How to Install Windows Phone 8.1 Preview for Developers

Microsoft had announced Windows Phone 8.1 to the world last week at the BUILD conference. They also announced that a Preview for Developers Program will available  in April similar to the one they rolled out when GDR3 was launched last year. Event though it is called ‘Preview for Developers’ any Windows Phone 8 user can get by following the simple instructions in this email. The program will allow you to install the 8.1 update early on any Windows Phone 8 device and get updates before the carriers and also before Nokia releases their Nokia Cyan update.

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How to Install Windows Phone 8.1?

As we said before this is a developers preview which means you need to have a developer account. Unless you are a real developer, you might not be interested in signing up the Microsoft Developer site by paying a $19 fees. But for a normal user, you can still get a free developer account. Here is how to do it.

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  1. Sign up for Microsoft’s App Studio: appstudio.windowsphone.com which is free of cost, using your Microsoft ID which is used on your phone and allow them to register your email address. Once you have the confirmation on the account created, now you need to install an app on your phone.
  2. Install the Preview for Developers app and then sign in with the same ID which you used to create the App studio account in step 1.
  3. Now you can see an option “Enable Preview for Developers”, check the option and click done.
  4. That’s it. You are now enrolled to the developers program. Now when the update is released, Go to Settings-> Phone Updates and click check for updates button and you will be able to see the updates.

Enable preview

FAQs on Windows Phone 8.1 Developers Preview:

  1. Windows Phone 8.1 preview will work on all Windows Phone 8 devices including Lumia 520, 525, HTC 8X, Samsung ATIV etc. It will not work on first generation phones like Lumia 800 and Lumia 900.
  2. Once you have installed it update, you cannot roll it back to previous update.
  3. It will not damage your phone or cause any issues.
  4. The update will not factory reset your phone or wipe off the data in the phone.
  5. When the final Windows Phone 8.1 update is rolled out, you can still install the update the same way.
  6. Cortana is enabled only for US. If you want to enable it on your phone, follow up this link

Nirmal is a big fan of Windows phone ever since it was released. He started off with Nokia Lumia 800 and then got the Lumia 920. Presently he owns the Lumia 730 and Lumia 930.