Как передавать файлы по Bluetooth на Windows Phone 7.8

Наконец-то в свет вышел апдейт Windows Phone 7.8. Самыми полезными его новшествам стали возможность раздачи Интернета и передача файлов по Bluetooth. Ранее мы только читали об этом, сейчас же можно испытать всё в действии.

Так об этом пишут наши заокеанские коллеги, мне пока что «замучить» Bluetooth не удалось, но можеб быть кому то эта информация будет полезна.

Bluetooth Share on Windows Phone 7.8

Теперь пользователи смартфонов Nokia Lumia на Windows Phone 7.5 получили приложение Bluetooth File Sharing. Программа отлично функционирует, и хотелось бы, чтобы также хорошо файлы передавались на платформе Windows Phone 8.

Уже прошло испытание передачи файлов через Bluetooth с телефона под управлением Windows Phone 8 на телефон Windows Phone 7.8. Смотрите видео:

Нужно выбрать файл и передать его с помощью опции «Поделиться» в меню. Если телефоны сопряжены, то передача начнется мгновенно. Вам нужно будет подтвердить принятие файла на смартфоне-получателе.

Bluetooth Share on Windows Phone 7.8

В приложении можно отдельно просмотреть отправленные и полученные файлы. Они показаны в виде списка, из которого можно открывать файлы. При передаче можно выбрать определенный тип файлов (картинки, музыка и т.д.).

Скачать Bluetooth Share из Nokia Collection or можно по ссылке .

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Receiving & Saving Bluetooth Shared Files on Windows Phone 8

Windows Phone 8 uses Hubs and application sandboxes to store and access user files. You can browse and access the files that are stored on the phone by accessing the hub or app that is used to view and work with the file. Files that are stored on a phone must be associated with a Windows Phone app (native or third party) and files are stored in the associated [opening] app’s hub or “sand box.”

Windows Phone 8 can receive and store files that are shared with it from another Bluetooth connected device. Bluetooth shared files are stored in one of the hubs on the phone or in a compatible app’s sandbox.

Receiving Shared Files via Bluetooth

When a Bluetooth-enabled device shares a file with your Windows Phone, you’ll be prompted to “accept” or “ignore” it (in this example, my laptop which is named AVALON48 is sharing a file with my Nokia Lumia 920).

After you tap the “accept” button, you will see a message on the top of the phone’s screen. The message varies based on the kind of file that is being shared with the device. You need to pay close attention to this message since it indicates if the file is automatically saved to the phone or if you have to tap the file to view it in order to save the file permanently to the phone. The message you see will be:

• “Done. Tap to View.” OR
• “Done and saved. Tap to view.”

“Done. Tap to view.”

The “Done. Tap to view” message indicates that the file has been transferred to the phone temporarily, but NOT permanently saved anywhere on the phone. If you do not act on this message by tapping it to view the file, the file will be treated as a temporary file and will not be stored anywhere on the phone and you won’t be able to find it or open it later.

These types of files rely on a third party app to view and work with them. When you tap the “Done. Tap to view” message, the phone will check to see if there is a app installed on the phone that can be used to open and store the file.

PDF Files

To open or store a PDF file on a Windows Phone, you must first install one of the PDF reader apps to the phone. PDF files are stored in the PDF app’s “sandbox” that is used to view the files when they are received and viewed on the phone. PDF files are not opened by any native Office-related app (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), so when PDF files are delivered to a windows phone from another Bluetooth connected device, the file won’t be stored in the Office Hub. In fact, the files won’t be stored anywhere on the phone unless you tap the “Done. Tap to view.” message that appears at the top of the screen after you tap the “accept” button.

Shared PDF files are treated as temporary files and NOT saved anywhere on the device until you tap the “Done. Tap to view” message. When you tap this message, the PDF file will be opened up and saved in the PDF Reader app (if you have more than one PDF reader app installed on the phone, you will first be prompted to choose the app you want to use to open and store the file). The act of viewing the PDF file in a related app automatically saves the file in the related PDF Reader’s “sandbox” or private file system.

There are three different PDF Reader apps installed on my Nokia Lumia 920, so for this demonstration I chose to open the shared file in the Adobe Reader app.

Since I viewed this particular file with the Adobe Reader app, this particular file is now permanently stored it in Adobe Reader’s “sandbox.” I can find and view the file later by opening up Adobe Reader and looking for it in the “recents” or “documents” view.

“Done and saved. Tap to view.”

The “Done and saved. Tap to view” message indicates that the shared file was automatically saved to the phone in the hub that will be used to view or work with the file.

• Office documents are saved in the Office Hub;
• Photos are saved in the Photo Hub; and
• Media files (videos & audio) are saved in the xBox Music (formerly called the Music+Video) Hub.

Office Files (PowerPoint, Excel, and Word documents)

When I refer to Office files, I am referring to PowerPoint (pptx); Word (docx); and Excel (xlsx) files.

When you “accept” an Office file that has been shared with the phone, you’ll see the “Done and saved” message shown above in the screen shot. This message indicates that the file was automatically saved to the Office Hub of the device. You can either tap the message to view the file or you can do nothing with that message (it will disappear after a few seconds). You can find and view the file later in the Office Hub.

To view a file that has been stored on the phone in the Office Hub, tap the Office Hub tile on the home screen. Then under the “places” view, tap “phone.”

On the documents screen you’ll see a list of all the documents that are stored in the phone’s memory. The “Personal Stats” file that you see in the screen shot below is the Excel file that I just shared with my phone from my laptop.

Text Files (.txt & .rtf files) that are shared with a windows phone are automatically saved in the Office Hub and are opened as Word documents on the phone.

Media Files (audio, videos, & photos)

Media Files include music (audio), video, and image files. Similar to Office files, once you accept the shared file by tapping the “accept” option on the Receive Content screen (seen in the screenshot shown above), the file is automatically stored in the xBox Music (music+video) hub or the photo hub, as long as the file is in a compatible format and as long as the file is DRM-free (not encrypted with any kind of Digital Rights Management – as can be the case with some audio or video files).

• Music & Videos: Common audio codecs that are supported on Windows Phone include MP3, WMA, AAC, and others (see the “Supported media codes for Windows Phone” article for a complete list of audio, video and image codecs that are supported on Windows Phones) Compatible music files are automatically saved to the xBox Music (Music+Videos) hub.
• Photos: Image codes that are supported on Windows Phone include bmp, jpg, png, and gif files. Shared Photos are automatically saved to the “Saved Pictures” album in the Photos hub.

Audio or video files that are DRM protected cannot be properly shared via Bluetooth connection. The files may be transferred and even stored in a phone’s xBox Music hub, but you won’t be able to play them on the phone since the DRM protection on the file is not transferrable to a phone via Bluetooth sharing and the DRM protection will prevent the files from being played on the phone. DRM-related protections cannot be transferred or circumvented when sharing files via Bluetooth connection.

Shared Contacts

Contacts or vCards (.vcf files) are another kind of file that can be shared with a windows phone 8 via Bluetooth, but, similar to PDF files, a shared contact record is initially received on the phone as a temporary file. You must tap the “Done. Tap to view” message to open the file up and then save it permanently to the People Hub.

When you tap the “Done. Tap to view” message, the contact will open in the People Hub and then you must select the save icon that you see in the center of the dark gray bar on the bottom of the screen to save the contact to the People Hub.

Final comments

Send & Receive Individual files NOT batches of files: When you receive files such as PDF files or vCards via Bluetooth sharing, the files are stored on the phone temporarily. You must tap the “Done. Tap to view” message to save the files permanently to the phone. Batches of these kinds of files (again, PDF files or vCards) cannot be saved all at the same time on the phone. Each file must be sent, tapped and saved on the phone individually before the next file is received on the phone.

Don’t Waste Time Sharing Unsupported File Types: Files that are not supported by a native or third party app are not compatible with Windows Phone 8. Even though the file may be transferred to the phone as a temporary file, the file won’t be associated with any app, so the phone has no way to open the file and, in turn, no way to store the file in an app’s sandbox. Temporary files are not stored in a user accessible place on Windows Phone 8, but instead are stored temporarily in an inaccessible place on the phone. Temporary files are automatically deleted from the phone. An example of incompatible files are .exe files.

Even If An App Supports a File Type, Bluetoothing the File Over to the Phone Does Not Mean the Phone Can Use It: You may have a third party app installed on a phone that supports a file format you’d like to receive via Bluetooth sharing, but if the app is not designed to open up Bluetooth shared files (when you tap the file to view it and the app is not used to open it), the file may only be received as a temporary file that cannot be stored permanently to the phone. Files that come to mind are HTML, ePub or FB2 files – there are Windows Phone apps that work with these kinds of files, but the apps can only receive the files by downloading them directly to the phone, through the app, from a OneDrive or Dropbox account.

Shared ringtones probably won’t work either: Shared audio files are stored in the phone’s xBox Music hub and cannot be used as ringtones on a Windows Phone 8. To store an audio file so it can be used as a ringtone, the audio file must be smaller than 30 MB and not be protected with any kind of digital rights management (DRM). To use custom ringtones on a Windows Phone 8, you can

• Use a ringtone app which you’d install from the Windows Phone Marketplace to create a custom ringtone from an existing audio file; or
• Receive a ringtone via text message and then save the audio file as a ringtone when prompted to do so on the phone; or
• Copy an audio file to the phone to the phone via your computer’s file explorer (see this link to learn more about copying files to a windows phone 8 from a computer).

Transfer Files via Bluetooth Between Phones & Windows 7 PCs

Bluetooth is a big topic on our website as lots of people are searching for a good guide on how to connect their computers with other Bluetooth devices such as mobile phones (smart or not), consoles (PSP) or music players. We had an old tutorial which, even though it aimed to be complete, it failed in helping many people. That’s why we decided to update it so that it works with the latest devices and also create a mini-series of articles which covers more Bluetooth devices and scenarios. This is the first article on Bluetooth connections, showing how to install and configure Bluetooth, pair your computer with a mobile phone, send or receive files and how to remove a Bluetooth pairing.

Prerequisites to a Good Bluetooth Connection

Even though Bluetooth is a wide spread technology, it doesn’t mean you will have a flawless experience when connecting devices such as your laptop and your mobile phone. You need to pay attention to plenty of details:

• Install drivers for your Bluetooth adapter on your computer. If you have a laptop or netbook, double check that your model has Bluetooth support. Many laptops do not have support for this technology. Windows should be able to identify your Bluetooth adapter and install the drivers for it via Windows Update. If it cannot, make sure you install the drivers for it from the website of your computer’s manufacturer or from the disc with drivers shipped with the computer. If you have a desktop computer, you need to first purchase a USB Bluetooth adapter, like this one: Kinivo BTD-400 Bluetooth 4.0 USB adapter.
• Install the latest drivers for your phone, on your computer. Even though the lack of these drivers should not impact the ability to transfer files via Bluetooth, installing them can help in making sure all functionality works as expected. Drivers for phones are generally included in the PC suites created by mobile phone manufacturers (for example: Nokia Ovi Suite, Sony Ericsson PC Suite,Motorola Phone Tools, or Samsung PC Studio).
• Turn on Bluetooth both on your phone and your computer. On your computer, you will find a button/switch, or a combination of keys (Fn key plus something else) to turn on the Bluetooth capability. Some laptop manufacturers complicate things further by not providing such buttons and requiring you to use their custom software to enable this functionality. For example, on Sony Vaio computers, you can enable Bluetooth only from the VAIO Smart Network utility they provide. When Bluetooth is turned ON, you will notice its icon in the taskbar changing as shown in the screenshot below.

If you own a smartphone, then you should read also this guide: Connecting Smartphones to Your PC via Bluetooth Device Control. Some of the buttons and options presented in this tutorial apply mostly to normal phones, without any advanced processing capabilities. For smartphones the procedure can vary a lot compared to this tutorial and the other guide we recommend is closer to the actual experience.

Allowing & Configuring Bluetooth Connections on Your Computer

Now that the first set of prerequisites has been met, it is time to configure Bluetooth on your computer. In the notification area, click on the small arrow to reveal a whole set of additional icons. Then, right click on the Bluetooth icon and click on Open Settings.

NOTE: if you want to have your Bluetooth icon show up in the notification area, so that you don’t need to click on the arrow first, check out this tutorial: How to Customize the Notification Area.

In the Bluetooth Settings go first to the Options tab and check the following settings: Allow Bluetooth devices to find this computer, Allow Bluetooth devices to connect to this computer, Alert me when a new Bluetooth devices wants to connect, and Show the Bluetooth icon in the notification area.

Now, you need to go to the Share tab and make sure another setting is checked: “Allow remote devices to browse, send, and receive pictures, music, and other files.” Also, you can change the default folder for saving received files, if you click on Browse.

Make sure you don’t skip any of the settings mentioned above. If you checked everything, you are less likely to have issues later on.

Pairing Your Computer with Your Mobile Phone

If you’ve done all the steps mentioned in the sections above, it is time to pair your computer and your mobile phone. This process can be started both from your computer and your phone. For this tutorial, I will choose to start the pairing from your computer.

First, go to the Devices and Printers panel, by clicking on its shortcut in the Start Menu. Then, click on the “Add a device” button.

This starts the “Add a Device” wizard, which automatically scans for new devices, including Bluetooth ones. After a few seconds, your phone should show up in the list of available devices. If it doesn’t, then you need to make sure Bluetooth is enabled on the phone and the phone is set as discoverable.

Select your phone and click Next.

The wizard displays a code that you need to type on your mobile phone, so that the pairing is completed.

On your mobile phone, you are notified that your computer wants to connect via Bluetooth. Press OK, then type the code.

Once the code is entered, the pairing is created and Windows automatically searches for drivers for your mobile phone, then installs them. If you’ve followed our step by step approach, the drivers are already installed and there should be no problems.

NOTE: In some mobile phones and computers combinations, it can happen that the code is already shown by the mobile phone and you are asked to confirm if you want the pairing to be done. Confirm this and the pairing will be done without you needing to type the code.

Then, you are informed that the device has been successfully added to your computer. Click on Close so that you can move to transferring files between devices.

Send a File from Your Computer to a Mobile Phone

To send a file from a computer to your phone, right click on the Bluetooth icon found in the notification area of your taskbar. From the right-click menu, select Send a File.

NOTE: Depending on the model(s) of your laptop and phone, the Send a File option might be missing. If that’s the case, then the file transfer needs to be initiated differently, from the so called Bluetooth Device Control panel. You can find a detailed tutorial about it here: Connecting Smartphones to Your PC via Bluetooth Device Control.

The Bluetooth File Transfer wizard opens and shows you the list of Bluetooth devices with which your computer is paired. Select the phone to which you want to send the file, then click Next.

You are asked to select the file that you want to send. Browse your computer and select the file. Then, click Next.

NOTE: to send more than one file, press and hold the Ctrl key on your keyboard while using the mouse to select the files you want to transfer.

On your phone, you might be asked to confirm the transfer before it starts. If that’s the case, then allow for the transfer to start. This behavior is different between phone models.

Wait for the transfer to finish.

When done, you are notified. Click Finish.

Receiving a File from Your Mobile Phone on Your Computer

To receive a file to your computer from your phone, first right click on the Bluetooth icon, in the notification area of your taskbar. From the right-click menu, select Receive a File. This needs to be done prior to starting the transfer from your mobile phone.

NOTE: Depending on the model(s) of your laptop and phone, the Receive a File option might be missing. If that’s the case, then the file transfer needs to be initiated differently and it is managed by the functionality included in the Bluetooth Device Control panel. You can find a detailed tutorial about it here: Connecting Smartphones to Your PC via Bluetooth Device Control.

The Bluetooth File Transfer wizard opens and informs you that it is waiting for a connection. After this step (and only after this step), you can go to your phone and initiate the transfer.

On your mobile phone, select the files you want to transfer and then send them via Bluetooth. When asked to which device to send them, select your computer and confirm your choice.

The transfer starts automatically, without you needing to make any clicks on your computer.

Once the transfer is finished, you are shown a summary. Also, you are asked about the location where to save the files. Click on Browse and select a new location if that’s what you need. When done, click Finish.

The files are now available on your computer.

Removing the Pairing Between Your Computer & Your Mobile Phone

If you no longer need to use the pairing established between your computer and a mobile phone, you can remove it from the Devices and Printers panel.

First, open this panel by clicking on its shortcut in the Start Menu. Then, select the phone and right click on it. From the menu, select “Remove device”.

You are asked to confirm the removal. Click Yes.

A progress window appears, which should only last a few seconds.

Once the removal process is finished, the window goes away by itself and you are returned to the Devices and Printers panel.

Conclusion

As you can see, sending or receiving files through a Bluetooth connection is not as easy as it should be and problems can happen. Also, this tutorial does not apply to all combinations of devices. That’s why we kindly ask you to wait for more articles on the topic. We will do our best to provide as much help as possible.