Microsoft Removes WiFi Sense from Windows 10

by Hilbert Hagedoorn on: 05/12/2016 07:46 AM | source: | 9 comment(s)

Microsoft has decided to remove the WiFi Sense feature from all versions of Windows 10, including mobile devices and PCs. The feature was pulled from the most recent preview build of Windows 10 for PCs; it will be pulled from phones, too. WiFi Sense allowed people to share their WiFi logins with social network connections, as well as connect to public WiFi networks with less hassle.

"The cost of updating the code to keep this feature working combined with low usage and low demand made this not worth further investment," explained Microsoft. Microsoft said people who leave WiFi Sense running on their phones will still be able to connect to open WiFi hotspots that are already in Microsoft's shared database. Microsoft recently released a new preview build of Windows 10 for handsets. Build 14332 mostly targets bugs and makes refinements to the user interface of select apps. The next preview build for phones will likely strip out WiFi Sense.

Related Stories

Specs Microsoft HoloLens Devkit Appears Online - Runs on Intel Atom - 05/03/2016 05:00 PM
The devkit specs of the Microsoft HoloLens have surfaced on-line. The headset uses a 32-bit version of Windows 10 with an Intel Atom processor from the Braswell generation and 2 GB of ram....

Microsoft Reports $20 Billion in Revenue for Q3 of FY2016 - 04/22/2016 05:04 PM
Microsoft Corp. today announced the following results for the quarter ended March 31, 2016:...

DirectX 12 Adoption Big for Developers Microsoft shares New Info - 03/23/2016 08:47 AM
Over at GDC (Game Developers Conference) Microsoft talked about the latest advancements in DirectX 12 technology. Principal Development Lead Max McMullen and Program Manager Chas Boyd shared quite a ...

Microsoft Announces Cross-Network Play Support - 03/15/2016 07:24 AM
Microsoft has announced native support cross-platform play between Xbox One and Windows 10. In case you're wondering, this basically means that players on Xbox One and Windows 10 - using Xbox Live - ...

Microsoft will not support older Windows versions on upcoming PC Hardware - 01/18/2016 10:40 AM
Yes, you need to read that line twice, let me rewrite it. Microsoft will force Windows 10 on all new PC hardware. The company has changed hardware requirements for supporting older versions of Window...

2 pages 1 2

Extraordinary
Senior Member

Posts: 19503
Joined: 2010-04-21

#5271214 Posted on: 05/12/2016 08:51 AM

This story does not exist

rl66
Senior Member

Posts: 2750
Joined: 2007-05-31

#5271228 Posted on: 05/12/2016 09:13 AM

btw depending on where you live your wifi code give access to all media shared on your net...
and wifi is like BT a massive hole in security (even more now that most fiber access point have their OS based on android...).

Cyberdyne
Senior Member

Posts: 3583
Joined: 2010-01-16

#5271238 Posted on: 05/12/2016 09:38 AM

It's at the footnote of this announcement.
https://blogs.windows.com/windowsexperience/2016/05/10/announcing-windows-10-insider-preview-build-14342/

We have removed the Wi-Fi Sense feature that allows you to share Wi-Fi networks with your contacts and to be automatically connected to networks shared by your contacts. The cost of updating the code to keep this feature working combined with low usage and low demand made this not worth further investment. Wi-Fi Sense, if enabled, will continue to get you connected to open Wi-Fi hotspots that it knows about through crowdsourcing.

So if true, sounds like a good move. I doubt any of us here were really using it anyway. And I guess if you were you will be grandfathered over?

Mineria
Senior Member

Posts: 4203
Joined: 2007-05-05

#5271568 Posted on: 05/12/2016 04:41 PM

It's at the footnote of this announcement.
https://blogs.windows.com/windowsexperience/2016/05/10/announcing-windows-10-insider-preview-build-14342/

So if true, sounds like a good move. I doubt any of us here were really using it anyway. And I guess if you were you will be grandfathered over?
That is a step forward, Wi-Fi connection info should not be shared in such way, heck, most of us have isolated guest Wi-Fi for a reason.
Big plus to MS, since that keeps me from the hassle to disable it with every install.

nick0323
Senior Member

Posts: 990
Joined: 2010-02-24

#5272007 Posted on: 05/13/2016 01:19 AM

Good, never really used it.

2 pages 1 2

Post New Comment

Click here to post a comment for this news story on the message forum.