Windows Phone 8.1, the long awaited update that contains a plethora of new experiences for Windows Phone 8 users who enjoy music, video and podcasts, is now available for any Windows Phone user to download — with a catch.
Microsoft made the download available to Windows Phone 8 user’s devices earlier today. The catch is that users must sign up for the Windows Phone & Windows Developer Program and then install a small app on their device before checking for the update. As a Windows Developer account is free, that means anyone with a Windows Phone 8 device can download the new software. It won’t roll out to all users until sometime this summer.
Microsoft announced the upcoming update just a few weeks ago at its BUILD 2014 conference. The update scraps the Music & Video hub and replaces it with separate preloaded Xbox Music, Xbox Video and Podcast apps. There’s also support for more Bluetooth profiles for pairing devices with a car stereo, tile backgrounds for personalizing the Start Screen, a new notification area away from the Start Screen and Cortana, Windows Phone’s new personal assistant.
Any device loaded with Windows Phone 8 can downloaded Windows Phone 8.1.