Download the Preview for Developers and get GDR3 right now

Earlier this morning Microsoft outlined their new Windows Phone Preview for Developers. Remember the Enthusiast Program announced with Windows Phone 8 in the summer of 2012? This is basically it. If you’re a registered developer for the Windows Phone Store or a member of the Windows Phone App Studio Program you can download GDR3 starting today. That update is now live. Link below.

We’re in the process of downloading right now, so we can’t completely comment on the progress overall process. But so far after downloading the Preview for Developers app from Microsoft we’ve had no hiccups. Head to the Store and download the app, but first note these requirements from the app:

You must meet one of the following three requirements: (a) have an active Windows Phone Dev Center account; (b) have an active App Studio account; OR (c) be running a registered developer device (‘dev unlocked’ phone)
Updates will only include the Microsoft update, and not additional OEM drivers/firmware
To ensure the best experience, your device must be running the latest OS release (currently 8.0.10322.71) or greater to receive early updates via this program
You will be required to accept additional terms & conditions within the app prior to opt-in
You CANNOT REVERT to a prior OS version once you have taken an update via this program

Key features:

Access to latest pre-release Windows Phone updates
Ability to opt-out of pre-releases and only receive production Windows Phone updates

Ready to take the plunge? Head to the Windows Phone Store to download Preview for Developers from Microsoft. After downloading, head into the settings of your phone and go the phone update section and do a check. You should begin downloading GDR3, but not any other OEM features like those that will be found in Bittersweet shimmer. Don't forget to check to what's new in GDR3 and head to the GDR3 Forums to talk it out.

Enjoy!

Thanks for the tip JD!

610 Comments

Can't wait to play with all the new features! We can finally attach documents in email! HUZZAAAH!!
I am stuck in 100% preparing to install!!! ARGH!! GET ME GDR3 NOW!!!\
EDIT: INSTALLING RIGHT NOW!!!
Patience my padawan
(Yoda voice) GDR3 must you get if patience you have
Sam , I am glad to confirm that it is possible to install the preview on multiple phones with an app studio ID.
Great so I can't install this because I don't have GDR2 yet!!! I HAVE NO PATIENCE. I'M PISSED OFF NOW.
U mad bro
96%
The progress bar on the "gears of death" is back.. That is a nice thing!
i have been stuck at the gears before for a day, so now i am on the roatting gears and i am nervous!!!
I have the same prob. Will have to hard reset it messes up again.
I passed through it, now migrating teh data.
You are close to the promised land!!!
I am here at the promised land and is amazing.
A day? This was just released not even a full day yet.
He was referring to a previous update. Context is fundamental.
Passed it, now i'm in migrating data. oh glob
Very nice
Me too after falling back to 96 from 99.

I thinks it's waiting to get to 101%
Love your live updates of the installation process :P
In Slovakia and Czech Republic, amber update is still not available. WTF ? low end phones have amber for one month now. Nokia lied, that amber will be available for all phones at end of september. Now it's 14th October, still nothing...
I had expected that. Indonesia too, some users diidn't receive that when after Sep 21, 2013. I updated my Lumia 520 using Nokia Software Update Retail on Sep 9, 2013, the result was great. I updated again to GDR3 using Preview for Developer two days ago, it worked great too. Official update is too long and they can't give it on time for all countries at once.
has it cum to india
downloading
There actually was a cumbersome way to attach documents by going through the skydrive app. I don't think many people discovered this. Only downside is you can only attach one document to an email.
Yeah.. It is the sharing feature of Skydrive.. But convinience is the rule nowadays and FINALLY we will have the ability of doing this without any problems
can anyone confirm if you can attach documents (multiple or not) to an existing email thread (when replying to an email)??

thanks
Absolutely not. Sorry.
Can only attach one Office doc per email as well.
i hope you just forgot to add the sarcasm emoticon..? if not - how can ms F this up again?!
Lol, I am sorry. But that is the extent of it.
I'll do one better, I don't see ANY way to attach a word doc to an email after loading GDR3. Am I missing something? Pressing the paperclip does what it always did - shows items in your photo folders. That's it
Correct. The only thing "new" about attaching documents to emails is that you can do it through the office hub by long press, share. This is like it was before but not limited to Skydrive anymore. Either way this is a pointless update. We NEED to be able to attach documents FROM THE EMAIL hub, both when drafting a new email AND when replying to an email. I do not understand at all how MS does not see this... AFTER 3 years they are still blind to this.
Thanks for clarifying. Yea, like I said, I didn't see any change. I was assuming it was going to be FROm the email app. if not, I agree its almost useless.

This sort of stuff is indeed frustrating. Seemingly obvious things are just not being added fast enough. This is a multi billion dollar company, and this platform is going to be a key to their survival. Yet, you can't help feeling like there's a small staff of like 10 developers working on the entire platform, sitting in a lonely corner of the first floor next to the mailroom in a crappy outskirts office building of Microsoft's.
Exactly. No vision for real world use. I still don't understand how a business as large as MS where indoubtedly many employees use WP can forgo being able to email office/pdf attachments from the email app or when replying to an email. Really boggles my mind.
haha, it really does. I mean OFFICE is a large part of their revenue. WP is a key platform. What are they waiting for.

I go back to that image of 10 mediocare developers in a dark corner working on WP. There just CANNOT be the resources allocated to this project that we all assume.

When I worked for AT&T as a young lad I worked on their billing system for a few years. There were hundreds of developers on that project. We were churning out updates and changes monthly. Building new features, new billing options for the customer. it was in constant flux. So what is Microsoft doing with these cash reserves sitting off shore? We get "tweaks" once a year.
Are there OS level restrictions that would prevent an outside developer from essentially recreating the standard Mail app yet with the ability to add Office and PDF documents? Developers created a universal search app for the phone... I'm hoping they could make this happen also?
I don't know Malcolm. I develop Azure, SQL, and NT apps with Visual studio. No WP apps at this time. Good question but I'm guessing no or someone would have done it by now.
Yes, there are many restrictions on the API usage. They dont want developers to have more access into certain level of built-in apps like the email because they afraid windows phone will contain malware like android.
Seriously, a phone whose key features include Office integration ...
Yet, it cannot attach office documents from the e-mail app itself. It would be a joke if it weren't true.
You had to save the document to your phone first then send via email through the office app. Otherwise it was just a link.
Wheee!!!
Please have someone post a video tour. I'm someone who is not jumping into the program.
There really is no reason not to do it. Signing up takes seconds and if free. They want enthusiasts to get the updates early so let's do it!
Well, there's one reason not to do it. Warranty issues.
There is that . . . . but . . . . . I am willing to take the risk because once the update comes out it should have go back under warranty at that time.
And if I brick my 8X then I can justify buying a 928.
You know you could already attach documents by going into the office hub first, selecting your document and sending them this way ;)
Multiple documents? :)
Pssht, details, schmetails.
Sam - can you confirm attaching multiple documents when replying to an email?
You can't attach one let alone attach multiple from email app.
Just upgraded to GDR3 to realize that my main reason for doing so was under a false assumption. A false assumption that MS has any sort of idea what business users (who use email) might want in a phone...

Absolutely sad that MS can't get this figured out.
That is just sad. Very very sad.
WP team what are doing? Are you just sitting and hatching eggs? How could you even miss out on this key feature? I want to send files lying on my SD card through my Email countless number of times.
WP Team. Wake up. This is 2013 for gods sake!
Nope. That was only to new emails. No way to replay to an email and attach a document. Maddening.

In fact, everything about the email client on Windows Phone is maddening.

Actually, Windows Phone is maddening.
We couldn't do that before?...I thought I'd done that once before...oh well, glad we have it now!
Free download cuz of app studio, YAY!
Installing now.
Exciting times for WP8 ... Gears are going ...
I like how microsoft is pretending to play nice with the carriers. While true, most consumers won't know about this or do this, I think they are slowly phasing their rules in place.
"We can finally attach documents in email! HUZZAAAH!!"

Still not seeing that, unless I'm missing something. And yeah, I'm sure that similarly to how they responded to you, people are going to say "we've always been able to do that in the Office hub" but that doesn't help for PDFs (depending on the source- PDFs from another email or from the internet doesn't show in the Office hub, and connecting to a PC to download the PDF to my phone to email it just is not a solution).
Anyone see the System Phone Storage message from Microsoft :D That's the answer to everyone's other storage "issue".
LOL, i TRUST EM
Sam, I've sent you a message, can you please check your inbox.
You can actually do it, go to office look the document you want to send and click share by email...
It's still not possible to attach docs to your email (unless i'm missing something)

when i tap the attach button, it only shows me my photos.
Same here, but I'm assuming this isn't the finished product.
Is there a way to forward emails?
If anyone is scared of the gears, don't worry it took 10 mins to get past the little progress bar - migrating data atm. Oh what would I do without you WPC! Thanks, you guys are the best! :D
apparently you cant, reading you have to go to the hub to do it? ithought you could attach from email, i guess ill wait and see once my update is done.
I've updated to GDR3, why can't I add documents as attachments?
please, i just need clarification: This WILL void my warranty, but only until the official OTA upgrade comes out... is this correct?
I tried "attach" from the native email app but it still only brings me to pictures. So by "attach documents" I assume the process is to still open Office / Skydrive and "share" a document correct?
So it is attached to the mail account you choose as a document rather than sharing a link.
@Sam Sabri: Ive been looking for an answer all day... please, I just need clarification: This WILL void my warranty, but only until the official OTA upgrade comes out, so once the official OTA and bittersweet shimmer come out, Ill be able to upgrade to them and the warranty will be back in order... is this correct?
If you are worried about it then the update is not for you. GDR3+Bittersweet Shimmer will be available within the next month or so... and coming to ATT a month or so after that.
Hey Sam,

With GDR3 update we can attach doc and ppt files through emais which are stored in phone memory?
I am still having GDR2 update and facing huge problems not able to send or reply to emails with out word docs and ppts which are stored in phone memory n sky drive

Thanks.
yippeee!
I've had GDR3 for weeks on my iPhone.
Wut?
Don't listen to him. Android is better :P
Ugh no WiFi
Me too!!!!! I'm tiiiight! There's no way yo do it without WiFi?? Lol I don't want to wait till later when I get home!!
i downloaded it without wifi *shrug*
What?? How?
I dunno. I hit download and it tell me I going to download over Digicel (my carrier) cellular network and I hit ok and it start lol
I think you can change that out in settings -> phone update. Make sure the second box (something about downloading if data settings allow) is checked.
I tried but still doesn't let me download over cellular :'(
Someone knows if intalling from SD Card is an option?
nope. sd card support on windows phone is limited to media only (music, photos, videos, podcasts). even ringtones and documents are system bound.
Omfg omfg!!! Yay :D
first time see this. what's "f" for?
Farting
Ya know, I was going to tell this nice user the true meaning, but I like what you've done.
on the rotating gears right now..
That's what I'm afraid of, of that happening for 8 hours and still spinning. And that program that Nokia has to fix it is only for windows, and I have a mac, so...
Bootcamp? :)
I got a surface pro 2, so I'm not gonna boot camp my mac.
If you have surface pro 2 then why even mention what you said before? Sure that program is windows only, and you have a mac...but you have windows too. So really no point in saying anything about the mac. "-Ok class, for this test you'll need a number 2 pencil.
-Teacher, I have a pen.
-Well you'll need to get a pencil
-Oh, I have one of those too.
-...Well then shut up and take your test. Stop wasting my time."
Like I said, pro 2, meaning I preordered it and I don't currently have it, as it isn't out yet. -_-
Quite honestly I don't know or care when surface 2 is coming out. When you say you "got one" it implies you, well, got one, rather than not getting one. But if that's the case then refusing the boot camp, a pretty simple and reversable process, is just silly and maybe you should just wait for the public release
I meant the process that Nokia made to fix the gears issue is too hard for an average consumer, as some who only have a mac can't do that process unless they purchase windows.
Link to said process?
Look it up in WPCentral search.
Don't worry, my 920 took 7hrs to do Amber, but this GDR3 took just 20 minutes :o
My 620 only took maybe 30 minutes for Amber. Now i'm stuck on 100% for about 10 min's
my lumia 520 & 620 succes update, wait until 1 hour
Yeah, mine upadted too, all together it again took about 30 minutes :) I like the app closing thing. Also, would be nice to have a tile for the screen rotation lock
I wish it included Xbox Video in this update. Oh well.
I just submitted an idea to make rotation lock easily accessible at any time, just like silent/ring button:
http://windowsphone.uservoice.com/forums/101801-feature-suggestions/suggestions/4630285-make-rotation-lock-available-from-the-pop-down-vol
Im now on the gears of death with my 520 O_O
If you have windows 7 or 8, you can install that Nokia program to fix it.
Nah, its done! YAYAYAY!
Enjoy. :)
DEVELOPERS DEVELOPERS DEVELOPERS DEVELOPERS DEVELOPERS DEVELOPERS!!!
Lol!
+920
hehe
What are you trying to say?
Uhmm.. DEVELOPERS?!?
Installing for me right now. :)
If I had another phone I would definitely do it.
I think there is a really low risk of damaging your phone with this since its direct from MS.
and Microsoft always produce bugs in their softwares.
You've got plenty of bugs already anyways. No risk at all.
Mine took literally less than 10 minutes after it started to install (the rotating gears). And now I have the all of the new features except the ability to change the glance colors and see notifications from glance. But that will come all in due time from Nokia!
migrating data
me2!!!
Don't know why but I'm juiced about this!! Installing now!!
Microsoft did this JUST in time, after the whole AT&T GDR2/Amber update fiasco. Prior to today, I have been looking at Nexus 4 devices to see how cheap they are because having access to vanilla updates is important (to me), and was one of the main reasons I was lured into Windows Phone from Android back in WP7 days with my Arrive. After hearing about the enthusiast program, they lured me in again, but after AT&T screwing things and Microsoft seemingly going back on what they announced, I was ready to jump ship. In the recent 2 months, Microsoft has been demonstrating (to me) that they are taking this platform as more than a "pet project", and are listening to people. IDC about app count or all the bells and whistles of other operating systems, but just seeing that they are paying attention is enough for me to wait for them to deliver the particular things I'm waiting for (which is really onl NFC payments and Cortana).
It took them 3 years to come out with the ability to attach files in email. not just this feature.
No it took them 3 yrs to make anyone able to do it could always do it thru the hub, or skydrive
that's not convenient when replying in an email chain buddy
Well I still can't attach an email to an email
Me either. Been trying to figure out how
same here. this and rotation lock were the stuff I most cared about and both have been disappointing (rotation lock hidden in the settings, wtf??)
Wouldn't forward work in this situation?
Well if they are referring to just attaching to email that has been there thru office
I think they need to fire someone in the Windows Phone Department. Joe Belfiore never listened to us.
This reminds me so much of old webOS' Preware times ... I'm gonna be a coward and will wait for you guys to try this :P
The spinning gears of doom now has a progress bar! (Windows phone team hates percentages don't they) mines been stuck around 10% for the last 30 mins so I guess this is gonna take a while! (GDR2 took 2.5 hrs to install for me)
well they show percentages on the other steps (ie. migrating data)
Bummer, the install on my L1020 took less than 5 minutes, now migrating data. Download took ages, though...
Wow GDR2 took 2.5 hours to install for you? What phone do you have? How much space have you used on your phone? It only took maybe 30 mins max for me.
I know! I was really happy when I saw that. On previous OTA updates, you never really knew if you just bricked your phone, or it just took forever to install. I think they also fine tuned the progress bar on data migration also. It seemed to update more then before.
Sometimes, it's the little things that matter most!
finally the rotating gears offer feedback on the progress of the installation!! there's a progress bar at the bottom now :')
this is really helpful =)
I actually found it to be more stressful after it didn't move for a while!
thats only for the first couple of minutes, after it went by really fast for me!
I'm going to try this tomorrow once there is enough feedback on what folks have signed up for.
Installing GDR3 right now, whoa man am I stoked!!.....I'm such a nerd -_-
:)Installing now.
Downloading update right now!!!
Anyone here able to tell if the WXGA devices now offer three medium tile columns?
It does not seem like it does. Source: It just finished installing on my 920
I have not been able to locate a setting to enable this either. Looks like it's only 1080p devices.
Not found a way to do it. I was really hoping this was possible.
is it safe to update from this app ????
We'll find out soon enough. ;) I'm taking the plunge on my 928.
okay.. thank you
Just completed fine on my 928 - less than 20 minutes once the download had finished.
This app is from Microsoft... what do you mean?
i was a little confused!! wanted to confirm.. thanks by the way..
Everything from Microsoft is safe? Just saying.. :P
after installing developer preview
Will I be able to updatethis to full GDR3 Version when its released with bittersweet Shimmer?
yes
thnx manison88
get set go developers preview
I also thinking the same thing? Can we update it to full official GDR3 when they release it
why wouldnt we be able to this is a direct update from microsoft, this is not a hack or anything
yes you will be able to update to the full package when its released and this will set your phone back to retail. the only thing you cant do is remove the preview updates.
Doesn't reset your phone to factory
Exactly. Because IIRC, windows 8 developer previews and