• Windows Phone Area
• On August 16, 2016

What’s new in the Anniversary Update for Windows 10 Mobile

Microsoft will release the Anniversary Update for Windows 10 and Windows 10 Mobile on August 2, but the company has already finalized the OS in terms of new features and changes. The update rolling out in August won’t bring so many drastic changes to the mobile platform, but it still includes many small tweaks, improvements and new features compared with the official build released in early 2016 – 10586. Here are all major changes in Windows 10 Mobile Anniversary (Redstone) Update – Build 14393:

Settings

Individual Settings now have icons associated with them. When you pin a Settings page on the Start screen the same icon will be shown on the Tile.

Page Suggestions: Type into the Setting’s search bar and see suggestions for a quick access.

Navigation bar: the navigation bar settings have been moved from Extras → Touch, to Settings → Personalization.

Glance Screen: the settings are no longer in Extras. Found the Glance Screen settings under Settings → Personalization

Lock screen

Media controls: control the music (change volume, stop, pause, skip) directly from the Lock Screen.

Quick camera button: launch the camera right from the Lock Screen. Press and hold to start the camera. The quick camera button is great for phones without a dedicated camera button.

Notifications & Actions

Customize quick actions: the users can now customize the Quick Actions. The quick actions can be removed and re-arranged from the Settings page. Press and hold to change the place of a quick action, or use the slider to remove/add it.

Notification priority: Set a priority for notifications on the Action Center for particular apps. Choose between normal, high and top. Set the number of the notifications you want to see in the Action center for any app.

Improved notifications: Microsoft allows more flexible layouts for the notifications with bigger images and more information. Individual apps show only one icon in the header for all notifications.

Store updates: app updates and new installations appear in the Action Center.

Microsoft Edge

Swipe navigation: swipe gestures return to Windows 10 Mobile. Use swipes to navigate back and forward.

Word flow: shape writing in the address bar.

InPrivate tabs: the InPrivate button appears right next to the new tab button.

Improved downloads and tab behavior: a prompt to start a download; when you click on a link in an app Edge opens a new tab. When you press the back button the app resumes.

Phone

Audio Routing: new Settings to route phone calls. Choose between Auto, Bluetooth or Phone Speaker. The phone can also turn on the speaker automatically if you move it away from the ear.

Missed call indicators: the Phone app indicates when you have a missed call or a voicemail. Once you navigate to the respective tab the indicator disappears.

Multitasking

Phones with 2GB or more RAM can hold up to 16 app cards in multitasking view

Notification Mirroring

Windows 10 PC and Windows 10 Phone can sync notifications thanks to Cortana. Find the settings in Cortana → Settings → Edit Sync Settings. Select which apps you want to show phone notification on the Windows PC.

Cortana

Cortana has new animations and she speaks Spanish (for Mexico), Portuguese (Brazil) and French (Canada). You can change the language right from the Settings. Cortana can send a photo to a PC – just ask ‘send this photo to my PC’. You can create a Photo reminder – for example take a photo of something you need to buy, and ask Cortana to remind you next time you visit a supermarket. Music searches are easier with Cortana for Windows 10 Mobile – a new icon at the top

Windows Insider

The separate Windows Insider app has been removed for Windows 10 Mobile Redstone. From builds 143xx, the Insider settings are built into the OS. Go to Settings → Update & Security → Windows Insider Program. Select the Insider ring from the drop-down menu. Stop and resume receiving preview builds.

Apps changes

Read everything about the revamped Maps app for Windows 10 Mobile here. Microsoft also updated many of the other built-in apps – Outlook Mail, Alarm, People, Store, Grove Music, etc.

Other improvements

Feedback Hub: comment and get responses from the Windows engineering team. Find a category or topics easier, quickly upvote feedback, see announcements and quests.

Messaging: swipe to delete a message

New animation while re-sizing Live Tiles.

Apps for Websites: an upcoming feature that redirect websites to open with an app.

Removed features

The Messaging / Skype integration has been removed with this update. Microsoft announced that the upcoming Skype UWP app will have the ability to send and receive SMS messages.

The FM radio and Kid’s Corner have been removed