Database Users

My Solution to Help Stop Screen Freezes (Tasker app)

Since a lot of people suggest disabling the g-sensor to prevent the screen freezes I thought I'd try something.
I don't want to have my rotation disabled as it's very handy to have. So what I do is use an app called Tasker. It's not free, but there is a 7-day trial available.
Basically I have it set to disable screen rotation every time the screen is off..and so far I haven't had any screen freezes. It may be coincidence, it may not be. I'm not exactly sure if the app does disable the g-sensor or does something else, but so far so good.
For those that don't know about Tasker...it's probably the best app that will ever be made for Android. You can make your phone do almost anything.
For example, I use it to:
When I get home, Wifi turns on and 3G is turned off. When I leave home, Wifi turns off and 3G turns on....same for work.
I have it disable wifi, 3g and screen rotation at night when I'm in bed.
It enables GPS when I launch maps or navigation, and disables GPS when I close the app.
And those are very basic ones...
The Tasker wiki has many more advanced "profiles" you can use:
Code:
Lock An Application
Start the Day with a Particular Application
Battery Full Alert
Launch Music App When Headset Inserted
Launch Menu of Music Apps When Headset Inserted
Keep screen awake when using the keyboard
Speaking Clock for Android 1.5
Control Keyguard (scroll to unlock) when Power is Connected/Disconnected
Keep Multiple Backups of Tasker Config
Change Ringtone on Every New Call
Mute in Meetings
Hold Ringer Volume Down
Auto-Respond To SMSs At Night
Change Volume Levels during Different Times of the Day
Check Data/SMS/Minute Usage With Carrier While Sleeping
Temporarily max brightness of screen during Incoming Call
Auto (Silent) Sleep Mode with Exceptions
Intermediate
Power Plug In - Choose Car/Home/Night Mode
Generic Toggle Widget
Open the keyboard and start texting
Set volume then Launch menu of music apps
Alarmclock without Snooze
Alarms with Snooze and Vibrate
Geburtstagserinnerung (German)
Car Locator
Notification Reminder Pulse
Locate your phone using SMS and google maps
Lock your phone and locate it by SMS and sound
A full talking clock
Act like a docking station when plugged into USB
Auto answer calls when your bluetooth headset is connected
Extended phone profile changer with Notification and Widget
Turn your cell phone into a Voip phone
Advanced
Periodic Data Check (Juicedefender Replacement)
Creates profiles similar to S60 devices and changes them depending on variety of factors
U.S. Navy Ships Bells (Using Tasker's OR '/' feature) * Pattern Matching *
Changing background image depending on current weather (Using HTTPGet)
Or you can simply create your own...there is a learning curve, but once you get a feel for it, it's VERY powerful! It can control almost every part of your Android phone.
There's a decent thread with more examples on xda in this thread.
I realise this is a software post, but it's main aim was to point out a way of disabling rotation to help with screen freezes

Hey,
thanks for this thread, i have downloaded tasker now.
Can you post your code for disabling gsensor when screen is off?
//EDIT: Sorry, its very easy.. i think i can create it by myself

HTC_HDD said:
Hey,
thanks for this thread, i have downloaded tasker now.
Can you post your code for disabling gsensor when screen is off?
//EDIT: Sorry, its very easy.. i think i can create it by myself
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hehe yep, it's an easy one.
New Event profile > Display off is the Event. Action is disable rotation

I have done it like you and added a task which enables the rotation if screen is on, is this correct?
I have used the phone now and i got freezes again, but not so much.. i think.
Sent from my HTC Desire using XDA App

HTC_HDD said:
I have done it like you and added a task which enables the rotation if screen is on, is this correct?
I have used the phone now and i got freezes again, but not so much.. i think.
Sent from my HTC Desire using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yep, you also have to create another to say disable screen rotation when the screen is off.

@the_scotsman
Thanks for the suggestion, I've seen a few people mention this app before but now I finally downloaded it. I'll play around a bit to figure out some combos, but one quick question..
Is this going to be something running in the background sucking up battery and memory or is it just like running scripts? What do you think? I'll run current widget once I get some tasks going to see happens, just wondering if you've found anything out yet.

tgtoys said:
@the_scotsman
Thanks for the suggestion, I've seen a few people mention this app before but now I finally downloaded it. I'll play around a bit to figure out some combos, but one quick question..
Is this going to be something running in the background sucking up battery and memory or is it just like running scripts? What do you think? I'll run current widget once I get some tasks going to see happens, just wondering if you've found anything out yet.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It depends on what profiles you set up...if they involve wireless, it will enable wireless every so often to check access points etc....or if you are using a location profile, it will enable gps every so often to check your location. You can change how often everything polls in the settings.
I have mine as per the first post, so it does scan for wireless every so often, and I havent seen any change in battery usage.

the_scotsman said:
Yep, you also have to create another to say disable screen rotation when the screen is off.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can you go step by step what you do to set up display off and rotation off?

Hi,
the last NetRipper Kernel has no freezes!!
Is not overclocked, is not undervolted, has no axi and has no freezes.
with friendly greet
starbase64

starbase64 said:
Hi,
the last NetRipper Kernel has no freezes!!
Is not overclocked, is not undervolted, has no axi and has no freezes.
with friendly greet
starbase64
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, but i prefer to have axi and undervolt
And I have no freezes

the_scotsman said:
Hehe yep, it's an easy one.
New Event profile > Display off is the Event. Action is disable rotation
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can find everything else exept "disable rotation" in Actions. I only found "display rotation" in settings. Any help?

tzic said:
I can find everything else exept "disable rotation" in Actions. I only found "display rotation" in settings. Any help?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yea, thats the one..just choose that one and set it to "off" in the settings for it

ty for the quick reply scotsman, I ll report back in a day or two.

Tried this, but didnt work
I tried many different versions of kernels but in all if I keep my phone on standby (screen off) for a long time, say 20 mins, my phone freezes, My hardware buttons still glow on press, but phone never wakes up, any Ideas??

Even you disable display rotation, the sensor is still active, just use Gscript and disable sensor, you won't get any more freeze.

justwonder said:
Even you disable display rotation, the sensor is still active, just use Gscript and disable sensor, you won't get any more freeze.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was just about to write exactly the same words!
Scotsman - can you tell if Tasker can run a custom written script, upon some event? Then we can use it to turn off the gsensor!

Finally seems to be workin!!I made 2 changes:
1) Upgraded my radio from 2.08 to 2.12 (I recommend this one)
2) Stopped GSensor with Gscript

Another issue,
After I restart the sensor via script, photos in album wont rotate anymore!!
I did a `ps -ef|grep akmd` and the process is running, any thoughts??
edit: it works after restart!!

did you use the free gscript? cause mine says needs su:true

Your solution is great thanks... i did something slightly different : using tasker, autorotation is enabled only for apps that I want too, like gallery. Rest of the time, its off and working great that way too.

[Q] Auto Brightness still missing!!

I noticed that it was working though I didn't find the open under the settings, but after I changed the brightness settings, seems like it doesn't anymore!!
Is SE hidden "Auto" under the carpet?

Dont be silly, the setting is right there... oh... actually, where has it gone?
Hmmm... cant find it in settings, sure it was there before. Try widgetsoid, that has an auto brightness toggle which works fine.

daveybaby said:
Dont be silly, the setting is right there... oh... actually, where has it gone?
Hmmm... cant find it in settings, sure it was there before. Try widgetsoid, that has an auto brightness toggle which works fine.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
hmmm seriously...I remember seeing it...

daveybaby said:
Dont be silly, the setting is right there... oh... actually, where has it gone?
Hmmm... cant find it in settings, sure it was there before. Try widgetsoid, that has an auto brightness toggle which works fine.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
superutp said:
hmmm seriously...I remember seeing it...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are you guys are serious or just try to be
Ever since X10 was upgraded to 2.1, they took away the "auto brightness" from it. It used to be there when it was 1.6. Now I don't find that option in Arc as well, which is kind of weired. If you guys found it ... then I don't have any words to say!!

prathaban said:
Are you guys are serious or just try to be
Ever since X10 was upgraded to 2.1, they took away the "auto brightness" from it. It used to be there when it was 1.6. Now I don't find that option in Arc as well, which is kind of weired. If you guys found it ... then I don't have any words to say!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
not being sarcastic mate..
when i got the arc I really remember seeing the option and testing it out...
since I never use it I really havent gone to the display settings (just use a widget to control brightness)..
after I read this post I went to chk it and it wasnt there...funny!

superutp said:
not being sarcastic mate..
when i got the arc I really remember seeing the option and testing it out...
since I never use it I really havent gone to the display settings (just use a widget to control brightness)..
after I read this post I went to chk it and it wasnt there...funny!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Honestly, I'm not trying to be funny here, but my Arc is only couple of days old and since I bought I didn't find this option at all. This particularly bothers me when I go out the brightness is too dark to read and I've to adjust it and then I come inside the shade, it's too dark

Honestly i swear there was one there - there was a checkbox on the slider popup. There was a software update about a week after i got mine, maybe they removed it in that.
I also remember reading something about it *always* being on regardless, and all the slider does in settings is set a general level it will change around, i.e. a 'gain' setting. Maybe that's what's changed in the update, and why they removed the checkbox. However, that doesnt explain why it doesnt seem to be working for you.
Regardless, auto-brightness still works on mine if i enable it via widgetsoid (or any other extended controls widget will probably do it). I can put my thumb over the sensor and the screen will darken etc.

it's always on apparently. i've tested it by passing the light sensor part of the phone over a ray of light coming from the window and you can see the brightness change. the light sensor refreshes every 3-5 secs or so.

daveybaby said:
Honestly i swear there was one there - there was a checkbox on the slider popup. There was a software update about a week after i got mine, maybe they removed it in that.
I also remember reading something about it *always* being on regardless, and all the slider does in settings is set a general level it will change around, i.e. a 'gain' setting. Maybe that's what's changed in the update, and why they removed the checkbox. However, that doesnt explain why it doesnt seem to be working for you.
Regardless, auto-brightness still works on mine if i enable it via widgetsoid (or any other extended controls widget will probably do it). I can put my thumb over the sensor and the screen will darken etc.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I tested with the application you have recommended and setting it to auto seems like doing the job but it wasn't the case with some other widgets I tried. I don't quite understand why SE has to remove that check box. They did it for X10 when they upgraded from v1.6 to v2.1 and they seems like done it for Arc as well with smaller firmware update. But thanks anyway the application.
By-the-way are you using the same firmware version as mine or is it different?

I'm running 3.0.A.2.184.

daveybaby said:
I'm running 3.0.A.2.184.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Same as mine

prathaban said:
Same as mine
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not according to your sig

daveybaby said:
Not according to your sig
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh Ja, I didn't notice that last digit is 4!! But this is the latest in my region . Thanks anyway.

I tried all methods from this thread and my auto brightness was not working until I put Power control Wideget (the one originally installed with system). One settings of its most right button activated auto brightness. Now it is nice to have it working.

arek1 said:
I tried all methods from this thread and my auto brightness was not working until I put Power control Wideget (the one originally installed with system). One settings of its most right button activated auto brightness. Now it is nice to have it working.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm not sure what happened there, it works for me with widgetsoid without any issues! But I did face issues with few other widgets like Switchpro widgets or Extended Controls.

I don't think the Xperia Arc has auto brightness setting for the display. I looked at the power control widget, and the brightness control button does not have the 'A' state.

TWiTCommander said:
I don't think the Xperia Arc has auto brightness setting for the display. I looked at the power control widget, and the brightness control button does not have the 'A' state.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have you tried the widget suggested? It has that "A" option you mentioned.

At the left side of the speaker for phoning theres this 5mm dot like thing. When I put my thumb on it, the brightness changes drastically. It probably thinks that Im in a dark room. When I release my thumb it goes back to normal. I notice this a lot since I put my left thumb there while watching movies.
Sooo ... auto brightness worked for me out of the box.
(I love the screen in direct sunlight ! On my mums milestone (droid) you can basically see nothing !)

kiyu727 said:
At the left side of the speaker for phoning theres this 5mm dot like thing. When I put my thumb on it, the brightness changes drastically. It probably thinks that Im in a dark room. When I release my thumb it goes back to normal. I notice this a lot since I put my left thumb there while watching movies.
Sooo ... auto brightness worked for me out of the box.
(I love the screen in direct sunlight ! On my mums milestone (droid) you can basically see nothing !)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry, but you didn't know that there is this sensor for light?

Bought mine a month ago and one of the first things i did was adjusting display brightness. There was no auto brightness option and still isn't, 100% sure (.181). But it's working fine so i have no problem with it.
Sent from my LT15i

Disable Lights On Hard Keys?

Does anyone know if there is a way to disable the hard keys on the x? I use my phone so much I don't need the annoying light keys. Half the time they constantly turn on and off anyways.
Devices:
DroidX Liberty v2.0 (Current)
Droid 1
Moto Cliq

There is a free app in the market called adjbrightness it requires root but it has a button backlight overide feature... also has a neat lower than stock brightness level (just edit the lowest value to a 2 I believe) saves a lot of battery setting the screen so dim... there might be an app specifically for button backlight though if that's all you want...
sent from my Droid X running Liberty 3

hootowlserenade said:
There is a free app in the market called adjbrightness it requires root but it has a button backlight overide feature... also has a neat lower than stock brightness level (just edit the lowest value to a 2 I believe) saves a lot of battery setting the screen so dim... there might be an app specifically for button backlight though if that's all you want...
sent from my Droid X running Liberty 3
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you that's an awesome app. Can't believe I haven't heard of it before. Problem solved!
Devices:
DroidX Liberty v2.0 (Current)
Droid 1
Moto Cliq

Thanks for the tip on the adjbrightness app. The erratic button light thing has been bugging me since an early update from VZW, and I never had been able to find a true solution to the problem. The logic of the button behavior is beyond me. Some nights it's on and refuses to go off, some it's off, seemingly without reason, and it is now blindingly and annoyingly bright, so any relief is welcome.
I know the app is just a workaround for the underlying problem, but my Droid X is within months of being replaced, so I'm happy to at least have this level of control in the interim.

Also, there's a script
There's a script here that can be run with script manager at boot that does the trick quite nicely:
I would post a link... but I'm "new" so I can't do that... Search for "lightsoff.sh droid x"

apps
There is almost an app for everything.

Tried that app and it works, which is nice. I remember when Gingerbread came out the lights started staying on a lot more and were a lot brighter. Nice to turn them off. Must help the battery a bit too.
But, is there a way to adjust the brightness level of the buttons? I've searched the play store to no avail, and this app only turns them on and off. (and is a permanent toggle too, would also be nice to have them come on for a short timeout, ending just before the screen - but at a lower brightness level) Not sure if this is possible or not, but since the software did affect the level, I'm hoping someone already has or knows of an app for it.

Usquanigo said:
Tried that app and it works, which is nice. I remember when Gingerbread came out the lights started staying on a lot more and were a lot brighter. Nice to turn them off. Must help the battery a bit too.
But, is there a way to adjust the brightness level of the buttons? I've searched the play store to no avail, and this app only turns them on and off. (and is a permanent toggle too, would also be nice to have them come on for a short timeout, ending just before the screen - but at a lower brightness level) Not sure if this is possible or not, but since the software did affect the level, I'm hoping someone already has or knows of an app for it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you check the build.prop?
Sent from my ATRIX HD using XDA Free mobile app

palmbeach05 said:
Did you check the build.prop?
Sent from my ATRIX HD using XDA Free mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just now looked through it using ES File Explorer and it's file viewer. I didn't see anything that looked button related, but without a search feature, I might have just missed it maybe. (but if so, I won't find it - I don't think I missed it...)
I downloaded a build.prop editor and through that found a setting for the button timeout. Options were 1 (which it already was) or zero. Tried 0, saved it and rebooted, but it seemed to have no effect. And nothing for brightness.

[TIP] Use CM7 Profiles To Quickly Change Settings In Fullscreen

I was digging around trying to find an efficient way to manage my audio & other settings during a game or another situation where I was in fullscreen. I started playing around with the profiles and found a handy way to quickly swap audio profiles without leaving the game itself.
Prerequisites:
CM7
Disclaimer:
This doesn't modify anything serious, but don't blame me if you screw your system up. Also, this may not work for every fullscreen scenario.
Let's do this thing!
Goto: Settings -> Profiles
There are already a few profiles configured, but you can delete/ignore those for the time being.
Click "New Profile"
Scroll to "Volume Overrides"
Name it accordingly "I named mine 'Media 100%'"
Set the volume for the individual situation "in my case it was media"
Make sure the checkmark is checked before you exit
That's it!!
Now, hold the power button on your device, select "profile" from the power prompt, and select your new profile. Your setting will be immediately applied and you never left your current app.
I set multiple combinations of audio setting profiles, and you can set yours however you like. I will post some screenshots of my setup later.
Alternatives:
The best alternative I have found is Wave Launcher. It seemed to lag after a while and disrupt some of the games I was playing when changing settings. It was, however, very efficient and had a cool media player widget overlay on any game.
Other uses:
This option is great for other settings as well. You can use your imagination for the potential, and post any other useful tips for Profiles here.

That's a pretty cool feature, I'm currently using Volume + Free for my volume control.

airmaxx23 said:
That's a pretty cool feature, I'm currently using Volume + Free for my volume control.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just played around with the paid version a bit. Did you find a way to change the volume settings without leaving the forground app?

I use Volume Control. It puts a slider (that can be set to disappear after a couple seconds) on the right edge of your screen that can be accessed from any app, full screen or not (overlays on all windows).

enkode said:
I just played around with the paid version a bit. Did you find a way to change the volume settings without leaving the forground app?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Takenover83 said:
I use Volume Control. It puts a slider (that can be set to disappear after a couple seconds) on the right edge of your screen that can be accessed from any app, full screen or not (overlays on all windows).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oops, volume+ I'd the app I use to jump the volunteer up a little, I actually use the same volume control app that Takenover is suggesting, I got them mixed up.

Screen & Button Brightness

I've seen people on here talking about the minimum screen brightness being too high.
I've used this app (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.mlhg.screenfilter&hl=en) in the past and it works.
The main reason I use it now is because it has an option to "Dim capacitive button lights" which turns them completely off. I personally love the look without the button lights.
It does have a ongoing notification to get into the settings but the icon can be hidden or once you have it all setup, you can disable notifications for the app in Android's settings.
Something cool I thought some of you might find useful

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=pl.poveu.pixelbatterysaver