Windows 10 Mobile Insider Preview Build 10149 Out Now In The Fast Ring

Microsoft launched build 10149 of Windows 10 Mobile into the Fast Ring. The new build is available as a direct update for phones running version 10136, which will be able to update directly to the new OS. Older versions will have to be flashed back to 8.1 before getting the update.

The company pointed out that there is an issue with the upgrade where the migration status screen is missing. During the migration, the screen will appear as though it's locked, without the date and time displaying. Do not restart the phone during this state, as it may cause issues with the install. It can take up to 10 minutes to complete the process.

The latest build finally changes the name of the browser from Project Spartan to Microsoft Edge, the official new branding. Microsoft has also brought back the ability to view websites in desktop mode. The browser has a new App ID along with the name, and Microsoft said this will prevent your favorites, cookies, history and reading lists from being ported over from previous Insider builds.

Microsoft said that build 10149 comes with a number of UX improvements, such as fixing an issue that caused start screen tiles to appear blurry, and refining controls such as volume with updated visuals and icons. The company also said that overall responsiveness has been improved within the OS.

Microsoft added that the ability to quickly turn the phone into a flashlight is one of the most requested features, and to that end the Actions Center has now been updated with a flashlight quick action. To find the flashlight, open Action Center and click Quick Actions. You can also customize which actions are shown at the top of Action Center, so you can access the Quick Actions you use most often without opening the menu.

The ability to create animated GIFs is another feature that Microsoft said was highly requested. The new Photos app that can be downloaded from the Windows Store Beta now has that ability, as long as your phone has 1 GB of RAM or more. The company said this version also comes with some general performance and reliability updates, so it may be worth getting on any phone, even if it's shy of the minimum requirement.

The camera roll has also been updated. Automatic image upload is now handled by the OneDrive app rather than independently. To turn auto-upload on or off, you'll have to open the OneDrive app.

Microsoft also recommended manually updating first party apps such as Outlook Mail, Calendar, MSN apps and others. These apps often receive updates independently from OS releases, and the newest versions are recommended for the latest Windows Insider Build.

Build 10149 fixes a handful of issues, some of which have been around through a few builds. An issue with Call and SMS filtering that was first reported in Build 10051 is now remedied. Text notifications that weren't appearing on incoming messages will now show up. The Podcast app is also working with the latest update. There used to be an issue where the navigation bar couldn't be hidden, which Microsoft said is now working, and installing or updating apps through the Store Beta should be corrected.

Of course, this is still a preview build, so there are bound to be issues. This is the list that Microsoft is aware of. 

Some people may encounter an 80091007 error trying to upgrade to this build from Build 10136. If you hit this error, sit tight – we're working on a fix. Or if you want the new build right away, you can use the Windows Phone Recovery Tool to go back to Windows Phone 8.1 and then upgrade to Build 10149.The Insider Hub is removed in this build. Don't worry, it will be back in future Insider Preview builds.Sometimes the PIN keypad won't be shown after swiping up to unlock. The workaround is to swipe down to get to Action Center and try to open a notification or Settings to invoke the PIN keypad to unlock your phone.There is a very rare situation where you are unable to unlock your phone after entering your PIN and it keeps letting you type even though you entered your pin correctly. If you hit this – leave the phone alone 1-2 hours before trying to unlock again. This is caused by a TPM issue that could get worse and require you to reflash if you get into this state and power off the phone.If a Gmail account is set up on the phone, the Messaging app may have issues and both incoming and outgoing messages may not work. If this issue is hit, simply reboot your phone to get it working again. We are aware that the Messaging app may behave badly in this state.There is a known issue where apps or games are installed as trial versions even though you have previously purchased them. In-app purchases on Windows 10 Mobile are not functional yet as we migrate the function to the new Windows Store.In certain cases, the colors in some apps may appear off. For example – the titlebar in the Outlook Mail app is orange.There might be some cases where notifications in Action Center appear blank.

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