The Windows 10 Creators Update for Windows 10 Mobile has been somewhat overshadowed by the PC version. While the PC edition gets the headline new features there are a lot of changes to mobile that improve the Windows experiences on a phone. The update starts rolling out April 25th and here are some of the highlights, you can see my video at the bottom of this post.
At the time of writing we don’t actually know which devices will be getting the update but I have had no issues running it on a Lumia 1520 and 950 XL.
New Sounds
It be something trivial but Windows 10 Mobile now has new sounds (see my video for a demo).
New app settings
One of the most important changes is for trouble shooting app problems. You can now reset Windows 10 Mobile app via the new App settings so if an app is playing up you can reset it back to its default state. I remember in the past having to reset my phone when I had a problem with the mail app and this is a much simpler way to fix apps.
Changes to Microsoft Edge
There are quite a few changes to Microsoft Edge. It now supports ePub books and it has a nice reader friendly UI when reading eBooks. Plus it can read aloud ePub Books. There is also better panning zooming in the browser that makes navigating around the web much easier.
Windows Update
New phone updates should be faster as Microsoft are using a new differential update method which works by only downloading the changes to the build rather than the whole image. This will make the update quicker to download and install.
Bluetooth GAAT
Windows 10 Mobile now supports Bluetooth GATT so Windows 10 Mobile can push notification to Bluetooth devices like Fitbit.
3rd party alarms breakthrough in Cortana’s Quiet Hours
Developers can now make alarms that breakthrough Cortana’s Quiet Hours so even in quiet mode enabled 3rd party apps can push notifications and alerts.
Continuum
There is now a separate screen time out setting for the continuum screen and the phone screen. So your phone can turn its screen off while you are working away on the 2nd Continuum display or the other way around which saves you power.
Notification Setting Option
There are new notification settings in Windows 10 Mobile. You can now pick which apps can send notifications giving you more control over the OS.
Updated Wi-Fi settings Screen
The WiFi screen now matches the PC version with a better looking and easier to navigate around screen.
Missed call notifications are now more actionable
When you miss a call you can now call back directly from the notification.
Cortana
Cortana has some new functionality, you can now control TuneIn Radio and other music services.
Other Changes
I have produced a hands on videos to go along with each Windows 10 Mobile build and I am sure I missed many of the changes that I have called out in the videos but the changes I have listed above are the main ones. There are a few other changes like you can remove words from the system dictionary and stock apps can be uninstalled.
Overall the OS feels faster and more polished. It’s faster due to under the hood changes and partly due to some UI tricks like making the Windows Hello animation shorter.
The Creators Update for Windows 10 Mobile is not a revolutionary update for the OS but they are nice enhancements and make using the phone a better experience. It certainly isn’t going to make anyone switch to Windows 10 Mobile but if you are already a Windows 10 Mobile user then you are going to get a more polished system.
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