Start Perfect gets new 'trial' ability, fresh features in latest update

By Daniel Rubino
last updated

Last week we reported on Start Perfect, a new offshoot app from the developer of Transparency Tiles. The app was received well for offering a plethora of customization options for those using Windows Phone 8.1, including renaming of Tiles, adding transparent ones, creating backgrounds and more.

Start Perfect runs for a modest 99 cents but at the time, it had no trial. That always irks people, so it’s good to see in today’s update that is resolved. What’s more, there are numerous new features, in addition to a sneak peek at the upcoming Transparency Tiles update. Read on for the details!

Start Perfect 1.1.0.2

  • Free Trial Version - so everyone who's been on the fence can check out what it's all about
  • Set a custom background image for website tiles.
  • Setting the URL for websites is now easier. We'll check if you've included http:// and only add it if you haven't.
  • Create LowPoly backgrounds and stay in control. Choose the main color, and whether you want to keep it simple, or add matching accents.
  • You can now create blank tiles that flip to add a little life to your start screen
  • New apps supported in built-in transparency tiles: SurfCube 3D Browser, eBay, AppDeals, Runtastic Pro, Youtube HD, Groupon, YouTube, MUSIC+, PhotoMagic, HERE City Lens, Foundbite, iMusic, Adidas miCoach
  • Games tiles can now flip and show your avatar on the back.
  • Label tiles now support up to three lines of text.
  • More features are planned. I'm an active developer, and I really want Start Perfect to be the only Start Screen app you ever need!

That’s a pretty big update. The LowPoly feature is cool, though it’s not as fun as PolyScreen. Still, it’s a nice touch. All the other features and add-ons are great too, as it really gives users a choice in how to make the most out of their 8.1 Start screens. Now that there’s a free trial on board, no reason not to try it!

Pick up Start Perfect here in the Store. 99 cents with a free trial. Windows Phone 8.1 only.

QR: start perfect

Transparency Tiles

Bonus: Transparency Tiles inbound update

For those who use the free Transparency Tiles app from the same developer, the good news is that version 1.4 is in certification now and it has some new supported apps:

  • MoliPlayer Pro
  • Live Video Player
  • Poki
  • Battery
  • Magnify Beta
  • Yelp
  • Health & Fitness
  • PhotoFunia
  • Ask.fm
  • Songza
  • Maxthon
  • Surfy

Not bad at all! Pick up Transparency Tiles here in the Store (free) and look for the 1.4 update soon. Windows Phone 8.1 only.

QR: Transparency Tiles

Via: Windows Phone Central Forums; Thanks, Chris, for the tip

Daniel Rubino
Daniel Rubino
Editor-in-chief

Daniel Rubino is the Editor-in-chief of Windows Central, head reviewer, podcast co-host, and analyst. He has been covering Microsoft since 2007 when this site was called WMExperts (and later Windows Phone Central). His interests include Windows, laptops, next-gen computing, and for some reason, watches. Before all this tech stuff, he worked on a Ph.D. in linguistics, watched people sleep (for medical purposes!), and ran the projectors at movie theaters because it was fun.

38 Comments
  • Thanks for the coverage guys and for all the support with the apps :)
    ~Matthew
  • Woot! Amazing App! Thank you.
  • Is it possible for live tiles to work with transparency?
  • No. There is no way an app can receive another apps notifications yet alone "steal" it's live tile (if it's updated by background task).
  • Does the transparent tiles that we make like for the facebook official app show the notifications?what about bing news/sports??do they show the headlines???
  • No, because they are not live tiles, they are pinned secondary tiles able to launch an app Uri.
  • Please develop this app for Windows 8.1/RT also as a universal app?
  • Does W8.1 even aloud transparent tiles?
  • Yay!
  • Please add new tiles soon like Skype, Line, etc. And your myTube logo is kinda outdated, though. Still, I love your app!
  • Lot of new articles today, Dan!
  • Exactly..feels awesome everytime opening the app and the screen goes black to load a new article..:D
  • Yeah! 32 to be precise
  • +32 :D
  • It makes me so happy when the devs work so hard :D
  • Does the transparent tiles that we make like for the facebook official app show the notifications?what about bing news/sports??do they show the headlines???
  • That's what I'm wondering.
  • No, that's not possible. Sorry. These are 'shortcuts' to the app and can't mimic notifications.
  • Why not? The Windows Phone Central tile shows the article titles doesn't it?
  • it does because the developer made it so, but i think this app only make fake transparent tile which work like shortcuts.
     think it use the same trick to open the old Music hub.
  • Why not? Because they're two entirely different apps, and obviously Bing haven't coded thier News app to send live tile data to random shortcut apps that happen to link to it. =/
  • Transparency Times is really just a stop gap til developers get round to changing Live Tiles officially. Don't expect notifications on them.
  • Nice update! Espcially happy to see the option to use custom tiles for website bookmarks. Shame it doesn't work though. =P
  • Worked for me and worked quite well.
  • Curious. Did you have to set a tile image for both wide and square? I've just been setting the square one. Edit: Yeah, I see that's the trick to it. Doesn't make it clear that you need to have both tile sizes filled.
  • Yes.  I set images for both.  I do agree the instructions weren't clear on that, as I made the same mistake the first time I tried it.
  • TransparencyTiles do one for "Weave" and "Office". Thank you.
  • + 1 for Weave. And Plex.
  • Please develop this app for Windows 8.1/RT also as a universal app? Would love to see this on Windows 8.1 :)
  • Looking forward to Office, OneNote and OneNote transparent tiles. =D
  • OneNote is already available in Start Perfect.
  • Nice. Now I'll try it. I'm a big fan of Skinery Themes, but if this offers me something a bit different I'll gladly give the 0.99€ for the full version.
  • Perhaps make it available to more markets (or all markets), by all means still in English.
  • Does this only work on Windows 8.1? When I create a fill I don't have a start+theme option in my settings app. Please help.
  • Good app, purchased. Please include more apps.
  • Awesome update, the new games tile with Xbox avatar on the flipside rules!!
  • ... Which App are you you using for such an awesome background image?
  • I love the app overall but bit annoyed with the website images insisting on specific pixel dimensions. We don't even have an app to resize an image to specific dimensions to work