Tips and Tricks for Windows Phone 7
In the first of a new regular feature on ITProPortal we are offering tips and tricks about mobile phones and their operating system that you may, or may not, know about.
ITPP is now covering aspects of the Microsoft Windows Phone 7 operating system, which will help in getting the best out of a handset and the platform as a whole.
Ringtones
The new version of Windows Phone 7, codenamed ‘Mango', has recently been made available to all mobiles that shipped with the current OS, bringing the build number up to Windows Phone 7.5.
This update is accessible by connecting the phone to computer and running the desktop software known as Zune, which will take care of the upgrading process for this new variant of the operating system.
As a part of this update, customisable rings tones are now possible for the very first time in WP7.
Adding a new ringtone is performed by connecting a mobile to a computer, then synchronising the file required to the actual phone. After this has taken place, the item is accessible from the Start button, with a left flick to the App list, then press Settings, then go to Ringtones + sounds. From here, access the ringtone list and find the new file that has just been added and select it.
Multi-tasking
Running more than one application at once is also a new feature to WP7.5 ‘Mango'. Switching between applications is done by holding down the ‘Back' button, which is located at the base of all Windows Phone 7 handset displays.
This key-press opens up a screen where the last five applications that were used are all presented, with easy access to them all. It's possible from here to just flick past the ones that are running, where a simple tap on the display with the one wanted brings it to the forefront.
Copy and Pasting
When Windows Phone 7 was launched in October last year the copy and pasting feature was missing from the operating system. This eventually arrived in March, as a part of the very first major update to the OS, known as ‘NoDo'.
The ‘Mango' update has improved cutting and pasting even further, where there is now audio feedback to this action along with a change in the user interface - with cutting once and the ability to past the text, now countless times.
There are two ways to copy text; by a simple tap to the screen that highlights the text or from using the menu option.
It is possible to copy selected text from a web browser, an email or a Microsoft Office document, along with being able to highlight and copy text from anywhere that it has just been entered.
Copying is performed by a single touch on the screen to select a word, or by dragging the markers that appear at this point to encompass all the text required and then click on the ‘copy' icon that is just above the selected area.
You are also able to copy text from text messages sent or received, headings of email messages, maps, links in the browser, local search results, information already in a contact card and the People Hub - by just pressing the screen, where a menu appears with delete, forward and ‘copy'.
Pasting the now copied text from both these methods can be done from inside of an application, wherever the paste icon appears.