Windows 10 Mobile: How to Upgrade from Windows Phone 8.1?
Windows 10 Mobile is finally here and if you are running a mobile device with Windows Phone 8.1, you might be eligible to get an upgrade to Windows 10 Mobile (for free).
For a list of eligible phones and important info about the upgrade and Windows 10 Mobile, go to the Windows 10 Mobile Upgrade Availability section.
However, if you would want to know whether you are eligible to upgrade to Windows 10 Mobile or not. Please follow these steps:
Backup Windows Phone: It is a good idea to back up your data regularly, in case you lost your phone or due to hardware or software problems, you need to reset and reinstall all your programs or you want to buy a new phone and have all your data there too. Backup is important. You may refer to Backup Windows Phone 8.1.
Check for Update: Open your phone and connect to the internet and then open Settings > Phone update and check for updates and let it check for updates. If you are fully updated then proceed to the next step. Otherwise, if there is a new update available, plug your phone into a power supply and then perform download and installing the update. You might need to restart your phone. Note that during the update process, you will not be able to use your phone for a while.
Install Windows Phone Upgrade Advisor: Above steps are necessary and important for all Windows Phone 8.1 devices whether your phone is eligible for an upgrade or not. Then you may install the Windows Phone Upgrade Advisor app. To do that, open Store in Windows Phone and search for Upgrade Advisor app and install it and run it. This app checks your Mobile Device and lets you know whether you are eligible for an upgrade or not. And also the steps which you should take to make your device ready for an upgrade.
Upgrade to Windows 10 Mobile: If the Upgrade Advisor app determines your phone is ready for an upgrade, then make sure you are connected to the internet and your phone is fully charged and connected your phone to the power supply. After that, go to Windows Update and have it check for update and it will offer you the upgrade to Windows 10 Mobile.
The upgrade process will take some time and you need to restart your phone. During this time, you will be unable to use your phone. So you will want to perform the upgrade whenever you are not using your phone or it is okay if your phone goes offline for a while. After the upgrade, and the process has completed, you will have Windows 10 Mobile. The first thing you should do is to open the Store app and check for update. In this case, your Apps will get the latest update and they improve performance, reliability and security of Apps. If you don’t check for updates, Store would check and install updates automatically as long as you have internet connection. However, doing this manually would speed up the process. You should also check for update again, in many cases, after you upgraded to Windows 10 Mobile, there could be other updates available. Installing them could take some time and you should perform the same process as you did for upgrade (connect to power supply and so on).
In general, you should have a great experience after upgrading to Windows 10 Mobile. However, if you face any problems or you have some feedback to share. You could open Windows Feedback app in Windows 10 Mobile and report your issue. Make sure you explain your issue in details and explain reproduce steps.
If you decide that Windows 10 Mobile is not for you, you will have the option of reinstalling Windows Phone 8.1 back on to your phone. The Windows Device Recovery Tool can be used to wipe your phone and install a clean install of Windows Phone 8.1. Microsoft has detailed instructions and download links on the "How can I recover/reset/restore my phone software?" support page.