First off, please do not reply with "Try Launcher Pro" or anything similar. I have the paid version of LP and like it very much, but I also like the stock Gingerbread launcher, TYVM.
After using the stock launcher since picking up my NS on launch day, the only thing I'd like to tweak is the app drawer. I'd like the ability to change the scroll inertia as I miss being able to scroll through 200+ items with one or two strong flicks when I need to. I'd also like for it to remember my last position in the app drawer.
I'm sure that somewhere inside the apk (or elsewhere) these are configurable options that could be utilized by a 3rd party tweaking app, but have been unable to find such a thing.
Thanks.
I just want to replace the phone icon with the messaging icon, since I browse and text the most. I rarely make phone calls.
You would have to pull the stock launcher source code into eclipse, edit the code, the re compile and load it onto your device.
My hunch is you'd specifically have to change onSavedInstanceState or onRestoreInstanceState (or the onPause onResume) functions of the app drawer activity to memorize the app drawer location each time It's sent to the background.
For an experience that is supposed to be about customization, not sure why Google/Android wouldn't have these features implemented in the first place -- something as simple as changing say the icons on the dock, or the settings of the app drawer.
Related
Always seems to be a ton of threads about why people hate touchwiz and how eager they are to get rid of it but...what do you like about what Samsung did different?
I absolutely love the pulldown menu modifications
I love the music/call controls in the pull down, and like the power widget there. This is something I really wish that Google would adopt/roll into stock android later on (or at least Cyanogen).
I also like the shortcut to adjust your phone's brightness (rolling finger across the top bar).
I personally prefer the way this phone handles making a call on a 2nd line and conferencing people in...it's much better than stock android (I came from a Moto droid and conferencing in a new # was always kind of a pain in the ass).
I personally prefer the way they redid the calendar to stock (I seem to be in the minority here though).
I use google voice for all SMS, so I can't really comment on that.
I use LauncherPro, so the actual look of the launcher doesn't bug me...
Actually, the only thing I truly hate about the modifications Samsung made was the damn alarm program..it's way worse than the droids, and it's way too easy to turn off...and the snooze button is hard to differentiate from the turn off alarm button.
Overall, Samsung has some nice stuff if they just abandon the cartoony iPhones look of the launcher and work on a few of the performance hickups here and there.
hydrogenman said:
I absolutely love the pulldown menu modifications
I love the music/call controls in the pull down, and like the power widget there. This is something I really wish that Google would adopt/roll into stock android later on (or at least Cyanogen).
I also like the shortcut to adjust your phone's brightness (rolling finger across the top bar).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Other than the calendar (which is a near-total fail for me; maybe others' calendars don't have the same bugs as mine - which is a scary thought, b/c it makes a global "fix" seem less likely), I really like TouchWiz - particularly the features listed above. The "Power Control" Android widget (or whatever it's called) - which is normally crucial - becomes almost unnecessary, provided you're OK with using the pulldown for toggling GPS, Wifi, etc.; and sliding finger for brightness. (The only Power Control item you can't toggle using pulldown is "Sync," which I almost never turn off anyway).
I like how the TW icons look; and I dig the app drawer, b/c I prefer the "list" view that it offers. I may try another launcher someday, but right now I feel no need -- I'm digging TW (and much prefer it to stock Android).
Don't care for the Samsung widgets at all, but their functions can easily be bested with stuff in the Market.
pavvy said:
Other than the calendar (which is a near-total fail for me; maybe others' calendars don't have the same bugs as mine - which is a scary thought, b/c it makes a global "fix" seem less likely), I really like TouchWiz - particularly the features listed above. The "Power Control" Android widget (or whatever it's called) - which is normally crucial - becomes almost unnecessary, provided you're OK with using the pulldown for toggling GPS, Wifi, etc.; and sliding finger for brightness. (The only Power Control item you can't toggle using pulldown is "Sync," which I almost never turn off anyway).
I like how the TW icons look; and I dig the app drawer, b/c I prefer the "list" view that it offers. I may try another launcher someday, but right now I feel no need -- I'm digging TW (and much prefer it to stock Android).
Don't care for the Samsung widgets at all, but their functions can easily be bested with stuff in the Market.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've never once used any of the TW widgets...that's one thing that was a bit of fail
BTW, you can get the TW style of app drawer on 3rd party launchers
I was rather pleasantly surprised with TouchWiz. I think it's much better than Stock Android. I'm not sure exactly why people are complaining about it.
What I like about it.
1. WebOS like UI controls for Music and Toggles in the Notification drop down.
2. Paged scrolling of apps in the App Drawer. I hate inertial list scrolling.
3. Some of the widgets like dual clock and calendar clock. If there is no place to add a widget on that screen, it finds a screen with space. Buddies Now is a nice widget, but it's slow and buggy.
4. The interface to add/remove screens and move screens around.
What I dislike.
1. It syncs all contacts instead of just "My Contacts". Of course this is not the launcher, but the app. But other than this, the contacts and dialer are much better than stock.
2. Pressing the Home button, sends it off to Screen 4 on my phone instead of the center screen. Very annoying.
3. There is an Android bug that prevents folders from being opened. With LauncherPro, I can restart the launcher which fixes the problem. No such ability in TW.
4. Can only change two of the 4 icons at the bottom.
Likes:
Messaging/calling through contacts.
Power control in notification drawer
Launcher is starting to grow on me
The interface when a call is in progress
Puzzle piece notifications
Dislikes:
Music player can't distinguish between songs and ringtones
Nearly the same issue with gallery and album art
Can't set the home screen when less than 5 screens
Lock screen but that's purely cosmetic
The media scanner, but I don't think that's TW specific (Be awesome to have it scan on demand)
I really don't like how all the Samsung widgets want to take up an entire screen.
hydrogenman said:
BTW, you can get the TW style of app drawer on 3rd party launchers
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, that's good to know... I'll have to try 'em sometime, I know they have lots of fans around here.
I actually prefer TW to LauncherPro or ADW. So far everything works pretty well.
I do wish that the samsung widgets were re-sizeable so they didn't take up the whole screen. I like the app drawer, it is just copying the iPhone, but I don't visit it a whole lot thanks to the FolderOrganizer widget. That widget should have come stock with the phone IMHO.
i really like some of the modifications that samsung has added, especially in the dialer and contacts apps (they have already been mentioned). i found another one last night in the calendar app, if you add a location to an entry it shows you a map of the location from the calendar entry.
wolfvgang said:
I actually prefer TW to LauncherPro or ADW. So far everything works pretty well.
I do wish that the samsung widgets were re-sizeable so they didn't take up the whole screen. ......
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey. If I do understand you correctly, you are using ADW or LauncherPro and mention that 'everything is working pretty well, also referring to 'samsung widgets'?
How do you access 'samsung widgets' from say ADW Launcher - ESPECIALLY BuddiesNow ??
I can only access it from the default launcher, but do prefer ADW also - but am stuck
Thanks for your help or ideas.
I don't understand anyone wouldn't use LauncherPro.
The scrolling dock is genius. I have about 15 apps that I use regularly, so the dock does a really great job to accommodate that. Also, you can easily add your own custom icons, and do away with the default ones that come with TW and LP.
I also hate that on TW, you have the home screen # indicators at the top, giving you a lot less home screen space.
The app drawer, though not as easy to use as the Applications viewer in TW, is at least original. This phone already looks like an iPhone, so having a very Android-esque applications viewer is refreshing.
TW does a lot fantastic things, some of which you guys mentioned, but the general layout of it is pretty ****ty, and LauncherPro is just about perfect... and free.
I like the toggles on the notification pull down. I don't like how the brightness slider has no visual feedback to determine what the current bright is set at. If there was a slider widget attached to the bottom or a popup when the slider is in use that would make it easier.
I like the swipe on contacts for the call/sms.
After loading JI6, I tried using the TW launcher again, but I couldn't find any of the TW widgets compelling so I'm back to Launcherpro.
Just found this out, if you dislike the iPhone style of the app drawer, left to right, changing it to Alphabetical list gives me the normalish way we are used to the app drawer working, up and down.
Now if we could just remove the annoying outline on the icons I'd be set
Coming from an iPhone, Touchwiz was a bit too iphone-ripoff for me. I personally use Launcher+ but TW did have some good points.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
my biggest dislike is that contacts and dialer are no longer the same application. I never had a dialer shortcut on my phone before because I could just use contacts, now I have to use up 1 more space for the dialer.
Owenv said:
my biggest dislike is that contacts and dialer are no longer the same application. I never had a dialer shortcut on my phone before because I could just use contacts, now I have to use up 1 more space for the dialer.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can access the contacts from the dialer, would be an extra click if you really want to not have that extra icon
z0phi3l said:
You can access the contacts from the dialer, would be an extra click if you really want to not have that extra icon
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yeah but as far as I know you can't get to dialer from contacts, and I'm used to having the contacts icon on my home screen. I know I could just change it but you know what they say about old habits. however it isn't a problem since I have another contacts app that solved it for me.
My favorite feature is the dialer. I love the fact that it has speed dial unlike stock android. I also love the predictive dialing. These two are the biggest for me.
Hey mates,
i have this friend (he's the typical iDork) who keeps annoying me with comments about how ugly he finds my homescreens...
i used to have only one scene (The Sense HD remix scene in minimal grey).
now i'd like to install launcher pro and make it look awesome, custom icons, everything designed as minimal as it gets.
only problem, every time i hit "home" my beloved desire asks me what homescreen it should return to. i know i can make it remember one of the two, but if i want to change then, i'd have to work through the settings and options...
so, here's my request:
a SIMPLE, SEXY WIDGET, that can instantly change the launcher assigned to the home button. i think it's not much work to do, if the API allows apps to change settings (not sure about that).
I'm a C++ programmer with zero experience in java, so i can't do it myself.
finally, i'd like to know how i can mod the launcher pro in the ways seen around on this forum (e.g. Mnml Icons as buttons etc.)
Thanks for your time,
Max
PS: does anyone know a widget for email/sms with a minimal style, such as Cal Widget with transparent background.
Settings > Applications > Manage Applications > LauncherPro > Clear Defaults.
Do you need a widget for that? ..
this isn't my point
i want to be able to switch between two launchers FAST, so i have, let's say a private and a business launcher, one designed for usability, and the other for style.
i don't want to reassign the home button everytime i want to switch, thats why i wnat a widget, or a shortcut, which i just touch once.
but since it seems like i'm the only person here switching frequently between launchers, i guess i'll have to code something myself.
anyway, thx for your time.
Oh.
Not a bad idea.
Good luck.
maxupp said:
Hey mates,
i have this friend (he's the typical iDork) who keeps annoying me with comments about how ugly he finds my homescreens...
i used to have only one scene (The Sense HD remix scene in minimal grey).
now i'd like to install launcher pro and make it look awesome, custom icons, everything designed as minimal as it gets.
only problem, every time i hit "home" my beloved desire asks me what homescreen it should return to. i know i can make it remember one of the two, but if i want to change then, i'd have to work through the settings and options...
so, here's my request:
a SIMPLE, SEXY WIDGET, that can instantly change the launcher assigned to the home button. i think it's not much work to do, if the API allows apps to change settings (not sure about that).
I'm a C++ programmer with zero experience in java, so i can't do it myself.
finally, i'd like to know how i can mod the launcher pro in the ways seen around on this forum (e.g. Mnml Icons as buttons etc.)
Thanks for your time,
Max
PS: does anyone know a widget for email/sms with a minimal style, such as Cal Widget with transparent background.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There is an app on the market that can do that.
TheRedDrake said:
There is an app on the market that can do that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
HomeSwitcher.
Works from 1.5 - 2.1, I think.
Certainly doesn't support 2.2
zHk3R said:
HomeSwitcher.
Works from 1.5 - 2.1, I think.
Certainly doesn't support 2.2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No,not home switcher. It was called easy switcher or something like that, can't say for sure. It supported widgets for quick switching also. I found several with similar function Launcher switcher/Home manager/, don't know if this one has widgets.
thanks mates,
homeswitcher does indeed not support android 2.2.
anyway, i found "Launcher Switcher" BUT:
- doesn't provide a widget
- sends me to the android settings screen, when i want to re-bind the home button
so, i stiiiiiiiiill haven't fouuuuuuuuund, what i'm looking foooooor....
Cleardefaulthome
It takes you straight to the current launcher info page where you press clear defaults, then press home and select the one you want. Its the best option atm.
Sent from my HTC Desire
Android i good. The scrolling homescreen with widgets is good. Only one thing is terrible: The app launcher. No categories/catalogs i launcher?!
So you have to scroll along xx times until you finally spot the application you're looking for.
Here are suggestions on different solutions:
When you open the app launcher you see custom folders ex. "Office, Games, Multimedia, Utils, Settings". When you install a app, you get a question in what folder to put the app link". Besides the folders in the launcher you can have a option to also see latest run apps.
This solution would show the usual vertical scroll down app list. But with a important twist. A line, or the backgroundcolor is different, when you are scrolling on a different category, + a OSD text stays front telling on what category you are, ex "Work, Entertainment, Hobbies, Health, Internet".
One launcher actually has almost made it, don't know if it's Launcher Pro or ADW launcher. You can have apps in different groups and click between them. Only thing missing is name of the categories so you see where you're at. And option to disable the group "All"
I'm pretty certain that Slick UI will have this when it launches.
MIUI already does this
bobjase said:
MIUI already does this
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
To be fair, MIUI doesn't even have an app drawer, it just puts all of your apps on the launcher and you're forced to put every app into a folder.
Hell, vanilla Android has folders, which is exactly what MIUI is using.
TooSlo said:
To be fair, MIUI doesn't even have an app drawer, it just puts all of your apps on the launcher and you're forced to put every app into a folder.
Hell, vanilla Android has folders, which is exactly what MIUI is using.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
oooooooooo flamed.
yeah to start with i thought Miui was amazing, but now I realise other than looking completely different its pretty sh!t
If you want categories in your home-replacement. I suggest you head over to my website http://futurinnovations.blogspot.com/ to see what I am working on. If you are a dev yourself, you can help all that you can. It's still a work in progress and I haven't come up with any fancy renderings of it, yet. I do, however, have some sketches of what it is supposed to look like and how it functions. Tell what you think of it. It will be the second post from the top (under my live wallpaper screen shots).
DxTop has an amazing implementation of categorized app drawer - with corresponding live folders.
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App
go launcher has app drawer sorted I believe
Swyped on my OG Droid using Tapatalk
Go launcher has app sorting, not sure about categories though.
I think LG Optimus One has that kind of launcher
Starts at 1:17
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NZLaId_ep68&feature=player_embedded#!
And here is thread: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=812302
And u can send the money to me. j/k
I wish this feature would be implemented into LauncherPro. I love all the other features of LauncherPro, so it would be nice to be able to keep those and still have this category feature.
auto app organizer .apk
create shortcut in homescreen or dock and voila you got what you want in all the launchers ...
LG Home does what you're asking its in the market but only really works for the galaxy s line up.
Sent from my phone...which is faster than my laptop.
is there a way to sort my app drawer by their name instead of install date?
You could do it manually (a drag, yes). However, thats the default for adw launcher (if you have stock i'd recommend trying it anyways). I'll look into it, see if there is some other way
Okay, so I know this has been asked before, I've been searching XDA and googling and have found some threads on the topic, but most of them are old and unresolved. So I'm reaching out to see if maybe there's a new development that I haven't been able to find.
Is there any known way to HIDE apps from the app drawer of a stock launcher? I know that Launcher Plus Pro and some other home replacements have this feature built in, but I'm using Virtuous Unity and am really happy with Sense 3.0 at the moment.
It seems like such a basic function, I can't believe there's a) no native feature to do this; and more surprisingly b) there's no 3rd party app that will do this?
I've found some apps that 'hide' your drawer apps (i.e. Hide It Pro) but this not only hides the app from the drawer, but makes it so you can only launch the hidden app from within the app that's hiding it (meaning you have to go into Hide It Pro to launch the hidden app).
I'm using wave launcher and swipepad for my most used apps and games, and would ideally like to remove these apps from the app drawer so they're not cluttering it up, but STILL BE ABLE TO LAUNCH THE APPS from the alternate launcher/shortcuts. With Hide It Pro I was able to remove the apps from the app drawer, but was then unable to launch that app from wave launcher for example.
My reasoning for wanting to do this is not confidentiality/privacy, but rather just to clean up my drawer/app system. Ideally I want my most used apps to be accessed via the secondary launchers (wave and swipepad) and just have the other, less-used apps in the app drawer. Is this possible?
at the moment, I dont think its possible...but I may be wrong. the best current solution would be to use a diff launcher, but yeah it sucks because all the sense widgets would disappear when trying to add them to homescreens (but the apps still work fine). keep us updated if you find a solution, I would like to know as well
Unfortunately I did not find a way to do it too. I am using Go Launcher EX. It can hide apps from the drawer, and still you can launch them from the home screen or elsewhere.
Thanks for the replies. Yeah from my research it doesn't really seem possible. It seems like it should be a pretty basic function but oh well. Thanks anyway guys.
Sent from my HTC Glacier using XDA App
This might be of interest to you. [APP][30 JUL]ALTDRAWER 0.7.1 Alternative APP DRAWER [Perfect for MIUI] [Many options] - xda-developers http://bit.ly/qvK3KS
Thanks for that, I came across that during my research. Seems cool and if it replaced the default app drawer I'd be all over it. But I don't want a homescreen icon as my app drawer. But thanks for the suggestion!!
Sent from my HTC Glacier using XDA App