Windows Phone 8.1 Tips and Tricks

Warning: This will remove ALL data on the phone.

To hard reset your phone, go to Start – Applications list – Settings. Then scroll to the bottom and choose About. Then press Reset your phone. Then press Yes.

If you can’t do that, then some alternative methods are as follows:

1) First press and hold the Camera + Volume Down + Power buttons simultaneously.
Then release the Power button when the phone vibrates – but continue to hold down Camera and Volume Down.
Then release the camera button and Volume Down when the Format prompt is displayed on screen.
Then press Windows button twice to confirm.

2) Turn the phone off. Then press and hold the power key until it vibrates. Then release.
Press and hold the Volume Down button. If the exclamation mark is displayed, then let go of the button.
Then input the follow sequence of keys: Volume Up – Volume Down – Power – Volume Down.

There is a way to filter your contact lists, however by default your Contacts list will show all Contacts for the various accounts you have setup on your phone. This list may include Facebook and Twitter and the list can become quite long.

To filter your contacts, go to Start, then flick left to the Applications list. Then press Settings – Applications – People. Then select Filter your contact list. Then choose the accounts you want displayed on your Contacts list.

To delete multiple emails, then open your mail App so you are viewing your list of emails. Then tap the Left side of the screen.

A menu will slide out to the right, displaying some tick boxes.

Tick the emails you want to delete and then press the Rubbish bin icon.

While viewing a website, press the 3 dots at the bottom of the screen. Then click on Find on page. Then search for the word you want to find

If you have a number of apps open and you want to close some of them, then the best way to do this is to long press the phone’s back button. Then press the X icon next to each app, or simply swipe the app downwards.

To delete maps history, start from the homescreen and scroll to the right.

Then choose Settings – Applications. Then select Maps.

From here you can delete various parts of the maps history.

Go to your Pictures tile. Select the Picture you want as the background. Press and Hold on the picture. Then select Change background. You can then adjust the picture by zooming or panning. You can also allow the phone to randomly choose a picture by pressing, holding and selecting ‘Change it for me’

A handy feature is to automatically backup your photos to Skydrive. To enable this feature, go to Settings – Pictures & camera. Change Auto Upload to On

Simply find the application in your apps list. Press and Hold on the application and select Uninstall

To PIN applications to your start menu then scroll across to your Applications list.

Then Press and Hold on an application. Then select Pin to start.

You can then go to your Start screen and Press and Hold to move the App around.