The Windows Phone 8.1 SDK is the gift that keeps on giving. Today, we’ve already had confirmation about background images for the Start screen, which have yet to be fully revealed, and yesterday we had a big roundup as well. This afternoon, developers Jeremy Sinclair (@sinclairinator) and Jesse Leskinen (@jessenic) have put together the bullet lists to end all bullet lists. Their info comes from MUI strings direct from the SDK, so they are subject to change upon final release. What’s interesting about this list is the sheer number of little things that we had suspected, but not yet confirmed in Windows Phone 8.1. It should be clear that 8.1 is, in many ways, a complete overhaul of the OS from top to bottom, not just a few big features. That’s important because what you’re about to read below demonstrates just how busy the dev team has been to build upon the groundwork laid down with Windows Phone 8, back in late 2012. Best VPN providers 2020: Learn about ExpressVPN, NordVPN & more

Windows Phone 8.1 new feature changes (subject to change upon RTM) Sharing secured WI-Fi Networks with contacts if they have Wi-Fi Sense. They don’t get to see the shared password though

Social notifications will now show up in Action Center by swiping from the top of the screen

Operators can now control Data Sense limits remotely

Operators can also install certain applications once a SIM card is detected

Along with normal updates, there are now “important” updates.

Options to always download emails and pictures within them

Encrypted and signed e-mail support

Change default SMS app. You can also change which SMS app will show notifications.

Enterprise enrolled phones can have their passwords changed and remotely locked

“Write, when I swipe through letters”. That should be self-explanatory

Geofence monitoring support. Geofence is a boundary around a place of interest to you. Location services can monitor geofences to tell your apps when you’re entering and leaving them. This would be really good for IFTTT

Office Lens support. Will scan in documents and screens

The phone will have to update to the latest version before you can restore it to factory settings

Option to update store apps automatically

Option to update store apps when only on Wi-Fi

App Suggestions by location

Manual Update checks

Password protected Office document support

Trusted app list for NFC that will remove the need for asking whether you want to open a particular app.

In-call speech commands. You’ll be able to say “Call XXXXXX”.

Double-Tap to unlock your phone (Feature from Lumia devices on Amber Update and newer)

Quiet Hours

Double Tap to Power Off

Notification if charger isn’t of adequate power

Screenshot button combination is now Power + Volume Up

Chkdsk for SD Cards essentially

Apps on SD Cards are only allowed from ONE originating phone. If it detects that apps from another phone are installed on the SD Card, then it will ask to delete those first

Voice Narrator for Accessibility

The Search button will be the new way to open Speech instead of the Start button (Since the newer phones will have the start button on screen)

New Email sync options with accordance to usage patterns (i.e. If you get a lot of mail on particular days and if you don’t check mail every day).

Change the size and amount of tiles on your start screen.

Wallet supports tickets and membership cards

App Syncing

Backups now include application data (ABOUT TIME)

Screen Reader functionality (Maybe Text-To-Speech for apps?)

Screen Recording functionality

Inner Circle of contacts. Up to 40 contacts can be in the inner circle.

You can favorite photos by tapping a heart icon

Virtual SmartCard support We should caution that not everything listed in the SDK will make it to the final build of Windows Phone 8.1, but at the very least, you get an idea of what Microsoft is attempting. Likewise, how these features will exactly work is yet to be seen. Some of the features listed above we have reported in our other articles detailing the 8.1 SDK leak. But many of them are new. Quiet Hours was something we mentioned back in Mach 2013 as expected for Windows Phone 8.1. Now that seems to be the case. Quiet Hours refers to a set period of time where a user won't be bothered by Notifications. Perfect for your bedtime. The Windows Phone version is expected to reflect the current layout in Windows 8.1.



Do Not Disturb/Quiet Hours found in Settings

Other additions like downloading of email images automatically, auto-app updates, disabling NFC confirmations, are just little things that helps those using Windows Phone 8.1 much more fluid. Interestingly enough, it looks like Nokia is putting back into Windows Phone with the inclusion of double-tap to wake into the OS. There is also reportedly now double-tap to power off, which should be an interesting flipside to the current implementation.