Microsoft's Your Phone app gets new compose button, slight dark mode tweaks

By Dan Thorp-Lancaster
published

A few little tweaks can go a long way.

Your Phone New Compose Button
Your Phone New Compose Button (Image credit: Windows Central)

What you need to know

  • Slow ring Windows Insiders were treated to some UI tweaks in the Your Phone app this week.
  • There's a new button for composing new messages, and the app's dark mode is now a tad lighter.
  • This update is available now as version 1.20032.104.0.

Microsoft pusehd out an update for the Your Phone app on Windows 10 this week that brings some notable little design tweaks. The biggest noticeable change is the new button for composing a message, which replaces the "New Message" button previously found at the top of your texts. There's also been a slight change to dark mode to make the app a little lighter.

The new compose button mimicks what you see on Android. It's now a blue circle with a "+" inside of it that sits at the bottom of your messages. It replaces the wider, rectangular "New Message" button that was previously placed above your messages.

It's a small change, but it's interesting to see Microsoft go in a more Android-like direction here.

The tweaks to dark mode are a little more subtle. As pointed out by Aggiornamenti Lumia on Twitter, the dark mode is now more of a gray across the app. Previously, Your Phone had a stark black background.

Both changes are small in the grand scheme of things, but they add to a pile of a lot of smaller tweaks Microsoft has added to Your Phone over the past several months. If you're enrolled in the Windows 10 Slow ring, you can pick up these features now by updating Your Phone through the Microsoft Store.

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Your Phone


The Microsoft Your Phone app for Windows 10 lets you stay connected to your photos, texts, and more without picking up your phone.

Dan Thorp-Lancaster
Dan Thorp-Lancaster

Dan Thorp-Lancaster is the former Editor-in-Chief of Windows Central. He began working with Windows Central, Android Central, and iMore as a news writer in 2014 and is obsessed with tech of all sorts. You can follow Dan on Twitter @DthorpL and Instagram @heyitsdtl. 

17 Comments
  • I don't see the round button but I've had the new dark mode since last week. It's not just the dark grey, it's also the bold titles. It looks so much better this way! I hope we can see other apps adopt this design soon.
  • At the moment it isn't working, but I welcome the changes as well. Obviously its subjective, but I much prefer the dark grey. Others may prefer black, but I find it too severe much like a bright white background(though better). Its funny that dark greys are seen in many Win 10 apps, yet Outlook and Onedrive are black in Android. At least its better than a blinding white background(a bit of an exaggeration ).
  • Ugly. It's ugly.
  • The whole modern ui is.
  • Cool story I guess
  • That's the problem with having a glossy screen: you can see your own reflection.
  • Now you owe me a new glossy screen. I spit coffee all over mine when I read your comment.
  • These tiny changes are welcome. The new messages button in the current version is the wrong design (a rectangle with "+ New message" on it at the top of the (text) messages list) and the rightmost panel is too dark (basically jet black).
  • I prefer pure black. With oled screens increasingly becoming the norm, I would prefer pure black over dark grey. Easier on the eyes. And consumes less energy. Win win.
  • Plus black just looks cooler.
  • Yeah, considering there are OLED laptops/tablets out there now, though they are still rare atm. But considering Windows 10X in the near future may come with OLED screens, this theme change won't last too well. I think they should just have a third option. One Dark Mode and one called OLED/Very Dark Mode
  • still only works half the time I open it-at best. which means, over time, you just pick up your phone when you need something done rather than waste time.
  • Agreed. Love the app when it works but the connection errors are a nightmare.
  • Come on Microsoft add File Transfer (Airdrop) support. Android to Windows wireless file transfer is long overdue. It shouldn't often be still simpler to still plug a cable in.
  • If I can't compose hands free, that's pretty much useless to me. Thanks for nothing, Microsoft. Idiots.
  • Very marginal app, finally just deleted it like so many other Microsoft, Apps that are suppose to make Windows work with Android
  • Anyone know what Dell/Screenovate had to do to get Mobile Connect working with iPhones as it does, and why Microsoft doesn't have access to similar tools?