Don't lose the Back Button in WP8.1

[Dev Jaykrishnan]

Here's what I think is the best utilisation of ALL the hard keys on a Windows Phone

Back Button:
1) Load previous page( in browser)
2) Hold to view running apps with option to close them( either gestures or X button )

Windows button:
1) Load home screen (like duh)
2) Hold to call Cortana

Search Button:
1) Search content within the phone while on Home Screen and integrate Search option to be app specific. For example, while opening the Wikipedia app, instead of navigating to the search menu, just tap the button and input the search. Also, while using navigation apps like Here Maps, it'll be much easier to find what you want
2) Hold to invoke Bing search

Volume keys:
1) Hold to change track under lock screen.
2) Zoom functionality while using Camera app.

What do you guys think?

 

[jmerrey]

I'd like to see back button function as is, windows button long press opening notification center, and search button long press opening voice. Seems to make more sense, as the voice seems more tied into searching. Of course, having the home button blink for notifications would make even more sense.

 

[nohra]

Please go to the uservoice page and vote for this. Not having the Back Button working will be awkward and will do more harm than good to this beautiful OS
Don't lose the Back Button in Windows Phone 8.1

Voted with all 3 of my votes...

And turn the Search button into something usable, MS!! (I'd love a d-pad (not raised, just something flush with the face), but i'm sure that's just me... :grin

 

[nohra]

Here's what I think is the best utilisation of ALL the hard keys on a Windows Phone

Back Button:
1) Load previous page( in browser)
2) Hold to view running apps with option to close them( either gestures or X button )

Windows button:
1) Load home screen (like duh)
2) Hold to call Cortana

Search Button:
1) Search content within the phone while on Home Screen and integrate Search option to be app specific. For example, while opening the Wikipedia app, instead of navigating to the search menu, just tap the button and input the search. Also, while using navigation apps like Here Maps, it'll be much easier to find what you want
2) Hold to invoke Bing search

Volume keys:
1) Hold to change track under lock screen.
2) Zoom functionality while using Camera app.

What do you guys think?

I too have thought that would be a great function for the volume keys to have it zoom in and out on the camera.

 

[Dev Jaykrishnan]

I too have thought that would be a great function for the volume keys to have it zoom in and out on the camera.

I don't understand why it wasn't there in the first place. Even older Symbian phones had that feature.

 

[luk3ja]

BRILLIANT! I've quoted this idea over at Uservoice. Hope MS sees it !

That is what Windows Phone 7 did until they changed it to how it is now.

 

[lippidp]

It's my way of doing things.

Fair enough, but don't take away MY way of doing things. You will have a little x to close your apps in GDR3.

 

[luk3ja]

Please keep the back button! I hate the iOS interface!

YES! Having a software back button and it being at the top of the screen is one of the things I HATE about iOS! I hope this rumour is just about them removing the requirement for OEMs not actually forcing it to be removed. This is how I see it...you know how they were on about asking Android OEMs to install windows phone along side android then this would mean that the phone couldn't have hardware buttons so it would have software buttons like some android phones so that it can dual boot without button issues because the buttons would be on the display

 

[Jaskys]

I can't imagine myself using wp without back button, but maybe MS has a brilliant solution to use phone without backbutton.
So i can't just go and vote against the thing i don't even know yet.

 

[Dev Jaykrishnan]

I can't imagine myself using wp without back button, but maybe MS has a brilliant solution to use phone without backbutton.
So i can't just go and vote against the thing i don't even know yet.

Fair point. But incase you didn't see, all I did was ask them to make it an optional software patch that would allow the user to try the OS either with or without the back button. If the general reaction is positive, like you expect, then it's only a matter of time that they make it a permanent feature in their future devices. I believe that'll be a more better solution than waiting for MS to cook up a new version of 8.1 if this idea bombs.

 

[Leslielbk]

If I wanted an iPhone with one friggin button I would have stayed with iPhone - 12 years and I've gone to wp and love it. Particularly the fabulously useful back button. What a wonderful thing - and now they want to go to one button? Like an iPhone? Really??

 

[TechFreak1]

argh lol I just made one, http://windowsphone.uservoice.com/forums/101801-feature-suggestions/suggestions/4571179-do-not-remove-the-back-button-
I searched for others but nothing came up oddly enough. Let me see if i can amend it.


Edit: I can't.. -.- oh well at least it should give it double exposure (hopefully!) lol

 

[Dev Jaykrishnan]

Lol! Yeah, hopefully MS sees the amount of attention this gets!

 

[Dev Jaykrishnan]

So the poll just hit 100 votes. WPCentral, please do make a post out of this. We need more votes!

 

[MyNL822]

How will multitasking work if they drop the back button? Will they make us double tap the windows button like apple? I've always expected them to move forward, but not like this! Also, what about internet, does that confirm we will be getting a back and forward button in explorer(saying that makes me see how behind we are).

 

[Dev Jaykrishnan]

I hope MS isn't pulling our legs with this though. No, wait. I hope they ARE.

 

[chezm]

What's actually funny is my wife hates my 920,but when she does use it...the one main thing she knows is how the back button works...its universally accepted and they've implemented its use so well removing it wouldn't be good or beneficial. The bezels there might as well use it.

 

[SwimSwim]

The Windows 8 gestures are amazing, on Windows 8, on the large screen devices it was intended for.

Windows Phone is meant to share a lot of design philosophy with other parts of Windows, but still be optimized for the mobile platform. In this case, that's the back button. I hate how on competing devices, apps need to have a back button thrown in, wasting valuable screen space, and not to mention how because those buttons are virtual, the button's placement can vary between apps.

I very much like the simple, very clean, three button design on Windows Phone. It works very well. I am open to a concept from Microsoft as to how removing the back-button would work, but for now, I'm against it. Windows Phone is just too small for Windows 8 gestures, and virtual buttons? Blegh, one of the things I like about Windows Phone is how everything is in the exact same place 85% of the time, no matter what app you're using. Having to use virtual buttons would kinda screw with that unity and streamlined-ness.

I devoted three votes to the cause, I want to preserve my back button.

 

[raycpl]

How about placing two finger tips on the screen
swipe right to go back to previous page, swipe left to go to "next page"
Too easy !!!

 

[xandros9]

How about placing two finger tips on the screen
swipe right to go back to previous page, swipe left to go to "next page"
Too easy !!!

pretty cool, but I think it could be hard to get straight, having seen some less than stellar implementations of that idea.

my only problem with that is I often use my 920 one handed.