Database Users

Things you like about Touchwiz/Samsung modifications

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
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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.

Customize lockscreens?

I was curious if there was anyway to use a lockscreen other than the ones provided with CM7 (which is what I'm currently using). And where would I go about finding them?
Sent from my Liberty using XDA App

There are but first learn to post in the general area if you have a question.
There is widget locker in the market as well as extracting the framework-res.apk and chamging lockscreen images and make a flashable zip.
Signatures are fancy.

Check out the WidgetLocker app. Its really awesome and well worth the price. When you buy it you will then be able to customize it and make the lockscreen change with themes other have made.
Heres a thread with some of the widgetlocker themes people are creating
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=968613

Ill give it a look. Thanks for the quick reply.
Sent from my Liberty using XDA App

Whenever I used widgetlocker, my cm7 lockscreen and the widgetlocker lockscreen would always interfere with each other...how did you get around that?

works ok for me, running CM7(RC2)
agree with others, Widget Locker is the best... and only $2

Plasmamuffins said:
Whenever I used widgetlocker, my cm7 lockscreen and the widgetlocker lockscreen would always interfere with each other...how did you get around that?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thats why I stopped using it. Would get a hesitation using widget locker as it doesnt actually replace the stock lockscreen. It just seems to overlay it. What it appeared to be to me was that widget locker, being an app, had to load. So if it dropped out of Memory the phone had to reload it and it caused this stutter/hesitation between it and the actual lockscreen. Not that big a deal, but it gave the appearance that the phone was glitchy which I didnt like (i do everything i can to make the phone super smooth, no sense in installing an app that counters that, no matter how slight).
Now I just go with no sliders and use a gesture to unlock the phone and have another gesture to toggle sound. Super clean and confusing to whoever picks up the phone trying to be sneaky.

CallMeAria said:
Thats why I stopped using it. Would get a hesitation using widget locker as it doesnt actually replace the stock lockscreen. It just seems to overlay it. What it appeared to be to me was that widget locker, being an app, had to load. So if it dropped out of Memory the phone had to reload it and it caused this stutter/hesitation between it and the actual lockscreen. Not that big a deal, but it gave the appearance that the phone was glitchy which I didnt like (i do everything i can to make the phone super smooth, no sense in installing an app that counters that, no matter how slight).
Now I just go with no sliders and use a gesture to unlock the phone and have another gesture to toggle sound. Super clean and confusing to whoever picks up the phone trying to be sneaky.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And gesture unlock is in the lockscreen settings, correct? And thank you for answering my question.

Plasmamuffins said:
And gesture unlock is in the lockscreen settings, correct? And thank you for answering my question.
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Click to collapse
yup. settings>cm settings>lockscreen settings>lockscreen gestures.

I am using CM7 ,suggest lock screen wegdit,and it is free.

I was meaning more like lock sreen styles, as apposed to the rotary wheel and tab.
Sent from my Liberty using XDA Premium App

[Q] Dismissing/Viewing Texts on Start Screen

On of the most frequent things I is turn on my phone, unlock it, view a text and then dismiss the notification. Is there a way to make this process shorter? I want to be able to view my text on the start screen and if i choose to, dismiss it? I still want a lock screen, but i want to be able to view and dismiss my notifications from there as well. I have heard of a few apps where you can see the text on the lock screen, but none do it well or show the text with/on the lock screen. I have cyanogen mod and use lockscreen gestures to go immediately to text, but wish i could just swipe the notification away with on less step. If its not possible, this is a feature i feel would be a great addition to cyanogenmod.

I'd like to know about any solutions as well.
I'm thinking something akin to Lock Screen Info on iPhone, or the new iOS5 lockscreen.
I'm currently using WidgetLocker.

sarshadd said:
I'd like to know about any solutions as well.
I'm thinking something akin to Lock Screen Info on iPhone, or the new iOS5 lockscreen.
I'm currently using WidgetLocker.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
if you're using widget locker you could use Simple SMS widget and put that on your homescreen.
otherwise... maybe try miui?

I really like stock android.
Is there anything that can handle most, if not all notifications?

Not sure if I understand what exactly you want. If you use widget locker, leave the notification bar active so you can pull down and clear all notifications that way.
If you actually want to read the text just get a messaging widget such as colorize widgets or Simple SMS Widget, or Messaging Widgets and throw it on widget locker.

[Q] Widgets on Lockscreen

Hi.
I looked everywhere but I did not find anything to customize lockscreen. I wanted to add calendar events or weather. Is this disabled for Nuxus 7 or where does it come from.
Thanx
Stephan

STB2010 said:
Hi.
I looked everywhere but I did not find anything to customize lockscreen. I wanted to add calendar events or weather. Is this disabled for Nuxus 7 or where does it come from.
Thanx
Stephan
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't think this is possible on the stock ROM.
A quick check found that, for example, Codename Android has this option, but I'm sure other ROMs do as well.

Use Widgetlocker. It's a paid app, but I love it. You don't need to be rooted for it to work.

Widgetlocker seems to have to many options for me.
I just want to view events and weather.
I'm rooted already.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using XDA Premium HD app

Widget Locker is fully customizable, you can have as many or as few options as you like.

Bought Widgetlocker and it works perfect!
Thread might be closed.

[DISCUSS]TW Changes - List them here.

Coming from an S5, Note 4 or other very recent TW device.
What have you noticed is different in this S6 TW/ROM?
Removed:
- App drawer. No option to sort alphabetically. (Only on T-mobile? has the option)
- Capacitive Touch Keys led/backlight setting removed. (Available on At&T only)
- Clock has removed Smart Alarm. Now there is a new option to increase volume over a non adjustable time.
- No Widget for Flashlight. No option to long press the volume up to turn on.
- Messages, Import/Export via xml is gone completely.
- No options for LED indicator. Just on/off.
- LED notifications for third party apps is spotty. Still testing..
- Default actions. When plugging in headset you no longer get a customizable list of apps shown in the notification area.
Added:
- Pop-ups for Notifications. New. Plus, no setting to disable. They slide in from the top on whatever you are doing.
- Charging/Fast Charging shows how much time left until fully charged. (nice)
Maybe this will help ROM developers to see what people are unhappy about missing what they had on their old device.
As well as others that may be interested in the differences.

"pop up" notifications are Heads Up and are part of AOSP
Why do you need a widget for flashlight? There is a quick toggle for it.
EDIT: It occurred to me that the flashlight quick toggle may also be new in AOSP for 5.x -- so that's probably why it's in a different place

piccit said:
"pop up" notifications are Heads Up and are part of AOSP
Why do you need a widget for flashlight? There is a quick toggle for it.
EDIT: It occurred to me that the flashlight quick toggle may also be new in AOSP for 5.x -- so that's probably why it's in a different place
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Don't really care if it's in AOSP. This is a TW Samsung ROM. They can improve and change. People expect them to in fact.
Not going to get into the whole AOSP vs customized argument. (Google also removed Silent Mode. They haven't been making the brightest of decisions lately..)
It's annoying as hell.
Time yourself getting to a widget and getting to a quick setting down at the end of the row.
Widget is faster. No reason to remove the option.

meboy said:
Don't really care if it's in AOSP. This is a TW Samsung ROM. They can improve and change. People expect them to in fact.
Not going to get into the whole AOSP vs customized argument. (Google also removed Silent Mode. They haven't been making the brightest of decisions lately..)
It's annoying as hell.
Time yourself getting to a widget and getting to a quick setting down at the end of the row.
Widget is faster. No reason to remove the option.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My point on heads up is that you're complaining about it in the context of TW... But it's not a TW feature, it's an AOSP one.

piccit said:
My point on heads up is that you're complaining about it in the context of TW... But it's not a TW feature, it's an AOSP one.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did I need to be that specific with my title? I thought it would be pretty clear. Should I have said "TW/Rom/New to all recent Samsung device users/firmware/anything else"?
You're picking nits..

The two that are killing me:
1) No long press recent apps for menu
2) No direct dial and direct text widgets (ones imported from my S5 through Nova still work, which makes it even more annoying).

meboy said:
Don't really care if it's in AOSP. This is a TW Samsung ROM. They can improve and change. People expect them to in fact.
Not going to get into the whole AOSP vs customized argument. (Google also removed Silent Mode. They haven't been making the brightest of decisions lately..)
It's annoying as hell.
Time yourself getting to a widget and getting to a quick setting down at the end of the row.
Widget is faster. No reason to remove the option.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How is a quick setting toggle not quicker than a widget. That's just dumb to say...

JoeFCaputo113 said:
How is a quick setting toggle not quicker than a widget. That's just dumb to say...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Maybe if you have lots of home screens.
Or had the toggle in the first 5 options. But I'm sure people have other things there already.
I can get to a widget faster and easier.
It was an option and was removed. Why? No good reason.
The more I'm using the S6 the more apparent it is that Samsung's slimmed down TW is lacking many options that used to be there.

If you want a widget for flashlight just add torch to the my places widget. You can add direct call to that too

Goldie said:
If you want a widget for flashlight just add torch to the my places widget. You can add direct call to that too
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Interesting. I had to search for what that is.
I have no my places widget available using Nova.
Only when using stock launcher. Which is especially awful this time around without even alphabetical sort.
The widget for flashlight was available with Nova on the S5.

meboy said:
Interesting. I had to search for what that is.
I have no my places widget available using Nova.
Only when using stock launcher. Which is especially awful this time around without even alphabetical sort.
The widget for flashlight was available with Nova on the S5.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You are correct on all points, I too use nova!
Sent from my SM-G900T using AllianceR(●)m
---------- Post added at 04:16 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:12 PM ----------
Goldie said:
If you want a widget for flashlight just add torch to the my places widget. You can add direct call to that too
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, never knew about that widget, but it is one of those TW only widgets...the old direct call way, you can direct email, direct message etc...I wonder if it's a lollipop or Samsung omission?
Sent from my SM-G900T using AllianceR(●)m