Why has the FM Radio been removed from my phone?

[iainsimo]

I went to use the FM Radio on my Lumia 830 recently and it wasn't there. A search of threads seems to suggest the FM radio 'app' would have been removed in a recent 'upgrade' to Windows 10.
Since when is the FM Radio on a phone an 'app' that can be removed at the whim of a software upgrade without the owners knowledge or permission????
The FM Radio is operated off a chip on the phone, to the best of my knowledge, so it is HARDWARE NOT SOFTWARE!!!!!!! It should be totally independant of the Operating system.
I don't use the FM Radio on my phone often, so I don't know exactly when it was 'removed'. This is a pretty basic feature. One should not have to use data chewing apps to listen to local FM broadcasts. Apart from which, what if you want to use the FM Radio when you are out of phone signal range?
I have now had to 'download' a third party app to use the FM Radio on my phone.
I am also now wondering if downloading and using one of these apps has contributed to the latest problem with my phone - The microphone has ceased working for phone calls and Cortana.
My next phone will DEFINATELY NOT be a Windows phone!!

 

[libra89]

Microsoft made the decision to remove it because of "low usage".

 

[Kevin Rush]

Relax. Just download one of the FM radio apps from the store. Try a few and you'll find one you like with even more features than the old Microsoft built-in FM app. I've never seen data consumed to listen to the FM app, so it'll work with FM radio when you don't have cellular or wifi service.

Best Wishes

 

[ven07]

Relax. Just download one of the FM radio apps from the store. Try a few and you'll find one you like with even more features than the old Microsoft built-in FM app. I've never seen data consumed to listen to the FM app, so it'll work with FM radio when you don't have cellular or wifi service.

Best Wishes

Tbh none of them are that good

 

[Kevin Rush]

Tbh none of them are that good

I don't know why you say that? As if you tried all of them? I use an app called FM Radio by Astute Dev, to access the FM feature built into the hardware of my phone, and it has many more features than the simple and very basic FM Radio app that Microsoft provided natively to only listen to radio channels.
Best Wishes

 

[iainsimo]

How could Microsoft possibly know the FM Radio app was getting 'low usage' when it doesn't require a network or internet connection?
As far as I am concerned it is part of the phone, regardless of what operating system is in place.
Still no excuse for removing it without notice!

 

[Chintan Gohel]

How could Microsoft possibly know the FM Radio app was getting 'low usage' when it doesn't require a network or internet connection?
As far as I am concerned it is part of the phone, regardless of what operating system is in place.
Still no excuse for removing it without notice!

I installed an app called Radio fm phone - it also works

Why they removed it? Low usage has been stated but in which countries? I'm hoping that MS isn't basing their statistics using one country only - that would be a bad system

Interestingly enough, if you check in feedback hub for fm radio related issues - the top 10 are all about bringing it back with a total of about 4300 upvotes to bring it back and eevn add features

There was no feedback where a user suggested removing the app. And yet there are dozens of users asking for an option to uninstall xbox but MS haven't listened to that. :angry:

 

[Impenneteri]

It's terrible because all of the FM radio apps in the store have no loudspeaker option.

 

[Chintan Gohel]

It's terrible because all of the FM radio apps in the store have no loudspeaker option.

just checked the one I have - you're right, it doesn't have