The handset will automatically detect when the cover is closed or opened

Jul 28, 2014 10:49 GMT  ·  By

One of the features that Windows Phone 8.1 GDR1, the next major update for Microsoft’s mobile operating system, is expected to bring along is support for Phone Cover Apps, and some more info on the matter is now available.

What the new feature will bring along includes the possibility to release devices that are accompanied by smart covers, just as vendors such as HTC, LG, Samsung, and others have released until now.

Windows Phone 8.1 GDR1 has been built in such a manner that it will be able to detect a cover when it has been attached to the smartphone, as WMPoweruser has found out.

Moreover, it will know when the cover is closed, thus launching the Phone Cover App that the phone maker has pre-loaded on the device, providing users with additional features and capabilities.

“OEMs can build and register a phone cover app, which allows partners to create a user experience with their Windows Phones phone cover accessories. This application must be preloaded on the phone as a Settings/CPL application,” Microsoft explains in documentation destined for manufacturers.

Moreover, OEMs will be able not only to set the app to be launched when the phone cover is closed, but also to come up with default settings for the lock screen’s auto unlock.

As soon as the cover is open, Windows Phone 8.1 GDR1 will automatically detect that, and will either immediately unlock the handset, or will prompt users to enter their passcode if one is enabled.

When detecting that the cover is closed, the OS locks the phone and “uses the AUMID setting to launch the phone cover app. The phone cover app is launched in the foreground, above the lock screen, and the app is rendered at the top of the z-order,” Microsoft explains.

At the same time, when the OS is notified that the cover has been opened, it will terminate the phone cover app and will show the default lock experience.

“If the user opens the cover and the AutoUnlock setting is set to 1, the OS automatically lifts the lock screen and tries to unlock the device. If the device does not have a password lock, the OS unlocks the device. Otherwise, the OS prompts the user for their password,” said documentation reveals.

Unfortunately, details on what functionality Windows Phone 8.1 GDR1 will allow mobile phone makers to add to their Phone Cover apps haven’t been revealed as of now.

Most probably, each manufacturer will be free to add there the features it wants, just as it is happening on Android at the moment.

And with HTC supposedly planning the release of a Windows Phone-based HTC One M8 for this year, we might learn that the company will bring the same Dot View Case capabilities present on the original device to Microsoft’s platform too.