive for full screen. It wont disconnect your call.

Almost forgot this one. My assigned contact pics or their Facebook photo appears when I receive incoming calls. its always worked that way for me. Not sure if there is some setting or not that changes this

I hope that addresses some of what you asked about
 

ret18057

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Thank you very much. So, coming from Android, there is no "dictation" mode? And can I use it in other apps? Maybe I'm saying the wrong thing, like "What's App message Joel"...

Do you have an Icon? And you're seeing contact pics? Anyone else? I use my Live account, so I thought MS would place nice with WP...
 

f88

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Hi there, in reference to the no contact pics...do you have more than one entry for the same person in your phone (i.e. FB contact, phone number contact)? If so, it might just be a case of linking more than one entry together. IF this happens to be the issue, here's how you solve it: In the People Hub, choose any random contact then press the link icon at the bottom of the screen. From here you can see if there is more than one similar contact in your address book, and you can combine them. Again, not sure if this is the issue, but it might explain why you aren't seeing the pictures.
 

Muessig

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Hey ret18057 hang in there!

You might find this thread useful: http://forums.windowscentral.com/windows-phone-8/230201-new-windows-phone-8-tips-tricks.html and if you have any questions about the camera or how it works you can click my signature.

I've read you were a little confused how to just take the high-resolution image and put that online (through dropbox or similar) - if you connect your phone to a PC, navigate to images you should see a bigger and a smaller image. The smaller image is interpolated (it takes 7 pixels of the bigger image and combines them to make a sharper, more colour accurate smaller image, which you can share online to facebook or similar very quickly). The bigger image file you see is the high resolution image that you can copy to your pc, take and put on your dropbox etc.

Now you're on a WP, you might want to look into OneDrive, as it easily replaced Dropbox, syncing all your files and images etc. stored within it to your PC.

You did mention about WP not having a text backup. It does have one but it might not be where you think it is. You can read more about it here: Backing up your stuff | Windows Phone How-to (United Kingdom) but basically your phone is automatically backing the following things up:
  • The list of apps you've installed on your phone.
  • Your call history.
  • Your theme colour.
  • The accounts you've set up on your phone.
  • Your Internet Explorer favourites.
  • Settings from around your phone, including photos, messaging, email and accounts, location, Internet Explorer, lock screen, Speech and more.

Should you ever hard reset your phone (basically a factory reset) you have the option to restore all these backed up settings as you 'reinstall' the OS, so that you don't lose basically anything.

Ask all your questions and we'll try, as a community, to help you out!
 

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