By default your Asha phone is set to automatically check for updates every 8 days and you will be notified when an update is available for download. You can also manually check for check for updates by going to Settings > Phone update and tapping Check for updates.


The new software update for the Nokia Asha series brings the following features and improvements:

• Take even better pictures with the added voice guided self-portrait and panorama modes. You can upload photos to your personal online gallery on OneDrive, where you have up to 7GB of free storage space that you can access anytime.
• New version of the music app allows you to enjoy your favorite tracks wherever you are. In selected countries Nokia MixRadio service will also be available with free access to stream millions of tracks and mixes (Not for Asha 230/230 Dual SIM).
• Birthdays of the people in your social network now show up in Fastlane and you can also keep track of how many times your tweets get re-tweeted.
• Parental controls let you make sure your kids don’t end up on sites they shouldn’t be visiting. This feature can be enabled by setting a restrictions code for Browser and app installations.
• Power save mode will help your battery to last longer.
• Additional improvements for phone stability and performance, Smart Dual SIM functionality, contact groups, and more.

The Nokia Asha 501 is now receiving a new software update which brings several new features and improvements to the device. The device will receive all the new enhancements demonstrated on the recently announced Nokia Asha 500, 502 and 503.
Among the enhancements is the addition of WhatsApp for Asha devices, which was announced during Nokia World 2013 in Abu Dhabi. After installing this update on your Nokia 501 or Dual SIM, you will be able to connect to your friends through the WhatsApp network.

Another feature of the update is the ability to access your phone's camera by swiping up from the lockscreen, and then capturing the image by touching anywhere on your camera screen. After you've taken the shot, it’s another single swipe into the gallery, and you can edit your photos directly from there, with a range of new filters and effects. You can then show off your photos with just a few taps to share it on your favorite social networks.

The Asha Fastlane will also receive a significant update with a livelier more personalized experience, more closely integrated with your social networks. This software update also features improved privacy features. On the Lock screen you can opt to see full notifications or notification icons (so that others can’t see message content). And you can also easily personalise your Fastlane content, configuring which applications can show updates. The choice is yours. You can also get more granular and hide any content you want, item by item. A long press on anything you don’t want visible, and it’s gone.


You will also find more services show notifications in Fastlane, including: Odnoklassniki, Sina Weibo, and Renren. So if you use these services, you’ll get live updates on Fastlane when there’s new activity to check out.

The update also has an API for Voice over IP, which makes it possible to take calls over your data connection using social messaging apps like Nimbuzz.

You also get support for Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync, allowing you to stay connected to you work email on your Asha 501.

How to install the update

You may have already received a notification to update your Asha 501’s software, but if not, we’ve got a quick to-do list so you can get going right away:

1. Go to "settings" then "phone update".
2. Use mobile data to check for the update. Make sure you’re on Wifi to make the process as fast and smooth as possible.
3. Press "update" and presto – you will see the download progress, which takes just a few minutes.
4. When the update is done, a WhatsApp launcher will appear on your home screen. Press this to download and install the full app.