Has the new Windows Phone Live Lock Screen App lived up to the hype?

On Friday, Microsoft released their new Windows Phone Live Lock Screen app for Windows Phone 8.1. The app is still in the beta stages and offers a collection of lock screen styles that can be customized with your images, Bing's Image of the Day or you can opt for a solid color as the backdrop.

There was a slight build up to the release of this app and there's a discussion going on in the Windows Phone Central Forums asking if the app has lived up to the hype surrounding it's release.

WPCentral Forums member Crise feels the app so far is a disappointment citing the app is uninspiring designs and slowness. Keep in mind that this app is still a beta and Microsoft is still fine tuning things but based on the comments, several share Crise's point of view.

Many include suggestions on how to improve the Live Lock Screen app such as having a transparency setting so the clock is not so dominant and allowing customized colors for the fonts. Most also recognize that this is a beta which by nature means there is still work to be done.

Rudy Huyn, the talent behind Windows Phone apps such as 6Tin and 6Snap, is collaborating on this project and has already tweeted out that he's read all the feedback and is working on improving things.

Personally, I think the Live Lock Screen app is a nice touch to help further customize our Windows Phones. Sure, I wouldn't mind seeing an opacity setting to make the clock a little transparent but I think the app can survive without such a feature. The laggyness also needs to be fixed, as well as the uninstall glitch. All issues that are surely to be ironed out as the Beta version develops.

I also wouldn't mind seeing integration with Bing Weather where your current weather is delivered to the Live Lock Screen app (hint, hint). Maybe even see sports scores and top news bullets from other Bing apps.

But what say you? Did the hype surrounding the Live Lock Screen app raise expectations too high? Or is Rudy and the other developers on the right track with what's in place a nice starting point? Feel free to share your thoughts below in the comments or jump over to the forums (link below) to join that discussion.

Forums Link - The ridiculous hype for a terrible lock screen app

George is the Reviews Editor at Windows Central, concentrating on Windows 10 PC and Mobile apps. He's been a supporter of the platform since the days of Windows CE and uses his current Windows 10 Mobile phone daily to keep up with life and enjoy a game during down time.

556 Comments

Yes, just more optimization
There are many instances where I see the default lock screen image instead of live lock screen. Hope Rudy fixes the bugs with the next release.
Same here..
Microsoft shouldn't work with amateurs to showcase features of the platform. The app is surprisingly low quality and unpolished. This guy Huyn doesn't have money to hire a designer.
Rudy Huyn isn't the designer
Maybe, but i still agree with him. This app really is sub par. I KNOW IT IS A BETA -but- lags aside, the features of the app just isnt impressive at all
I agree with those who are disappointed. Feature scope of the app on the one side and amount of WP media coverage on the other side just don't match!
Puzzles me really. I don't think any comparable IOS or Android app will receive similar attention. For good reason I must say.
Lol, everything we get from MS lately is labeled BETA. Nice way to get away with bugs. Everything released to the general public by MS is beta at the moment. It is nice tho. You try to give feedback on forums or whatever, and you get troutslapped by users screaming at you that u should be thankfull you are even getting stuff and u should keep it shut cause it's beta. I go to a car dealer, want buy a new car. It explodes on the test drive with me in it. Well, it's no problem, cause it was a newer model on a test drive.
The only 2 I can remember and I have is Cortana and this. Both works awesomely for me. So far I haven't seen slowness in the lock screen.
Personally I feel it lacks many features like making collages, the lock screen that distorts the image with a pseudo analog clock is horrible. I wish if something is released beta at least let it be a bit more polished.
Yes, it needs more options and will be perfect.
Lol, the haters got some ammo now. Keep digging.
An amateur? Wow what a stupid statement. Even seen or used his other apps?
If you call Rudy Huyn an amateur, you have no idea who he is. I agree the app is still not as good as it could be, but calling him an amateur for the current state is not fair. He is one of the best developers the Windows Phone platform has. Doesn't mean everything he does needs to be, or is going to be perfect. Cut him some slack. I'm sure he will make it better, more responsive and stable.
If Rudy is "one of the best developers the Windows Phone platform has", then Microsoft are in worse trouble then we knew. This lock screen app is nothing special, beta or not. The hype surrounding it is just that, hype.
Oh really? Just because one of his apps, which is still in Beta is not meeting the expectations of most it means he is not a great developer?
Agree 101%
Just so you know you can't have or be 101% of anything. The app is not great but he has done some really great app in the past but this one makes him look like an amature.
I go to the fair
I see a ride i like
The cost of admission is $1.00
I reach into my pocket and pull out a dollar and,
wait for it
wait
for
it
a penny.
I have 101% of the cost of admission in my hand. I need 100g of sugar for my recipy, i accidently put in 101g of sugar.. i put in 101% of the ingredient asked for. I agree the guy is no amature, but lets not be silly.
I take it physics or math isn't your strong point then, lol You would have 100% of the entry cost plus 1 penny and You would have 100% of the sugar asked for plus 1 gram extra.
How dare you call Rudy an AMATEUR?!!! YOU OBVIOUSLY DON'T KNOW WHO HE IS! YEAH, IM YELLING!!!!!!!
Wow, take it personaly why don't you.
True I don't believe its his work knowing 6tag and 6vine 6tinder are one of his great works but this sucks a big time.. The fluency of the date & time and other text on the lock screen is way more fluent and which gives an illusion that its not in sync with the lock screen image being pulled up.. So its a big NO for now.. There is lot of room for improvements. Since its beta I'm ok with it but just not practical.
Actually it's Microsoft who's amateur, did you use ms's other core apps, like Xbox video and Xbox music, also try some Rudy's app you will be amazed by how great they are
Exactly
Same
Probably you have to check the settings of the Lockscreen app. It automatically changes the bg image every 4 hours...
They should integrate picture passwords with the app. When you flip up to unlock, the user get a picture to unlock their device instead of numeric. Just like in Windows 8
http://windowsphone.uservoice.com/forums/101801-feature-suggestions/sugg...
Same
I dont think it did. Its just a app with fancy animations. Wp needs this to be something extraordinary. I can just see my android friends go like 0_o
There is sooooooooo much potential for this lockscreen some of which was mentioned in the article, but integrate it with Cortana, make her the center of it, integrate the hubs, just do something amazing so that everytime my phone shows it's face on a countertop people should stop and stare at that marvelous lock screen and be like "i wish my phone could do that" .... Everything wp does should be 50 steps ahead of anything anyone else has
yeah I wish that too, im sorry to say but i've seen Android lockscreen effects that look better
Lockscreen apps on Android are laggy as well, i tried couple of them on my sister's Nexus 7
most of the time i get to the launcher without unlocking then after like 3-4 seconds the lock screen will appear from nowhere
I know, but lags aside, this thing seriously lacks features. As i said, WP is behind, so that puts them in a position where everything has to be ahead of its time, and this isnt. At all....
The samsug animated lockscreen with the 3D touch (microsoft can not support cause no one uses) in the galaxy not works very smootly you now, the one with the pen you wave over the screen and it appears a mark of sand! Why can they make something like that in the lockscreeen? heim???' Still animated lockscreens would be nice!
That's not a lag, you can set lock screen apps on android to only show after a certain amount of time, like you can on the default wp lockscreen Posted via Windows Phone Central App
No, what i meant
when i try to unlock the tablet, i get to the app drawer then i got an error stating i didn't unlock the app or something
then the lock screen app reappear and the tablet lock itself
Lol, keep trying. Android bad to Posted via Windows Phone Central App
Did you even read what I wrote?
True. I think the most extraordinary thing about this app is the Tokyo one
I want the stripes one.!!! :/
But why do you need other peoples blessing to like your phone?
Baffled!
Dont be a D man. Its not about my phone. Its about the platform. For droids and iphones to make the switch every WP must impress every other person out there. Why else will they bother to switch
The majority of the people buying smart phones want the same apps available if they switch platform, if you think their decision is based on the coolness of the lock screen your nuts. Until there is app parity WP will continue to struggle. Many of the people I know like WP and they all have said if their unique apps were available they would consider WP, none have said they would switch if there was a more awesome lock screen.
The funny thing, people need apps and developers won't give us apps until we have a lot of users.
it's like taking a new job, you need a experience to get a job and you only get experience from job.
Thumbs up for you sir!
Dude, atleast try to understand my comment before replying. Its not about the lockscreen or the 'coolness' theirof, its about the entire platform needing to do everything 50 times better than ios and android. And in this instance the article is about the lockscreen so yeah, i will say, my lockscreen needs to be the coolest lockscreen out there, and my phone needs to impress! That can be said for every single aspect of the platform, including the app gap.
Exactly!!!!!... We should expect way more.. I like this attitude❗❗❗❗❗❗❗
Well said!!!!... I agree❕❕❕❕❕❕❕❕
I think it has. It's functional on my 820, and adds personalization nicely. My only problem is that low res image snapped under the lock. I understand why it's there, but it should be 35% blurred to make the transition to our actual start screen feel more natural.
Do you want one more process (blurring the screen shot) to be added before you phone gets locked? There will be a delay and on WP every little lag matters, as we want it to be the smoothest and others(androidians) die to see it lagging.
I don't think it is all that special. It's a nice little app with very modest capabilities, but not deserving of any hype. If anything it was a let down.
Yeah the hype made no sense to begin with... I mean how often do we look at the lock screen anyway? :)
Exactly. It works fine for me. Shows the time and unlocks in a cool way, but at the end of the day, you bypass it so quickly it doesn't matter what's on it. It's like the 90s all over again, getting excited about aquarium screensavers.
The issue is , he's so good that we expected so much more from him :(
It's "beta", it will become very optimized and feature rich as he has time to work on it. (I have zero doubts about that) Give the man some time...
For me the problem is not the app itself, or the lack of animations/customization, the problem is that this is an APP, this should be built into the OS, not be an external app. This will never perform as half the original lock-screen did. No matter how much they optimize it. it would still be slower, non-stable at times, drain more battery, etc. This is the same fu*cking problem that people are having with the new Xbox Music app. It will never perform as fast it was when it was built into the OS. Microsoft when they launched Windows Phone 7, the idea was to make everything run natively in the OS in a hub model of handling stuff.
Currently they are scrapping all hubs and replacing them with apps. This is why performance-wise WP is going backwards. I understand that the old model meant that core apps like music won't be updated except with an OS update, but hey, they could have launched a great app from the beginning built into the OS, then updated it earlier with each release of the OS. Sorry, I forgot that I am talking about Microsoft, they could never get it right from the first time!!
I agree with most of this statement, it should be a snap-in for the OS. They can update display&touch, they can update access point, and network+ and all these other various parts of the OS, why not ad it in there as an additional feature. Personally I haven't experienced any lag issues with the app, on a Lumia 810 w/ Preview, I think its a nice touch, but making it part of the OS along with re integrating music and other apps would solve some of the issues, and weekly or biweekly OS updates to fix bugs doesn't seem like it would be to hard to accomplish with the amount of updates that have come out for Preview. Just my 2 cents
I hope GDR2 will include this live lock too :)
True bro
Agreed 100%. Hit the nail on the head.
I read an article about this; Microsoft used to have a unique OS, now they are using first (and third-party) APIs which are as badly integrated as on Android and iOS. The appification of an OS is always a bad experience for end users.
Its a step up from the current lock screen, but poor compared to apps you can currently get. (also pls do not encourage use of bing weather, it is very inaccurate in the UK. Accuweather much better)
What about GIF images on lock screen? Or lives images like storyteller?
Not so "talented" if the result after 3 (THREE) months is this...
I think Microsft put 0 attention on this app and so did the developer. Allowing us to change fonts and colors it is not so an incredible feature that requires fine tuning and deep engireering.
The hype created by Belfiore was high, so Ms cannot hide under a "oh, it's a beta, at your own risk..!". Just too easy (it adds OS instabilities too, this should not happen :/..).
Another marketing error, in my opionion, bad episode for Microsoft and for the developer.
+820
Samsung windows phones have had this all along and it works GREAT!
It's called Live Wallpaper. Posted via Windows Phone Central App
Agree,, yes it has.. Just waiting for more... My lock screen has never been cooler!!
Like i said before, fix the bugs (lag problems, stars notifications etc.) optimize it more, add more lock screen variants, add weather app to it and its perfect period.
Does it consume battery?
It doesn't consume much power
As far as I can tell my battery goes down faster... Not really sure though since I fiddled around more of course which consumes more battery but I feel it does...
Exactly, it just really needs to be more optimized cause right now, there's slight delays during unlocking and also lag. Some more variations would be nice although I think the weather addition should come first :)
My 1520 only drains about 1% per hour in standby with the lock screen app running, so the drain appears to be very minimal to me. Of course, YMMV.
It's not the app or its performance ..it just doesn't add anything new to my lock screen ...they can add a million backgrounds or ways the time is shown ..it still slides up and shows notification ..thats all
Agreed. It needs to DO something...
I totally agree; personally I would have preferred MS bringing, actually bringing back, the option to display more appointments on the lock screen.
You can check on battery saver and for me it doesn't
Actually I feel like battery is draining a bit slowly!!! i.e. Battery is working perfectly
*much more lock screen variants
Microsoft should have insert this feature into the OS like the standard lock screen
Didn't know there was hype. But I do like it. Be nice to have more than one appt show up on screen though. Maybe next 3 appt better
I am using Awesome Lock and very impressed, is there a feature parity? I am especially interested in Stocks and Sports info.
I thought the same thing.
Fix some lag problems and it's fine fine fine!
I think it's too soon to judge considering its only a beta. They can add features later on down the road to make it much better.
Say what? Microsoft showed it in april, considering it is STILL a beta? I don't think Microsoft deserves the 'software giant' name anymore.
Giants are big, not nimble.
Yes, just need few fixes
Uninstalled it but a good idea
+920
Nope
Heck no!
I can put faith into it that it will, eventually. But the answer to this question this moment is heck no.
Yeah more optimization and costumization pls
I noticed that when you swipe to turn your phone off while using Bing lock screen, it shows the default photo background instead of the Bing lock screen.
Also when you have BT connected... And other times as well. It's rather inconsistent.
I'm starting to think there's something behind Whynn.
Fix the lag and include more designs
Well, its got immense potential. Will depend on how much will MS let Rudy Hyun work his magic.
Yeah I tend to agree, how much a they holding him back if at all. I mean his other apps are the smoothest apps on WP so surely he can make it better
They must be holding him back for sure, because the other apps from him are very good.
Make it work then it will be. Uninstalled at this point.
Its a great start...and differently makes WP a great alternative to the other "boring" OS's
Nope, it has not any practical use or functionality as of now. No weather, music control etc. And its poorly optimized for small screens, the big fonts look ugly on my Lumia 520.
I agree. It doesn't add anything of value. It doesn't even look that good.
Its need some updates
I have the app on my L 520 it is slow but i don't think it consumes extra battary
nope it was definitely overhyped for no reason
I too believe it was overhyhped. I was hoping it'd be a new way to unlock phone other than numbers. But sadly it's just looks. It's not too bad in that department though. It's still laggy as hell and it needs more customization options.
Once again: get rid of that silly FERRIS WHEEL!!
No issue with the Ferris wheel. It's cool
Combine it with the background with a few coloured squares and you'll love it!
It's an analog clock. If you don't like it don't use it. I only use one out of the six.
I actually chose that one. I always use geometric backgrounds, so it looks pretty sweet on my phone! I hadn't realized how terrible I have gotten at reading analog clocks, though. Hopefully this will help me some.
Why get rid of an option? It's optional. If you don't like it, choose one of the other options.
No way, I love that one!!!! Put it with a cool picture for that effect, and it looks awesome! I love how the picture realigns itself when you swipe up! You just need have a more open, creative mind.
They probably release it too early, still needs a lot of improvements, well it's a BETA anyway.
On the one hand it's already a nice app and I think it should be integrated into the system where it can also be updated! On the other hand I was expecting a bit more after several months of development - there could be more unlock screen designs and methods! I'm not using a unlock code but also there should be some more code options - just like a picture code for example! I guess people where expecting something like that when there's an app from the OS developer ;)
The hype always exists with the expectation, while after release it will disappear. Nothing unusual.
No
I think most people understand that a beta product is expected to be buggy. What many are complaining about, and I can't disagree with them, is that it took Microsoft so long to release this beta, and it shouldn't be this buggy after all this time. And, of course, all that hype could never be a good thing, expectations become too high. Posted via Windows Phone Central App
It's cool
Awesome App. Just more optimization. It eats battery a bit.
Feels more like an alpha release than a beta. After all the hype, it's a shame that the functionality this app brings isn't baked into the OS.
Relying on apps for basic OS functions is never a good idea.
I agree 100%. These features should be baked in to the OS and not slapped on like a band aid.
Allow for access to the kids corner. More true interaction, additional notifications and weather, and better animations. It is on the right track, but right now does not live up to the hype,
+929
I have this nice app in my Icon
I was happy enough with the app and could put up with the few quirks, overall great EXCEPT for when my son wanted to play a game and I went to kids corner.... Totally doesn't work, even if you pin kids corner and do it that way - nup, gotta disable this app. For people who let their kids play with their phone this app needs that feature integrated. That said, love the direction the app is heading. Looking forward to third party developers being able to custom their lick screens more too.
No. A very disappointing starting point for the app....i thought it would be baked in I guess. Oh, Car/Driving Mode shuts it off. So as soon as I connect to my car its gone.
Develop develop develop and it will be better
Agreed, having to disable the app to use certain OS features like Car Mode / Kids Corner is certainly something that'll need to be addressed in the next update.
I know it's beta so bugs, slow response is not in my review criteria at all. too much hype around lockscreen...don't get me wrong, it's cool but i don't think people care that much about it...it's just another lock screen app afterall, don't know how it differentiates from other lock screen apps...i mean yes it look really cool but... again it's an lock screen app without any special features..
No
Adding more notification icon apps wouldn't hurt.
Having stars instead of Facebook and VK is ridiculous. Hope they fix it.
Nope, very disappointing. Just swipe up and down doesn't make any difference for me.
Its a good start...but still has places to improve on like more integration as suggested in the article !!
Haha nope! Not until they fix the bugs (lag, mostly). Something as important as turning on the screen cannot be a lagging event.
The concept is awesome but it kept freezing up my phone, so I had to delete it. Now my phone works fine again. I'll reinstall it once the bugs r worked out
Installed also deleted .
This should be baked into Windows phone. Right now, it lags on my 630 - had to remove it.
Great aap... But slow recovery of phone after unlocking
Why they make app for tat pls integrate with Os....
It's a good app, and I like it. However, it does need some optimazations and tweaks. I removed it due to the delay from clicking the unlock button to it actually showing up. It doesn't seem to like passwords either. Half the time the password keypad didn't even show up. I've also noticed that if you slide up without a password, the start screen for example, is very pixelated and is incorrect. (I have a clock widget on the start screen, and it shows the wrong time while sliding up, but is the right time when the phone unlocks.) But hey, it is still a Beta.
Overhyped. Its cool but it isn't something that is groundbreaking.
Really buggy and clunky. For example, gets messed up after clicking emergency call button then cancelling.
It is a new break in a section from where it can be developed by releasing the necessary APIs.
It's in beta and they did a good job on it. There is plenty of time to expand and improve, just look at the potential versus the beta or test version
I feel that its good enough for now. It's a beta after all? Suggestions are good but we should be a bit more patient & a little less critical. IMO.
I was just happy for it to work on my 625, that was a nice surprise. There is a little lag, no where near enough for it to be unusable. I like it a lot and the improvements will only make me love it more :)
Tough... Its nice. Aside from bugs it needs more features. Very lacking app. But... The idea is spot on. Its good to see more personalization. MS opening up some doors for Devs to make the OS more attractive to each of us needs to happen more frequently than less. This is only one app. We barely get anything like this.
Soo many lags..
No it did not.
I feel the lock screen has always been really customizable. I'm able to do a lot of what is being suggested with Weather Flow already. There only thing Live Lock Screen seems to do is add is a nice animation which is cool but not worth giving up kid's corner.
It's cool BUT it lags. Please fix all bugs. Thanks! I uninstall it for now.
I,liked the concept, but I noticed that keeping bing as backgroung wallpaper, its not that clear to what it set to be by default or like the custom wallpaper to selcect from. Dull in quality of photos, that's it. They should improve that.
Bunch of whiners. First they whine it wasn't available for 512 but it ended up being available.
Now when they get to use it they whine about how its not living up to the hype.
Bunch of morons need to get a clue about what beta means and stfu.
Not constructive feedback by 95% of posting concerning this app.
+620
We are not here to cuddle MS as if they were cute lil sheep. This is supposed to be one of biggest software companies on the planet. They freakin showed this app with much enthusiasm at freakin BUILD. Stop whining about the whiners. Whine is also very constructive.
+930
It sucks none tells you the weather! Its not top class its just not up to standards it made my lock screen awful to look at
I'm sure it will be much better once all the bugs are squashed. But I would be more interested in *interactive* lock screen...
No
My battery life has gone down a noticeable amount.
Not really, still feels like something not made by Microsoft..
Hope for some improvements to come.
It runs more like alpha code than beta. I can't believe how many bugs there are considering the time it's taken to release. On my 920 it is basically unusable. Also to my tastes the designs aren't even very good.
I only like one layout.
Can't trade my Kid's corner for a lock screen app, sorry.
Sadly not. I mean, I love the app (especially the clock theme). But it just take too long to come out, and it's not as good as was promised. But again, the app has a lot of potential.
After installing phone started to lock up and get really hot, battery went from 50% to 0% in about 15 mins. Done the kids corner thing but it was still hot just sitting on the table, installed a new keyboard to reset without doing the whole factory reset and phone is back to running cold and normal.
I agree with you. I like the app and where it is probably going, but my phone became very hot during the resuming lags. Installed for now.
No
Liked it, but needs more functions, optimization and bug fixes
Change the notification icon from the star icon to the real app icon
Nope didn't meet the hype for me. Took MS way to long to develop this. Interested to see what other devs can do with it.
Nope
Yes, but need some fixes ...
No...
Its ppl who make the hype. Not Microsoft.
I get stars for Facebook and 6tag logos
bug fixes, custom coloured fonts and weather updates, are realy necessary.
I am seeing low resolution bing wallpapers..
I want some innovation and change in password..Maybe Rudy could introduce pattern lock or passcode..
I personally like it. I would of like more customisable options.
-520
Nope. Frankly it shouldn't be a stand alone app, it should be baked into the OS so its faster and more reliable. It also needs a to let users have a little bit more customization preferences.
Agree but baked into OS means less frequent updates
I showed my android friends this app and they were impressed
It's alright, but, no, I don't think it's lived up to the hype. The themes are pretty boring, it's somewhat slow, it could use more information (like a 5 day weather forecast), and I think it may be draining my battery. However, I'm going to keep it as my lock screen for at least a little while longer.
Add music player controls to it will be handy..one touch play music....
Went back to using Awesome Lock. If this app had customizations like that (e.g. Scores, weather) it would totally beat out Awesome Lock in the coolness department. Also, I hate that the notification icons are all stars. When you have 3 different notifications it makes it hard to figure out which is which at a quick glance.
Disabled it an hour after installing it, too slow and looks crappy when you open it until the screenshot disappears
Would like some weather information like current temp and conditions
Nope..
Not working smoothly with 512 mb ram. Displays nothing extra than default lock screen.
I really thought that it would be an extension of the original lock screen i.e. Lockmix, and that any devs can jump in and make their own live lock screen.
Beta... It's beta get in your thick skull, app is great with new design of lockscreen, afcourse it has bugs but thats only because it's a beta... Help them to solve it by reporting bugs and thats all. And then wait for the update.. :)
To be honest with you i think calling it beta is too generous this app has so many bugs is more like an alpha
It's not even about the bugs...it's just a boring app for being "live" and it seems half baked.
Nope. Uninstalled it.
Terrible
It's lived up to being just that; a hype.
Make as like the preview app of live lock screen
I realize it's a beta, but it's a big letdown for me so far.
For God's sake it's a BETA app and for that its pretty great just needs improvements esp with regards to customization. Its working great on my 720 and that's a 512md phone. It looks great too and is open to limitless lockscreen layouts and options all adding to its use.
I like the standard lock screen. Is this written using HTML or XAML? It'd be cool if people could make their own themes using say HTML and CSS and package them. Associate the packages with the app to load them and bam.
I really like the beta so far. One thing that needs improving is an option to update the background image more frequently. Say every 10, 15, 20 or 30 minutes. One thing I like alot of the option to choose quick part of a background image to show (aka the crop option). This is a good start. I'd like know how this app affects battery life though.
Yes having new lock screen styles really created hype. As it is beta I don't want to discuss on its lagging or functionality. But I feel it would be more effective and cool if we can change font style and colors.Otherwise no issues up to now and great work.
People are too negative. I think its a fine piece of work, thats shows the possibilities of the app.
Cant wait for future updates. Well done Rudy!
Meh
It's cool and welcome indeed, but I'd be lying if I didn't say that I was disappointed that it's still just pushing up the picture like we've always had.
The name of the app is ' Live Lock Screen BETA '. But I yet not found anything live on my lock screen, though the 4th style gives a live look with clock hands. But the other are just stand by. I expect a little more from Microsoft.
I haven't been particularly impressed. Having come from"Awesome Lock," I was quickly underwhelmed by the lack of available information. Aesthetically, it's pretty and offers a very clean look. The lag will be dealt with as it transitions out of beta. I think some additional basic information should be added. (Weather, Calendar Events, etc)
Nice starting point but need a lot more to match the hype. Best see what they can polish before making judgment. Rudy Huyn, he's the man
I downloaded an app named animated lockscreen a preview and it showed what's in store...many new themes..i liked the one named zoom.. See it u all vl like it
Nope.... Still says resuming after uninstalling. Yes I turned back on Kids Corner. Plus I like having the weather on my lock screen better.
How about a lock screen app which you can customize in an editor view by dragging and dropping items, rotating and scaling them, choosing the font and the color, the transition animations... Like a PowerPoint for lock screens. 5 out of 6 of the choices present in the current app could have been made like that.
Needs a major bug fix for my Lumia 1320, which is PIN locked. I cannot see the field where the password is entered as I type it.
Noooo :(
Is it a trick question? Of course not! Nevertheless, if people like the feature I will make use of the API in my own apps.
Nooo
Change that star notification. I can't tell what its for. I'm sure this will change once its officially out. (I hope).
Ya i also hate this star notification... Messages from Facebook and WhatsApp shown as a star.Don't know why????
They're on the right track, just need more optimization.
I like it but hate turning off kids corner.
I feel the bold font for time looks a little awkward.....
Eating battery....
Not as per expectations...There must be more lock screen designs.Only design I like is TOKYO.Even in that there is difficulty in viewing time. No doubt Rudy huyn is a great developer. Rudy has the ability to make this app far good from now. Let trust our star developer and have faith in him to make this app to super app
No . It's really not up to mark . Not even clean n Preety. The one that was shown in preview few days back was awesome .
It adds a nice touch. Overall, I like the idea. It could use a bit of work. I am confident that Microsoft will work to make this a more functional app. I too would also like to see color customizations. I do notice one glitch, where, after sliding up to unlock, my start screen also needs to be slid upward, like a secondary lock screen. That's my only real complaint.
It seemed cool when it was demonstrated back at build. I downloaded and tried it, and it wasn't all that it was hyped up to be, atleast for me. I decided to uninstall it. I will wait until the beta is over to try the app again.
Anyone who is disappointed by glitches in what is admittedly a beta app needs to look up the definition of "beta". Microsoft just needs to quit allowing the general public to get their hands on prerelease versions of WP software since so many of them act like petulant little brats and scream "Microsoft sucks!" everytime they install it and it doesn't work exactly the way it's supposed to or it breaks their toy. Grow up, people. This is the nature of the beast, either learn to tolerate the eccentricities or don't install beta software. It's really just that simple.
100% agreed!
nope!
Hmn..
I really like the way this has been done. Have any of you observed that double tap to wake is less responsive? It has been that way for me.i
I think the app is just fine except the lag in the app while unlocking the phone. However, more features is always a good thing.
It has potential for more customization. So I believe on it.
I dont like it. I didnt see anything live but the circular clock. Not worth the download imo.
I'm not expecting much from a lock screen app but I would like to see widgets, calendars, weather, music controls, hell just copy android lol. But with Rudy integration with his instagram or Wikipedia apps would be cool too if he's allowed to do so.
Yes, it was better than expected, just need some fixes and we'll be fine...
It would be nice to mix Bing images with selected personal images
I wasn't really aware of any hype. When I heard of the project, I thought, "good, more customization, more options". But the preview app didn't really have anything I found interesting. I was surprised at the speed with which this was released- almost not worth releasing the preview since the actual thing came out a week later. I played with it for a day but I'm no longer using it.
Best lock screen app is ffffound.
Works fine on my 930
Not sure there was hype. Just looked cool in windows phone infancy but now its just another app that's not integrated as windows phone use to be. Its easier to update an app and best for the consumer but the integration part that made windows phone great is slowly being removed.
Not sure there was hype. Just looked cool in windows phone infancy but now its just another app that's not integrated as windows phone use to be. Its easier to update an app and best for the consumer but the integration part that made windows phone great is slowly being removed.
IMO, nothing so special about this app. It is ridiculous that live lockscreen is a separate app, I would just include it in the lockscreen sub menu in settings.
This lock screen beta completely messed up my phone, my phone started getting unbelievably HOT!! My phone started lagging just all sorts of crazy stuff...... I mean we are not talking rocket science here it's pretty bare minimum i don't see how this managed to mess up my phone. Any way was uninstalled 30 minutes later. Not to take anything away from rudy because i think that guy is incredible.
The app has the potential to be something amazing. Also all the app notification icons on the live lock screen appear as stars, secondly it needs customizable app integration such as amazing weather hd where we can choose to put the info. In the future I would like to have the ability to tweak the settings for the designs, font size, type, size of animated objects and change the unlock transition effects. This will enable us to make our devices even more unique.
As I previously said its very nice I would like to share one more add on. I expect if it is possible to have a live loockscreen like we see a big balloon flying this we can find in vine app it comes in the signup page with an low transparency blurred and animated.i feel it will make lock screen more lively.
App needs to bring something new that android hasn't ... Somthing like livr tiles , interactive notification icons etc
Definitely would like integration with other apps and not just Bing apps
Awesome lock is far better than the windows official lock screen
I'm on the 1520 with Cyan installed and I gotta day that it is pretty smooth, I haven't noticed a single issue yet. I've played around a bit with it trying different screens and photo combinations and its all good. I didn't know there was any big hype about this either but if there was I doubt it has lived up to it. Right now its just another app, it needs way more in configuration choices, the star thing needs to go away, it definitely needs weather integration and more than one appointment (or an option to show x number of appointments). If you are going to give people options like this it needs to allow them to use their own creativity a little bit, maybe let them decide font, size, placement, and some choices for animation of their creations. Also, as an app, its going to be hard for other developers to build things for it without taking the lock screen over completely, seems like his should really be a part of the OS and open enough for other app developers can access and add to it for their apps.
Actually a really really cool feature would be if I touch a notification and swipe up while touching that notification, it should bring my right to it. That would rock.
BlackBerry 10 has that... And ab awesome picture password unlock option.
Can't wait for it to go out of BETA !
It's nothing exciting or useful. I went right back to AwesomeLock. I want my calendar, weather, notifications all on the lock screen so I can just look at the lock screen and know what's going on. Tilting the clock and changing the picture every few hours isn't innovative or exciting.
It adds glamour.. That's it.. Expected different unlocking options..
No.
Meh
Live lock screen fell below me expectations... Of course its still in beta and Rudy is on the job so things will get better I'm sure. But for now my 920 running dev preview is sluggish to unlock EVEN WITH THE LIVE LOCK SCREEN APP UNINSTALLED :-/
Have you read the article that says how to fix that? When the Cyan update his you, go for it, you'll seen that speed has improved compared to DP... I downgraded and updated, and my 1520 it's doing better now...
Wpcentral posted an article yesterday on how to deal with that.
READ PERTINENT ARTICLES ON HOW TO DEAL WITH THAT PROBLEM INSTEAD OF SHOUTING YOUR HEAD OFF!!! See, I can shout too.
Tell Crise that his/her intelligence is a disappointment, he didn't pay for it and the program is still a beta...
That's the reason why they added BETA to the name!!
I am not sure I see the point of it. I only have the lock screen visible for the second I'm unlocking anyway because lock screen always times out and goes to stand by screen.
It's a gimmick really. It was never hyped as much as it was shown as 'cool' which it is. Losing the info I have on the 'normal' lockscreen is not worth it.
When i have a WhatsApp or 6snap or wpcentral notification it only displays a star on the lockscreen instead of the app icon
No
Just open the api for other devs.
I have no issues I appreciate this app but just need more themes and features which will surely come Bcoz Rudy is the developer
I'm sticking with awesome lock. I rely on the five day weather at the top and Calender appointments at the bottom too much.
No. Open up the api for approved devs. Yes, it's currently heavily beta but really: More options. And if low ram devices are an issue get rid of them. Yeah three all the most but change the lowest parameters so everything can be included!!!
It's ok at least it works I've been lucky where windows 8.1 is concerned & windows phone in general I'm on the Lumia 625 big screen 4G. Handles everything I ask I wouldn't swap from my Windows Phone to anything else. That's my opinion.
Yep, can't wait to see what's next ;)
I think maybe they should write the number the circle is on in the analog clock to make it faster to read. . . Just an idea.
Ok but already uninstalled not ready yet
I don't know why MS tries really hard to screw up things, I mean when we ask for a feature MS needs to think ahead and give us the necessary feature with something better than what we asked. LIKE, MS COULDN'T PROVIDE A DATA CONNECTION TOGGLE!? IS IT TOO MUCH TO ASK!? Or is it our mistake, because we didn't tell at the forums that we need a action centre with a data toggle?!
+920
Preach
I expect functions like this to be a part of the OS. To much hype about it.
Yeah, it didn't quite live up to the hype. However, it still could with the right tweaks, which you've hit on already. Overall, if MS can make it feel like its a built in feature of the OS it will be a huge win.
I think giving developers access to the lock screen would be a good idea.Hopefully we could see some amazing animations.
I installed it when it was announced, it was good, didn't have any lag, and it was different. This morning I got the resuming screen and it went back to my original lock screen... I uninstalled it. The app has alot of potential, I'll wait until it gets better.
I'd have to say no it hasn't. There's only one variant I like and it's the one that looks like the standard lock screen, so for me there's not really a use for it. What would make it stand out would be me layout options, the ability to position items on screen, how many appointments or notifications to show, set the font and font sizes, etc.
Lagfest
No.
I like it... Works flawlessly in my 720 no lag nor any buys... Although themes are very less... Hope to see improvement soon!
The biggest issue is that other apps can't provide the background. I was expecting this to not change the background but just provide the overlays.
Yes, this is what I was expecting too.
No.
I'm amazed by the sheer potential of this lock screen. And Rudy has taken all of this feedback and he's going to make it amazing. And I'm sure its going to be a native screen in the next generation of winphones, there is a lot here. Dont fooled by the initial revealing, that's so microsoft/rudy can get a feel on what needs to be done. Listening to the users, as usual
I wish we could drag the different elements to rearrange them on the lock screen, change their font, their size, their color, etc. and then sync everything with all our devices.
Somewhat. The crashing takes away from the experience.
I uninstalled it and went back to AwesomeLock. Weather, Calendar and everything there.
I've seen lock scree animations on, for example, the Z2, which are really smooth with great effects, so I was expecting something similar quality wise. I know this is a beta but its clunky, has a weird start screen when opened etc. Will not be using this unless that smooth quality is attained. I like the idea so waiting....
It is still in beta, needed improvements. There is not much disappointment.. Developers already got feedback, waiting for an update.....
Other than the moving clock on one of the themes, what is "live" about this app?
The animations which you don't notice if you unlock your phone normally. It's a waste of effort.
The circular clock animation is the only cool thing in the app for now. Guess it was actually overhyped. I would expect more animation types, and even the ability to create our own animation. Come to think of it, this is an app that was originally meant to run on 1G ram, was it all really just for what we have now? Well, I'm positive, as long as ruud boy is in da house.
No need to install it in the first place. There's absolutely no additional value. It's just waste of time (mine and the developers). Even if they fix lags. No user interaction, no use at all. Don't need another animation to stare at.
Nope, tried it then went back to Lockmix.
Sometimes when I unlock my phone, it shows me a black screen. Then it crashes on me, reverting back to normal lock screen
Uninstalled within minutes, laggy and seemed its only purpose was to look cool, so no.
If Rudy is onboard...it will be good...
For me, nope! I've already uninstalled in my 1020.
Optimisation, customisation, more than one "Details" app selectable.
It's ok
Let's just say, i've deleted it in exactly 5 min. Not that it didnt worked. Cause i havent got to the bug part of it, but just cause... Is nothing interesting for me about it. And when you count the delay and bugs part of it...meah
Since installing the app I am now getting notifications on my lock screen that use a star shaped icon. I have no clue what this notification is for. Has anyone else experienced this, and does anyone have a clue what the star symbol references?
I think that star is a notification icon lumping your phone calls, texts, voice mail, and email all in one giant pile.
I don't see why people got so hyped about such feature, but I use it already, works fine for me, and looks good. I use the first layout. I like the dots too but not the way the cut out background works. Would be nice if the white concentric circles of the preview were there.
Concept wise yes, execution wise, no. It is still on beta so I personally don't mind.
A lockscreen similar to that of Windows 8 would be great.
I have expected that custom lock screen will give me an option to put more than 5 notification icons! So far out gives me only one (that star thingie). The best lock screen Nokia gave me so far was on N9!
Uninstalled it.
Its still my lock screen on my 920. I like it but George you should know better to ask these shade tree app designers what they think. It like an episode of "Say yes to the dress" up in here. lol.
The phone lock up as a result makes it just a gimmick and not very useful. Hopefully that gets fixed. And what happened to the numbers in the circle clock? Feel like I am guessing what time it is...
No
Looking forward for more updates!
It's fine for me and will be perfect in the mean time with the updates!! I would also like to see picture password or any other lock mode with the app!! Bored with the numeric lock!!!
And numbers in the clock theme!!
No. Bo knows.
thr r some problems bt its fine at beta stage...i hope final version would be much far better than ths nd its gd n 512 rams too....so move ahead nd make the app more cutomizable nd introduce new patterns like stripe,zoometc...nd weather forecast bst of luk...the app has much potential jzt need to work little more hard n it...
I just want the lag to go away. The super pixelated screenshot of my start screen makes the app make my phone look cheap for a moment, and I want that to be reduced so badly.
I never expected alot since Music App came. I learned my lesson.
I expected that I can customize my lock screen a little bit more when this app was announced. You can just select one of six themes and thats it. I hoped for placing whrere the time is, select color, transparency, size and font and maybe out of a few animations. So more building your personal lockscreen that choosing out of a few predefined themes.
Uninstalled it at this point so laggy not worth the time.
We have live tiles, notification center. There is no more need of anything in physicist productivity. Waiting just for interactive live tile
The app itself is very smooth, but it appears to extend unlock times, and that even afterwards there is a delay before you can interact with your phone. The app displays a low resolution screen shot when unlocking..
Had to uninstall it because you cant use kids corner with it. Thought it was great besides that.
I think it has potential and this is a good starting point. Huyn develops some reap nice stuff. I have a few off his apps and i noticed that he tweaks them to get them where they need to be. With that being said I look forward to him and Microsoft partnering on this. The potential this has can be really nice. I was checking out a android phone and two things stuck out to me; The live wallpaper and of course the app store. Neither one is enough to get me to switch platforms but this live lock screen has the potential to knock one of those of the list.
It's missing the "personal" factor. I know everything is same as expected but the basic idea is so Androidy and options are limited.
Just 2 problems: Lag & no kids corner, and the notification icons are simply star icons wtf
Still needs a few weeks otherwise its awesome
Yes.. This app is over-hyped..!! A total disappointment.. But guys.. Its RUDY HUYN!! He has produced some outstanding apps for WP!! I Trust him.. Maybe he will make this app much much much better!!
It would be useful to have a fully customizable one. But with Rudy, on board it can only get better
As Steve Jobs would say, " this is shit."
Well, it's a beta, and its more of a technology demonstration. Once the APIs are opened up it will be far more interesting to see what third parties can do, and the different ways the lock screen can be customised.
This app is a disaster in my opinion. I would call it an alpha. I uninstalled it because it was bogging down my whole phone (920). None of the designs are appealing and performance isn't even close to acceptable. For the final release, anything short of the lock screen appearing instantly every time without fail, and butter smooth animations, is unacceptable. Who ever heard of having to wait on your lock screen? The performance of WP has taken a noticeable downward turn since they started making everything an app. They need to make all of these things native to the OS and figure out a way to slipstream the bits without needing a firmware update. WP7 was always lightening fast on my Samsung Focus with crap specs. That was one of the things I loved about WP. WP8 feels bloated and I seem to always be waiting for something to load. It takes Cortana a full 5 seconds to pull up when I press and hold on search. Ok rant over.
Lagscreen?
Really its a disappointment......
That sums up Microsoft.
Nah, this isn't a super cool app *shrug* ....... But the app never mattered! What we care about is the unlocking of the new lock screen APIs so our developers can make insanely cool lock screens. I consider this app just a Proof of Concept and a nice bone to us beta testers :D
Yup. Now let the other developers take it to the next level.
Don't think so, no weather, appointments or news, I went straight back to awesome lock.
I don't get it why there is so much fuss over this non-essential. Tell crise to get a life, it will serve the world better.
It's pretty basic but considering the arrangement I'll give them a brake and look forward to updates building onto it.
I like the app and am sure that we'll see more options integrated into it once the final build rolls out. However, I do think that Microsoft needs to consider putting its focus onto the right direction as well. As much as features such as the live lock screen are attractive, we'd love to see useful features being implemented like actionable notifications. If I'm correct actionable notifications are a part of iOS8 but if memory serves me right, Microsoft released a video of it a while ago as well pitching it to come to Windows Phones... If Microsoft Research got that video out, what I fail to see is hoe MS failed to see the potential of such a huge feature and get it implemented into WP8.1? Waiting to see where its all headed... As always!
Interactive live tiles brother
Yes this is all gimmicky and not a WOW feature to get people on board with WP. I would rather prefer them spend time on more useful features.
1. Organize settings list
2. Organize app list There are still tons of under the hood features that needs improvement.
Also MS should give other hard working developers a chance as well specially the ones who have been supporting this platform from day1
Not for the 1520. The font is too large. Microsoft needs to optimize it for 1080p devices. Then I can use it
It's very nice, but its to little in it. Calendar won't show, that is a minimum requirement for me to use it.
No.
I don't care about the lag, it looks cool
This is the first time I have seen an app that has been able to incorporate itself so deeply into the system. Others are limited by windows
It's just not useful enough. It doesn't do anything that the previous one didn't.
Performance is my only gripe. To those attacking Rudy, go develop your own apps if you think its so easy.
Yes, it is clearly labeled as beta, but I uninstalled it. I didn't see the uninstall issue tho...
I was very disappointed in it.
It's a lock screen, so inherently is only visible until I swipe to unlock or until the screen goes black again. Way too much hype. I didnt like it and prefered Kids Corner instead. Uninstalled.
It was fine, but not great enough at this point for me to keep it. I'll definitely give it another try with future versions.
I like it. It does glitch out every now and then but it's still by far my prefferred daily lock screen. For those complaining, it's BETA guys.
No, although i love windows phone they really need to inovate a little more. This type of lockscreen has been around on android for years.
True. I'd like to see Windows be unique and not just mimic other platforms like Android. Considering Microsoft is a software giant they could be incredibly innovative in all aspects of the Windows Phone platform.
This is a special app... Even though it is having some glitches, I feel that WP OS getting awesome. I
Considering they didn't really introduce the existence of the app until little over a week and a half ago, I don't think you can honestly call it hype. ....... I also think that because its currently still in beta mode it's to soon to really make any judgments for or against it. I'll hold off on any real comments about the app until sometimes after the app is out of beta mode. ........ But what I can say right now, is that I've had no issues with the app thus far. It doesn't lag, freeze nor shows the default lock screen unless I power down when you have to pull the screen down to turn off the phone.
I had the resume issue and stopped using it. But I understand it is a Beta. I will try it again next build. Rudy makes some amazing apps and I expect this will not disappoint when it is final.
I like the idea of lock screen and the future ideas developers will bring to us....for people who don't care don't install it...for people who cry for lagging its a beta ...get over it
I dont know who was in charge of what in the development of the app (animations, design, coding), if Rudy or Microsoft but the former has consistently pumped out high quality options for many apps we've been wanting and I feel if anything was good in this app, its the design and I can bet that's something he takes part in. The latter, however, has an astonishing record for releasing unfinished products and I know, I know, its a beta. But how many apps and services have they released that have stayed in beta? I think this app is definitely a challenge as its more than an app, its a bridge to actually modifying the UI and as android users know, that's a touchy area to work on. All in all though, hopefully in a couple weeks well have a better version. I'm not uninstalling in that hope but I wont be using it for the time being.
I have a Lumia 930 and don't have any issue, just a black screen for less than a second when unlocking the phone there is an app in the foreground. Anyway it's a good way to have a more personal phone but nothing so special
No for me
The concept is nice. I installed it on my 1520 and it does look pretty neat. I'm not complaining about the lag and delays, it's a beta after all. What made me uninstall it after all was the fact that is seemed to drain my battery severely, my phone got terribly hot for no apparent reason and I had several freezes on the "resuming" screen after unlocking the phone. Again, it is a beta and I expected issues, but they are just too substantial to make the app useful at the moment. I will check it again when it is further along and saw a few updates. I would also like to see more information on the lock screen. The 1520 has plenty of screen real estate and it is almost a crime not to take advantage of it. Of course the additional info would need to be something one can disable for smaller screens. The hype was big, the expectations high and the implementation was definitely not up to the expectations. But since it is in beta, I hope the developer and MS have a close looks at the feedback and make it outstanding. The first step is at least promising.
Not for me its just a lock screen with some animation. Glance was more groundbreaking yet this is now just breaking as it does even appear on newer model phones. That said these sort of apps can only be improvements but they really should not be disabling key features in order to have them presented (Kids corner).
Is on beta so I expect to see some bugs but people forget that¬_¬
I have selected delayed 3 minutes lock password, it was slow when I double tap to open the lock screen. I have Lumia 620. Is any one having same issue???
Windows Phone has gotten worse as a product and as a operating system.
Actually it was a total disappointment... The concept is it is an app and it runs on pressing the lock button . That is it works and shows some animation and upon opening the lock by swiping the user is shown a screenshot of the previous place where w left and resumes from there to the current position... To say clearly when you open the downloaded and have a queue and lock the screen and upon opening even if the downloads are finished they are shown there for a second or two and three glitches,.... I thought it would be Os integrated :( but still i would like if the app is very fast and it does not shutter, and takes the screenshot soon in a fraction of second than the lag..... (: And keep the new ideas flowing with speed
Microsoft still has no clue what consumers want.
:P really
Please go troll elsewhere
Same can be said about Apple, what we on, iPhone 6 and same old interface.
But will not uninstall just waiting to see updates + is all developers open to use the API??
For me this beta works as advertised. I do not have a lag issue on my 1020. Notifications are showing up (battery %, email, calendar, texts). I like using my own pics and would like to see more effects options (using the diagonal motif right now). I am optimistic that this will evolve nicely over time.
It's a rather great idea and timely to change the outlook of Start screens. But this, beta version, is so WP 7 stage. FEATURES NEEDED and above all fixes...I want a smoother ride, much smoother. I'll definitely wait for it!
If Nokia made the intelligent decision to go with Android, instead of the asinine decision to team with Microsoft, I would be sitting pretty right about now with my full featured,high-end Nokia device.
It's cool. It's not moble life changing a la Cortana but, it's cool.
Nice to have? Yes. Worth the hype? Hell no.
Poor working slow on my Lumia 720
Yup its really nice!
This aap is not useful
I liked the app but after the lock screen is removed , a lag occurs for like 3 s I hate that remove that and this could be a smashing hit
Needs some bugs fixing, but yeah.
It's a cool app with lots of potentials. Just needs more improvements, optimization & more Lockscreen customization.
It's kinda good actually for a v1.0 Beta.
It's actually faster to wake & unlock the phone with this app than my Motorola xoom
I'm actually very happy with it, it isn't even close to perfect and sometimes doesn't even show up at all, but when its they're, it's nice and fresh looking: 6/10 as is.
In short.. No.
First of all hate the new look of wpcentral.Damn the dark color.And second love the live lockscreen app.More customisatons would make my phone beautiful!
Despite all the (-) comments, what I took from the initial post is that the developers/designers are looking into all the issues that are being experienced by those who're actually using the lockscreen app. The only thing I wonder is why seperate anything from the OS? Other OS developers release new iterations to the OSes when and only when they are ready so why can't MS do likewise. Everything asociated with MS should be incorporated within the OS not as a sepearte app, what complete IDIOT thought of that??? Who the f..k cares about when updates are released especially if the app currently used is already a no issue app. If MS wants to have an OS that is able to compete on an even keel with IOS and ANDROID should just review all complaints and suggestions and put them if at all practical into immediate R&D. Makes 0 sense talking about the OS to compete and yet have minor/major issues that should never be occuring especially from a Tech Giant organization like Microsoft!!!
I like 1 design. But the speed is terrible hope they fix that. For now I use the stock lock screen -L920
Found a new bug, sometimes my lock screen reverts itself to my old option, weather flow, this without any change made from me. To fix, I have to manually open live lock screen app again....
App is terrible. I stick with my more informative lockscreen
Appwack
I haven't tried it personally but I like what I see. Sure it has some rough edges but those can be smooth out. Did you pay for the beta?...It's a beta you give well thought out feedback not just say that it's broken. People then to forget the term alpha and beta. Maybe it's because of video games and their early access bull crap.
I am very disappointed. The animations are just stupid. I read comment after after where people say that when you slide the lockscreen up and let it drop back down it's cool. WTF? I know is a beta, but people are giving feedback on performance. That's the point of a beta as well! I will let others speak on that however. This app is very unimaginative. I mean look at an Android phone! Rudy says he has some. Since it's an app, why not have an actual live lock screen? You know movement, all the time. How come you guys just can't make storyteller or cinemagraph plug into the lock screen! That's what the hell I was expecting. You can having moving pictures or even a video play and you can set the touch points for unlocking.
Stop making critics about the fact the Rudy Huyn is workin on this he is probably the best Indy developer on WP platform ... He earned his contract with Microsoft thanks to his amazing work ... He does have the talent to do this... And I think that with some fixes it should be a great app...
How come I can't see my actual messaging app on my lock screen, rather all m seeing are stars with my message count.?
I love the concept. I uninstalled because I like lock buster making my photo collages every half hour. Def going in the right direction.
I thought it would be built into the OS , not an app. Also, I am not a fan of setting a cheesy jpeg of what I last saw before I locked my phone
Nice, but buggy. I notice when I swipe up, there's a delay and quick flash of the start screen.
I don't understand when someone says that the AP is uninspiring. Besides any performance issues, it's exactly what was shown by Belifore. What did you expect? I'm sure they will clean up any issues, which I'm not seeing on a 1020 running dev preview.
Beta or not, it did not live up to the expectations. When you build up the hype around a new feature, at least make sure it's solid enough to be appreciated by most despite the bugs. I don't mind having bugs here and there but I do not excuse bugs when the entire app is clunky: Very very slow, background image quality sucks, the animations lag (even with 1gb of ram), unlocking the phone is not smooth, no weather information... These are actually basic things that SHOULD have at least been done right in the beta. This means the app is not ready at all even if it's been in the pipes for months. It's like they release something and realize: "oh shit, we forgot to check a bunch of simple things! Nvm we'll say it's beta and they will accept it. Lol". Half baked and buggy. Unbelievable
Not what I expected.
The app is slow, laggy - ok it is beta.
But what feels like amateurish move are the icons behind the actual lockscreen, has anyone noticed that they are just a screenshot and that it is refreshed after you actually unlock the phone. That is really sad, I thought we would get similar experience as with default lockscreen just with some nice effects - instead I think that all apps that will use lockscreen in the store will offer much better experience.
Pretty poor need to upgrade in quick time
It doesn't cut it for me. It's gimmicky and shows less information.
Why its show star 5 icon for me ... Is there any way to remove it already review it 5 star ...
It was uninstalled last night. Not even close to the hype. The themes were amateurish, the screen bounce was way off, phone developed some quirky issues once installed. This is a great opportunity for someone to step up and do one right, but this was not it.
Lets just say I have already uninstalled it.
The star was for the noti's I got for wpcentral. Not sure if its for all other 3rd part apps. I like it, I'm sure they'll have an update for it so I don't mind waiting and I've had no problem with it other than reverting back to my saved pics lock screen once in a good while. I have mine set to change every hour on my Icon.
We cant judge it now. Its just a beta.. Lets see when it fully completed
It's a lock screen. If you over hyped a lock screen to the point of disappointment that's YOUR fault. It does what it's supposed to and I assume the design will get better.
Battery drain too much on Lumia 625
I tried this, but prefer Lock Manager because it lists upcoming events from my calendar, weather and other notifications. Lock Manager looks clean and simple.
So does lockmix.
Honestly I thought it was gonna allow me to jump right into apps via the notifications ala Android. Nevertheless it's a good app. I love the analog clock (spinning dots). If they can, please allow customization for each lock screen or make more of them, and perhaps they can include actual app logos instead of stars.
Uninspired designs, to be certain, and incomplete - some of the choices sport correct translations (Danish, in my case) while others are 50/50 and some have no translations at all, despite the message being more or less the same... I prefer the standard version so far.
It's a marquee app that does its job. Introducing live animations on the lock screen means that they can fine tune and optimize the API's. If it were the, "perfect" live lock screen app, there would be no room for third party development. The hype should be focused around the live animations not around this app in particular.
It's pretty bad. I've had Windows phone since 6.5. And I've tried to give it a chance but it just seems like it can't catch up. I might have to make a switch...
I was hoping they would also integrate picture lock or other kind of lock with this live screen instead of using this number lock .There is no choice .
No
It completely disappointed me
Some times I feel its unnecessary looking at the lagging nature of wp81 on my 520
Tried it out! Uninstalled it soon after not really my cup of tea
No. The complete lack of customization in it makes me wonder exactly when did they really started working on the app.
Really disappointing, super slow app, not extraordinary like Android
I like it, 920.
Guys its a app get over it
It's no different than SAMSUNG'S Live Wallpaper Posted via Windows Phone Central App
I use Simple Calendar app and I have my agenda on lock screen, which is more than this app can do. Simple Calendar needs to add Bing images for lock screen and I will never look at Live Lock Screen app again.
I would love to see it become comparable with kids corner. It shuts off access to kids corner
I haven't use 8.1, but please, bring back the "stripe" theme ..
Poor!!!
Needs to be totally lagless and have some clever designs.
Works too slow, default lock screen comes when multiple task running in background and screen is locked. Till now unsatisfied with this app.
It certainly isn't very feature rich but I'm sure this will improve over time. I'd like to see news, weather and Cortana integration added along with more customization. It a good start for sure.
Not tat impressive....users expect alot wen a app is developed by a famous company or a famous person...rud huyn isn't upto his mark...
I like it
A slight lag and actually only two formats are interesting....
Did anyone noticed that Strips display mode is missing as it was shown off in demo preview app last Tuesday (Check out "Animated LockScree..." for Windows Phone http://www.windowsphone.com/s?appid=aed8fa1a-6cc4-4c57-830a-702e30fb458a) by Venetasoft or it's just I've been missed off on something?
Its nice but pretty far behind of awesome lock
The native lock screen is 100 percent smooth. Anything else is not good enough for the animated ones. I just deleted the beta app.
3 of the lock screens were the same just different fonts. And they were all really laggy. I'll just wait till the bugs get fixed. And the stripes lock screen comes out. I wasn't impressed at all.
I bet. This app will get cleaned up and after everyone gets 8.1 and/or cyan update it will get better I'm still running preview for 8.1 I'm pretty sure it's a factor in the laggyness
Considering it's in beta, it's fine. The only problem besides the lag is the fact that it doesn't really function like a lock screen. The screenshot is clearly evident under the lock, my actual lock screen flashes underneath it sometimes, and it should use my current lock screen image without me having to configure that again.
Yes, absolutely love the live lockscreen app. Amazing, cool, and unique
I think its great fun to have along with glance and I look forward to updates
I am very dissapointed. I can understrand that it is a beta, but it honestly doesnt offer anything of value for me. I know there are many who can and do appreciate this level of customizability, but for my friends and family they wouldn't know how to customize it at all and would much prefer tghat it be interactive. Unfortunately, as an iPhone expat, I loved and miss the swipe to interact notifications. We made great leaps forward with the action center, but having it on the lock screen to swipe is on all other devices and we are still behind. While these options are 'pretty', they don't offer a lot of value at the end of the day. We could maintain this great capability to customize the lock screen, but add more function. It is dissapointing to have to choose between only ONE app that can interact with the lock screen, like facebook updating with pictures, but more importantly, I would love to be able to interact directly with my lock screen and the many apps that should be able to plug in. I am sure there is a lack of API's, but if apple can do it with iOS, surely we can do it with windows phone. For a platform and OS that was designed to reduce the amount of steps it took to complete an action and to get back to the real world, that is a critical action point that every other OS has hit that we are missing. I especially dont like that I have to select which apps have access to leave a notification directly on the lock screen. That has been confusing for my parents who dont understand why their iphone just shows rthem what they are missing, but their windows phone makes them pick the top 5 apps that can leave a notification icon on their screen. It should be much simpler and just show you.
Its running smooth on my L521 and I like it, but need more options like weather integration between others.
Downloaded it since day one of release and been using til now. Yes, it is living the hype, - at least to me! Hahaha
I wish it was apart of the is not a app.
No
This guy, B_Hawk, gets it. You sir, hit the nail on the head.
I had to uninstall it because it was just too slow in my Lumia 520.
No. Too buggy even for a beta.
It's a beta, released to the faithful who will test through the bugs. Now that it's been widely tested with feedback it can be optimized.
I think it's good for what it is...a Beta. There is always room for improvement for any Beta app that is not final. I think it's great especially when it's working on my L635 (512MB). Yes, there is a little lag when the app starts up but not enough to gripe. As stated I know the devs are working on this. I would suggest transparency to allow view of all the background. Like the suggestion of weather and sport score updates on the live lock screen.
Great work so far just needs a little tweaking and added features as mentioned in some of the comments.
Bake this into the OS. That lag is unacceptable
I wouldn't
Like the big clock with thin numbers best but the date feels abit to big. The diagonal one is too quick when moving...would like a "softer" feel when unlocking and when its bouncing.
I would like to see it take advantage of the Nokia Living image if you use a personal photo or have the Bing wallpaper show animations like it does in the desktop when you double tap to wake. Basically, a shortened live wallpaper. As it is now, not really worth it.
Live lock screen concept needs to extend to third party developers. Not just one app with a couple handpicked live lock screens Posted via the WPC App for Android!
Why doesn't Microsoft make the native lock screen better with more functions instead?? Why an app?
Image quality is my biggest gripe. I've found on the of occasion that it fails to load properly with either the normal lock screen appearing or on one occasion the pin pad not appearing at all when unlocking meaning the phone needs to be turned on and off again. HTC 8X
I remember the preview demo by Venetasoft last Tuesday. It's like not all was really coming to the official app as shown in the demo. I can't find that awesome live strips background. Hence, the clock style suits my screen the most.
Nope
Nay
Well since 8.1 isn't available for the 920, my answer is no.
I think it would be A LOT better if it was integrated within the OS. Sure, having OS parts as apps allows them to be updated more frequently, but they also get slower and less integrated. If they want to keep it as an app there at least has to be some kind of ability to integrate it more so it doesn't have to resume all day and so on. It shouldn't be like a normal app but more of a specialised app that integrates perfectly and requires a phone reboot or something like that! Atm it seems like it is simply running on top of the normal lockscreen ... :/
Uninstalled.
Was it really hyped? I think folks were just over-anxious to get it.
No
I tend to agree with Paul Thurrott, who can't understand why this is such low quality after so long, and why MS chose to work with a third-party developer who's UI/UX experiences can be....well..lacking sometimes.
Fun, personal customization its beta so there may be some bugs. If you don't like it uninstall it and wait for full release. Personally l think its a very good beta development.
Bugs bugs bugs bugs
Frankly it is a good first effort, but it has alot of work to do before it can replace the default lock screen. If the custom lock screens could be every bit as fluid and smooth as the default, otherwise indistinguishable, then it would be a definite plus. I think that in time it will be improved very much.
Its nice but lacks the options of the superior Lockmix app
The fact that my android toting colleague has added it to the list of reasons why he is considering Windows Phone for his next handset, I think it's lived up to it.
No
Does anyone have problems with batery drain with this apljcation? In 24h of usage it consume about 25% of batery in my lumia 720. It works smooth and nuce but the battery drain is very annoying
No. It's shit. That pretty goes for the entire WP8.1 experience so far.
And please remove that star when there is a whatsapp notification allow the lockscreen to use original icons for notification...gosh i hate tht star..
Hi George, such an app as you describe in the article, (where I think you're being very diplomatic!?) already exists, obviously you know what I'm talking about.. Awesome Lock. Why has a ms app been released when it is no where near as good as what is out there by a third party?, how will wp ever catch up to the robot or the fruit releasing apps like this? I just don't get this, could you explain please. Also if wpc think its poor they should say so.. As I think, reading in-between your lines you do.
Peter
Liverpool, England
I really like the slanted look of the first set up. Microsoft needs to implement this in the is as default. Isometric feel is nice and I bet it'll take off if down right
THINK YOU HAVE YOUR ANSWER WPC, YOU NEED YO SEND MS AN EMAIL TELLING THEN THAT THEIR CORE CUSTOMERS ARE STARTING TO FEEL A BIT SHORT CHANGED. A ONCE FLUID OS IS GETTING BOGGED DOWN. AND SENDING OUT POOR APPS IS JUST MOCKING PEOPLE.
HERE'S THE THING FOR ME, APPS HAVE TO BE AT LEAST COMPARABLE TO THE BEST THIRD PARTY APP AND IOS AND ANDRIOD APPS OR WHAT'S THE POINT? ALL WP CUSTOMERS GET TOLD IS WAIT FOR THIS AND THAT WHILE ANDROID AND IOS HAVE HAD THESE FACILITIES FOR YEARS, ITS GETTING LAUGHABLE. A LOCK SCREEN APP WITH NO WEATHER, NO NEWS, NO SPORTS, BUT 6 WAYS OF TELLING THE TIME?? IS IT ME
Peter
Liverpool
For beginning, it's a good app. But it needs to improve! I think it's a inicial approach on live lock screen. Live lock screen feature should be enabled on apps too. Instagram, Facebook, weather apps and others could deliver a very rich and beautiful experience on live lock screen. I used Instagram photos as lock screen, but with live lock screen this is not possible.
It feels like a very, very early BETA. Constant lag, frequent crashes, and it's really nothing special at all. I want to see things like opacity and font size sliders, font options (maybe? Am I alone in feeling that the given fonts and colours are uninspired?) and weather. Also - I liked using the APOD for my background in lockmix. Would be good to see that option here.
All that said, it's got promise. It does what it says it'll do, and that's a start. It just could probably do a lot more.
Hi wpc, where are my posts please? Why are they not here, or in the "participated section"
I'm not sure what's more disappointing - the Live Lock Screen app or the WPC site re-design. Seriously, that banner is hideous. I'm a big Phoenix Suns fan, but that purple and orange here is awful
Wpc where are my posts please?
Hmm.. disappointing from ms and wpc.
Peter
Liverpool
Live lock screen means there will be live animations. Widgets controls & much more. But this is just clock nothing else. Need much more improvements.
Needs more features
What is the star symbol mean?
Definitely overhyped....after using android this feels inferior
Yes.
Pretty basic, but my problem is that it seemed to destroy my battery... I ran the up since it was released and noticed substantial battery drain... So I uninstalled...
I really like the app and most people having the bug problem is because their windows phone might not be as powerful. I have the Lumia 1520 and with its strong possessor it can get things done with the live tiles. I never got any bugs from the app.
I think the idea is great, just need improvements as any beta app, i just hope that it become part of the OS instead of just be an extra app on the store.
Hell no this app blows. The lock screen on my weather app is much nicer.
I don't think it has lived up to the hype yet, but I know it will before they are done with it. I do like it, the half second lag doesn't bother me on my 920, and I love the fact its another thing you can customize on a windows phone! I'm hoping for more options and more customization on the details (font color, font type, weather, the integration of other apps like you can do on the regular lock screen etc) I look forward to future updates!
I don't understand the hype. It's just a lock screen app. Interferes with Kids Corner. Was hoping for picture password too.
Too slow on Lumia 1020
I like it. Wanted more. But without having any expectations, I'm happy.
I'm happy with the Beta release so far on my Lumia 930. I would love to see some Bing Weather integration, or similar. Ability to change font colour would be nice for some I guess. Calendar events. As you can see I'm listing stuff that others have already posted because it's what we want, or were expecting from the app. Looking forward to some updates.
I personally feel that we should give some time for the app to come out of the beta. This has the potentials for advanced Lock screen personalization.
Please password for photo
NO..!!
It's very good..but the feature didn't like is about the stars that are displayed instead of the logos of the app..its confusing at many times..
Yup that's right tweet it to Rudy he'll fix it up ;)
Eff yall its dope n it will get there it needs time. U were not born a grown up bitches u all were babies.
It's good, I'm not using it though coz currently I have weather and horoscope on my lock screen which I'm very used to n really need it.
When it gets any of these features it'll be my priority. Currently in using lock mix with multiple BG which indeed this AP also has but I need info like weather and horoscope too.
Keep at it Rudy, love n support from Pakistan.
.
I like the app but I'd noticed that my battery drains so fast...
I feel the app was over-hyped and raised expectations too high. At this point I'd rather MSFT tell me they're going to cancel everything and then surprise me with an average to excellent app. Furthermore, id really like to see a contextually aware lock screen app. Do it!
whoever that person names Rudy an amateur will get throat slit like Catelyn, head crushed like Oberyn, and gets thrown off the moondoor like Lysa! YOU IGNORANT BIARCH!
I'm not sure what people were expecting from this app. You like it, use it. You don't like it, don't use it but give useful feedback other than "it sucks and Rudy sucks."
I like it a lot
Not even a little. This App is really pathetic... It is a waste of time to even download it...
Not impressive. Maybe I expected too much
I personally don't find any of the options pleasing or useful. I going back to the default lockscreen.
Was hoping for that app that was shown on video a couple of weeks ago which showed the music player. Also its really frustrating that when you play music the normal bing lockscreen appears!
It sucks. But, it's a "beta", so I suppose that's forgivable. Fix the "resume" issue. Allow more options for the lockscreen image (ie: how about shuffling of a photos library folder, etc). I'm not sure what I was expecting, but I suppose it was more than just telling me what the time is with limited picture options. Pretty much every app that has lockscreen options does that already. Without the "resume" issue.
It's not rudy hyun. the we blame the ability of lock screen manipulation in windows phone sdk. If no real API for lock screen integration no one great developer can access the lock screen.
I am running a password on open. Didn't think the animations worked well with the scenario and uninstalled.
I have been using Paper Shuffle, it has a lot of features though a native application is a must for all phones,
First things first, after I tried it, I was able to get rid of it again no problem, no uninstall bug on my Lumia 930. Looks quite nice, is beta so it doesnt really work, its laggy and I do not undestand the positive side of it yet.
But every effort on the WP system is welcome as it is a step forward.
Live screen update is good. But there is an issue. When the mobile is locked. To unlock we need to navigate the screen up. Then it asks for password. Instead of entering password, lock the mobile by pressing the lock button i.e. Present on the right side middle of the phone. Now again press the same button, its not showing the full screen live wallpaper. Instead it shows only half of the screen. Other half is full white. This should be fixed. Thanks a lot.
As long as its truly a starting point. Then sure. But this better be bare minimum right now... We shud expect lots of features and options like stated in the article. Not like its hard to do. This is something WP needs to be more appealing. Something like this could be considered competitive. Right now... Not even close
Integrate this in (after a bunch of fixes) with my weather HD lockscreen and I'll be happy.
The app needs to improve its interface and to get rid of its lagging. . .
More bugs: This is hell for me:
this app is not upto expectation first. Even after uninstalling it left so many bad bits in system, now mobile getting hang
hangs in following area: while picking call, mobile hang, i have 2 press power on/off button mobile to receive call. i can't unlock my mobile even, need power on/off :( What to do ?
Soft reset did not help me at all
Again, why do we need an app like this? The moment I saw this thing announced I kept wondering what the point of it was. And, apparently, it hurts performance.
I think they didnt do their best, they can do better.
So far, I like the app a lot. However, I would really *really* like numbers in the circles on the clock in the analog clock lock screen. I can read an analog clock just fine, but there's something about this lock screen that just doesn't jump out instantly. Other than that, just some bugfixes and optimization stuff will make this a winner =)
Laaag twitter notifications are stars...
Not a big fan of that Rudy chap myself, but I will say in this instance cut him a bit of slack. I know full well what it's like to develop within such a restrictive SDK, you are very limited in what you can do, and I believe the live lock screen API is brand spanker, so it's probably bare bones and as per usual quite restricted and limited. It's easy to blame the developer but in this instance I think it's to do with the API and what the dev has to work with more than dodgy development.
I installed it as soon as it was out, removed it on monday. Main issue was not the designs which I think are just concepts, but the performance. In fact if this is what to expect, MSFT should re-write the entire lock screen stack because that was terrible. I realize this is a beta, but it has been hearly 4 months since they showedcased this and so far one has to wonder: what were they doing in 4 months because for a simple slide out effect, it seems 4 months is ridiculous slow even for MSFT slow standars...then again, this is the WP team we're talking about!!! I really don't care much for Rudy's efforts on this app. He's clearly better at hacking the private APIs of iOS and Android social apps to bring excellent apps to the WP platform. This is just not his calling and clearly MSFT needs to tune things significatnly. Kudos to the guy in every respect but I think MSFT is letting him down with the API's performance.
Didnt disapoint me as it essentially did what i expected it to. Its not particularly amazing and I turned it off again after an hour. But I always thought it would just be a small demo of some functionality devs will get, so in that regard it looks a good adition to the platform. What was disapointing though is the fact is disabled kids corner. It would be nice if they found a way for the two to work together otherwise its sort of trading features.
MS you can do better than that
Nope
Integrate this with 500 background...
Love the new lock screen app its superb! It has everything!
Turns out kids corner! I turned kids corner back on and this app off.
Shit apps. After uninstall, it still shows impact on my phone. Keep resuming when I wanna open my phone. Damn you Microsoft. Spoil mood.
I removed the Live Lock beta today. I like it, but it is such a drain on my battery. I was traveling quite a bit the past few days and usually I can get a full day on my Lumia 1020 without needing to charge. Since installing the live Lock beta I noticed I was having to either charge or swap to a back-up phone in 6 to 8 hours. I really like the app so I hope future versions address battery burn....if in fact it's an issue for others and not just my device.

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