Database Users

Some basic noobie Galaxy S questions

First up, hello to everyone.
I'm a new convert to Android having picked up a Galaxy S a couple of weeks ago, and I've got a couple of (what I'm sure are) basic questions about how best to work it:
First up, how do I go about creating folders on my SD Card. I'm assuming that's the best way to organise things like icons, themes, wallpapers etc.
Is it possible to edit the icons on the dock at the bottom of the screen? Can I put different Apps down there? Can I change the icons that those apps use?
I'm having issues with Widgets - do I need to restart the phone each time I install an app with a widget? There are some apps which allow me to use a widget straight away, but then there are some (like the BBC news feed) which just doesn't show up in my widget list
Can anyone reccomend a good link or article on how to root the Galaxy S? I'd like to it be as simplified as possible please.
Thanks loads in advance for both your help and your time.
Cheers

1)while browsing your sd card, press menu button and it will you the option to create a folder
2)click on applications button while on home screen to change to applications view, then click menu (left button) and edit, then you can just drag the icons in and out of the dock
3)not sure, widgets that i tried all ran after installing them without rebooting the phone
4)I suggest you check out the Galaxy S I9000 Android Development subforum right here on xda, there are some great guides there.

1) I just do it when plugged into my PC via USB in Mass Storage mode. =)
2) As random.si said.
3) I've never needed to restart the phone for widget...are you sure those apps actually have widgets?...Any widgets from the Market or installed apps should always be under 'Android Widgets' as soon as the app is installed, otherwise try using the app first as it may have a config or something.
4) There's a stickied guide in the Android Development subforum here! It's dead easy, so no worries there. Just follow the instructions to the letter, but that's not hard for rooting the Galaxy S.

Hi there. Could you just tell me how to close running application? There is 6 application when i open my task manager (middle button for 3 sec) and i cant do anything with them. Is there any button to close application, not minimalize?
Like now i'm installing facebook and setting up my account. Phone seems to hanging. I dont know how to close it?

mika34 said:
Hi there. Could you just tell me how to close running application? There is 6 application when i open my task manager (middle button for 3 sec) and i cant do anything with them. Is there any button to close application, not minimalize?
Like now i'm installing facebook and setting up my account. Phone seems to hanging. I dont know how to close it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Applications open in the background don't use any CPU time and if the RAM they use is needed Android closes them by itself.
Android isn't designed to let the user close applications. If you really have to close them for some specific reason you can use a task killer from the market.

mika34 said:
Hi there. Could you just tell me how to close running application? There is 6 application when i open my task manager (middle button for 3 sec) and i cant do anything with them. Is there any button to close application, not minimalize?
Like now i'm installing facebook and setting up my account. Phone seems to hanging. I dont know how to close it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually those 6 applications are NOT actually running(necessarily).They are just the last 6 applications you have used.

saldawop said:
Actually those 6 applications are NOT actually running(necessarily).They are just the last 6 applications you have used.
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Click to collapse
Ok. Thanks very much guys for your help.
One more question.
How to enable vibration to incoming text message? Can`t see any option for that.

You should try out prehome. When you press home key, it will show the active task, and you can switch or kill task there. Press home key the second time will bring you to home. I love it.

Does anybody knows how to set vibration on incoming messages? Can`t find it. strange

mika34 said:
Does anybody knows how to set vibration on incoming messages? Can`t find it. strange
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Click to collapse
Messages > Menu button > settings. It's at the bottom : D

Rawat said:
Messages > Menu button > settings. It's at the bottom : D
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Big thx for that.

mika34 said:
Big thx for that.
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Click to collapse
If ever in doubt, always try the menu buttons.
Pretty much every app hides its settings and many controls under the menu buttons to stop the screen being cluttered up with buttons.
The menu button is also context-sensitive to whatever you're doing at the time, so you just need to get used to remembering it's there.
As the previous guys said, Android is designed to not have specific 'closing' or exiting of apps. Rather, they'll hide themselves in the background and once the system needs to free up some ram it'll close once you haven't used for a while automatically in preference of those using the most RAM. It will also usually save the state of that app, so if you go to use it again and Android has already closed it, it will still appear where you left off but just take a bit longer to start since it was cleared from the background.
Most apps will fully close however if you exit by using the back button (bottom-right touch button on the phone), basically reversing your way out of the app until you hit the home screens.
Holding the Home button shows the last 6 apps you had open, whether they're still running in the background or not. It's just a quick way to jump between stuff rather than an actual task manager.
In the JM2 firmware Samsung have added a great widget and task manager app. The widget shows the number of apps still running in the background, as well as a colour for if they're draining battery or performance (ie: processing lots in the background). All you need to do is touch the widget and it'll take you straight to a list where you can close any. Very handy!
While it's easy to get obsessed with using one of the task killer apps on the market all the time, I eventually found with my old Hero that it performed just as well if you ignore what it's doing with RAM or apps since it's intelligent enough to prioritise and close appropriate background stuff without your intervention.
The only reason people were recommending task killers for the Galaxy S was because of the random lags / stalls caused by bugs in the firmware, some of which were caused by it not closing stuff or managing itself properly in the background.
My advice: JM2 firmware and just use the Samsung task manager widget as a guide to if for some reason something high-powered like a game was left open and Android didn't clean it up yet.

Phone number format
How can I change the format of the phone number which is displayed when I have an incoming call ? Thanks ?

While writing SMS, contacts displayed twice
Hi to all,
When I write an SMS and want to choose a contact, they all appear twice, even tough in the phonebook they only appear once because I ticked the option of displaying only contacts from the phone and not from the sim card.
Is there a similar option in SMS that I'm missing here?
Thanks in advance,
Itay

Glad to see this thread has taken off a bit.
One more question from me:
random.si said:
1)while browsing your sd card, press menu button and it will you the option to create a folder
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm assuming I need some sort of File Explorer app to be able to do this - can anyone recommend one?
Cheers

Astro file explorer

is there any way to stop sms being converted to multimedia message? if i write a text message consisting of more than 3 messages (i believe 180 characters) it converts it to multimedia, which costs me!!!

widgets and icons issues

Hi all,
just got my streak....
I don't find a way to remove widgets and icon, i tried the normal way keeping those pressed but the bin does not appear like in all other android device. Can anyone help a noob to solve it ?

Hold the widget or icon till it turns red then press the menu button and there is a remove option. If you have a look on your sd card there is a pdf manual. Hope you ae enjoying your streak.
Sent from my Dell Streak using XDA App

i looked the pdf...the widget section does not explain that....and the way you suggested did not work. the only way i found is to use adw launcher istead of default one

enne91 said:
i looked the pdf...the widget section does not explain that....and the way you suggested did not work. the only way i found is to use adw launcher istead of default one
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had the issue with the icon removal as well... I ended up doing a factory reset and it fixed up the issue. You hold the icon until it turns red, press and hold the menu button, then let go of the icon... you will see a pop-up tab asking if you want to remove.. Hope this helps clarify...

Changing default launcher buttons

Lets say I wanna change the icon shortcut link to Handcent instead of the default Messanger, theres gotta be a way to change it. Hopefully without rooting.

No way to change them. This feature and app menu options where removed from the epic.

Solution here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=770529

Pops_G said:
Solution here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=770529
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Click to collapse
I'd call that a workaround rather than a solution: I'm hoping for a solution via root or some other hack. Maybe it'll be as simple as editing a text file?

Quoted from the thread you said didn't have the solution. This might work for the other buttons as well, if you clear the defaults in said applications. That is done under the Settings > Applications, find the app and hit the "Clear Defaults" button.
Just download Handcent. When you hit the messaging icon at the bottom it will ask you if you want to use the stock app or Handcent (then you can check - remember this choice). Now whenever you hit the SMS icon (it will still appear to be the same...). It will open Handcent.
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Pops_G said:
Quoted from the thread you said didn't have the solution. This might work for the other buttons as well, if you clear the defaults in said applications. That is done under the Settings > Applications, find the app and hit the "Clear Defaults" button.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'd call that a solution if it also changes the launcher icons to whatever application you're setting as the default. Does it work that way?

Pops_G said:
Quoted from the thread you said didn't have the solution. This might work for the other buttons as well, if you clear the defaults in said applications. That is done under the Settings > Applications, find the app and hit the "Clear Defaults" button.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The 'Default Messenger' is not listed under Manage Applications, there is one for Handcent but that only makes it the default if you go through your contacts and select the 'text' option.
Otherwise it doesn't change the default launcher icon to open handcent and it doesn't change the logo.
Thats the one thing that is crappy with sprint is how they default their stuff and hard lock you in on it, same with the market place. They must have 3 different versions of the 'Sprint Marketplace' that has the same stuff as regular market place.
They also changed the Downloads section you click in Market to the name of 'Sprint', its like "wtf are they thinking" and it just lists a couple of average free apps under it that are already available.
This is stuff that I hope can be changed without rooting in the future, but it looks like the roms might be the saviour of this phone. SCHEIZA!!!!

It's "sprint's recommended" downloads. Yes, it's annoying, but it's better than locking you out of a ton of apps like other companies.

Stuck at boot screen. Please help!

So here is what happened. I downloaded the full version of titanium backup from the app market and proceeded to follow the instructions here http://forum.xda-developers.com/wiki/index.php?title=Bloatware to get a faster, more clean stock rom. I got to the "Home" item and checked in the normal applications menu from the home screen to see if there was a "Home" app of sorts. So I went ahead and froze it and kept going through the apps. Long story short I eventually found out I could not access the home screen and in my nerd rage I rebooted the phone only to find it would not go past the boot screen because it didn't have a "Home" to launch in to.
How can I fix this?
Thanks in advance.

if you can launch the voice command by double pressing home or long pressing search, say "market" and it will launch the market, where you can download a home launcher.

akanealw said:
if you can launch the voice command by double pressing home or long pressing search, say "market" and it will launch the market, where you can download a home launcher.
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Click to collapse
Hey thanks, that's a start! I found that I can get past the "red eye" boot screen if you will by sliding my invisible lock slider over. From there all I have is a black screen and then the notification blind. Unfortunately, your suggestions of accessing the market arent working for me. I had previously mapped my double press home to the dialer, and the long press search errors out giving me a "Connection Problem" pop-up with the options to speak again or cancel. I also notice that I am in flight-mode...

ZuneNinja! said:
Hey thanks, that's a start! I found that I can get past the "red eye" boot screen if you will by sliding my invisible lock slider over. From there all I have is a black screen and then the notification blind. Unfortunately, your suggestions of accessing the market arent working for me. I had previously mapped my double press home to the dialer, and the long press search errors out giving me a "Connection Problem" pop-up with the options to speak again or cancel. I also notice that I am in flight-mode...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you are comfortable with using adb, you could probably push an apk into /system/app
If you dig through the development sub-forum I am pretty sure there is a link to the stock system archives. You could push the original blurhome.apk

Zaphod-Beeblebrox said:
If you are comfortable with using adb, you could probably push an apk into /system/app
If you dig through the development sub-forum I am pretty sure there is a link to the stock system archives. You could push the original blurhome.apk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have just learned how to do basic adb functions while rooting a co-worker's Milestone, so that won't be a problem. I'll try transfering that and see what happens. Thanks for the tips guys.

It's fixed now! I ended up fixing it by going through the Advanced Task Killer (Froyo edition), clicking on titanium backup, and hitting switch to option to go back into titanium. Thanks for the help

[Q] Launcher Pro? Not working

I just installed Launcher Pro on my brand new Arc - but its not working?
It shows up in the Installed Apps - but a cant find any where how to turn it on?
Could anyone help me out
Tks

frostywinter said:
I just installed Launcher Pro on my brand new Arc - but its not working?
It shows up in the Installed Apps - but a cant find any where how to turn it on?
Could anyone help me out
Tks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
press the home button, a pop up screen will apear where you can choose between launcherpro or SE home launcher

Yeah I thought thats all that was needed also....
But nope nothing happens when pressing home button

frostywinter said:
Yeah I thought thats all that was needed also....
But nope nothing happens when pressing home button
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Click to collapse
Tried installing it again?

yeap tried re-installing also - still no luck..
I just installed SBP Shell 3D and that works as its meant to - pressing home button brings up choice of it or sony home..
Very odd - Launcher Pro cost me money!

Try Home Switcher maybe.

You need to go into the following..
Settings
Manage applications
Select 'home' app..
Click on clear defaults.
Press home key..
Voila.
Sent from The Arc!

Very odd - Launcher Pro cost me money!
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Hardly launcherpro's fault - it's behaving perfectly according to the rules.
Sony Ericsson Home is set to the default launcher, so if you want to change launchers you have to clear the defaults for the launcher. You wont get the choice otherwise (which makes sense, you wouldnt want it asking you *every* time you pressed home would you)?
[menu] -> settings -> applications -> manage applications -> all -> Sony Ericsson Home -> Clear Defaults
Now if you press home you get the choice, enabling you to choose a different launcher as default if you like. This is all that apps like Homeswitcher, homesmack etc are doing.
edit: heh, iceman got in there while i was writing this - must type faster!

Ok got it going with Home Switcher app..
Tks
Frosty