Windows Phone tips and tricks

Ready to do more? Try out these tips and tricks to make your Windows Phone the most productive, the most connected and the most fun it can be. Click a category to get started. And make sure you take a look at the Help+Tips app for Windows Phone 8.1 to get answers to top questions, search for help topics and see videos and animated tips on your phone.

Notes
This topic is about Windows Phone 8.1. If your phone is running Windows Phone 8, some options and icons may look a little different, and some features may not be available. Check to see which software version you have and find out if an update is available.
Some apps and features won't work on phones with less than 1 GB of RAM. To see how much memory your phone has, check the manufacturer's website or your phone's documentation.
▼Top tips
Swipe to see your apps – Swipe over from Start to see your App list. Tap any letter to see the entire alphabet, and tap another letter to jump there – or tap Search Search icon to go straight to a specific app.
Screen rotation lock – Read on the sofa, in bed, or hanging upside down from a tree – it's all possible with the screen rotation lock. In the App list, go to Settings Settings icon > Screen rotation to turn it on.
Back it up – Save it all to the cloud. Back up your App list, settings, texts and photos. In the App list, go to Settings Settings icon > Backup to turn it on.
Notifications and quick actions – It's simple to check your notifications and quick actions on the fly. Swipe down from the top of the screen to open action centre. Tap a notification to open the associated app (for example, email) or swipe over to dismiss the notification. Tap a quick action (such as rotation lock or brightness) to use it.
Curb your data – In the App list, go to Data Sense Data Sense icon to manage your phone's data usage. You can also use WiFi Sense to have your phone automatically connect to open WiFi hot spots. Just tap Settings Settings icon > WiFi > WiFi Sense to get started. (Not all mobile operators offer Data Sense.)
Restart your phone – If your phone is unresponsive, you can usually restart it to get back on track. For info, see Restarting your phone.
►Making it your own
►Cortana
►Apps + games
►Internet Explorer 11 for Windows Phone
►Calendar
►People + contacts
►Email
►Word Flow keyboard
►Calling
►Messaging
►Music, videos, podcasts and FM radio
►Office Mobile
►Photos + camera
►Search + maps
►More tips