Handy Guide to Get Started with Windows Phone 8

I am using Windows Phone from last 2 years, and when I was switching to Windows Phone 8, a lot of things where in mind which was not only about migrating but also about users who would love to adopt it for the first time.  So below are few facts, features and changes you should know before switching to Windows Phone 8 from Windows Phone 7.5 or any other phone.

Which Microsoft Account you should use?

Windows Phone connects your phone with a Microsoft account to back up your data on the cloud and integrate services like Xbox, Xbox Music, and Email etc. When you sign in for the first time, you are prompted to sign in with a Microsoft Account, so which one it should be?

Every service Microsoft provides are associated with an account which is attached to user id, which in this case is an email id. This does not necessarily mean that it has to be an email account.  Most of us keep one account to have easy access to any of services and keep them in one place.  So when you sign in with a Microsoft Account, it also connects services like Xbox Music, Xbox Games etc. with that very account.

Now if, it’s the case that you had used One Account for Xbox Music while other for Outlook or Hotmail, then I will suggest you to use the account with Xbox Music as the primary account on the phone.  Since it is possible to add multiple email account, you can use the Add Email Feature to later that account. The reverse is not true. So choose what your priority is and then decide.

How to configure an email account, Sync Contacts and Calendar?

It’s as easy as on any other phone but since you are here for the first time, follow the steps below:

• Swipe Left
• Scroll down to settings
• Open email + Accounts
• Add Account and choose the type of email server i.e. Yahoo, Nokia etc. and add.

When configuring, you will have an option to sync only email or email, Calendar and contacts. Check out our video demo.

Getting your data to a new Phone

Transfer Contacts & SMS

If you are already using a smart phone, chances are that all your contacts are associated with an email account. All you need is to configure that email account with this phone.

If you have a Nokia Lumia WP8, it comes with Transfer My Data App which can import contacts  and SMS from the old phone to the new phone via Bluetooth.

There are few more solutions listed here.

How to Sync Files between PC & Mac:

Mass Storage Mode:

Windows Phone 8 can be detected by your computer as USB device and gives you full access to Photos, Music, Ringtones and Video folders. You can copy using Windows Explorer quickly. Check out our detailed post on that. You may also use the Windows App to sync your phone with files on PC with a better interface.

Use Bluetooth to transfer files:

You may also use Bluetooth to get your files from other devices.  Setting up is simple but if you want to see a preview, here is a video demo.

Moving from Android or iPhone ?

If you are moving from other smart phone like Android or iPhone, Windows Phone team has an exhaustive page for you to sort this out.  Here, you not only get the difference but also get introduced to new features of Windows Phone.

Must know features in Windows Phone 8

New Start Screen and Resizable Tiles:

Instead of choosing icons and shortcuts, Windows Phone has Live Tiles, which is a shortcut to launch the app but much better because it also includes notification. Apart from that you can resize them into three sizes smallest which just takes, up tiny space to largest which takes up the width of the screen.

Setting up Backup:

Windows Phone 8 also comes with an inbuilt backup system which syncs your messages, call history, app list, and photos to SkyDrive. This works both over Wi-Fi and mobile data. You will be able to set this up when you setup your phone for the first time. This can also be initiated manually. This feature comes handy when switch to new windows phone and get started exactly where you left. Video

Kids’ Corner:

If you are bound to use your phone with your kids. Windows Phone comes with a Kid’s Corner feature which allows you to set Apps, Camera, Games and music for them. This way they only to get to see what you allow them and still use your phone. Details and Video

Lock Screen:

If you love to get notified from your favourite apps, Windows Phone makes sure you don’t miss any. Though there is no notification system, but you can add apps to Lock Screen to display notifications from them. Video Demo

Photo Editing:

Windows Phone has native support for editing your favourite pictures and making it even more personalized. You can edit, crop, resize and rotate.  More details here

Wallet & Securing Store:

Wallets on Windows Phone are just like the real world wallets carrying your coupons, credit card etc. Using Wallet you can add all those payment gateways and use to purchase Apps or even payment through NFC Supported Terminals.

Wallet also brings in Security which allows you to set password which makes sure nobody can access your wallet detail, and it cannot be used for in-app purchases or regular app and music purchases. Windows Phone Store App has an option for setting up PIN, and it brings you right here.

Note: If you have a Microsoft account which is connected to a payment method i.e. Card, Paypal or Bank, it gets listed in the wallet. So make sure to enable PIN immediately.

NFC:

Near Field Communication in Windows Phone 8 makes it possible for you to share files much securely because it will only work when the two devices are tapped against each other. Unlike Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, it does not work over long range. Using NFC you can share Apps, Web Pages, Pictures, Contacts and Videos.

To share anything you need to select that item, look into menu bar for an options, Share and then choose Tap + Send from the options give.

To share anything you need to select that item, look into the menu bar for  options, Share and then choose Tap + Send from the options give.

Work Flow:

This feature in Windows Phone brings in prediction for words using the words you often type. So, for example, if you often use your wife name in SMS or chat, that’s the first word you get to see when hit the new text option. This feature is in the core of the OS which means it can learn from anywhere you are typing.

Typing and the Fat Finger Support :

If you often mistype on your phone keyboard then its not  because you always misspell but its technically a fat finger issue which causes the key next to one you type to get pressed.,   Windows Phone 8 has a solution for this kind of situation which uses predictive typing and increase the area of hit target. Video Demo

Conclusion:

There are many other features we can talk about Windows Phone 8, but I will let you explore some on your own. So here is what you can do, explore the phone and share with us in comments the features you find interesting. !!