A couple more Windows Phone features are apparently headed to Windows 9, with signs of Wi-Fi Sense and Storage Sense showing up in the latest leaked preview builds.
Wi-Fi Sense is a feature of Windows Phone 8.1 that automatically signs users into public Wi-Fi hotspots. It can accept terms of service on the user’s behalf, and fill out a phone number, name and e-mail address if required, so the user can quickly get online with little effort. Wi-Fi Sense also share network credentials with Outlook, Skype, and Facebook contacts, so they can connect to your local Wi-Fi without knowing your password.
A leak from WinFuture.de shows evidence of Wi-Fi Sense in the next version of Windows, but the app itself isn’t available in the latest builds. Wi-Fi Sense would be a great feature for tablet and laptop users, since they don’t necessarily have a mobile broadband connection to fall back on.
WinFuture.de also found a working version of Storage Sense. In Windows Phone 8.1. Storage Sense lists apps in order of size, and makes it easy to remove multiple programs at the same time. It also includes a removal tool for temporary files, and lets users define default save locations—including removable media—for music, pictures and videos.
Granted, those features are already available on Windows in some form. For instance, you can sort programs by size in the “Programs and Features” section of Control Panel, and can remove temporary files with the disk cleanup utility. You can also change the properties of your documents folders to set them in a different location. But these settings aren’t easy for users to find. Storage Sense could replace them as a one-stop shop.
Leaked details on Windows 9 have been coming in at a rapid clip ahead of an expected reveal on September 30. New leaks over the weekend provided more details on a unified notification center and virtual desktops. The first public preview for Windows 9 will likely arrive late this month or early next month.