Windows Phone 8.1 End of Support: FAQ

General Windows Phone 8.1

As of July 11, 2017, Windows Phone 8.1 users were no longer eligible to receive new security updates, non-security hotfixes, free assisted support options, or online technical content updates from Microsoft for free. Third parties or paid support programs may provide ongoing support, but it is important to recognize that Microsoft support will not publicly provide updates or patches for Windows Phone 8.1.

Based on our Support Lifecycle Policy, product and security updates were no longer available as of July 11, 2017. As of October 11, 2017, users were no longer able to automatically or manually create new device backups for setting and some applications.

After December 16, 2019, the Store in Windows Phone 8.1 will no longer be available for downloading new apps or reinstalling previously downloaded apps. Users who reset or reimage their phones will not be able to recover previously downloaded apps after this date.

After December 31, 2019, the anti-theft features will no longer be enabled. This means that if a Windows Phone 8.1 device is lost or stolen, the owner will not be able to remotely track the phone, lock the phone, reset the phone to factory settings, and/or erase the stored data. Also Reset Protection will no longer function. Resetting the phone with Reset Protection enabled will permanently lock the device. Please disable Reset Protection in Settings before attempting to reset your device. If your device is locked, you can contact support for help.

While some services such as photo uploads and restoring a device from an existing device backup may continue to function, all services will be discontinued over time.

Microsoft has no plans to push the Windows 10 Mobile upgrade proactively to Windows Phone 8.1 handsets that are eligible for the upgrade.

Customers can upgrade eligible Windows Phone 8.1 devices to Windows 10 Mobile, but should note that support for all versions of Windows 10 Mobile will end after December 2019. Devices upgraded to Windows 10 Mobile will receive security and servicing updates while it is still supported.

If users want to upgrade their eligible Windows Phone 8.1 to Windows 10 Mobile, they can initiate the update via the Upgrade Advisor app or an MDM system of their choice.

Information on which Windows Phone 8.1 devices can be upgraded to Windows 10 Mobile can be found on theWindows 10 Mobile Specifications & Systems Requirements page.

No, Microsoft recommends that customers upgrade eligible Lumia devices to Windows 10 Mobile.

Additional Information can be found on the Lumia Troubleshooting and Repair page.

We have no current plans to remove historical Windows Phone 8.1 updates from Windows Update.

The Windows Device Recovery tool may continue to provide the recovery image for your Windows Phone 8.1 device . However, after December 16, 2019, you will not be able to recover any apps that were previously downloaded. As with all Windows Phone 8.1 services, the Windows Device Recovery tool for Windows Phone 8.1 will be discontinued over time. See Windows Device Recovery Tool FAQ for more details on how to use the tool.

Yes. Your Windows Phone 8.1 device should continue to work after July 11, 2017, but there will be no updates after July 11, 2017 (including security updates) and device backup functionality and other backend services will be phased out as described above.

To see which Windows Phone operating system (OS) version is installed on your phone, do the following:

In the App list, tap Settings.

More info.
The Software section indicates the general product name we use to describe the release (for example, «Windows Phone 8.1» or «Windows Phone 8»). The OS version section indicates the specific build number of the release (for example, «8.0.0000.0» or «8.0.10517.150»).

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Recent Editorial Content

Camera head to head: Lumia 950 XL vs Redmi Note 10 Pro

Last week I pitched the new AMOLED-screened budget Redmi Note 10 Pro, made by Xiaomi, against the IDOL 4 Pro (for its screen and media capabilities) — and the result was almost a complete whitewash. The Redmi Note 10 Pro, at just over £200 inc VAT, is a stunning game changer of a device, specs-wise — but can its camera system beat out an old AAWP favourite? With Xiaomi’s excellent image processing, despite the low price tag, I’m expecting a close run thing.

# Posted by Steve in Features || Comments 12:53, Apr 18th

Head to head: Alcatel IDOL 4 Pro vs Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 Pro

After the Lumia 950 XL head to head with the flagship Xiaomi Mi 11 in the £700 range, I wanted to match this with a similar comparison feature at the other end of the market, but this time using the media-centric Alcatel IDOL 4 Pro, my favourite Windows-powered phone of the last era in AAWP. The (Xiaomi) Redmi Note 10 Pro is also brand new and usually around the £200 mark, while still offering an impressive (even game changing) spec level, especially against something as relatively old as the Alcatel, though this put up a close fight in some areas, as you’ll see.

# Posted by Steve in Features || Comments 13:07, Apr 15th

‘Piny — Pinterest with love’ UWP updated for 2021

A full four years ago I looked at a fledgling UWP Pinterest client for Windows 10 Mobile — and, believe it or not, it’s still being updated, with the latest in the last few days. The developers, Chococode, are one of the last active UWP app developers compiling for Windows 10 Mobile, so credit to them. Piny UWP is now £4 if you want to zap the ads, so it’s slightly pricier than it was originally, but heck, at this stage in Windows 10 Mobile’s existence, it’s worth showering active developers in beer, so buying them a pint in this case is money well spent, I contend.

# Posted by Steve in Features || Comments 06:47, Apr 13th

Smartphone wired audio/DACs. (2021 update)

Minor apologies for two quick updates to this ‘reference’ article in a few days, but I’ve added the rather excellent Samsung Type C to 3.5mm DAC/dongle, plus made numerous extra tweaks to the table, including quoting maximum sample rates and resolution where known. Here I look at wired audio quality from smartphone 3.5mm jacks (where they have one) and from add-on, plug-in DACs/dongles (where digital output is the only wired way forwards). Worth bookmarking, hopefully, and coming back to later in 2021, since I’ll keep updating it as needed.

# Posted by Steve in Features || Comments 17:47, Apr 11th

LG Mobile officially shuts down, ends 15 years in smartphones

Starting off (in the smartphone world) with Series 60 (on Symbian) handsets, transitioning through Windows Phone 7.x phones, and ending up on Android, LG has officially closed its Mobile division, with the short statement quoted below. It’s been a rocky road for LG, but even back in the mid 2000s at the Symbian shows, I never really felt their heart was in it, at least in terms of selling to — and supporting — the West. Some thoughts and a few looks back below.

# Posted by Steve in News || Comments 10:31, Apr 5th

Review: Apple/Cubilux: a tale of two Type C DAC/dongles.

Yes, yes, it’s a confusing situation. I blame Apple, for taking away the 3.5mm headphone jack from their flagships (to boost sales of their new AirPods) and then I blame other companies for copying Apple. Happily, most phones under about £400 still come with jacks, but for anyone wanting an Android flagship for the last two years and who isn’t all-in on Bluetooth, some way of getting wired audio out of a Type C jack is worth researching. Online, you can get ‘adapters’ from £1 to £100, which means that you might like some guidance from AAWP. Here, I test two candidates and am blown away by one in particular!

# Posted by Steve in Reviews || Comments 17:21, Apr 1st

Status report for April 2021: services and apps on Windows 10 Mobile

Here, for April 2021, is the refreshed/latest news and comment on applications and services on Windows 10 Mobile — the OS itself has now had its very last security update, but it still works on the whole. This feature will summarise what’s broken and what’s not, along with workarounds where possible. Details and links have all been updated throughout. Note that I’ve kept the URL the same, so the last nine months of comments are all still here.

# Posted by Steve in Features || Comments 16:53, Mar 31st

Netflix and Windows Phone/Windows 10 Mobile. lives again!

A year ago, Netflix stopped working on all Windows-powered phones — the fear was that this was a conscious decision by Netflix to axe streams to specific platforms. In fact, it turns out that something was just ‘broken’. And clearly the broken bit affected enough customers on enough legacy platforms that Netflix’s engineers tracked down the bug and fixed it — Netflix works again on Windows 10 Mobile!*

# Posted by Steve in News || Comments 14:46, Mar 30th

Camera head to head: Lumia 950 XL vs Xiaomi Mi 11 5G

Xiaomi is now no. 2 in Europe by some metrics in the smartphone world and it’s easy to see why, with great value, high spec handsets — and, to my delight, with good image processing in their cameras. And now we have the first of the next generation Xiaomi flagships, the Mi 11, currently £650 inc VAT on Amazon UK. So not cheap, but also not crazy Samsung or iPhone flagship pricing. Last week I looked at overall specs, here I test out the Mi 11’s imaging against the usual staple, the Lumia 950 XL.

# Posted by Steve in Features || Comments 06:41, Mar 29th

Head to head: Lumia 950 XL vs Xiaomi Mi 11 5G

Another year, another Xiaomi flagship, good value for money compared to the Samsungs and OnePlus of this world. Except that there are several variants, two of which have yet to be announced (next week should see the ‘Pro’ and ‘Ultimate’). Regardless, I have the standard Xiaomi Mi 11 5G in hand and here I do a head-to-head against my standard benchmark device (for AAWP), the Lumia 950 XL. Imaging is next, don’t worry.

# Posted by Steve in Features || Comments 07:29, Mar 26th

Windows 10 Mobile Specifications & Systems Requirements

Here’s an overview of requirements, editions, and languages available for Windows 10.

Table of Contents

Upgrade Availability for Windows Phone 8.1 customers

Good news for Windows Phone 8.1 customers: you can enjoy great new features of Windows 10 Mobile without having to buy a new phone.

Creators Update Availability for Windows 10 Mobile Customers

The Windows 10 Creators Update (1703) is only available for the following Windows 10 Mobile devices, and availability may vary by carrier and market: HP Elite x3, HP Elite x3 (Verizon), HP Elite x3 (Telstra), Wileyfox Pro, Microsoft Lumia 550, Microsoft Lumia 640/640XL, Microsoft Lumia 650, Microsoft Lumia 950/950 XL, Alcatel IDOL 4S, Alcatel IDOL 4S Pro, Alcatel OneTouch Fierce XL, Softbank 503LV, VAIO Phone Biz, MouseComputer MADOSMA Q501, MouseComputer MADOSMA Q601, Trinity NuAns Neo.

Important notes

• Windows 10 Mobile is automatically updated. Windows 10 Mobile users will receive updates automatically during the support period when they are available. Windows 10 Mobile Enterprise users will have the ability to postpone updates. Additional requirements will apply over time for updates, and availability may vary by device, carrier, and market. The amount of time that Windows 10 Mobile users can postpone updates is limited. Support may vary by device and other factors. You can find more information on the Windows Support Lifecycle page.
• Many apps, in-app purchases, files, and settings will migrate as part of the upgrade. However, some apps, in-app purchases, or settings may not migrate.
• Some apps and content sold separately. Feature and app availability and experience may vary by device and market.

Feature deprecations and removals

As of February 28, 2019, Microsoft Wallet is no longer supported.

When you install the Windows 10 upgrade on your Windows Phone 8.1 device, some features currently on your device will be modified or removed, including the following:

• The FM Radio app will no longer be available on Windows 10 Mobile when the Windows 10 Anniversary Update is installed.
• The Kids Corner feature will no longer be available on Windows 10 Mobile when the Windows 10 Anniversary Update is installed.
• The Apps Corner feature will no longer be available on Windows 10 Mobile when the Windows 10 Creators Update is installed.
• Notifications for missed calls, messages, and emails on contact tiles is not supported at the time of Windows 10 Mobile release.
• Me Tile and Me Card are no longer supported.
• Group tiles can no longer be used to receive social networking status updates.
• Cortana can no longer search for apps, setting, email, text messaging, contacts and QR Codes on the device and can no longer open apps through voice commands.
• «Hey Cortana» is no longer available on some upgraded devices.
• Indoor Maps are no longer available for some locations.
• At time of Windows 10 Mobile release Outlook Mail app cannot open .EML attachments.
• Outlook Calendar app does not support Tasks.
• MDM capability to prevent saving and sharing Office documents not supported.

Портал устройств Windows для мобильных устройств Windows Device Portal for Mobile

Начиная c Windows 10 версии 1511, для семейства мобильных устройств доступны дополнительные функции разработчика. Starting in Windows 10, Version 1511, additional developer features are available for the mobile device family. Эти функции доступны, только когда на устройстве включен режим разработчика. These features are available only when Developer mode is enabled on the device.

Сведения о том, как включить режим разработчика, см. в разделеПодготовка устройства для разработки. For info about how to enable Developer mode, see Enable your device for development.

Настройка портала устройств Windows в Windows Phone Set up Windows Device Portal on Windows Phone

Включите обнаружение и связывание устройств Turn on device discovery and pairing

Для подключения к порталу устройств Windows (WDP) необходимо включить функцию обнаружения устройств и портал устройств в параметрах телефона. To connect to Windows Device Portal (WDP), you must enable Device discovery and Device Portal in your phone’s settings. Это позволит связать ваш телефон с компьютером или другим устройством с Windows 10. This lets you pair your phone with a PC or other Windows 10 device. Оба устройства должны быть подключены к одной подсети с помощью проводного или беспроводного подключения или соединены друг с другом через USB. Both devices must be connected to the same subnet of the network by a wired or wireless connection, or they must be connected by USB.

При первом подключении к Порталу устройства потребуется ввести шестизначный код безопасности (с учетом регистра символов). The first time you connect to Device Portal, you are asked for a case-sensitive, 6 character security code. Это обеспечит вам доступ к телефону и защитит ваши устройства от атак. This ensures that you have access to the phone, and keeps you safe from attackers. Нажмите кнопку «Связать» на телефоне, чтобы создать и отобразить код, а затем введите 6 символов в текстовое поле в браузере. Press the Pair button on your phone to generate and display the code, then enter the 6 characters into the text box in the browser.

Вы можете подключиться к Порталу устройства тремя способами: через кабель USB, через локальный узел и по локальной сети (включая VPN и привязку). You can choose from 3 ways to connect to Device Portal: USB, local host, and over the local network (including VPN and tethering).

Подключение к порталу устройств To connect to Device Portal

В браузере введите адрес, указанный ниже для используемого вами типа подключения. In your browser, enter the address shown here for the connection type you’re using.

• USB: http://127.0.0.1:10080 USB: http://127.0.0.1:10080

Воспользуйтесь этим адресом, если телефон подключен к компьютеру через кабель USB. Use this address when the phone is connected to a PC via a USB connection. Оба устройства должны работать под управлением Windows 10 версии 1511 или более поздней. Both devices must have Windows 10, Version 1511 or later.

• Localhost: http://127.0.0.1 Localhost: http://127.0.0.1

Воспользуйтесь этим адресом, чтобы локально открыть портал устройства на телефоне в браузере Microsoft Edge для Windows 10 Mobile. Use this address to view Device Portal locally on the phone in Microsoft Edge for Windows 10 Mobile.

Воспользуйтесь этим адресом для подключения по локальной сети. Use this address to connect over a local network.

IP-адрес телефона отображается в параметрах Портала устройства на телефоне. The IP address of the phone is shown in the Device Portal settings on the phone. Для проверки подлинности и безопасного обмена данными необходима поддержка протокола HTTPS. HTTPS is required for authentication and secure communication. Имя узла (можно изменить в меню «Параметры > Система > О системе») также может использоваться для доступа к порталу устройства в локальной сети (например, http://Phone360) ), что может быть удобно для тех устройств, которые могут часто менять сети или IP-адреса или к которым нужно обеспечить общий доступ. The hostname (editable in Settings > System > About) can also be used to access Device Portal on the local network (for example, http://Phone360), which is useful for devices that may change networks or IP addresses frequently, or need to be shared.

Нажмите кнопку «Связать» на телефоне, чтобы создать и отобразить код безопасности. Press the Pair button on your phone to generate and display the required security code

Введите шестизначный код безопасности в поле пароля на Портале устройства в браузере. Enter the 6 character security code into the Device Portal password box in your browser.

(Необязательно) Установите флажок Запомнить мой компьютер в браузере, чтобы запомнить это связывание для использования в будущем. (Optional) Check the Remember my computer box in your browser to remember this pairing in the future.

Ниже показана страница параметров разработчика на Портале устройства в Windows Phone. Here’s the Device Portal section of the developer settings page on Windows Phone.

Если вы используете Портал устройств в защищенной среде, например лаборатории тестирования, в которой вы доверяете всем пользователям в локальной сети, на устройстве нет личных сведений и у вас имеются особые требования, вы можете отключить проверку подлинности. If you are using Device Portal in a protected environment, like a test lab, where you trust everyone on your local network, have no personal information on the device, and have unique requirements, you can disable authentication. В этом случае шифрование связи будет отключено, и любой пользователь сможет управлять вашим телефоном, зная его IP-адрес. This enables unencrypted communication, and allows anyone with the IP address of your phone to control it.

Заметки по средствам Tool Notes

Страницы Портала устройств Device Portal pages

Процессы Processes

Возможность прекращения произвольных процессов не включена на портале устройств Windows Mobile. The ability to terminate arbitrary processes is not included in the Windows Mobile Device Portal.

Портал устройства на мобильных устройствах обеспечивает стандартный набор страниц. Device Portal on mobile devices provides the standard set of pages. Подробные описания см. в разделе Обзор Портала устройств Windows. For detailed descriptions, see Windows Device Portal overview.

• Диспетчер приложений App Manager
• Проводник приложений (Обозреватель изолированного хранилища) App File Explorer (Isolated Storage Explorer)
• Процессы Processes
• Диаграммы производительности Performance charts
• Трассировка событий Windows (ETW) Event Tracing for Windows (ETW)
• Трассировка производительности (WPR) Performance tracing (WPR)
• . Devices
• Сетевое взаимодействие Networking