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SO, I'm a simple iPhone user, aka these 5 home screens and moving backgrounds confuse and fluster the hell out of me. While I try and downloads hoards of apps to put the the phone I still can't quite figure out what the hell to do with 5 home screens, in reality I have only filled one page and even still its only really my phone and weather widget.
Are there any apps / widgets / clocks / keyboards ya'll would say are "required" for the nexus? I really don't know where to look some one should make a suggested app thread.
look forward to hearing your responses.
JG
it all depends on you decorate it to your liking
for me on my main screen i have my
Mainscreen
-flipclock from beautiful widgets
-Most used apps: gallery, aim, maps, camera, gmail, browser and market
Second Screen Left
-Search bar on top
-picture frame of me and my girlfriend in the middle
-A folder for games and a folder for tools on each side of the frame
-and the power control on the button
and then on other screens i have my friendstream(facebook widget), favorite contacts, end all task widget, flashlight widget, music player widget, bookmarks widget, news widget
oh and im using the the desire rom btw but there are equivilant widgets on the market
You don't to have to have live wallpapers, and on the iphone don't you get how many screens you need to compensate for the amount of applications you have installed? So unless you had a minimal amount of applications, wouldn't you have more (or equivalent) than five screens? So how come now it is confusing you?
Ok, back to the matter at hand. Usually I just decorate my home screens with applications that i need, apps that are not used regularly stay in the app wheel thingy (its not really drawer anymore). Really your homescreens will be determined by your needs, and likes. Decorate with the most essential applications that you need, and expand on that by adding widgets and etc. I'm sure others could recommend apps for you, I've been an Android user since the G1 (which isn't long really), but apps just come to mind without hesitation.
On my main screen I have a nice clock and my most used programs. The screen to the right has toggles for various settings. To the right of that is speed dials. To the left of the main screen is weather and news plus a few more program shortcuts and to the left of that is my music player widget.
I only use 3 screens, centre is big clock and most used apps, to the right is a bunch of regularly used apps. to the left is some widgets and speed dials.
I keep the other 2 blank for some reason.
Rock3nrenigade said:
Are there any apps / widgets / clocks / keyboards ya'll would say are "required" for the nexus? I really don't know where to look some one should make a suggested app thread.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For the love of god please use the Search button!
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=620092&highlight=apps
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=617667&highlight=apps
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=633104&highlight=apps
+ a dozen other of the same threads
.
I find myself just using the main home screen and putting my icons there, but the other screens don't get used and are blank. If I want an app, I press the dots and flick through the launcher.
Is it just me?
I only use 3 of the screens. main one (centre), the left and right one. Other ones are empty.
3 here, I removed the other two using Helixlauncher2
I'm using all 5 and they are all full heh. I have different themes for each screen with most used apps + clock/weather on the middle screen, social networking widgets on one, utilities on one, fun on another and one with an agenda and some other stuff.
Not really hard to fill those screens up imo, but I guess other people actually use the app-drawer.
I use them all and kind of wish there were more. LOL like the poster above, each page has a specific "theme".
I'm using all 5 and they are all full heh. I have different themes for each screen with most used apps + clock/weather on the middle screen, social networking widgets on one, utilities on one, fun on another and one with an agenda and some other stuff.
Not really hard to fill those screens up imo, but I guess other people actually use the app-drawer.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
you're screens are set up EXACTLY like I set my Nexus 1 screens up : -). but on my g1 I just use 1 screen
Sent from my HTC Dream G1 using the XDA mobile application powered by Tapatalk
I use Helixlauncher and am using all 7 screens. Although I noticed that with all of the widgets I'm using, there is some lag once in a while, but it's more that it's not as smooth as the stock homescreens really.
I use each screen for different types of task.
My home screen has Calls, SMS, GMail and the Browser icons. First screen to the left has facebook and twitter widgets and the second screen to the left has tool apps like netcounter, task killer, astro file manager and the power widget.
First screen to the right is for media so I have the news widget, music, camera and gallery icons/widgets. The second right screen has apps I want to find quickly like torch, calculator, dictionary and a few games.
Scrolling up and down the app drawer seems like a pain to me
C.Slater said:
I use each screen for different types of task.
My home screen has Calls, SMS, GMail and the Browser icons. First screen to the left has facebook and twitter widgets and the second screen to the left has tool apps like netcounter, task killer, astro file manager and the power widget.
First screen to the right is for media so I have the news widget, music, camera and gallery icons/widgets. The second right screen has apps I want to find quickly like torch, calculator, dictionary and a few games.
Scrolling up and down the app drawer seems like a pain to me
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Click to collapse
I have almost the same layout but with the left and right reversed... might be because i am in a right handed drive country xD
C.Slater said:
I use each screen for different types of task.
My home screen has Calls, SMS, GMail and the Browser icons. First screen to the left has facebook and twitter widgets and the second screen to the left has tool apps like netcounter, task killer, astro file manager and the power widget.
First screen to the right is for media so I have the news widget, music, camera and gallery icons/widgets. The second right screen has apps I want to find quickly like torch, calculator, dictionary and a few games.
Scrolling up and down the app drawer seems like a pain to me
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I do have the exact same layout!
3 screens, apps to the left, widgets to the right, and calling, text, emails, contacts center. Not ruling out using the far screens but have no need for them with my usage. There is still plenty of room on the inboard 3 for future additions.
3 screens only & using the Helix Launcher
Using 3 main screens loaded with apps & widgets.
all 5, but not all full. home screen has most apps, with phone, contacts, notes, task panel widget, car home, voice, gesture search, sms, settings and spare parts. left 1 is gmail and weather
left 2 is pandora and facebook.
right 1 is some games, system widget (sync, locale, wifi, bt)
right 2 is the calendar pad widget covering whole thing. i need to see whole month.
SBS_ said:
I'm using all 5 and they are all full heh. I have different themes for each screen with most used apps + clock/weather on the middle screen, social networking widgets on one, utilities on one, fun on another and one with an agenda and some other stuff.
Not really hard to fill those screens up imo, but I guess other people actually use the app-drawer.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Same here. I have the calendar widget on my main screen, which takes up four "slots", and my most frequently used apps (mail, phone, camera, Twidroid etc.and a battery widget) One screen to the left I have other frequently used apps, two screens to the left I have the 4square widget. One screen to the right some frequently used widgets (like weather, Google Buzz and networks) ans two screens to the right: games.
I use 5 out of seven on my Desire ROM.
Center is most used apps plus weather clock.
To the right is two rows of apps. right of that is facebook and textsfromlastnight
the left of center is weather, but the expanded widget from sense
to the left of that is sticky notes and some media.
Had my Blade for about a month now, tried half a dozen roms, settled on Jap Jellyfish with some tweaks, overclocked kernel, black status bar, yadda yadda yadda.
I have looked at people's home screens, and think... why? I tried having a big clock or circle battery widget, I still instinctively look to the status bar up top. I've tried various other widgets, but everything just seems to get in the way.
I have only one home screen populated with stuff I use regularly, Droid48, Email widget, contacts, power control and google search. I have seen some things that I think look cool, but don't see the point in doing, does it really add enough to my user experience to be worth the juggling and hoops?
So far the only real modifications I would consider heavier than just applying a couple zip files (Forst paragraph), I have made involve Widgetlocker, and a couple sliders, plus... Droid48. Sometimes I just really, really need to have a calculator. Maybe I'm just not cut out for this pretty phone thing.
No offense, but whats the point of this post?
A few questions buried in there, will the heavy mods actually make my experience any better? Are there any changes that are. aactually worth the effort?
Sent from my ZTE-BLADE using XDA App
you've hit the nail on the head with "look cool". that's a pretty good reason. plenty of apple owning friends are pretty jealous of the widgets possible on my blade. and i remind them often that it's £100 vs £500.
i agree that overkill is possible but it all depends on what you want from your phone.
ive got a calendar and task widget on my home screen so i always know my next engagement.
ive got a widget showing what torrent my server is currently grabbing.
on one page i've got a page full of my best mates + family photos grabbed straight from facebook which i far prefer over going to the contacts app then favourites.
and everyone needs the instant buttons app so you're only ever 2 presses away from playing the tumbleweed sound effect after someone cracks an awful joke....
Ok some good ideas there, and I have gotten some other ideas elsewhere. The scrolling wallpaper that is making the rounds has given me the inspiration to try out some things, and I am starting to understand the allure of themeing.
Noticing somedistinct improvements with 2. 2 as well.
Sent from my ZTE-BLADE using XDA App
galorin said:
I have looked at people's home screens, and think... why? I tried having a big clock or circle battery widget, I still instinctively look to the status bar up top. I've tried various other widgets, but everything just seems to get in the way.
I have only one home screen populated with stuff I use regularly, Droid48, Email widget, contacts, power control and google search. I have seen some things that I think look cool, but don't see the point in doing, does it really add enough to my user experience to be worth the juggling and hoops?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm pretty much from the same school of thinking with android. I only had my blade for a few weeks now & I've come from an iPhone & I really think less is more. I have launcher pro plus installed with only two homescreens.
One which simply has typo clock widget, a basic helvetica clock & a shortcut to my camera. The typoclock takes me to my alarm clock if i press it & obviously i got the launcher pro dock with browser, sms, gmail etc & swipe gestures for all 5.
The 2nd has a facebook widget, a setCPU widget, couple of folders for games/utilities & a few more short cuts to apps I use regularly (Astro, market, cal, maps etc....).
Have you tried the 0x90 addon for Jjelly? It let's you put the power control widget at the top of your notification bar, esier to get to & frees up home screen space! It also let's you tweak your home screen a bit, add a music player control (which works with spotify ) It's a brilliant mod, you should give it a try.
Awestome
Sent from my HTC Magic using XDA App
Downloading now, haven't found any widgets yet for fb that are both good and work well with a black theme.
Sent from my ZTE-BLADE using XDA App
I'm lookimgs fo widgets that are simlar to launcher pro widgets any one have any ideas
Sent from my Xoom using Tapatalk
You could try installing launcher pro. It's not in the market, but you should be able to find the apk with a little elbow grease.
Sent from my Xoom using XDA Premium App
Ditto. Load LauncherPro. You have to buy it to get the widget but it is cheap and worth it. Attached is a screenshot of my screen. Upper left is Friends widget which combines FB and Twitter feeds. Totally worth it.
I used LP 0.8.3 plus since I got the Xoom. Wasn't sure how it would turn out but I figured it couldn't hurt. It's been fanatastic. Have to tweak some small settings to make it snappier transitioning screens but it does the job well. The ability to stretch the Widgets and the additional Widgets makes it worth the effort. Feels very customized and it works great.
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App
For those running Launcher Pro... Are you using the CNN stackable widget as well?
When I installed LP+ and would flip through the CNN widget stacks, I would constantly get Force Closes on Launcher Pro. I finally gave up on it... Maybe I will try again.
Anyone experiencing the same? Or different?
Thanks.
Cnn widget works fine for me (I have it resized a little smaller than what it looks like stock)
keitht said:
Ditto. Load LauncherPro. You have to buy it to get the widget but it is cheap and worth it. Attached is a screenshot of my screen. Upper left is Friends widget which combines FB and Twitter feeds. Totally worth it.
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Click to collapse
Launcher Pro looks nice. I'll have to try it.
Is it your birthday Keith? Happy birthday, if it is.
New to Android... so this could possibly be a dumb question.
When using the stock Twitter widget, it only displays one tweet at a time and isn't scrollable. When reading up on Launcher Pro, it said that you can resize and create scrollable widgets. Could I take the stock Twitter app, resize it, AND make it scrollable?
Thanks in advance.
Here is another question related to Launcher Pro... I have my screens setup and all is working well, however, the stackable widgets (CNN, Youtube, etc) do not automatically flip every minute.
I know this is not a big deal, however, I am guessing they also do not refresh every minute as well.
Anyone seeing the same thing?
If this is a known problem, I am assuming this will be fixed when LP+ is actually released to use the Honeycomb engine.
green94 said:
New to Android... so this could possibly be a dumb question.
When using the stock Twitter widget, it only displays one tweet at a time and isn't scrollable. When reading up on Launcher Pro, it said that you can resize and create scrollable widgets. Could I take the stock Twitter app, resize it, AND make it scrollable?
Thanks in advance.
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Click to collapse
No.
LPP+ has a very nice twitter widget that is scrollable.
LPP+ does nothing to widgets that aren't LP widgets, other than allow you to resize them. The stock Twitter widget does not have the ability, that I've seen, to be scrollable, there for for me, it gets deleted.
Its very hard if not impossible to find LPP replacement widgets for the Calendar/Agenda, facebook, and twitter widgets. ADW an equally impressive launcher does not have these widgets, but has a couple other tweaks LP doesn't.
There are also themed versions for LPP+ and ADW which are very nice. I'm using a transparent theme, XTG and Love it.
Here's the thread for all the themed versions. Looks like he just added HC too. Make a backup of LP, delete it. Install the themed .apk and restore. Activation codes work and it really adds a nice touch.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=783427
Its sad that the stock Launcher is so inadequate. I really tried to like it but the lack of resizing the widgets is a complete fail imo.
Mandelbrot.Benoit said:
No.
LPP+ has a very nice twitter widget that is scrollable.
LPP+ does nothing to widgets that aren't LP widgets, other than allow you to resize them. The stock Twitter widget does not have the ability, that I've seen, to be scrollable, there for for me, it gets deleted.
Its very hard if not impossible to find LPP replacement widgets for the Calendar/Agenda, facebook, and twitter widgets. ADW an equally impressive launcher does not have these widgets, but has a couple other tweaks LP doesn't.
There are also themed versions for LPP+ and ADW which are very nice. I'm using a transparent theme, XTG and Love it.
Here's the thread for all the themed versions. Looks like he just added HC too. Make a backup of LP, delete it. Install the themed .apk and restore. Activation codes work and it really adds a nice touch.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=783427
Its sad that the stock Launcher is so inadequate. I really tried to like it but the lack of resizing the widgets is a complete fail imo.
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First off, great information. Really appreciate it.
A few follow up questions:
What are the differences between LPP+ and ADW beyond widgets? Candidly scrollable widgets is my most pressing need at this time, but I'm interested in hearing about the other "tweaks".
Do you use both launchers at the same time?
How do these programs handle battery consumption?
Lastly, which do you recommend for use with Honeycomb?
Thanks again
Hello,
I wonder what people use as home Launcher for the Z3 COmpact.
The original one is nice with some additional features like the Drawer Menu.
NOVA has been my choice for years so now got back to it again.
But I think of using Google Now as it supports Voice Activation from the home screen (or even Lock Screen, though not sure??)
Anyhow, what's your preferred one?
Why not miui?
P.S. I am a miui super fan
Hi.
Voice activation is supported on any page of nova launcher prime (I use it on my Z3 compact)
Nova for me
Got it MIUI, but cannot seem to edit the Poll anymore ;-(
As for NOVA just found it indeed. Only does not work on the lock screen ;-( But Nova rocks indeed.
I'm using Next.
I using CM Launcher.. A few weeks..
Its offer Small-Fast Launcher but lots of customize..
I can't believe Terrain Home didn't make the list.
Any decent launcher now should get you to a search textbox in one action, and the search should dynamically filter your phone content (apps, contacts, bookmarks, etc.) as you type.
Terrain also includes a reasonable selection of feeds, a la Blinkfeed or Samsung's My Magazine.
Action Launcher for me, lacks some of the Nova features but I can't live without my covers and shutters.
using flow and aviate, switching between them when bored, but flow home launcher is great but still on beta though.
cpurick said:
I can't believe Terrain Home didn't make the list.
Any decent launcher now should get you to a search textbox in one action, and the search should dynamically filter your phone content (apps, contacts, bookmarks, etc.) as you type.
Terrain also includes a reasonable selection of feeds, a la Blinkfeed or Samsung's My Magazine.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Got a link? Can't seem to find it on the Play Store
I was using Xperia until yesterday, then I switched to Nova.
I use folders pretty heavily so all the apps I use regularly are available with 2 taps from the home screen. I never use the drawer. The main reason I'm using Nova now is because I discovered Chronus which is great for showing when I have new mail, texts, calls, events, etc. all in one place, but it's a 4x3 widget so I needed the extra row Nova gives me.
I like the idea of a launcher with context, so I could see myself using something like Aviate, but so far I haven't quite found one that feels just right.
I use nova prime cause i want to use knock on and knock off. Coming from lg g2 and dont wnt to miss this xD
It's visible to me. Maybe you have to Google it and register for the beta first. I simply don't remember. FWIW, they're a Samsung venture.
Found it - try terrainhome dot com.
Google Now Launcher, but with Xposed GEL Settings.
I've been using Nova Prime for years but recently switched to Smart Launcher Pro because I'm tired of the standard matrix of icons paradigm. Granted, Smart Launcher Pro isn't far off of that, but it's a welcome change.
Sent from my D5803 using Tapatalk
Buzz Launcher with Buzz widget here.
I'm using Action Launcher Pro.