14 DAY TRIAL // Windows Phone users who bought a device that's not capable of running Glance Screen have to live with almost no notification system beside the usual ring + vibrate combo when receiving a new message, phone call, or email. But in case they have missed calls or messages, unlocking their devices is the only option.
Obviously, there are ways to fix this with future OS updates and phone models and users who took to the Windows Phone UserVoice thread have found a pretty awesome way to deal with it: use the Windows key on each Windows Phone out there as a notification light.
Basically, what they ask Microsoft to do is to implement new options in Windows Phone 10 that would allow the Windows key to blink or light up whenever they have a missed call, SMS, WhatsApp message, or email. The more customization options, the better.
Here's the original message posted by on the feedback platform:
“Use the Windows capacitive touch buttons that all Windows Phones have as a 'Notification Light' that blinks when you have a new text message/email or a missed call. That way there's no need to have a separate notification light, which lots of people want.”
At this point, this particular suggestion has nearly 6,000 votes and it's a well-known fact that the more votes, the bigger the chances to see a request being implemented.
Hardware improvements also needed
Even though there's no doubt that such a thing is doable, there are obviously some facts that need to be considered before asking Microsoft to implement Windows key notification support.
First and foremost, additional hardware tweaks would most likely be needed, so such a feature would only be possible on new phone models. Old ones that do not have the physical keys won't support it.
At the same time, Microsoft needs to take care of battery life because such an option could dramatically affect performance if it's not configured properly. This is clearly a priority, especially since there are plenty of complaints out there coming from users disappointed with the battery life of their devices.
Overall, this would clearly be a pretty neat way to stay up-to-date with your phone's activity and would also come in handy on devices without Glance Screen. Lumia 930 is the perfect example in this case, as this particular model is considered to be a flagship, but lacks Glance Screen and has no modern notification system.
It remains to be seen, however, if Microsoft is indeed prepared to implement such an option in Windows Phone 10 and new phone models, but if it does, there's no doubt that this would make its platform a lot more appealing for new buyers.
