Microsoft Delivers Windows 10 Mobile Insider Preview Build 14371 to Fast Ring Testers

Another week, another build: Last night, Microsoft delivered Windows 10 Mobile Insider Preview Build 14371 to Fast ring testers. As you might expect at this late point in the development of the Anniversary update, there are no features.

Note: Microsoft also revealed that this build should be heading out to Windows Insiders on PCs “soon” as well.

Separately, Microsoft revealed this week that its Windows 10 Mobile-based Wallet app had been updated to support Tap to Pay functionality. That’s exciting news for Windows phone hold-outs with one of three supported phones who have opted into the Windows Insider program. But it’s not really a build 14371 “feature.” Instead, it’s just an app update that anyone with Windows 10 Mobile build 14360 or higher will receive automatically. So let’s move on to what’s new inthis build.

Nothing.

Which is to say that Microsoft has apparently stopped adding new features to Windows 10 Mobile 1607—as this OS, once codenamed “Redstone,” will be identified—and is instead wrapping up development and fixing problems.

In its blog post announcing build 14371, Microsoft reveals a long list of such fixed problems, but rather than cut and paste, I’ll just mention that none of them seem overly dramatic and that anyone living on the edge with Fast ring Insider builds should be able to handle such things.

Microsoft also highlights a short list of known issues, and here, things actually do get interesting.

First, Microsoft revealed that it is changing the backup format it uses for Windows 10 Mobile devices in order to reduce the size of backup files it stores in OneDrive. And yes, this means what you think it means: If you move forward to this or newer builds and then try to restore the phone to shipping (1511, or build 10586) version of Windows 10 Mobile, you’re going to have some issues: The Start screen layout won’t be restored and the previous backup will be overwritten.

“If you need to go back to build 10586 temporarily, once you are on Build 10586 you should disable backup so it doesn’t overwrite the good backup from Windows 10 Mobile Insider Preview builds,” Microsoft advises.

Microsoft also noted that some older devices—the Lumia 830, 930, and 1520 (each of which has SoC 8974 chipsets) are experiencing “decreases in battery life” on this build, and it is investigating. The firm is likewise investigating Wi-Fi disconnect issues, and recommends you upvote this forum post if you’re experiencing this issue on your own phone.