Update a Microsoft Lumia Phone to Windows Mobile 10

Edited by Train Wreck, VisiHow, Eng

Some things are better late than never, and Windows Mobile 10 is one of those things. Microsoft took more than six months of extra time to roll out this operating system. While there have been ups and downs along the way, the end result is a great-looking OS that really shines on the Microsoft Lumia-series of phones. However, you do need to make sure you have the following three things in order to receive this update.

  • You ought to have one of the twelve supported Microsoft Lumia mobile devices, which we have listed below. Keep in mind that Microsoft may update this list at a later date, adding or removing devices.
    • Lumia 430, Lumia 435, Lumia 532, Lumia 535, Lumia 540, Lumia 635 (1 GB RAM required), Lumia 640, Lumia 730, Lumia 735, Lumia 830, Lumia 930, and Lumia 1520.
    • Take into account that the availability of this update can vary by location. So, one Lumia might get an update, while the same Lumia in another region may be ineligible.
  • You need to update your phone to the most recent Microsoft Windows Mobile 8.1 Denim update, which prepares the Lumia series of phones for the Microsoft WM10 update. We've covered this in another how-to article.
  • Download and install the Windows 10 upgrade advisor application from the Windows Store. We discuss this in our tutorial below.
    Update a Microsoft Lumia Phone to Windows Mobile 10 64147.jpg

Download and Install the WM10 Upgrade Advisor

In order to download Windows Mobile 10, you must first download and install the Windows Mobile 10 Upgrade Advisor. Below, we will explain how to download it.

  1. 1
    Unlock your Microsoft Lumia phone by swiping it across the screen
    .
    This will open the phone and allow you to access the start screen.
    Update a Microsoft Lumia Phone to Windows Mobile 10 20969.jpg
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  2. 2
    On the start tiles, look for the Windows Store icon
    .
    Tap on it one time to open Store.
    Update a Microsoft Lumia Phone to Windows Mobile 10 24713.jpg
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  3. 3
    Once you have opened Store, tap once on the search option
    .
    This is at the bottom of the phone and looks like a magnifying glass.
    Update a Microsoft Lumia Phone to Windows Mobile 10 99996.jpg
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  4. 4
    After tapping on the search option, the search menu will appear at the top of the screen
    .
    Simply begin typing 'Upgrade Advisor', and the text should appear in the menu. Tap one time on 'Upgrade Advisor' when it appears.
    Update a Microsoft Lumia Phone to Windows Mobile 10 84759.jpg
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  5. 5
    You will now be taken to a screen where you will see the icon for Upgrade Advisor
    .
    Tap once on the Upgrade Advisor icon to select it.
    Update a Microsoft Lumia Phone to Windows Mobile 10 22160.jpg
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  6. 6
    Now, tap one time on the 'Install' button
    .
    This button is at the bottom left of your phone.
    Update a Microsoft Lumia Phone to Windows Mobile 10 46854.jpg
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  7. 7
    At any time during the installation, you may tap on 'Check Install' to see the progress.
    Update a Microsoft Lumia Phone to Windows Mobile 10 15769.jpg
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  8. 8
    When you tap on 'Check Install', you will be taken to a page where you can swipe right or left to see downloads and history
    .
    You will see Upgrade Advisor in the 'downloads' section. There will also be a progress bar. When this progress bar has been filled, you may swipe to the left.
    Update a Microsoft Lumia Phone to Windows Mobile 10 70961.jpg
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  9. 9
    Swiping to the left will take you to the 'history' section
    .
    You should see Upgrade Advisor on the list.
    Update a Microsoft Lumia Phone to Windows Mobile 10 15366.jpg
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  10. 10
    Having successfully downloaded and installed Microsoft Windows Mobile 10 Upgrade Advisor, you are now ready to proceed to the next section.
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Launch the WM10 Upgrade Advisor

Once Upgrade Advisor has been installed, you will need to launch it. Launching Upgrade Advisor will check and test your phone to confirm that it is ready to download and install Windows Mobile 10.

  1. 1
    You may view the Upgrade Advisor application one of two ways
    .
    If you are still on the 'history' page, then you may tap once on Upgrade Advisor.
    Update a Microsoft Lumia Phone to Windows Mobile 10 83484.jpg
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  2. 2
    This will open the Upgrade Advisor application overview
    .
    You may then tap on 'view'. This will take you to the location of the application on your phone.
    Update a Microsoft Lumia Phone to Windows Mobile 10 98396.jpg
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  3. 3
    If you are not still on the 'history' page, simply swipe left from the start screen of your phone and then scroll down until you locate the Upgrade Advisor application
    .
    When you locate it, tap one time on the icon.
    Update a Microsoft Lumia Phone to Windows Mobile 10 36188.jpg
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  4. 4
    You will now see a blue screen informing you that you have opened the Microsoft Upgrade Advisor application.
    Update a Microsoft Lumia Phone to Windows Mobile 10 83431.jpg
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  5. 5
    Next, you will see an overview of the application
    .
    This section will provide you with information on what Upgrade Advisor is and additionally with a link, should you need more information.
    Update a Microsoft Lumia Phone to Windows Mobile 10 29087.jpg
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  6. 6
    Tap one time on 'next' to continue.
    Update a Microsoft Lumia Phone to Windows Mobile 10 21044.jpg
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  7. 7
    After tapping on 'next', your Microsoft Lumia phone will begin checking for updates.
    Update a Microsoft Lumia Phone to Windows Mobile 10 71397.jpg
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  8. 8
    When the process of checking for updates has been completed, you should see a window indicating that Windows Mobile 10 is available
    .
    You will need to check the 'Enable Windows 10 upgrade' box in order to receive the upgrade.
    Update a Microsoft Lumia Phone to Windows Mobile 10 94684.jpg
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  9. 9
    You will then need to tap one time on the 'next' button.
    Update a Microsoft Lumia Phone to Windows Mobile 10 30261.jpg
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  10. 10
    This will once more check for updates specific to your Lumia phone and phone model.
    Update a Microsoft Lumia Phone to Windows Mobile 10 53964.jpg
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  11. 11
    When the process has been completed, you will be given instructions on how to continue the update
    .
    Press the 'Done' button and proceed to the next section of this guide.
    Update a Microsoft Lumia Phone to Windows Mobile 10 37682.jpg
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Download and Install WM10 on Your Lumia

Now that you have successfully downloaded and installed Windows Upgrade Advisor and further have registered your device for the Windows Mobile 10 upgrade, you are ready to begin the download and installation processes. These processes can take up to an hour and will require you to restart your device. In addition, certain applications that you have installed may not function or may need to be updated to function with the new Windows Mobile 10 installation on your Microsoft Lumia smartphone.

  1. 1
    From the start screen of your phone, swipe left to access the applications menu
    .
    Scroll down to 'Settings' and tap on it one time.
    Update a Microsoft Lumia Phone to Windows Mobile 10 89074.jpg
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  • 2
    Once you have opened 'Settings', you will need to scroll down to 'phone update'
    .
    When you find 'phone update', tap on it one time.
    Update a Microsoft Lumia Phone to Windows Mobile 10 49638.jpg
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  • 3
    After tapping 'phone update', the download will begin
    .
    You will need to wait for this download to be completed.
    Update a Microsoft Lumia Phone to Windows Mobile 10 10552.jpg
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  • 4
    Once the download has been completed, you tap once on 'install'.
    Update a Microsoft Lumia Phone to Windows Mobile 10 48992.jpg
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  • 5
    This will take you to a new window, where you will be required to accept the Microsoft service agreement
    .
    Tap one time on 'accept' if you have read carefully and have accepted the service agreement.
    Update a Microsoft Lumia Phone to Windows Mobile 10 33755.jpg
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  • 6
    After you have tapped 'Accept', your Microsoft Lumia phone will be restarted
    .
    Update a Microsoft Lumia Phone to Windows Mobile 10 25964.jpg
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  • 7
    Once the phone has been restarted, you will see two gears spinning
    .
    Underneath of these gears, will be a progress bar.
    Update a Microsoft Lumia Phone to Windows Mobile 10 97627.jpg
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  • 8
    Once the progress bar has been completed, the phone will boot into Microsoft Windows 10
    .
    You will note this owing to the fact that many times you will be missing start screen tiles. In order to add or rearrange start screen tiles, please follow our tutorial on how to add or rearrange start screen tiles on Windows Mobile 10. In order to confirm your update, please proceed to the next section of this tutorial.
    Update a Microsoft Lumia Phone to Windows Mobile 10 51879.jpg
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  • Manually Check for and Confirm WM10 Updates

    If you have installed Microsoft Mobile Windows 10 but you are unsure that there are still updates, you can check for updates manually. It's a simple process, and we will show you how to do that in the section below.

    1. 1
      From the start screen of your Microsoft Lumia, swipe from left to right to access the applications menu.
      Update a Microsoft Lumia Phone to Windows Mobile 10 66141.jpg
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    2. 2
      You should see Microsoft Upgrade Advisor at the very top of the screen
      .
      This is because it is the most recently downloaded application. Tap on it one time.
      Update a Microsoft Lumia Phone to Windows Mobile 10 75656.jpg
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    3. 3
      After tapping on Upgrade Advisor, you will once again see the blue screen with 'Windows 10 Upgrade Advisor'.
      Update a Microsoft Lumia Phone to Windows Mobile 10 93558.jpg
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    4. 4
      You will now see a screen indicating that you have launched Microsoft Upgrade Advisor.
      Update a Microsoft Lumia Phone to Windows Mobile 10 99092.jpg
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    5. 5
      Tap once on the 'Next' button to continue.
      Update a Microsoft Lumia Phone to Windows Mobile 10 29312.jpg
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    6. 6
      Once more, Upgrade Advisor will begin to check and see if there are any upgrades available.
      Update a Microsoft Lumia Phone to Windows Mobile 10 63004.jpg
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    7. 7
      If there are upgrades available, you will be given the option to download them as discussed earlier in this guide where we went over how to use Upgrade Advisor
      .
      If there are none available, you will see the screen below indicating that there are no upgrades available for your phone.
      Update a Microsoft Lumia Phone to Windows Mobile 10 96018.jpg
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    8. 8
      Simply tap once on the 'done' button to close this window
      .
      In order to check which version of Windows 10 you are running, reference the section below.
      Update a Microsoft Lumia Phone to Windows Mobile 10 57739.jpg
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    Check Windows 10 Mobile Version

    Checking which version of Windows 10 Mobile is installed on your Lumia is a simple and easy process. It is no different than checking any other version of Windows. Simply follow the steps below: we will show you how to check the installed version of Windows.

    1. 1
      Swipe left from the start screen and scroll down the applications menu until you see 'Settings'
      .
      When you find 'Settings', tap on it one time.
      Update a Microsoft Lumia Phone to Windows Mobile 10 97488.jpg
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    2. 2
      Next, scroll down to 'System'
      .
      When you find 'System', tap on it one time.
      Update a Microsoft Lumia Phone to Windows Mobile 10 92218.jpg
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    3. 3
      On the system menu, scroll to the bottom
      .
      You will see 'About'. Tap one time on 'About'.
      Update a Microsoft Lumia Phone to Windows Mobile 10 38637.jpg
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    4. 4
      After tapping on 'About', you will see device information
      .
      In the image below, we are pointing to the section that shows us the version of Windows Mobile 10 being run. Your device will show similar information.
      Update a Microsoft Lumia Phone to Windows Mobile 10 90222.jpg
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    5. 5
      When you have read the presented data, look at the bottom of your phone
      .
      You will see the Windows icon. Press one time on the Windows icon to return to the start screen of your phone.
      Update a Microsoft Lumia Phone to Windows Mobile 10 61853.jpg
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    6. 6
      Congratulations
      !
      You have successfully updated your Microsoft Lumia phone to Windows 10 Mobile and confirmed all of the updates. For additional help or questions with this process, please consult the questions-and-answers section below this tutorial.
      Update a Microsoft Lumia Phone to Windows Mobile 10 65545.jpg
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    Additional Tips

    • Some countries have Windows updates available before others. If you do not have access to Windows 10 Mobile, reference the beginning of this guide and ensure that you're running a supported device. In the event that you are running a supported device, contact your carrier and ascertain that they are not blocking the update.
    • As with all of the updates, you should always back up your information. Failure to back up information can result in the loss of important data. If you need help on how to back up data in Windows Mobile 10, please consult our guide on backing up data in Windows Mobile 10.

    If you have problems with any of the steps in this article, please ask a question for more help, or post in the comments section below.

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    Categories : Nokia

    Recent edits by: VisiHow, Train Wreck

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