The ability to take screenshots is naturally an important one – it allows users to record important screens, pages, and the general state of their device. For example, consider a user who is paying a particular bill from his device – instead of going through the hassle of printing out the confirmation page, he can simply take a screenshot. Windows Phone 8 smartphones allowed the user to take screenshots through pressing the Start and Power buttons simultaneously. A flash on the screen, along with an audible camera-shutter sound and a ‘Saving to Screenshots’ notification banner confirmed that the screenshot had been taken.
However, on the WIndows Phone 8.1, on using this combination, a message is displayed that informs you that the screenshot button combo has been changed. The same message also informs you about the new key combination, which has now been changed to Power + Volume Up. The reason behind changing this key combination might turn out to be the need of having a uniform key combination to take screenshots on all Windows Phone 8.1 devices. There are expectations of new Nokia Phone models coming out with no capacitive buttons, and the start button being a capacitive button, changing this key combination for those devices was required. Moreover, Windows wants its new mobile OS to be able to do something none of its older Mobile OS has yet been able to achieve – to entice other manufacturers to use them on their devices. In case other top manufacturers do end up picking this OS, the need for uniformity amongst devices would again require Windows to use key combinations which would be possible on any device, and as the home button’s availability on all devices isn’t certified, the change was required. To be honest, on Windows Tablet devices running this new installment of Windows for Mobile, the combination is Winkey + Volume Down, but this variation might be checked on upcoming models.
Coming back to the new key combination for taking screenshots, on pressing the Power and Volume Up keys together, the result is pretty much similar to what used to happen on Windows Phone 8, and a flash, sound and notification are witnessed.
The resulting screenshot could be found in the Photos Apps, by navigating to Albums, and choosing the Screenshots Album. This change might not be a huge one by itself, but is significant in the way that Microsoft has been aiming to change and improve the complete experience of the users on the Windows Phone devices by making a number of changes, both small and large. It is to be seen how customers react to the enhanced customization, increased efficiency, and ease-of-use these changes in total are expected to provide on the new Windows Phone 8.1 OS.
