Troubleshooting for Nokia Lumia 900

Many features in your Nokia Lumia phone increase the demand on battery power and reduce the battery life time. For example if the signal strength of the mobile network varies much in your area, your phone must scan for the available network repeatedly. This increases the demand on battery power.

You can set your phone to automatically save power when the battery charge level is low. To check the battery status, and switch battery saver mode on, go to Settings > battery saver. Windows Phone 8: To choose when you want battery saver mode to be activated, switch Battery saver toggle to On and tap advanced.
Note: When Battery Saver is on, your phone will no longer: automatically receive email and calendar updates, update some Live Tiles and allow apps to run in the background.

If you are listening to music or otherwise using your phone, but do not want to make or receive calls, switch airplane (flight) mode on under the Settings menu.

To save battery power, note the following: 

Background apps

1. Set your phone to check for new mail less frequently or even by request only. On the start screen, open up the email account you want to modify, and tap the three dots (...) in the right bottom corner of the inbox screen, and then tap Settings > sync settings and change the setting for Download new content.
2. Some apps may run in the background unnecessarily. On the start screen, swipe left, tap Settings, swipe to applications and tap background tasks. Tap the app you want to block, and tap block. Especially Lumia 520, 620, 720, 810, 820, 822 and 920 users; please check that Nokia Drive+ Beta app is blocked (set to Off) in background tasks.
3. Close the apps you are not using, to do that, press Back key. For example, when you are finished taking a picture, press the Back key to exit the camera viewfinder. 
   

The screen

1. Set the screen switch off after a short time, go to Settings > lock screen (Lock+wallpaper) and change the setting for Screen times out after.
2. Lower the screen brightness, go to Settings > brightness > Level. Switch the Automatically adjust to Off and select the level. 
   

Use network connections selectively

1. Switch Bluetooth off when you do not need it, go to Settings > Bluetooth, and then slide the Status (Searching and discoverable) toggle to Off.
2. Use a Wi-Fi connection to connect to the internet, rather than a mobile data (E, G, 3G, H+, 4G) connection.
3. Stop your phone scanning for available Wi-Fi networks if those are not available, go to Settings > WiFi (Windows Phone 8: Advanced), and uncheck the box next to Notify me when new networks are found.
4. Switch off location services if not needed – so the phone will not look up your location frequently in the background (Settings > Location services > Off).
5. Use NFC on only when needed. To switch the tap+send feature off, go to Settings > tap+send, and switch NFC sharing toggle to Off.
6. Switch off Connect with Xbox LIVE when you not need it, go to Settings, swipe to applications and tap games.
7. Windows Phone 8: Stop your phone connecting to Xbox Music cloud collection go to Settings > Applications > Music+Videos, and switch all relevant settings off. 
   

Anything else I need to know?

• Always charge the battery fully. Check Settings > battery saver > battery information. Note that older chargers may not fully charge the battery.
• Mute unnecessary sounds and functions, such as key press sounds and vibra. To do that, go to Settings > ringtones+sounds.
• Use wired headphones, rather than the loudspeaker.
• Make sure that your phone is running the latest software to get battery related improvements. Please check also that your phone apps are up-to-date. 

The instructions to save power on your Lumia phone presented on this video (English) from Nokia Care.

If the battery drains faster even there is no active feature or applications, try to switch off the power and then switch back on. The battery may also be worn out and needs to be replacing with a new one.

This FAQ applies to Nokia Lumia phones with Windows Phone 7.

You can use the Zune PC software to connect a computer to the Windows Phone using a USB cable or Wireless network.

With Zune you can:

• Download media content such as music, videos, movies, and podcasts from Zune Marketplace to a computer.
• Sync media content between the computer and the phone. This includes the music, pictures, videos, movies and podcasts on your computer that you want to copy to your phone.
  
• Update your phone software and backup the content.
  
• Set up a wireless sync connection between your phone and Zune software to sync music, videos, pictures, and podcasts over a Wireless network.

To download and install Zune, or to learn more about Zune, go to xbox.com/live/zune.

When you have installed Zune, for the first sync the phone must be connected through a compatible USB data cable to your PC. On your computer, open Zune, and follow the displayed instructions. 

If you are using an Apple Mac, download Windows Phone App from Mac App Store.

If your phone is unresponsive, or it gets stuck showing Nokia logo, then try this: Press and hold both the Volume down and the Power keys for 15 seconds. This should get your phone to restart properly again. If this does not help, then follow next steps to perform OS reset.

Warning: Resetting your phone will return it to the same state it was in the first time you turned it on. All your personal content in the phone, including text messages and apps that you been purchased and downloaded (may be re-downloaded again) will be erased, and the phone will be restore to the factory settings.
Here are two options to follow, depending on whether you can access your phone's Settings screen or not.

Option 1: About menu

• Use this option if you can access your phone's settings.
  
• This option warns about data loss.

On the Start screen, swipe left, select Settings > About > Reset your phone.

Option 2: Hardware key combination

• Use this option if you forget or lose the password.
• Use this option if the phone fails to fully switch on when pressing the power on key.
• Note: No warning about data loss!
  

Nokia Lumia with Windows Phone 8

Step 1
Make sure the charger is disconnected.
1. Switch the power Off.
2. Press and hold the Volume down and connect the charger, if succeed an exclamation mark (!) is shown on the screen.

Step 2
Then input Keys in the following order:
1. Volume up
2. Volume down
3. Power
4. Volume down

Step 3
The phone will reset and boot up automatically. Please note that this may take several minutes.

Nokia Lumia with Windows Phone 7 

Make sure the charger is disconnected.
1. Switch the power Off.
2. Press and hold the Volume down and Camera keys.
3. Press and hold the Power key.
4. When the phone vibrates, release the power key, but continue holding the volume down and camera keys, until the phone reboots.

This FAQ applies to Nokia Lumia phones with Windows Phone 7.

You need to have the appropriate software and the Zune PC app installed on your PC. To download and install the latest version on your PC, or to learn more about Zune, go to www.zune.net. You may need to restart your computer, and you may need to install additional software.

Depending on what you need to install, and how much data you are transferring, this may take a while.

Some music files can be protected by digital rights management (DRM). These songs do not appear in your Zune music collection and you can't sync them on your Lumia.

These instructions may not apply to all phone models and manufacturers.

Nokia Symbian and series 40 phones, Android, Blackberry

1. Use a compatible USB data cable to connect your old phone to your PC.
2. Sync the desired content to your PC with the appropriate software, such as Nokia Suite, HTC Sync, or Samsung Kies. Note the folders where you synced the files.
3. Connect your new phone to your PC, and open Zune on your PC.
4. In Zune settings, make sure the folders are the same you used when syncing the content to your PC.
5. In Zune, select the desired music in your collection, and sync the music to your new phone.
   

iPhone

1. Use a compatible USB data cable to connect your new phone to your PC, and open Zune on your PC.
2. In Zune settings, select the same folder you have used when syncing with iTunes.
3. In Zune, select the desired music in your collection, and sync the music to your new phone.
   

Windows Phone

1. Use a compatible USB cable to connect your old phone to your PC, and open Zune on your PC.
2. Sync the desired content to your PC.
3. Connect your new phone to your PC.
4. In Zune, select the desired music in your collection, and sync the music to your new phone.
   

Syncing your music collection with a PC

1. With a USB cable
2. With a wireless connection.
   

Syncing music with an Apple Mac

If you are using an Apple Mac, download Windows Phone App from Mac App Store.

These instructions may not apply to all phone models and manufacturers.

There may be third-party computer apps available, such as Welcome Home to Windows Phone, that transfer data from your old phone to your new phone.

Contacts from your old phone
If you only want to transfer your contacts, or if you use an Apple Mac, use the Contacts Transfer app on your phone. If your phone does not have Contacts Transfer app, you can download it from Store (formerly known as Marketplace).

If you have previously had a micro-SIM or micro-RUIM card, you can also copy your contacts from your card to your new phone. For more information on how to copy contacts to your SIM or RUIM card, see the user guide of your phone.

Learn how to copy contacts to your new Nokia Lumia phone on Nokia Support videos (English).

Contacts and calendar from an online service
If your contacts and calendar are stored online as part of an online service such as Google Account, Microsoft Exchange, or even Facebook or Twitter, set up that account on your phone and your contacts and calendar entries are imported automatically.

For more information on how to set up an account on your phone, see the user guide of your phone.

Contacts and calendar from a Nokia Symbian or series 40 phone
In the Nokia Suite (version 3.6 onwards) you can transfer contacts and calendar items to the Microsoft SkyDrive cloud service by using Nokia Suite. From the SkyDrive the content is synced to your Lumia phone. To use SkyDrive, you need a Microsoft Account (formerly known as Windows Live ID). If you do not have a Microsoft Account account, you can create one at live.com, or using your phone.

1. Make sure you have Nokia Suite 3.6.11 or higher installed on your PC.
2. Use a compatible USB data cable to connect your Symbian or Series 40 phone to your PC.
3. Launch Nokia Suite, and start the sync setup, select Sync > Sync now > Set up sync.
4. Select the content you wish to sync with your phone.
5. Start the sync.
6. Once the sync is complete, select Show details to see what was synced.
7. To upload the content to SkyDrive, select Tools > Upload to SkyDrive and follow the instructions on the screen.
8. Sign into your Microsoft account with your Lumia phone to get the copied content.

For more information, open Nokia Suite and, on the Help menu, click Nokia Suite help > Switching to Nokia Lumia.

Contacts and calendar from your computer
If you want to transfer your calendar entries and to-dos as well as your contacts, you need to have:

• Microsoft Account (formerly known as Windows Live ID).
• Microsoft Outlook on your computer
• Microsoft Outlook Hotmail Connector downloaded and installed on your computer

For more information, search for the separate article, you can use the search field on this page to find this FAQ: 'How can I sync my contacts and calendars from Outlook to my Nokia Lumia?'

Android, iPhone, Blackberry

1. Use a compatible USB data cable to connect your phone to your PC.
2. On your PC, use the appropriate sync software, such as HTC Sync, Samsung Kies, or iTunes to sync your contacts, calendar entries, and to-dos from your old phone to your computer, and set the sync software to sync the items to Outlook.
3. In Outlook, add the Microsoft Account to your Outlook using Microsoft Outlook Hotmail Connector. You may need to manually configure the settings.
4. Sync the content you want from Outlook to your Microsoft Account. It may take a while before the content is available in your Microsoft Account.
5. Sign into your Microsoft account with your Lumia phone to get the copied content.

Windows Phone
Back up the contacts and calendar entries in your old phone to Windows Live, and import them to your new phone straight from the service.

Mac computer
Search for the separate FAQ article, you can use the search field on this page to find this FAQ: 'How do I sync contacts and calendar from Mac computer to my Lumia?'

You need to have the appropriate sync software and the Zune PC app installed on your PC. To download and install the latest version on your PC, or to learn more about Zune, go to xbox.com/live/zune. You may need to restart your computer, and you may need to install additional software.

Depending on what you need to install, and how much data you are syncing, this may take a while.

Some file formats, such as 3gpp, may not be transferred. Some third-party converter applications may be available to convert the files to a format that can be transferred.

These instructions may not apply to all phone models and manufacturers.

Nokia Symbian and series 40 phones, Android, Blackberry

1. Use a compatible USB data cable to connect your old phone to your PC.
2. Sync the desired content to your PC with the appropriate sync software, such as Nokia Suite, HTC Sync or Samsung Kies. Note the folders where you synced the files.
3. When the sync is complete, connect your new phone to your PC, and open Zune.
4. In Zune settings, make sure the folders are the same you used when syncing with the sync software.
5. In Zune, select the content type in your collection, and sync the content to your new phone.

iPhone

1. Use a compatible USB data cable to connect your iPhone to your PC.
2. Select Import pictures and videos using Windows. Note the folders where you synced the files.
3. When the sync is complete, connect your new phone to your PC, and open Zune.
4. In Zune settings, make sure the folders are the same you used when importing the content to your PC.
5. In Zune, select the content type in your collection, and sync the content to your new phone.

Windows Phone

1. Use a compatible USB cable to connect your old phone to your PC.
2. Open Zune, and sync the desired content to your PC.
3. When the sync is complete, connect your new phone to your PC.
4. In Zune, select the content type in your collection, and sync the content to your new phone.

Transferring content with an Apple Mac

If you have an Apple Mac, you can use Windows Phone App (Mac OS) to sync your pictures and videos from your Mac to your new phone
 

It is possible to fix many phone problems yourself in a few minutes – including phone freezes or does not switch on, application crashes, sound problems and a blank display. To save yourself time, try these three fixes.

1. Restart your phone

If the phone hardware is jammed, you should first try restart your phone. This does not reset the Microsoft Account (Windows Live ID) or remove any consumer data.

Option 1: To perform the power reset for phones with integrated battery (phone has a special electronic circuit which switches off the power when the key combination is pressed):

1. Switch the power On (if possible) and disconnect the charger.
   
2. Press the Volume Down + Power Key and hold them for 15 seconds.
   
3. You will feel vibration.
   
4. The phone will reset and boot up automatically.
   

Option 2: To perform power reset for phones with removable battery:

1. Remove the battery and reinsert it.
   
2. Boot up the phone normally.

2. Update the software

You might not be using the most recent software for your phone. Updating to the latest version of your phone may resolve your issue.
You can check for the availability of Lumia software updates in your region here.

3. Reset your phone

Warning: This erases all the personal content in the phone, including apps that have been purchased and downloaded (may be re-downloaded again), and restores the factory settings.

To reset your phone to the state in which the phone was in the first time you turned it on, go to Settings > About and then Reset your phone.

If you lose your phone, you can reset your phone remotely. In this option you need have the Find My Phone feature enabled and your phone must be connected to mobile network.

1. Login to http://www.windowsphone.com.
2. Click on the drop down menu right next to your name, and select the device that you would like to erase.
3. At the top left corner, you will see the name and model of the Windows Phone.
4. Click on Erase your phone.

The screen gets turned off during a phone call when the proximity sensor is covered. This is done to avoid accidental touch screen actions when you are in a call.

If the screen gets turned off immediately when dialing a number or receiving a call, check that the proximity sensor area at the upper front of the screen is not covered by any kind of protective film or tape.

You can take the following steps to check the issue. If the screen keeps turned off, the protector may not be of the right size and will block the sensor on the upper part of the front side. Then either remove the protector or cut off the plastic from the blocking area.

1. Make or receive a call with the phone.
2. Once the phone is in a call place your hand 1cm above the screen and display will turn off.
   
3. Remove your hand and display shall turn back on.
   
4. Repeat the test steps 1,2,3 for 3 times to verify the proximity sensor function.

This FAQ applies to Nokia Lumia phones with Windows Phone 7.

How can I update my Lumia?

1. Install the Zune PC software on your computer. You'll need this software to download the phone update.
2. Connect your phone to your computer, using the USB cable that came with your phone. Before starting the update, make sure your phone has enough battery power.
3. If the Zune PC software does not start automatically when you connect your phone, start it manually.
4. In the Zune PC software, click Update Now. Make sure you keep your phone connected to your computer until you see a notification that the update is complete.

How do I prepare for an update?

1. Before starting the update, make sure your phone has enough battery power. If the battery level is low, charge the battery before starting the update.
   
2. Check that your phone is set to the correct date and time.
3. Free up space on your computer, as you need enough space to download the software update, and to save a backup of your existing phone software, settings, and media files.
4. Also check out this video (English) on YouTube with instructions for update.

Anything else I need to know?

If you get an error code, mark it down. To check what went wrong and what can you do to it, check this page.

In case there is a problem, try the Installing or updating your Windows Phone 7 software wizard. It provides step-by-step instructions to resolve the most common problems.

When you update your phone using the Zune software on your primary computer, we automatically back up your phone software and settings for safekeeping. Should there be any problems later, you can restore your phone to its previous state.

If you can't find a solution to your problem in the information above, you can also try our FAQ search or the Microsoft support pages.

All Nokia Lumia phones have the feature to share phone's internet connection over WiFi (tethering) with up to five other devices or computers. Lumia 800 and 710 has got the Internet sharing with the Software Update that began rolling out on June 27th 2012.

To use your phone as a modem:

1. Go to Settings > Internet sharing and set Sharing to On.
2. Your Broadcast name and password are automatically provided.
3. Guests connected shows how many guests are currently connected to your phone. Up to five guests can be connected at the same time.
4. In Setup you can change your internet sharing password.

Note: The connection automatically turns off if it is not used for a few minutes.

For further assistance, use the search field on this page to find the separate FAQ article: I have problems using Internet sharing on my Lumia. What should I do?

Also check out this video (English) on YouTube with instructions for sharing your mobile data connection.