The Apps corner in Windows mobile allows users to set up a customized start screen and app functionality when someone else uses your phone. On paper, it sounds like a useful feature, but Microsoft says people aren’t using it.
The latest Windows 10 build 15014 broke the news through its changelog, which reads:
“Due to decreased usage, Apps Corner is no longer available in Windows 10 Mobile starting with Builds 15007 and above.”
Those with children may be hit hardest by the feature’s removal. In 2012, Microsoft released ‘Kids Corner,’ which gave parents several restriction options. However, this was axed with the Anniversary Update for similar reasons. Apps Corner wasn’t kept as a replacement, but it did provide many of the same features.
https://youtu.be/EaQl57Zamio
“While not a replacement with the same functionality, you can try out Apps Corner under Settings > Accounts > Apps Corner which has some of the functionality as Kids Corner such as the ability to give people access to selected apps on your phone as well as a customized Start screen when they use your phone,” said Dona Sarkar.
Its uses went further than that, too. App corner let users customize which buttons would work and lock down the phone to protect data. As a result, it was applicable in a number of different environments.
Lack of Marketing
Some users may see this as a slightly drastic decision. It’s possible that some did not even realize the sub-menu existed. Bringing more attention to the feature may have mitigated some of the issues while still keeping it for regular users.
Still, it’s worth noting that Apps Corner was far from perfect. It could be slow, buggy, and generally annoying to use. Rather than dedicate the time and resources to fix the issues, the Insider team has decided to remove the unpopular feature.
With hope, we’ll see some kind of replacement in future builds. The ability to add a full desktop-like user profile with family safety options would be great. However, with the recent trend of Windows mobile, we aren’t going to put too much faith in that.
Apps Corner will be unavailable in all builds above 15007.
