Microsoft’s new Windows Phone 8 operating system is now out, with the first range of phones to include the Nokia Lumia 920, Windows Phone 8X by HTC and the Samsung Ativ S, which are all due to hit stores very shortly.
The new mobile operating system builds on Windows Phone 7.5, including heaps of new features, tweaks and general improvements. One feature we’ve been crying out for since Windows Phone 7 was introduced is the simple Bluetooth file transfer, and finally Microsoft has obliged by including it in Windows Phone 8.
So how exactly do you send files to and from a Windows Phone 8 device using Bluetooth? Will it work with Android devices? We’ve given it a thorough testing and found that file transfers to and from a Windows Phone 8 device work fine with the Android devices that we’ve tested – we used the HTC 8X and 8S and Samsung Ativ S with the Samsung Galaxy Note 2, HTC One X and Sony Xperia T with no problems, as well as a BlackBerry Bold 9790.
How to receive a file via Bluetooth using a Windows Phone 8 device
- Swipe from right to left on the home screen and scroll down to find Settings – touch it.
- Touch Bluetooth then slide the switch to the right from Off to On. You’ll also need to make sure Bluetooth is turned on with the device you’re sending a file from.
- Using another device, search for the Windows Phone 8 device and then tap on it.
- A ‘Pairing accessory’ message will appear on the Windows Phone, touch ‘ok’. Repeat this process using the second device. ‘Connected’ should come up under the name of the device you’re going to be receiving from.
- Now you’ll need to send the file from the other device. This varies from product to product, but generally with Android you’ll generally find a sharing option on the display when looking at a file.
- When the file transfer has been requested you’ll get a message asking to ‘Receive content?’ Tap ‘accept’ and the file transfer progress should zoom along at the top of the screen. Done!
How to send a file via Bluetooth from a Windows Phone 8 device
- Swipe from right to left on the home screen and scroll down to find Settings – touch it.
- Touch Bluetooth then slide the switch to the right from Off to On. You’ll also need to make sure Bluetooth is turned on with the device you’re sending a file to.
- Touch the name of the device you wish to send a file to, then confirm pairing on the receiving device.
- Locate the file that you wish to share and touch the menu button (three white dots, bottom right corner).
- Touch ‘share’ and then select ‘Bluetooth’.
- Select the device you wish to share the file with.
- Accept the incoming file transfer request on the receiving device. Done!
From our testing we were able to send and receive image, video, music and document files successfully. We’re glad to see that not only has Microsoft added Bluetooth file transfer in Windows Phone 8, but it’s done it well and it actually works across the board.
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