Apps. We need them for entertainment, organization and for work. In the 21st century, more businesses need more apps to stay ahead of the competition. And as iOS and Android phones continue to dominate the market with popular apps, the lack of services available for Windows phones put Microsoft in a tough spot. Here is a quick rundown of the problem facing Windows smartphones today and what they’re planning to do to fix it.

The problem

Since its release, Windows 10 Mobile has not been getting as much traction as Microsoft had hoped. One of the biggest factors to this is due to Windows 10 Mobile struggling to get popular apps like Instagram or Snapchat onto their platform. This would mean that customers would have to settle for third-party services that were usually quite obscure, and had a higher chance of shutting down since developers cannot maintain the app running for long without proper funding.

Furthermore, because of such a small market for Windows 10 phones, fewer apps were being developed. No app creator was going to spend time making an app for a platform that is constantly overshadowed by iOS or Android devices. The only thing the Windows 10 Mobile had going for it was its lower price point, but with barely any apps to make the entire device worthwhile, customers were going elsewhere for more popular alternatives.

The solutions

So, clearly, Microsoft needed to reevaluate their strategy to get people’s heads turning back to their devices. In pursuit of a larger user base for Windows phones, here are some of the features that Microsoft are planning to deploy:

• Cross compatibility apps: In order to get on the same playing field, Microsoft has been trying to make apps that were only available on iOS and Android compatible with Windows devices.
• Universal Windows Platform: Microsoft’s best solution for a lack of apps on the Windows 10 Mobile is to allow apps to run in several platforms. This means apps that were initially developed for PC, Xbox and Internet of Things (IoT) powered devices can also run on your phone. Instead of getting limited services from one device, you have access to all the apps available for any Windows 10 product.

Will this work?

We’re still uncertain if these strategies will make you want to run out to the nearest store and pick up the newest Windows Phone model, but it seems promising. Companies like Apple and Google have not been successful in unifying their apps for different devices. However, Microsoft’s large PC customer base and available apps can hopefully change that. It also gives Windows phones a unique selling point, other than their competitive pricing, which is sure to attract some customers.

These days, users are working with more than one device at any given time and as we begin to lose track of all the apps installed on our devices, a unified app platform can be just what we need for the future. So do you think you’ll be picking up a Windows phone anytime soon?

Want to stay up to date with the latest developments from Microsoft? Contact us today.

Windows 10 is back again with more features for you to play with. With the Windows 10 Anniversary Update, changes to Cortana, Microsoft Edge, and many more are coming your way. What are these changes? How will they be useful to you? While we are uncertain if Windows users will be foaming at the mouth at all of these new features, we can expect that these updates will make your devices easier to manage. Here are a few Windows 10 updates you should keep track of.

Cortana updates

One of Microsoft’s biggest announcements are the changes made to Cortana. Basically, cross-platform support for Cortana allows Android users to receive notifications on any Windows 10 devices and interact with them too. This means alerts from your phone can immediately be transmitted to your Windows 10 tablet or PC and you can send a quick text back, saving you the hassle of having to frequently pull out your phone at work. Even if you have low battery on your mobile devices, with Cortana installed, she’ll warn you on any device.

The update will also enable you to share directions across all devices. If you search up directions on your computer, Cortana will send those same directions to your phone. Additionally, if you ever lose your phone, you can locate it from your PC as long as Cortana is enabled on your phone.

Action center updates

Tired of getting notifications from unimportant applications? With the new Microsoft update, you can now prioritize the levels of notifications you want to see in your Action Center. Simply go to Settings > System > Notifications & Actions then click on a specific app and prioritize its alerts. You can set three levels of priority for each application: Normal, High, or Priority. Now you’ll only receive notifications that are important to you.

Microsoft Edge extensions

Microsoft’s web browsers have always lagged behind more popular browsers like Chrome or Firefox. However, Microsoft is hoping to entice people to use their web browsers by giving Windows users new and updated web extensions like OneNote Clipper and Pin It Button. Add-ons like Microsoft Translator and Mouse Gestures also received new upgrades for you to try out. To access these features, click on the dotted icon on the top right of the screen and select Extensions to find out how you can customize your Microsoft Edge browser.

Pin windows to virtual desktops

A small change for those who have grown accustomed to using virtual desktops at work. Virtual desktops allow you to separate how your windows are organized by creating an entirely new desktop to work with. Many people use this feature to separate their work files from their personal desktop to avoid confusion. The updates made it so that you can pin a window across all your virtual desktops by clicking Show this window on all desktops. What can this feature be used for? Suppose you wanted to have your favorite news website open at work and at home for personal use. With the new update, you avoid having to open another web browser just to access the same site on a different desktop.

Detailed battery use

Detailed battery use will temporarily stop high powered apps from running if your battery power is low. You can have your laptop immediately go to battery saver once it’s reached a certain percentage. Just go to Settings > Battery and slide what battery percentage you consider appropriate to automatically go on battery saver mode.

Customized update settings

Automatic Windows updates can be a real pain during inconvenient times. You’ll be glad to hear that you can now change that by going to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update. From here you can prevent Windows from automatically updating during business hours.

These are just a few of the exciting changes that are coming for Windows 10 users. We don’t know how many people will utilize these changes but, if we can expect one thing from the Windows 10 Anniversary Update, it definitely aims to make our lives a bit easier. Want to hear more of the latest Windows 10 news and updates? Contact us today.

The new Windows 10 interface looks pretty good and quite intuitive but something is missing - your signature style. The cool thing about Windows 10 is that it gives you the ability to customize your device any way you like. So if you’re tired of seeing a blue color theme or if you’re the sort of person that absolutely hates that notification sound, there are a couple of ways to customize your desktop. Stamp your identity into your PC by doing these.

Change your themes

Probably the most obvious way to personalize your Windows 10 is by changing your background and lock images by right-clicking on your desktop and going to the Personalization settings. Fiddle around with the different themes you want to see every time you minimize your windows or even add new themes by selecting your own or by clicking on the Get more themes online option.

Use dark mode

Want to give your Windows 10 an edgier feel? Replace those white backgrounds with dark mode. It does take a bit of effort to get to though. Open the run menu (Windows key + R) and type regedit to open the Registry. Then go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER> SOFTWARE> Microsoft> Windows> CurrentVersion> Themes> Personalize. On the right, you’ll notice an option called AppsUseLightTheme. Open up the box, and change Value Data from a 1 to 0.

Changing the value to 0 switches off the light theme and takes you to dark mode. To make sure the changes are made you need to logout of your PC and log back in. To switch the themes back to the Light theme just take the same steps but instead you need to switch the Data Value back to 1.

Virtual desktops

If you’re having trouble separating your work files from your personal files, try creating a virtual desktop. Press the Windows key + TAB to show all your open windows. At the bottom right corner of your screen you’ll notice an option to add a new desktop. Simply click on it to create a new desktop and immediately enjoy looking up your hobbies on one desktop while strictly doing business on the other.

To quickly switch between your desktops you can use the CTRL + Windows key + left/right arrow shortcut to maneuver between screens.

App snapping

App snapping is not exactly a new feature for experienced Windows users but with Windows 10, you can now snap any app in place. For people who like to multitask, this feature can be just for you. Snap any app window into one side or corner of your screen by simply dragging it into the desired area. You can have a maximum of 4 separate windows open in your monitor at the same time for when you want to browse the internet while you’re filling out spreadsheets.

Reorganize your Start Menu

To add a little more “you” into your Windows PC you can do a few things to customize how your apps are readied on your Start Menu. To begin with, you can resize the Start Menu by simply dragging the top or right side of the menu to resize.

You can choose to resize the live tiles by right-clicking on them and selecting the Resize option. You can also rearrange application tiles by dragging them anywhere around the Start Menu. Or if you don’t see yourself using a particular application simply right click the tile and select Unpin from Start. On the other hand, you can pin applications into the Start Menu by going to the All Apps tab, right-clicking and choosing Pin to Start. For even faster access to the apps that you like to go to, simply pin the program to the task bar.

Change color themes

Is plain black Start Menu color not doing it for you anymore? Just right-click on your desktop, choose Personalize> Color and select any accent color that suits you. Switch on the Show color on Start, taskbar, action center, and title option if you want this color applied to the entire menu. There are also various other options you can choose to display the Start Menu by going to the Start section of the Personalization settings.

Disable notifications

We don’t know where you stand on app notifications but if you absolutely hate it and wish to never hear that notification sound ever again, simply click Start> Setting> System> Notifications>Actions and switch off whatever app notifications you don’t want. Goodbye annoying reminders.

Switch up and personalize your Windows 10 how ever you like by using some or all of these options and hopefully you get the settings that’s just right for you. If you would like to know about more ways you can personalize your desktop or need information on anything Windows 10 related, give us a call and we’ll be happy to help.