[jleebiker]

So it doesn't look like any of the slated updates will be supporting the ability to do notification or alert profiles (LIKE EVERY OTHER PLATFORM OUT THERE).

This question is for the devs out there, Is there any limitation that would PREVENT someone from writing an app that would perform this ability? Can an app be written that would sit as a background task and monitor for incoming texts or email addresses and then execute a user defined action or sound?
I understand the limitations of WP OS as far as precluding background apps, but I'm just spit-balling here. I'm desperate for a solution. (I'm a first responder so being able to distinguish when I get a first responder text/email vs anything else is pretty important. I've already been late to calls since I didn't hear a notification for a first responder type text.)

If MS isn't going to do this, can't we as a community come up with something? Or is the limitations of the OS just going to prevent this from being a reality? Thanks all.

[Ali Babba]

As far as I know, it's locked out by the OS so I think that's something MS needs to address.

Everyone should go and vote it up some more though so maybe they will finally do something about it:

Custom sounds for SMS, MMS, Email, Notifications etc

It's already #1 but it never hurts to raise it up even more.

[jleebiker]

As far as I know, it's locked out by the OS so I think that's something MS needs to address.

Everyone should go and vote it up some more though so maybe they will finally do something about it:

Custom sounds for SMS, MMS, Email, Notifications etc

It's already #1 but it never hurts to raise it up even more.

Thanks! VOTED! My concern is that there is NO feedback as to if/when any of these items will make it into the OS. That's why I threw it open to the Devs. If MS has locked it down, guess that answers my question.

[Jupast]

Yup, the #1 request and they've done nothing about it. What's extra frustrating is that the basics are already right there in the People hub for Ringtones *sigh* :/

[thecaringkind]

Ok maybe I'm missing something here. I hear a tone or feel my phone vibrate with texts and emails. I set it up that way and have never missed a message. Why are so many other people missing theirs? Do people need flashing LED's that bad? Fill me in!

[Ali Babba]

Ok maybe I'm missing something here. I hear a tone or feel my phone vibrate with texts and emails. I set it up that way and have never missed a message. Why are so many other people missing theirs? Do people need flashing LED's that bad? Fill me in!

It's about custom tones. ie: let the twitter app make a "tweet" noise. Let an email notification sound different than a SMS text, etc. This way you know what kind of event occurred by sound alone.

[OzRob]

Ok maybe I'm missing something here. I hear a tone or feel my phone vibrate with texts and emails. I set it up that way and have never missed a message. Why are so many other people missing theirs? Do people need flashing LED's that bad? Fill me in!

Perhaps you have very good hearing, or you're mostly in very quiet places. I have a Lumia 720 and I find that none of the built in notification sounds are really 'obtrusive' enough for me to notice when I'm walking around in the middle of the city in peak hour. On my old Xperia S Android phone I was able to make a custom tone from a recording of a marine whistle that lasted about 4 seconds. This was very distinctive and it usually got my attention when I was out and about. And as for vibration, I never seem to feel it when the phone is in my coat pocket, and as far as I remember, the vibration for notifications is only momentary, so it's easy to miss.

The other issue I have with WP is that the lack of a good notification tone combines with the lack of separate volume controls and no app-based automation control to conspire to have me miss SMS notifications. When I'm in the office or when I'm on a bus listening to music I turn the volume down, but often forget to turn it back up again = missed notifications.

So if you're not missing your notifications, maybe you just lead a quieter life than me.

[tgp]

(LIKE EVERY OTHER PLATFORM OUT THERE)

That's why it's not in WP. We don't want to be like "every other platform out there." We want to be different!

[thecaringkind]

I hear you Oz, (pun intended). I imagine that more distinct control over notifications will help & everyone is different, I am just a little amazed by folks who consistently miss messages. Hope it gets better for you!

[TonyDedrick]

That's why it's not in WP. We don't want to be like "every other platform out there." We want to be different!

That's a lame excuse. There is absolutely no reason why there shouldn't be custom tones for text, email, etc... By the logic of being different, why even include any if its about being different. It boggles my mind that something so simple and highly requested is not yet part of the platform.

[iGeorge23]

That's a lame excuse. There is absolutely no reason why there shouldn't be custom tones for text, email, etc... By the logic of being different, why even include any if its about being different. It boggles my mind that something so simple and highly requested is not yet part of the platform.

I agree. That's not an excuse at all. This is pretty ridiculous now.

[Joel S.]

That's a lame excuse. There is absolutely no reason why there shouldn't be custom tones for text, email, etc... By the logic of being different, why even include any if its about being different. It boggles my mind that something so simple and highly requested is not yet part of the platform.

oh there's totally a reason. It's because they have to prioritize some things over others to make sure the os is stable, reliable, and has the basic functionality they want. I'm sure it's high on their list because of the demand, but features have to be sacrificed to get products to market. If it's something they can do without sacrificing the integrity of the os, it'll be added in an update.

Android has this and apps like lightflow where you can get really fancy with notifications... Only they weren't all that reliable. I can't count the number of times I missed calls, texts or emails because I didn't get the alert.

Anyway, here's to hoping MS gets this out sooner than later. Doesn't affect me as much as the op, but as an ex android user, I'd appreciate the functionality.

[Johnny Tremaine]

It is pretty ridiculous at this point. Before I had a smart phone way back, I had some of those LG feature phones (LG Dare, LG Envy), and you could set custom ringtones with those, plus custom alarms from your own mp3s.

I mean, really now. Isn't WP8 supposed to be a smartphone OS, but it's getting out-featured by dumbphones?

[tgp]

That's a lame excuse. There is absolutely no reason why there shouldn't be custom tones for text, email, etc... By the logic of being different, why even include any if its about being different. It boggles my mind that something so simple and highly requested is not yet part of the platform.

I agree. That's not an excuse at all. This is pretty ridiculous now.

Relax guys! I said that tongue-in-cheek. I agree with you 100% that it's a lame excuse, but I get the feeling from different threads in wpcentral that some WP fans just want to be different, even if it means living with compromises. Or maybe it's an attempt at justifying missing features. These types of shortcomings in WP are part of the reason I haven't jumped in with both feet yet! I tried WP, a couple times, but I gave up. I'll try again later when it's matured some more. I actually have a WP8 device but it's not my daily driver.

[Arjun KR]

you have an app called "Unification" but it requires other apps to be compatible with Unification

[snowmutt]

@tgp... I knew you were being sarcastic!! Keep up the good work!!

Stupid omission. Once we get instagram and some other functions, this will be the thing Android and iPhone fans will point and laugh at next as to why WP is a weak OS.

And you know what? On this one, they will be right.

[jleebiker]

Ok maybe I'm missing something here. I hear a tone or feel my phone vibrate with texts and emails. I set it up that way and have never missed a message. Why are so many other people missing theirs? Do people need flashing LED's that bad? Fill me in!

I have no less than 8 different email accounts from personal to professional to work on my phone. I DONT want to look at it EVERY time I hear a tone to determine if I need to do something or not. Some emails and texts can wait (ex-wife for example). Others, like my emergency/first responder emails and texts CAN'T. If I put my phone on silent because I'm in a meeting, I STILL need to know about the emergency/first responder emails and texts.

The key is to be able to diffenentiate WHAT I am receiving based on a DIFFERENT sound. Hope that makes sense.

[z33dev33l]

I have no less than 8 different email accounts from personal to professional to work on my phone. I DONT want to look at it EVERY time I hear a tone to determine if I need to do something or not. Some emails and texts can wait (ex-wife for example). Others, like my emergency/first responder emails and texts CAN'T. If I put my phone on silent because I'm in a meeting, I STILL need to know about the emergency/first responder emails and texts.

The key is to be able to diffenentiate WHAT I am receiving based on a DIFFERENT sound. Hope that makes sense.

Oh, look, another person who has 8 email accounts for... Oh, wait, there is no valid reason.

[JerseySal]

lol

[tk-093]

Yeah, custom sounds and a notification center are by far the two biggest needs.

The ESPN Scorecenter app is a good example. When it updates me with a game score it's just the stupid old generic tone that comes in for everything else, while on iOS or Lamedroid it plays the ESPN tone. (It then also goes into their notification center unlike Windows Phone where it disappers forever and you'll never know what came in if you miss the toast.)

Custom SMS tones would be nice. The default ones on the 928 are pretty boring. I usually use an R2D2 or the Old Spice whistle. Both high pitched enough that I can hear them in louder situations.

For me they are not deal breakers, but it just shows a lack of polish on an otherewise kick **** OS. I expect 8.1 will add a lot of that stuff.

[bigkevbosky]

oh there's totally a reason. It's because they have to prioritize some things over others to make sure the os is stable, reliable, and has the basic functionality they want. I'm sure it's high on their list because of the demand, but features have to be sacrificed to get products to market. If it's something they can do without sacrificing the integrity of the os, it'll be added in an update.

Android has this and apps like lightflow where you can get really fancy with notifications... Only they weren't all that reliable. I can't count the number of times I missed calls, texts or emails because I didn't get the alert.

Anyway, here's to hoping MS gets this out sooner than later. Doesn't affect me as much as the op, but as an ex android user, I'd appreciate the functionality.

Haha, whatever. MS has tons of engineers and billions of dollars to throw at this platform - yet an 18 year old Android dev can cook a request up in 2 days coding from the basement of his house. Don't give me that BS same old story about priorities. They've had plenty of time to add something SIMPLE like different volume levels for different notifications, and haven't. If the 3 major competitors to you have a feature and you don't, its not that they're overachieving, its that you are underachieving.

[Niren Tuladhar]

Just a quick question, is there no way to jailbreak or maybe root the OS? I know its not available now, but is it possible?

[z33dev33l]

Just a quick question, is there no way to jailbreak or maybe root the OS?

No, it's an OS focused on security.

[thecaringkind]

I understand what you're saying biker. Being able to differentiate can help & I'm sure MS will address notification issues soon enough. I'm a nurse & have an ex wife and am just glad my life isn't nearly as complicated as yours. I wish you the best.

[trincowski]

Just a quick question, is there no way to jailbreak or maybe root the OS? I know its not available now, but is it possible?

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