Windows Phone 7.8 and 8.0 to feature new Share option for apps

By Daniel Rubino
last updated

A new menu option in Windows Phone 7.8 for sharing apps

When we covered the Windows Phone 7.8 custom ROM last week in our hands on video, one thing we missed that has been brought to our attention involves the Program list.

Evidently, when you press-n-hold any third party app within the jump list, you now have a new option besides the current Pin to Start, Rate and Review and Uninstall and that’s Share.

The Share button will presumably allow you to quickly pull up the Windows Phone Store link for that app and allow you to email, SMS or perhaps even distribute over social networks (e.g. Facebook, Twitter, etc).  We simply do not know at this point because although the menu item is there, it does not seem to be tied to any part of the OS just yet. Translation: nothing happens when we press it.

Assuming this isn’t part of the custom ROM per se but rather Windows Phone 7.8 (and we believe that to be the case as it is found in numerous 7.8 ROMs), this appears to be yet another minor change coming in the OS update due after Windows Phone 8.

Speaking of, we’re quite certain if this new feature is in Windows Phone 7.8 it will surely be in Windows Phone 8 as well. Once again, while it’s not a ground breaking new addition, it should go a long way in making it much easier to pass on apps to friends or colleagues. In fact, we wonder if the Windows Phone 8 version will use NFC for tap-n-pass functionality? That could be interesting.

Thanks, Justin A., for the find!

Daniel Rubino
Daniel Rubino
Executive Editor

Daniel Rubino is the Executive Editor of Windows Central, head reviewer, podcast co-host, and analyst. He has been covering Microsoft here since 2007, back when this site was called WMExperts (and later Windows Phone Central). His interests include Windows, Microsoft Surface, laptops, next-gen computing, and arguing with people on the internet.

21 Comments
  • This has always bothered me. Hope this really is in 7.8
  • Did you miss the title of the article?
  • This is great, I hate having to go into the Store to share an app.
  • Dang! I cant believe i didnt notice that! But , it doesn't do anything yet like u said :/
  • I'll bet it is tap-n-pass!  apps, music, etc., if you own it, you can pass it on... to another WP user with an active WP account.  Can't wait to see this myself!
  • Instead of "rate and review", I wish there was a "view in store" menu option.  I often want to check out the description (usually release notes) of an app I already have (like when I update my apps but don't have time at that moment to check out changes).  It's a major pain to have to go in the store and search for it...
  • Definitely a welcome plus. Having to to Marketplace/Store, search for the app just to share it was to cumbersome. It is little things like these that will go a long way in making our WP lives a little more easier.
  • I was expecting to see more, but I'm waiting to see the official changelog when it's releases, altough having 0 expectations to see something actually useful for me besides the new start screen (which I desperately need it on my Lumia 800).
  • Finally...
  • Oh thank god! What a bloody relief.. hate having to go into the marketplace and then sharing it!
    for me it's all about the little things that make the OS better. Doesn't need to be ground breaking.
    This is an excellent addition.
  • Like Zune music squirting for apps.
  • there is an empty unused space on the white menu maybe its for add to Hub ?
  • Evidently
  • It is really sad that this is worth an article... does the new WP7.8 or even WP8 does not have any really outstanding, not yet leaked new features?
  • We don't know yet, since Microsoft keeps it a secret, hence we have to drool over this kind of findings.
  • Hopefully this ends up being extended elsewhere in WP8.  I could see this being like the 'Share' charm in Windows 8.  You can already share pictures and web pages on WP7.5, but how great would it be to be able to tap+share pretty much everywhere - contacts, calendar appointments, apps, songs from the Xbox Music store (for others with a pass, of course), search results, a location in maps, etc?
  • This is one of the common sense things that always make me scratch my head when i think about whether or not msft is able to really do consumer facing products. From launch it was obvious that this needed to be in there, then they missed it for the nodo update, the mango update, and tango update...
  • A very welcome feature, it was always cumbersome to search the marketplace to share an app
  • The overwhelming majority of apps already have a built in share function anyway, not really anything to be that fussed about
  • I think it make a lot of sense for "share" function to pull out the windos phone market link for that app and allows user to email or tweet it, since I was thinking copying an app to another devices, but it should only be available if they are free apps, definitely not for paid apps......
  • Ok that's nice... But what about sharing other things? Will we be able to share news from other apps (bbc, cnn, etc..); pictures to other services than Windows Live; anything else?