Leaked SDK reveals tons of Windows Phone 8.1 features

Some pretty revealing details about the upcoming Windows Phone 8.1 update have come out ahead of its official release. And, thanks to LiveSino, even more details have emerged from Microsoft’s recently leaked Windows Phone 8.1 Software Development Kit, including the option to change your phone’s background. That feature is currently available on tablets and desktop PCs running Microsoft’s latest software, but curiously absent from the mobile environment.

A recently leaked Windows Phone 8.1 Software Development Kit (SDK) has provided an early look at some features Microsoft is planning for its next mobile update. However, the software maker is also planning many more additions in time for April that aren’t immediately visible in the developer kit. LiveSino reports that the SDK includes references to a “change your phone’s background” option to set a background image beneath the Live Tiles on the Start Screen. Windows 8.1 introduced such an option on tablets and desktop PCs, and Windows Phone 8.1 will provide a similar feature to match the Live Tile accent color. Sources familiar with Microsoft’s Windows Phone plans have revealed to The Verge that the company is also experimenting with transparent Live Tiles and options to skin Tiles with images. It’s not immediately clear if there will be a mixture of options or not.