Microsoft rolls out clip to showcase WP folders

Nov 3, 2014 13:47 GMT  ·  By

Windows Phone 8.1 Update brought quite a lot of improvements to users across the world, including options to group apps on the Start screen in folders that would allow better management and easy access to all your favorite programs.

Basically, Windows Phone 8.1 folders enable you to keep things organized on the Start screen, providing you with easy-to-use options to name, move, or resize a folder, but also to control the live tiles included in each of them and add or remove new ones as you wish.

At first glance, this whole process might seem to be a bit too complicated for those who don’t want to waste too much time setting up their Windows Phone device, but today Microsoft has rolled out a new video to make things faster and easier in this regard.

Needless to say, this video doesn’t bring anything new for experienced users who are already making the most of their Windows Phone handset, but it could be really helpful for beginners looking into ways to organize their Start screens and make everything look better.

Only available in Windows Phone 8.1 Update

Folders are actually a feature that was implemented in Windows Phone 8.1 Update, so unless your phone runs this particular OS version, you won’t be able to use them.

To create a folder, simply tap and hold a tile, until the unpin and resize icons show up. At that moment, just drag any tile on top of another and wait for the folder to be automatically created. You can quickly provide a name for your folder by simply tapping the “Name folder” text, while dragging a tile outside it pushes it back to the Start screen.

A feature that could soon arrive on desktops too

The possibility of creating folders on the Start screen could soon arrive on desktop computers too, as Microsoft is working to enhance the functionality of the Modern interface in Windows 10.

Until now, the company has been exclusively focused on desktop improvements, but people close to the matter said that a revamped Metro UI could also be provided to users in early 2015 for testing purposes.

Options to create folders on the Start screen and better organize live tiles could thus come in very handy on tablets, as Microsoft is already using Windows Phone as source of inspiration for several other improvements prepared for PCs, including features such as Cortana, Battery, Wi-Fi and data sense.