The last time we talked about Start Screen backgrounds in Windows Phone 8.1 it was hinted that they could look familiar. That’s because the rumor stated that backgrounds in WP 8.1 would work just like an existing app called Skinery. With Skinery you can create custom live tiles that work together to display a larger image. Some new screenshots confirm that this is exactly how it will work in WP 8.1.
The screenshots above show a background image peeking through the live tiles. This is probably what previous rumors meant by “transparent live tiles.” Tiles that use the user-defined accent color will display the background images, but tiles that have their own color will not. Many users have wondered why not just put the background image behind the tiles like in Windows 8. If you look more closely you’ll see there is very little room for that image to show through.
Tom Warren from The Verge has also shared what the Settings page will look like for choosing the image. Users will still get to choose an accent color, but if you have a “Start background” they will only see the color in other areas of the OS. We can also see that users will be able to choose if they want the two or three column layout on the Start Screen. We love that.
[via The Verge]
