Database Users

What things to do to get the best out of SGS without 'Rooting'

I'm a new user of the SGS and am waiting patiently for my first Android phone to arrive. I have read many, many, many...did I say many post, here and on many other forums alike, concerning the SGS. I have read pros and cons and tips and tricks, but most have been on phones that have been 'Rooted'. I will like to defer from doing such thing(at least not yet) but would rather wait until Samsung releases the official Firmware that will supposedly clear all(most) of the major faults that the SGS has.
Now I would like this to be an official thread that would help those of us, who have a stocked SGS and may or may not be experiencing major lag, to help give tips on how to improve the stock SGS as it is already; for speed, what programs to use etc. It would be very comforting to establish what folks have installed on their phones and any recommendations to getting the best out of their stock SGS as possible, in waiting for the New Update Official Samsung firmware to be release.
So please, offer any advice or tips for tweaks or programs to get, maybe a place to get them if possible, so as to make life a little easier. Thank you.

I received my galaxys exactly a week ago and i immediately jumped onto the Market.
Make sure you have a google(gmail) account, as it connects the accounts.
My best downloads are as follows:
-3g watchdog. keeps an eye on your usage
-Astro . file manager
-Audiomanager. speaks for itself
-facebook
-galactic core free . Epic live wallpaper
-mario live wallpaper . not available on market, google it.
-opera mini- web browser, better than stock
-shake them all- THE BEST LIVE WALLPAPER EVA, moves droids react to accelerometer, sound and light.
-starfield,live wallpaper
-Task Manager. essential task manager for watching all your apps and services.
thats it, just search the market and XDA for other cool apps

Those are some really nice tips. I do appreciate. I also like to concur about the Opera Mini app. I use that on my N95 8gig at the moment and there's nothing that can come close. although, there are a few bugs that I think they kinda left out due to the Andriod fever, which I have apparently gotten Regardless, I am glad they have an android app of that in the market. I assume there is already a Market app on the phone, already, right?
Also. What about apps that you do not ever use? I read about not being able to remove them but is it possible to completely disable them?

The android market is pre-loaded onto the phone. there are many apps that come on the phone that are really useful. There are a couple of apps that you may not use but most of them are really useful.
I dont know that you are able to delete these stock apps but you can change the default apps. For example if chosen as default, Opera Mini opens up ALL web links and is really useful. The Stock browser is excellent but im used to opera as i used it on my Satio previously.
The model i bought was a 16GB version and 2GB is reserved for apps, ive also got a 16GB sd card so im not worried about storage.

racerboy3801 said:
I received my galaxys exactly a week ago
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
lol..same here mate.
racerboy3801 said:
-Astro . file manager
-opera mini- web browser, better than stock
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
.
Also been using Astro but I prefer Dolphin to Opera.(Used Opera mini on my N95)
BTW all: My first post on the forum so G'day to all.

G'day Mate

As the Dolphin compared to Opera mini?

Just go and try it,its also free from the market. You may still prefer Opera,doesnt matter.Give it a go anyway.

I will when I get my phone. That is why I asked. I do not have my phone yet.

Just a suggestion which hasn't been mentioned yet is to try LauncherPro or ADWLauncher as it makes customizing your home windows much easier. I love being able to customize the info I really want to see. Also spend some time using swype and you won't want to go back.
Sent from my GT-I9000 using XDA App

I tried the Opera mini 5.1.21126 version and I think the tapping response is weaker than the stock browser. I had to tap several times to get a response. Either that or the mini is not calibrated accurately. I've reverted back to the stock browser. I will give Dolphin a go.

[Q] just ordered my first android phone

switched from my bb8900 that finally crapped out on me today. so being as this is my first android phone...what do you guys suggest i do first with it?
best apps to download?
probably not going to root. guess i can be considered a n00b. im good with computers but not programming good. ive read a lot but i dont want to brick my first android. maybe if i get a new one later on down the road i can practice on an old one.
best suggestions for increasing battery life?
games? etc etc.
also i have a question about gps. i downgraded to the 200mb plan through tmobile. i wasnt using nearly enough to keep unlimited. the majority of my use i can use wifi or randomly i'll use the gps when im driving. i know you use data when using gps but how much is it? i have a friend with a droid thru verizon and he looked up directions with google gps. and while we were driving he completely lost service for probably 30+ minutes going through some moutain heavily forested area. but it kept navigating. is this because google had already mapped out the directions? is it possible to just lookup where you are going and then turn off your service to avoid using lost of data?
sorry for being a noob.
thanks in advance.
kevin

Please post questions in Q&A section.

sorry about that

Hi Big Fancy,
I got on Android back in November of 2008 just after the G1 was released. Even though I'm a geek by profession, I wasn't planning on rooting my phone. That changed pretty quickly thereafter.
I was given a free CliqXT at the beginning of 2010 and I didn't root that (I haven't looked, but I'm not even sure if anyone even tried to gain root access on that device). I was hanging on and drooling over the Desire HD and then the HTC Glacier (myTouch 4G) hit the market - it was a no brainer.
I didn't plan on rooting this device either, as I didn't want to "break" my new, pristine baby. Philosophically speaking, one should have root access, but I'm also conservative enough to know when I don't need to play with fire.
What I'm getting at is, once I saw how easy it was to do...
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=834225
...it just became another no brainer.
Ok, so most of the apps I would recommend, are going to require root access.
Titanium Backup for Root Users - This is a must have. Whether it's for restoring data or reverting back to a previous version of an app, this is one of those apps I think is a must-have. It's also the first app I purchased and I've been on Android since 2008. I've been quite happy with the free apps on the market, but I loved this app and had to support the dev.
ClockworkMod Recovery - This is also a must have. Essentially, this is like imaging a hard drive or cloning your system. In a way, this trumps Titanium, since you can backup your entire "image." If something breaks though or if there's an issue with the ROM itself, then Titanium is your lifesaver.
AdFree - This just updates your hosts file and nullifies, if you will, any known 'ad' IPs/host names. Basically, you don't see ads in ad-driven apps like Angry Birds or Watchdog Lite.
Watchdog Lite - You really want to avoid task killer apps, to a degree. The developer of Watchdog has a succinct explanation of it on his site - http://www.zomut.com/watchdog/froyo.
SetCPU - Sure, you can overclock your CPU with this, but you can also create nice profiles which will pull the CPU back a bit and help conserve battery life.
LogMeIn Ignition - Those who know a little more might just use RDP or VNC. I've been using RDP to remote-in to my home PCs and any Windows Servers I managed since I got on Android. LogMeIn is great though and for those that aren't familiar with port forwarding, et al, LogMeIn is a dead-simple way to access your computer from the road. It's also a secure connection, so that makes it a winner in my book. I use TeamViewer to support my clients and we're upgrading our license at the beginning of 2011, now that TeamViewer for Android is in beta.
Speed Test - It's nice to be able to show off your speeds, but it's also nice to check your speeds wherever you're at. A log is kept, so you can spot trends if you're experiencing speed/bandwidth issues.
Here's a handful more apps/games I find to be useful...
- Adobe Reader
- Adobe Flash
- Amazon Kindle
- Angry Birds + Angry Birds Seasons
- Barcode Scanner
- Bonsai Blast
- Chrome to Phone
- ES File Explorer
- Gmote
- gStrings (chromatic guitar tuner)
- HootSuite
- IMDb
- Movies (by Flixster)
- My Piano
- OI Notepad, OI Shopping List, OI Safe and OI File Manager (particularly Notepad and Shopping List - I use those daily)
- Paper Toss
- Photoshop Express
- Quadrant
- Reversi Free
- Shazam
- Skype
- Torrent-fu
- Uninstaller Pro
- UPS Mobile
- WordPress
- XDA
- Yelp
Welcome, good luck and I hope this helps!

thank u so much for that very in depth info! i really appreciate it!

Well I got it and this thing is so much more bada$$ than I could have hoped for. Just gotta get used to touchscreen typing. Trying swype. Wish me luck!

big fancy said:
Well I got it and this thing is so much more bada$$ than I could have hoped for. Just gotta get used to touchscreen typing. Trying swype. Wish me luck!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I loved swype but now I've got the gingerbread keyboard app from the market, (by Steven Lin) and it's AMAZING. The auto complete feature is SO MUCH MORE convenient than swyping, especially while driving.
It is a must have for one handed operation and it works fine on the MT4G.
Give it a try, it's on the market.
Just search Gingerbread Keyboard and look for the one by Steven Lin.
You'll love it!

nguyendqh said:
I loved swype but now I've got the gingerbread keyboard app from the market, (by Steven Lin) and it's AMAZING. The auto complete feature is SO MUCH MORE convenient than swyping, especially while driving.
It is a must have for one handed operation and it works fine on the MT4G.
Give it a try, it's on the market.
Just search Gingerbread Keyboard and look for the one by Steven Lin.
You'll love it!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'll give it a shot! Swype is just fantastic, but I'll check it out and see which feels better.
Not sure I want to encourage myself or others to text and drive though.
[[[Ice Glacier beats Rock ~ via XDA App]]]

shlongwoodian said:
I'll give it a shot! Swype is just fantastic, but I'll check it out and see which feels better.
Not sure I want to encourage myself or others to text and drive though.
[[[Ice Glacier beats Rock ~ via XDA App]]]
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well I wasn't promoting driving and texting either..but if you had too. lol.

shlongwoodian, that was a great write up. I've been on and off with Android ever I got my G1 back in Oct in 08 when my contract was up, and ever since then it was either iOS or Android, and now I'm back with Android after using it for a year in 09 and then this whole year with an iPhone. Missed it, got the G2 first with the contract and then this MT4G, and I'm loving it. Rooted this (I won't use a phone if it's not jailbroken or rooted, just a personal thing, I want to be able to control my phone), and it's been great. I don't think I can go back to a BB or iPhone. Even though I really want to give Windows Phone 7 a shot.

nguyendqh said:
I loved swype but now I've got the gingerbread keyboard app from the market, (by Steven Lin) and it's AMAZING. The auto complete feature is SO MUCH MORE convenient than swyping, especially while driving.
It is a must have for one handed operation and it works fine on the MT4G.
Give it a try, it's on the market.
Just search Gingerbread Keyboard and look for the one by Steven Lin.
You'll love it!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the info. I tried to install the Fabulous Gingerbread. zip posted on Android Spin and it put my phone into a boot loop. Downloaded this and it is just fine. I do like it a lot. I had been a Swype lover but now I am really torn between the two and am leaning toward the GB keyboard.

tenbeau said:
Thanks for the info. I tried to install the Fabulous Gingerbread. zip posted on Android Spin and it put my phone into a boot loop. Downloaded this and it is just fine. I do like it a lot. I had been a Swype lover but now I am really torn between the two and am leaning toward the GB keyboard.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Awesome. Glad you like it. I'm a big fan now too.
Still nice that the option to swype is there, if you switch back. But yeah. =P

So I did it. Finally got tired of the lag with my stock mt4g. Fully rooted with s off and loaded iced glacier. This runs so much better now. No lag. Totally smooth. Faster quadrant benchmarks. Hopefully the battery lasts longer like I've heard from some here on the board.
Sent from my HTC Glacier using XDA App

[Q] hulu

sorry if this has been hashed out somewhere else but i could not find it. does anyone know if you will be able to watch hulu on the transformer. my guess is no but alas i still have to ask thanks a lot

Hulu doesn't allow any mobile device to play their video, except for devices supported by Hulu+ (which I think is only iOS devices at this point).
I've been using PlayOn TV for both Netflix and Hulu on my Xoom, and it works well enough. Needs a Windows PC to stream the video, and it costs a bit of money, but actually still works out less than Hulu+ so it's a bit of a wash at this point.

Use the included My Desktop feature to watch Hulu.

that's what i thought. its pretty lame for those of us who want to use them as a laptop replacement

kenshin0088 said:
that's what i thought. its pretty lame for those of us who want to use them as a laptop replacement
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree, but be thankful that you can take your Android device out of a box and start using it - with iOs, you are forced to use a computer to "activate" the device. What a PITA!

agreed i had a iphone 4 it was jailbroken. well anyways i tryed to do a master reset so i could sell it and low and behold it forced me to update to the latest software and firmware. it sure was a pain to sell it after that, now i have HTC inspire and much more happy

Actually, there is a flash player mod that hex edits the lib file to trick hulu into thinking your a windows PC. It works great on the incredible aand the xoom (I'm told) :,but whether that will work with transformer is another story.
Also, to the best of my knowledge, it requires root.
Sent from my ADR6300 using XDA App

dont mean to bring up an old thread but in case anyone is wondering .. using the hacked flash apk, i was able to stream through hulu.com .. works good and although its not in HD, the quality is very good!
http://asustransform.com/2011/06/08...ss-hulus-pejudice-on-asus-eeepad-transformer/

New Android Market!

Anyone has the updated Market rolled to his/her device yet!?
http://googlemobile.blogspot.com/2011/07/new-android-market-for-phones-with.html

Here the apk
http://goo.gl/gXOQm

EnmanuelTavarez said:
Here the apk
http://goo.gl/gXOQm
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can't seem to install this. Anyone else got this to work?

Try to Uninstall the previous version with titanium backup

It works on Thunderbolt 2.2.1, stock.
Sent from my ADR6400L using XDA App

I'll back it up with RootExplorer and try this out and see what happens. I'll let you guys know if it works on the N1....

Works on galaxy S2. Seems MUCH slower than the old market

mchimney said:
Works on galaxy S2. Seems MUCH slower than the old market
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Same. It works fine on N1, I did get an error at first but I got it working. Its slower then the regular market, but I like it overall.

The new market looks really good and works very smoothly for me.
Sent from my Nexus One using XDA Premium App

Movie section of Market doesn't work with rooted devices
If your device is rooted, you won't have access to the Movies section.
Nice, Google, nice.
coffeemm

Working on rooted defy. Movie section is there. But not willing to 3.99 to test it. Someday. Running good though. Looks nice. Kinda reminds me of wm7
Sent from my MB525 using XDA App

Working great on my N1... thanks for posting

I noticed that some apps vanish from My Apps in the new Market. I had about 4 apps to update in the old Market, two manual because of changed permissions. I left it as-is and installed the new Market. In the new Market, only the two apps without changed permissions appeared as updates in My Apps. The other two apps had vanished completely from the My Apps list. If I search for them manually they will still show up and I can update them though.

You may want to try clearing the data of the market app

Install the new market using the apk from android central.
I like a nice little improvement to the notification: it says "updating" instead of "installing" now
Yet, it is not performing fast enough... I feel laggy when using it. And the new UI looks like WP7 (though I personally like this new design )
Sent from my Nexus One using Tapatalk

so it's not just me thinking that it's really laggy ... maybe it's not the final version?
or maybe we now need a Dual-Core Phone to use the new Market

It runs fine for me on the N1 most of the time. The only lag I've noticed is when it's fetching the icons for the apps on the Staff Picks screen or similar. When the icons have been downloaded it runs smoothly. I like the Honeycomb/ICS-like design.

Downloaded Market from http://www.androidpolice.com/2011/07/12/download-the-new-android-market-v3-0-26-with-support-for-movies-and-books/ I am not sure when it will go live in my country so Downloaded from there..I love it but Kinda fell Lag.I think it is new so might take few days/weeks to fix it over it is SO COOL on SGS2 but I have a Problem I can't see Movies Option I think Movies option is not Available in my country yet

Yeah, movie section doesnt appear on my market using MIUI Rom.
Anybody else having issues with Facebook since switching markets? Logic says it can't effect of but since I updated the market, Facebook won't load. Happened immediately after installing the market.

don't be so quick to yell at google for blocking movies if you're rooted
it's pretty clear the movie studios wouldn't give them the licenses for the movies unless they blocked rooted devices
i mean, i'm not agreeing with the studios. cuz are they REALLY worried people are gonna ****ing steal ****ty low res videos off their cellphone? there's SO MANY other(better) ways to pirate these movies. but whatever

DROID bionic commercial

On the DROID bionic commercial it says anything that u download on your cpu is available on your bionic instantly. Does anyone know what program does that and can our ATRIX do that? Thx
Sent from my MB860 using XDA App

Try asking the bionic forum. Then test the software out and let us know if it works with the Atrix.
Speedily sent from CM7 Beta

ZumoCast
Sent from my ADR6400L using xda premium

TopDogg1 said:
... anything that u download on your cpu is available on your bionic instantly....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

zumocast.com (sorry still a noob so no direct links)
I got the apk from a guy that bought a bionic and works great. You can view anything on your computer and stream also. You just have to setup a service on your computer. Easy to use, i have been streaming music and videos to my phone for a week or so now.

can you throw an .apk our way

morepower71 said:
zumocast.com (sorry still a noob so no direct links)
I got the apk from a guy that bought a bionic and works great. You can view anything on your computer and stream also. You just have to setup a service on your computer. Easy to use, i have been streaming music and videos to my phone for a week or so now.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
An apk for that would be awesome.
CM7 Drugged

found this through google
http://www.mediafire.com/?n1jx0i25hxyc7jn
*EDIT*
just installed it and it doesnt work for me
*EDIT 2*
version 1.0.17 works on the atrix
http://www.4shared.com/file/hqFq3xMZ/ZumoCast_1017.html

cachookaman said:
found this through google
http://www.mediafire.com/?n1jx0i25hxyc7jn
*EDIT*
just installed it and it doesnt work for me
*EDIT 2*
version 1.0.17 works on the atrix
http://www.4shared.com/file/hqFq3xMZ/ZumoCast_1017.html
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
beat me to it. thanks.

UPDATE:
Okay i downloaded it, installed it, and it works pretty well. A cinch to set up. Streaming works well -- I only streamed a video though over 3g, the quality was good -- comparable too SubSonic, however there are no settings to control the quality of the feed -- with subsonic, you can at least adjust the quality to get better picture or better streaming- depending on your preference.
I'll still use both -- since SubSonic gives me access to my library anywhere without the need of a mobile phone.
--------------------------------------------
I'll give this a shot --
for streaming from my PC now I use SubSonic... it works pretty well.. however the controls when streaming video is tough, since it converts everything to flash on the go.

Works for me. Wish it worked in both directions though.

You can get the newest version 1.1.1 from here: http://goo.gl/Fp2eB
This is the current version and the device check has been disabled. We even have a 1.1.1 version with working rotation.

Zumocast has horrible customer service/support, by the way.
I had it for my iPhone a while back. Lots of people complained about a certain issue on their forum and today, 3 years later, still no fix.
They would constantly ask for logs but nothing ever got done.
Sent from my MB860 using XDA App