tips, tricks and secrets of Windows Phone 8

Think you know everything your Lumia has to offer? Well, you may be right. But, if not, here’s a collection of features you should be aware of. Like a show-and-tell, these are our favourites. Now tell us yours.

1. Translate text using the camera

Not only is your Lumia’s camera a powerful photographic weapon, it can also be used in other ways, such as translating text into 39 languages. Press the Search (magnifying glass) button and then click the eye icon. Point your Lumia at your subject and click ‘scan text’. If you’re capturing in your native tongue, you’ll be presented with a list of languages to translate to. If you scan text in another language, it will automatically translate to your native tongue. Neat, huh? Results aren’t 100% accurate, but it will always give you a good idea of what’s being said. Handy for restaurant menus. And helping your kids with their homework…

2. Type quicker with shortcuts

This tip is unlikely to free up hours of your time, but it will make your keyboard finger-pecking faster while composing an email, SMS, OneNote entry or suchlike. Rather than pressing the numeric or punctuation buttons to enter their respective modes, then choosing your desired digit or mark, then tapping the button you first pressed to get you back into the standard keyboard, just press and hold the numeric/punctuation button and slide your finger over to the number or mark you want to use. Release your finger and the keyboard will snap back into default keyboard mode. Ninja skill unlocked.

3. Identify music, magically.

Simple to do, yet hugely powerful, this neat feature will tell you the name of the artist and track currently playing in your environment. Just click the Search button, then the music note icon, and point your Lumia at the tune. Unless you’re listening to an obscure trip-funk record that sold seven copies to a clowder of cats in 1989, you’ll be presented with the artist, the track and a link to buy the music from the Windows Phone Store. Great for finding out music from TV/radio adverts and public spaces.

4. Customise your web browser address bar

Getting to your favourite websites quickly is essential on any device, let alone a smartphone. So try this nifty trick to create a shortcut button right from the Internet Explorer web browser bar. Go to Settings > Applications > Internet Explorer and select ‘favourites’ from the ‘Use address bar button for’ drop-down list. You can also choose ‘tabs’, which will bring up the tab view of your saved sites, or keep it as the default stop/refresh button.

5. Respond to a phone call with an SMS

Just about to close that business deal? Kids pouring spaghetti hoops into the DVD player? Having your ear bent by great-auntie Jean? There are many occasions in life when taking a mobile phone call just isn’t convenient. So use a built-in feature to send your caller a text message rather than picking up. Just ‘slide up’ on any call that comes hit and press the ‘text reply’ button. Then choose a default message or create your own. To edit your responses, got to Settings > Applications > Phone and click the ‘edit replies’ button to create up to four bespoke answers.

 6. Let people know you’re running late

There could be myriad reasons for your belated arrival to a meeting: my homework ate my dog, for example, but pre-warning attendees about your tardiness is trickier. Unless, however, you use your Lumia’s built-in Calendar feature that will email your plight to all meeting participants. Just dive into the Details section of any event and click the icon that looks like a human escaping the advances of a horizontal bar graph. The default response is “I’ll be a bit late, but I’m on my way. See you soon” but you can edit this before sending. To something more creative, we hope.