Microsoft Lumia 640XL User Manual & Setup Guide

If you need a manual or help with the setup of your Microsoft Lumia 640XL, check out our user guide to start using your handset, connect to the internet and more!

1. Unboxing and assembling your Microsoft Lumia 640XL
2. Set up your phone for the first time
3. Connecting to Wi-Fi and mobile networks
4. Find out how to add your email accounts
5. How to add and import contacts to your Microsoft
6. Using the App Store to find new apps
7. Securing your Microsoft Lumia 640XL with a lock screen
8. How to make phone calls on your Microsoft
9. Send text & picture messages
10. Sending emails and attachments on your Microsoft
11. How to set alarms on the Microsoft Lumia 640XL
12. Read our tips to learn more about your phone

Click here for Microsoft's Lumia 640XL user manual

Unboxing and assembling your Microsoft Lumia 640XL

What's in the box?

Inside the box* you should find:

• 1 x Microsoft Lumia 640XL
• 1 x Battery
• 1 x Mains power adaptor

You will also need a micro-SIM card, which should have been given to you at point-of-sale unless you're transferring one from your old phone. If you wish to install a microSD (memory) card, you'll need that to hand also.

*some box contents may vary

Assembly

In order to insert the SIM and memory cards (and the battery if you haven't already) then you will need to take the back off the handset. Hold the phone upright with the screen facing you, and then use your thumbs to apply pressure onto the exposed corners of the coloured back cover, pushing it away from the body of the handset. Once it releases, you should be able to lift it away.

With the back cover removed, place the Lumia 640XL screen side down on a soft, non-scratching surface. Remove the battery if it has already been inserted.

To install the SIM, find the slot marked SIM on the left-hand edge of the battery compartment, near the bottom. You can only access the slot once the battery is removed. Make sure the gold contacts are facing down (towards the phone screen) and that the cut corner is inserted first. If your 640XL is a dual-SIM version, there will be a second SIM slot beside the first (shown blanked off in our picture of a single SIM phone) which will be labelled SIM2.

If you wish to install a microSD (memory) card, then this goes into a slot in the upper-left corner of the battery compartment. The microSD card should be inserted into the slot narrow end first, and with the gold-coloured contacts facing down (as shown above). Slide the card into the slot towards the top of the phone. The card will stop moving when the edge of the memory card is flush with the edge of the battery compartment.

With the cards installed, replace the battery (making sure that the contacts are lined up with the body of the phone) and then carefully replace the back cover, pressing it into place all around the edges to ensure the back lines up with the screen.

Charging the Microsoft Lumia 640XL

The next thing to do is make sure the phone has enough power. The mains adapter plugs into any 13A mains socket, and the small connector at the other end of the cable fits into the socket in the bottom edge of the handset. There should be some charge already in the battery but it may not be enough to complete the set up, so be prepared to connect the charger if necessary as you work through this guide.

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Set up your phone for the first time

The setup wizard is there to help you configure some basic settings on your new Microsoft Lumia, connecting to the internet and preparing your handset for use. Turn on the Lumia 640XL by pressing the power button on the right-hand edge of the phone for a second or two, and when you feel a vibration let go and wait for it to burst into life!

1. On the first screen, choose the language you want to use on your Lumia. English UK is the default option which you can tap to change, and when you are ready to proceed tap next.
2. The Terms of Use and Privacy Statement can be inspected by tapping on the links on screen. In order to use the phone you must agree to these by tapping accept.
3. The next screen invites you to connect to a Wi-Fi network. This is always a good idea as the connection is usually faster and more stable, and you won't run up a big bill by going over your data allowance. You can skip this if you wish, but to get started connecting to Wi-Fi simply scroll through the list and tap on your wireless network's name.
4. Enter the wireless password into the box on screen when prompted. This can usually be found on a sticker on your router, and may be listed as the WEP key, WPA key, or wireless passphrase. Passwords are case sensitive so ensure you reproduce any capital letters exactly, otherwise you may not be successful. Tap the Show password box to check your typing, and when you're ready to proceed tap done.

5. If all goes well you will see that your Lumia 640XL is connected to your Wi-Fi network, and the Wi-Fi symbol will appear next to the signal bars at the top of the screen. If your handset didn't connect, you will be prompted to enter the password again. Tap next to proceed.
6. You will be invited to activate Wi-Fi Sense, which is Microsoft's connection manager. As well as managing your phone's internet connection using Wi-Fi wherever possible, it also allows you to share your Wi-Fi with your contacts, as long as they are also running Windows Phone 8.1. This means your friends can connect to your Wi-Fi without having to enter the password, and vice versa. Untick the boxes if you don't wish to configure this, and tap next.
7. You will be asked how to set up your phone. Tap recommended to configure your phone with standardised settings for updates, app downloads etc, as listed on screen. If you wish to customise these settings, tap custom and untick the items you wish to disable.

8. The country and region options are preset to the correct UK settings, but if you are setting the phone up elsewhere then tap to change these.
9. Check the time zone, time and date. If any of these are incorrect, tap the line to change the setting (our examples show the date and time being changed) and when each setting is adjusted, tap the tick to save it.
10. When all of the time and region settings are correct, tap next to continue.

11. The next screen tells you about keeping your life in sync with a Microsoft account, which is the most important account you can add to a Windows Phone. Your Lumia 640XL needs a Microsoft account in order to operate correctly, back up your data, and to allow you to download apps from the Windows Store. If you have an email address with ending in hotmail.com, live.com or outlook.com, or their .co.uk counterparts, then you already have a Microsoft account, and you should tap sign in. If not, tap create one to make a free Microsoft account by completing the on screen form.
12. To sign in, enter your Microsoft account email address and password in the boxes provided, and tap next.
13. If you have used the same Microsoft account on a previous Windows Phone, you will be invited to restore it from a backup. If so, either tap the phone name you wish to restore from, or tap don't restore, and then tap next. If this is your first Windows Phone then you won't see this screen.
14. You will then be asked about using your Microsoft account to back up your phone. This is a good idea as it can automatically upload your photos to your online OneDrive storage (free with your Microsoft account!) via Wi-Fi, as well as backing up settings and text messages. Tap yes to set this up, or notnow to skip this.

15. Cortana is Microsoft's new digital personal assistant, ready to help you manage your contacts and calendars, read and send email and messages, and much more. To activate Cortana tap sure (don't worry, it can be turned off at any time) or tap not now, thanks to skip this.
16. Another screen that doesn't do anything comes next, apart from telling you that you're almost done, like I just have! Tap next.
17. The final screen tells you about the activation message sent to Microsoft when your phone completes it's set up. You can also opt out of sending feedback information to the Improvement Program, by unticking the box. Tap next to finish the setup wizard.

At this point you will be finished with the initial set up and you will be on the 640XL's home screen, complete with live tiles. If the navigation bar at the bottom of the screen disappears while you're using the 640XL, swipe up from the bottom edge of the display to restore it.

Read through the other chapters in this guide to learn how to get email through to your handset, download apps and more!

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Connecting to Wi-Fi and mobile networks

Mobile internet gives you the freedom to access emails and browse the web wherever you are, just make sure you don't go over your monthly allowance or you may receive a higher than expected bill! Using Wi-Fi around the house is a great way to help keep costs down, and it's likely to be faster too.

Wi-Fi Connection

Connecting your Lumia 640XL to a Wi-Fi network couldn't be easier. You will need to know the password (if required) for the network before you begin. Most routers show this on a sticker on the back or base, and it may be referred to as the wireless passphrase, WEP key, or WPA key. Once you have that, then follow these few simple steps to connect to your chosen wireless network:

1. From the home screen, swipe right-to-left to open the Apps list.
2. Scroll down and tap on Settings.
3. Tap on WiFi.
4. Make sure that Wi-Fi is turned on, tapping the switch to toggle it if it's off. Scroll to find your wireless network name in the list, and tap on it to select it.

5. When prompted, enter the wireless password using the keyboard. Passwords are case sensitive, so remember to capitalise letters if necessary. You can check what you have entered by tapping the Show password box, and when you're ready to proceed tap Done to connect.
6. If all goes well you should see your network name listed under the Connected to heading, and also you should see a Wi-Fi symbol next to the signal bars at the top of the screen. If it isn't fully solid, that just means the signal isn't full strength, but it should still work.

Mobile data connection

When you insert your micro-SIM and turn your Lumia 640XL on for the first time it will attempt to set up your mobile data connection automatically. The indicator for mobile data is a letter (G, E, H, 3Gor 4G) alongside the signal bars at the top-left corner of the display, as shown here. When Wi-Fi is connected, these letters are replaced by the Wi-Fi symbol, so we would recommend turning off Wi-Fi in order to check your mobile internet connection.

If you can get on to the internet with Wi-Fi turned off, then your handset is up and running and you won't need to do anything else. If not, then these steps should help to get your handset configured, just remember to keep checking for the data indicator letter next to the signal bars after each step!

1. From the home screen, swipe across to access your Apps.
2. Scroll down the apps list and tap on Settings.
3. We need to turn Wi-Fi off in order to check the mobile internet connection. Tap WiFi.
4. Turn off Wi-Fi by tapping the coloured switch. The list of networks should go from the screen when you do this. Tap the back arrow to return to the main settings menu.
5. In the network+wireless section, locate and tap on mobile+SIM.
6. Make sure the Data connection switch is on. If not, tap on it to change this, then check for the letter.

7. If you're still not connected, tap view internet APN to check the settings are correct for your network. If they're not right, we can change them. Scroll down and tap on SIM settings.
8. The Mobile connection profile shows the active network that your phone is configured to use. If this is not the correct network, then tap in this box and choose the correct settings from the list of SIM card profiles.
9. If your network is not listed, you can add the settings manually. Scroll down and turn on the Manual Internet APN switch, then tap add Internet APN. If you can connect to the internet, but can't send or receive picture messages then tap add MMS APN. We have written a guide to entering APN settings to help you do this, but if your network isn't listed, or you still can't get the settings to work you can get your mobile network to send them through to your phone.

Having done all of this, if you are still struggling to get your Lumia 640XL connected to the internet then check out our support options and call us any time 24/7 on 0800 049 3040

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Find out how to add your email accounts

Your Lumia 640XL runs on the Windows Phone 8.1 operating system, and uses a Microsoft account to back up your phone, manage your contacts and calendars, and it also allows you to download apps from the Windows Store. If you didn't add a Microsoft account while going through the setup wizard, then we would recommend adding one to help you make the most of your new phone.

If you have an email address with ending in hotmail.com, live.com or outlook.com, or their .co.uk counterparts, then this is a Microsoft account and you can sign in with it. If you don't yet use a Microsoft account, you can create one for free.

Any other email account you already use can be added by choosing the correct provider and then signing in with your existing email address and password.

To add an account to your handset, from the home screen:

1. Swipe right-to-left across the screen to open the Apps list.
2. Scroll down and tap on Settings.
3. In the accounts section, tap on email+accounts.
4. This screen shows any accounts already set up on your Lumia 640XL. Tap add an account.

5. Find your account type in the list, and tap it to start adding the account. Common providers like Yahoo!, Google and Outlook mail have preset options to make setting up these accounts quick and simple. If your account is provided by an employer or education provider it may be an Exchange account, and if you're not sure what account you have tap other account. You may need additional account-specific information to complete that setup.
6. Tap on the email address and password boxes in turn to enter the information requested. For some accounts you can check the password you've written by ticking the Show password box before you tap sign in to continue.
7. If prompted, accept the terms of service for your email account. This allows your phone to send and receive emails on behalf of your mail account.
8. When the setup is complete, you will see the account listed on screen. You can tap add account to configure more email accounts, or tap the Windows button at the bottom of the handset to return to the home screen.

When you scroll down your home screen, you will see that each account you have added has its own live tile, keeping your mail neatly organised. If you've added a Microsoft account, then that mail will be dlivered into the Outlook app.

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How to add and import contacts to your Microsoft Lumia

If you've upgraded your smartphone and want to keep your contacts all in one place, check out our guide to to migrating your address book. We'll make sure you don't lose any of your friends in the process! Whether you're moving from Windows Phone, Android, iPhone or BlackBerry we've got you covered.

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Using the Windows Store to find new apps

Find new and exciting apps for your Lumia with our guide to the Windows App Store, where we'll help you discover new apps, games and more. We'll help you every step of the way, so click the link to find out how to get the most out of your smartphone.

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Securing your Microsoft Lumia 640XL with a lock screen

Your Lumia 640XL has a lot of valuable information on it, and will likely be signed into accounts inside various apps to give you quick access to your data; Email, social media and file sharing apps to name but a few. The best way to keep all of this data from prying eyes is to secure your Lumia with a PIN or Password. Read on to discover how!

How to set up lock screen security

1. Swipe across the home screen, to open the Apps list.
2. Scroll down and tap on Settings.
3. In the Settings menu tap on lock screen.
4. To set a Password, tap the switch.

5. We're entering a 4-digit Password but it can be longer. Enter your chosen code in the first box, then tap done.
6. Confirm your unlock Password by entering it in the second box, then tap done again.
7. Your phone and its content are now protected by the Password you've set. You can choose the length of time the phone will Require a password after by tapping the box.
8. Select your new timeout by tapping on it, and you're good to go!

One thing to remember though, if you do change the lock timeout, remember that although your screen may have gone off, your handset may not be locked securely until a period of time has elapsed. When you're happy, tap the Windows button to return to the home screen.

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How to make phone calls on your Lumia

The first step to making a phone call is to open the Phone icon from the home screen by tapping on it.

1. The phone app will open to the call history. This will allow you to call recent contacts quickly and easily by tapping on the correct line.
2. The first icon at the bottom will call your Voicemail.
3. The second icon represents a keypad, and opens the number dialler screen. Simply enter the number you wish to call, and tap the call button at the bottom.
4. To scroll through your contacts, tap the third icon. Tapping a contact name will show their details, allowing you to tap their number to call them.
5. To search for a contact in your phone book, tap the magnifying glass on the grey bar. Use the keyboard to enter their name, then tap the Enter button on the keyboard.

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Send text & picture messages

Locate and tap the Messaging app from your home screen. The icon is a white speech bubble with a smiley emoticon on it. If you have unread messages, you will see a number beside the icon indicating the number of unread items.

1. You will see a list of message threads, which are conversations between you and another person. New messages show in your highlight colour. To reply to a message, tap the thread. To compose a new message, tap on the + at the bottom of the screen.
2. Now you're looking at a blank text message. Enter the recipient's number directly, or tap the + at the right-hand end of the line to choose a recipient from your contacts.
3. Tap on the contact you're trying to text to select them as the recipient. You can add further recipients in the same way if you wish to send the same message to multiple people.
4. Now you've chosen who you're messaging, it's time to type out what you want to say. Tap into the type a text message box and using the keyboard type your message. To send your message, tap the first icon at the bottom (its a speech bubble with lines beside it).

5. To add an attachment, such as a picture, video or sound recording, tap the paper clip. Options will appear to allow you to choose what you'd like to attach to your message, each of which can be selected by tapping on the correct line. (If you're sending a picture or video, it will be sent as a Multimedia message, and you may be charged for this - check with your mobile network about costs!).
6. In our example we're adding a picture; Navigate through the files on your phone to locate the item you wish to attach, and select it by tapping it. To take a new picture, tap the camera icon at the bottom.
7. Once you've attached your item, it will display in the body of the message, allowing you to add further text before you send it by tapping the Send button.
8. When your message has sent, you'll see the text box appear below it ready for your next message.

How to delete a message thread

If you'd like to delete a thread of messages from your handset, open the Messaging app and locate the thread you'd like to delete by finding the other person's name in the message list.

Touch and hold on their name, and a menu will appear below it. This will allow you to delete the thread, mute the contact so that you don't receive notifications about future messages or even block their number from contacting you.

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Sending emails and attachments on your Microsoft

To send an email, you must have already set up an email account on your Microsoft Lumia. If you haven't added your account yet, please check our chapter on adding an email account for more information. To see your emails, tap the Email icon on the home screen, or in the Apps list.

1. When you can see your email inbox, tap the compose button. This is a + at the bottom of the email inbox screen.
2. Tap into the To line to select the intended recipient. Start to type their name using the keyboard, and any matching contacts will appear. Tap on the correct contact to add them to the recipient list.
3. Enter a Subject for your email by tapping on that line and entering it via the keyboard.
4. Now that you've set it up, type your message by tapping into the main window. If you just want to send a text email, then you can send it by tapping the envelope icon on the menu bar at the bottom.

Adding an attachment

5. To add an attachment, tap the paper clip on the menu bar. When the menu opens, navigate through your files by using the on screen menu to find the item you want, and tap it to select it. When you've made your selections, tap the tick.
6. Add further attachments if you wish, and compose your message. To send, tap the envelope.
7. To move or delete items from your inbox, tap the file menu button at the bottom (three lines).
8. Tick the items you wish to move, then tap the bin to delete them, or the folder icon to move them to an alternative folder.

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How to set alarms on the Microsoft Lumia 640XL

Setting an alarm is a popular occurrence on most phones, as you tend to always have it with you, turned on and telling the correct time. Read on to find out how to set an alarm on your Lumia 640XL.

1. Alarms are set and amended through their own app on the Lumia. From the home screen, swipe across to open your Apps, then tap on Alarms.
2. The first time you open the app, you'll see there aren't any alarms set (surprise surprise!). Tap the + to set an alarm.
3. The alarm options screen opens, allowing you define all aspects of the alarm you wish to set. To start, tap into Time.
4. Set the alarm time scrolling through the hours and minutes separately, and when you're happy with the time chosen tap the tick.

5. Repeats is great to set the same alarm time on multiple days (such as every weekday) by ticking the boxes, and tapping the tick.
6. You can also edit the sound, name and snooze time for each alarm. When you're happy with the settings, tap Save to store and set the alarm.
7. The displayed alarm will now show in the menu. The switch will be on showing your highlight colour which indicates the alarm is set to go off at the date and time displayed. tap the switch to turn the alarm off, preventing it from sounding.
8. To edit or delete an alarm, touch and hold on it. The edit menu will open allowing you to change any aspect of the settings, or delete it completely by tapping the dustbin icon at the bottom.

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Read our tips to learn more about your phone

So that's your new Lumia 640XL set up and ready to go. Before you go, we'll leave you with a few tips to help you get the most out of your new phone.

Cortana, your digital personal assistant

Voice control is something that has been around for quite a while now, but the experience you got has varied greatly depending on the device you're using. Not any more; meet Cortana.

Cortana is not so much a voice control system, more a digital personal assistant. Cortana will remind you of appointments and meetings, read out incoming messages and emails if you're driving, and allow you to dictate messages to send out.

Not only does it do all that, but it learns too. It will learn your route home, for example, and if there are delays then it can suggest leaving early to make sure you arrive on time. Just like a real personal assistant! If you search for information about a band, and they later announce a tour and they're coming to a town near you, Cortana will remember you searched for them and advise you of the upcoming change to see them. Neat eh?

To get started, tap the live tile on the front screen, or tap Cortana in the apps list.

Keep an eye on your mobile data usage with Data sense

The Microsoft Lumia 640XL has a great tool for keeping tabs on the amount of mobile data you're using on a monthly basis, called Data sense. The display shows your usage of Wi-Fi and mobile data at a glance, and you can even set a limit on your mobile data usage to help avoid supplementary charges from your mobile network if you go over your inclusive data.

Be aware, however, that your mobile network may calculate this usage slightly differently to your Lumia 640XL, so I'd recommend setting a conservative limit at first until you get an idea of how accurate it is.

In addition to monitoring your usage, Data sense can ensure that things like updates and background data only work via Wi-Fi, again keeping your data usage to a minimum!

Data sense can be accessed by swiping across from your home screen then tapping Data sense in the apps list.

Make stories from your photos

Lumia Storyteller is a useful feature that operates in conjunction with your photo gallery. It uses the embedded data that your phone stores when it takes a picture to get an overview of photos that are taken together, in the same time and place.

It groups your photos and videos into stories, allowing you to caption them, view them as slideshows, and share them with friends using social platforms such as Facebook, Flickr or YouTube. You can even zoom out from a story and see a map of where the photos were taken! Storyteller gives you plenty of control, making sharing multiple images just as simple as sharing one.

To get started with Storyteller, either tap the Lumia Storyteller live tile on the home screen, or swipe across to your apps list and tap on it there. Happy sharing!

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