Back in February, we learned that Microsoft would be discontinuing the Rooms feature on Windows Phone. After support for the service ends, users will still be able to access their Rooms photo albums, calendars and notes but access to chats will be removed as will the ability to create new Rooms. Microsoft has sent another friendly reminder letting everyone know that support ends mid-June.
“After support for rooms ends mid-June 2015, you’ll still see your existing rooms on your Windows Phone 8 or 8.1. You’ll be able to view and use your room photos, calendars, and notes on your phone. But you won’t be able to create new rooms or make membership or permissions changes to existing rooms. Additionally, you and other room members won’t be able to send any new room chat messages or create any new calendar events,” Microsoft explains in an email to WinBeta.
Microsoft recommends that you save anything from your chats so you don’t lose anything. Once you update to Windows 10 Mobile Insider Preview, rooms will no longer show up on your phone, the company explains. “You’ll still be able to get to your photos, calendars, and notes, either on the Web or by using other apps on your phone. You won’t be able to see your chat history or send and receive new chats, or create any new calendar events.”
To see room content using apps on your phone:
- Photos – You’ll find your photos and videos in the OneDrive app in a folder with same name as the room.
- Calendar – Go to the Calendar app to see your room calendar.
- Notes – Your room notes are in the OneNote app, in a notebook with the same name as the room.
To see room content on the Web:
- Sign in to Outlook.com with the same Microsoft account you use on your phone. You’ll find your content there, in folders with the same name as your room.
- Or just use these direct links to get to your: Photos, Calendar, Notes.
You can continue to see everything from rooms (except for chats) on Outlook.com, in the Outlook app, and on windowsphone.com.
Windows Phone’s Rooms feature allowed users to group contacts to allow for convenient viewing of contact information and group chats. It didn’t prove to be popular though, most likely due to the numerous other apps that provide similar functionality and accessibility for family or friends on non-Windows Phone devices. Did you use Rooms? Do you have an alternative? Let us know in the comments below.
