When you connect an accessory to your Nokia Lumia smartphone, you’d be forgiven in thinking that’s the end of the accessory experience. In fact, with Nokia’s Accessories app, it’s just the beginning.

The Nokia Accessories app enables you to interact with your Nokia accessories in an easier, more personal way, as Nokia’s Mikko Lönnfors, Lead Program Manager for Nokia Lumia accessories explains:

“We want people to do more with their Nokia accessories. We’ve created a way that you can see the battery level of your accessory right from your Start screen.”

For example, when you pair a Bluetooth headset – such as the Nokia Purity Pro Wireless Stereo Headset by Monster – with your Lumia, the Nokia Accessories app delivers the battery status of the headset to your Start screen as a Live tile.

“In addition to the battery level indicator, this app also makes it possible to rename the attached Bluetooth accessory.”

This could be useful if you’ve got more than one of the same accessory in the house and you don’t want to confuse yours with other housemates. Or, if you just like to personalise your Nokia Gear.

Sanda Berar, Head of Connected Gadgets at Nokia also points out another useful feature of the Nokia Accessories app:

“There are some accessories that can be re-programmed to a certain degree. The Nokia Reaction (BH-907), for example, has two physical keys that can be configured from the Accessories app.”

Mikko continues:

“Rather than just having the answer call key to connect or disconnect a call, you can program it to dial a specific number.”

While this may not be useful for everybody, it could be practical if you have a headset in the car that you use when only driving for work where you only call the office while on the road.

Using the app is really simple; just tap your Nokia Lumia Windows Phone 8 smartphone against an NFC-enabled accessory to pair it. Then, within the app, if the accessory is supported, you’ll see it listed for you to interact with.

Another noteworthy feature of Nokia Accessories app is that you can have it launch certain apps every time you connect your phone to a specific Nokia accessory.

A perfect example of this is the Nokia Wireless Charging Car Holder (CR-200).

When you get in your car and place your Nokia Lumia into the car holder, you can use NFC to launch Car App – an app that’s only available with the CR-200.

Car App displays large on-screen buttons that are optimised for driving conditions. It’s also a launchpad if you want to start using HERE Drive,Nokia Music or make phone calls using the Quick Call button, as well as any other app that you may want to use.

There’s also a handy carousel that scrolls across the top that displays the time, up-to-date weather forecast and a battery status indicator.

However, if you prefer, you can reprogram the app so that it instantly launches HERE Drive. The crux is that it’s customisable to meet your needs.

Nokia Accessories app supports:

• JBL PowerUp Wireless Charging Speaker for Nokia (MD-100w)
• JBL PlayUp Portable Wireless Speaker for Nokia (MD-51w)
• Nokia Purity Pro Wireless Stereo Headset by Monster (BH-940)
• Nokia Reaction (BH-907)
• Nokia Wireless Charging Car Holder (CR-200)
• Nokia Wireless Charging Stand (DT-910)

Mikko and the team express that they’d like to get as much feedback for this app as possible, to help make future versions.

If you have any questions or suggestions for the Nokia Accessories app, please use the comments box below as the team will be taking notes.