Database Users

Re-Assigning Power Button

Hey guys, I just got my 8525 a week ago, I'm still trying to get used to it. Overall i think i like it more then my TREO650 but i have one problem, i cant stand the small power button on the side. Most of the time i push it i push the slide keyboard out too, its so small i can never find it.
My old Treo650 had the power button and locking keys on the END button, when i push END it would lock and turn off the screen, to Unlock i would push END again and then the Center button. Is there any way to re-assign the Power button on the 8525 to be like my old Treo650?

Any suggestions guys. I am having the same problem with small power button

DAFTEK said:
its so small i can never find it.
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Click to collapse
sounds like a personal problem, maybe see a doctor?
On a serious note.. i dont think it can be reprogrammed via the software, i believe the power button is actually mapped via hardware since it is used for functions like putting the phone into bootloader mode, etc.. i could be wrong though.

Hey thanks for the reply although its my phone with the small problem I have tried two programs on the forum here called Devicelock.cab but that only locks the device but you still have to push power to power the phone back up.

I believe the power key can be reprogrammed in one or two highly invasive ways.
However, it doesn't sound like you want to re-assign the power key, but to assign the power off function to another key. Is that correct? That's easy/
If you want to assign the power on function, that is more complicated, but there are work arounds.
V

I agree with the original poster. The small power on/off button is poor design. When I want to place a call, I first need to turn the device on by hitting that very small button. Then I need to activate the phone app or invoke MS voice command. It's just plain poor design. I love my 8525, but it could be so much better if the product designers at HTC actually thought about the ergonomics of the tasks users do the most.
One more gripe. The phone app is atrocious. Getting to the recent dialed list or to toggle the speakerphone usually requires bringing up a menu. This is annoying for a phone and a better design could mitigate the poor usability. I/m not an iPhone fanboy but take a look at the thought Apple put in there *first* phone and it is quite illuminating on the state of PPC phones.

r111 said:
[...]Getting to the recent dialed list or to toggle the speakerphone usually requires bringing up a menu[...]
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You could try scrollwheel up or D-pad up for recent call list .
(also down for speed-dials).
Maybe you could map a button for speakerphone, not sure though.

ovidiugm said:
Maybe you could map a button for speakerphone, not sure though.
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Click to collapse
The original poster could - while in a call - try pressing the green button for two or three seconds.
I think it's even mentioned in the manual...
Cheers
Daniel

Hello.
I agree with the previous posters. The badly placed powerOn button is "bad design". If anyone finds the sollution (to PowerON the device using another key) please share it!
Otherwise, this is a great device. A true pocket computer
Best regards, jZ

+1 for the poor design.
I always hit the power button as I am pulling it out of the case when a call comes in, that turns off the screen, then I have to hit it again to see who is calling, and with all that going on as well as the ringer, the phone has a minor anurism and delays in answering.....

So to summarise the poor design aspect of this thread:
1. The power button is too small/difficult to find and press.
2. The power button is too easy to press/find even by accident.
Conclusion, it's just about right then!!
You can't please all of the people all of the time.
Mike

1. The power button is too small/difficult to find and press.
2. The power button is too easy to press/find even by accident.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sounds like the classic male/female dichotomy. I never can operate my wife's buttons, however obvious the functionality might seem....
V

vijay555 said:
Sounds like the classic male/female dichotomy. I never can operate my wife's buttons, however obvious the functionality might seem....
V
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
unfortunately i can operate my wife's buttons even when i dont want to.. talk about poor design )

Lol, Shogun, remind us again how many kids you have?
Ok, some Opus Dei style self flagellation for the errant moderators going off topic.
Is this issue now resolved?
V

I can also operate my wifes buttons just fine as well but all i want is to find out if i can move the power button to maybe the PPT button or END when holding it.

Daftek, again, do you want to emulate the power key functionality, (ie on/off) on another key, and/or entirely disable the original power key?
V

Thats what I would like to do......

Hello.
I think we'd all like to assign a DIFFERENT KEY to POWER ON function. POWER OFF is no problem, because a button for this can be assigned through "Buttons". When the phone is in "sleep mode", only the POWER button can wake it.
Any solutions?
Regards, jZ

IMHO, it's possible but not easily.
Easiest work around is to disable button locking, so that pressing any button can wake the device, and then use a software lock to timeout/power off if you happen to poke a hardware button while it's in your pocket.
Alternatively you could rewrite the button driver, but it's possible (although I've not looked into it definitively) that the hardware power button is a hardware interrupt to the CPU. In which case a software based solution will not override a hardware based connection.
V

This is what I did...
I totally agree the power button is a pain, the size, placement...
I know this sounds a bit weird but I took a small piece of plastic (actually from a toothpick) and crazy glued it on the button. It works great! I never miss the button anymore! See picture...

Power ON (button) settings

Currently, I can only power on my phone via the power button, but at some point I had something installed (or tweaked some registry setting or something so that I could also press the green/phone button and that would also wake it up. All the other buttons - except power and phone - were locked out and did nothing (once I powered off). Now I can't recall how in the world I did that. Can anyone help me on this? Pleeease?

Deuce Nitro said:
Currently, I can only power on my phone via the power button, but at some point I had something installed (or tweaked some registry setting or something so that I could also press the green/phone button and that would also wake it up. All the other buttons - except power and phone - were locked out and did nothing (once I powered off). Now I can't recall how in the world I did that. Can anyone help me on this? Pleeease?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
On mine, it's a setting under keylock.
Start -> Settings -> System

Yeah, I have that, too, but my options are...
Lock all buttons except Power button
Lock buttons if device is locked
Do not lock buttons
If I choose option 2, any of the HW buttons will wake it up. But I used to have it set so that only the power button OR the phone button would wake it up. The messaging, IE, camera, etc. buttons would not wake it up.
Are you saying that you have the option for just the power and phone buttons? If so, maybe it's an OS issue? I'm running WM6.1...

There is no such option for just the power and phone buttons under keylock. Just the 3 options u saw! Maybe a 3rd party app...

I guess it must have been a 3rd party app, then, or something that applies tweaks, but I've looked in AdvancedConfig and SKTools and I don't see it anywhere.
I know I did it somehow. Just hoping someone will recognize this and know how it's done.

Power off and Device Lock Reg Edits?

Hello all,
I am new to the forums but I have been using the HTC Touch for a few months now, and would like some guidance about a few problems i'm having. First off, I am using the official 6.1 rom with sprint....
I am running S2U2 and am having a problem with my phone turning off while in my pocket. It seems the power off menu can be brought up if you hold the power button, even if S2U2 is running. This is very frustrating, is there anyway to lock the power button when S2U2 is running, or any other option?
Is there any edits that can be done to make S2U2 call the factory device lock? I couldnt find anything related to the lock in the registry. If there is, is there anyway to assign the factory device lock to the power button, so that when you blank the screen it auto-locks? I love this feature with s2u2, and with stock device lock it takes 3 buttons to do this...
Thanks!

honduh said:
Hello all,
I am new to the forums but I have been using the HTC Touch for a few months now, and would like some guidance about a few problems i'm having. First off, I am using the official 6.1 rom with sprint....
I am running S2U2 and am having a problem with my phone turning off while in my pocket. It seems the power off menu can be brought up if you hold the power button, even if S2U2 is running. This is very frustrating, is there anyway to lock the power button when S2U2 is running, or any other option?
Is there any edits that can be done to make S2U2 call the factory device lock? I couldnt find anything related to the lock in the registry. If there is, is there anyway to assign the factory device lock to the power button, so that when you blank the screen it auto-locks? I love this feature with s2u2, and with stock device lock it takes 3 buttons to do this...
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The only thing that I could suggest that might help is to get yourself a good case for your phone that would protect the button from being accidentally pushed. I have never had this problem with my phone. The button actually has to be pressed and held to bring up the power off menu. Even when not in it's case, I have never had this happen; however, the phone is only out of it's case, when I am using it. In the case, there is even less chance of powering off the device.
Rod.

The default device lock works just like S2U2, as it leaves only the power button unlocked. If you locked all buttons, how would you turn your phone back on??

TheChampJT said:
The default device lock works just like S2U2, as it leaves only the power button unlocked. If you locked all buttons, how would you turn your phone back on??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The problem i'm having is that the phone actually powers off while in my pocket somehow....what i'm saying is that the phone not only "wakes up" from the standby mode, but also calls the shut down window and you can press the "yes its ok to shut down" button while s2u2 is running, something the stock device lock will not do.
It would be really nice if there was a slide type lock that was based off the code of the stock device lock.
Thanks for the replys

Find what the application is that launches when pressing the button and add it to the S2U exclusions list.
I have a verizon and my power button toggles screen off and on, so im not entirely sure, Is this a stock popup or a program you installed ? There is probably a registry entry somewhere that defines how the power button functions jsut as the button manager does for other buttons.

honduh said:
The problem i'm having is that the phone actually powers off while in my pocket somehow....what i'm saying is that the phone not only "wakes up" from the standby mode, but also calls the shut down window and you can press the "yes its ok to shut down" button while s2u2 is running, something the stock device lock will not do.
It would be really nice if there was a slide type lock that was based off the code of the stock device lock.
Thanks for the replys
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I understand your point, and am still wondering what it is you keep in your pocket with your phone that shuts it off!? Anyways, why do you keep referring back to the default device lock? S2U2 performs the same way, as it locks everything besides the power button. If the power button is locked, how would you wake up the device to unlock it ???

the power button has two functions, it blanks the screen if you press it, or it brings up the power off menu when you long press it. The problem i'm having is s2u2 doesnt prevent the power off menu from coming up, where as the stock device lock does. Thus, it is possible to completely power off the phone while the keys are locked.... of course I want to be able to wake the phone up with the power button, but i dont want to be able to turn it completely off.
And i'm not sure how it turns off in my pocket, except i usually carry it with the power button face down (phone upside down) and it must press against the bottom of my pocket...
The application that it is calling is the stock shut down menu, i'm not sure how I could add this to the exception list, as I dont know how to call it remotely....
Thanks again for the replies!

The title of this caught my attention.
It would be very nice to have a registry edit that will lock the device when powered off or on device wake up.
I use S2U2 and I am really not liking it personally, but it is better then the default setup currently I feel.

[Q] Making touch keys less touchy/easier unlock

Annoying Touch buttons
I think that the most DHD users have the same problem, touching the buttons at the bottom if you really dont want to.
So my question is if it would be possible to change the "Home" or the "Menu" button (pushing long) from "last used apps" to "turn on/off the touch keys???
that would be awsome
thx Dr.Pepper

Never been an issue for me, although i was anticipating problems with no hardware buttons its been fine...

Pepper90 said:
I think that the most DHD users have the same problem, touching the buttons at the bottom if you really dont want to.
So my question is if it would be possible to change the "Home" or the "Menu" button (pushing long) from "last used apps" to "turn on/off the touch keys???
that would be awsome
thx Dr.Pepper
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can't help but say, "you're holding it wrong!"
Seriously though I've never encountered this problem on either this phone or my N1 which has a smaller screen.
How exactly are you managing to press the buttons by mistake?
Regards.

iam the only one who has the problem that he accidently hits a touch key while using the phone or playing a game? every little contact triggers the keys. i.e. if i use the thumb to type a message, holding the phone in the right hand, i sometimes trigger the search key.
my idea is to make it harder to trigger these keys. as they are part of the touchscreen, it sould be possible to do anything that can be done with the touch sreen. my ideas:
1. double-touch; tapping the key 2 times (like a double-klick) triggers it once
2. sweep; i.e. you touch the home-button and sweep out of it, then release. can be even harder with sweeping out and back in.
3. circle-touch; making a little circle over the button triggers it.
other ideas welcome.
---------------------------------
2nd problem: easier unlocking;
i feel it sometimes tricky to unlock the pone, wich is done by pressing the powerbutton at the top of the phone and sweeping on the bottom of the screen. the phone is'nt very small (or i have small hands). if iam holding the phone at the bottom, i can nearly reach the whole touch area with my thumb, but to unlock, i need to use my 2nd hand or to juggle the phone so i can reach the power button with the right hand. with the G1, which had a menu button at the bottom, it was just double-pressing that button and the phone was unlocked. iam looking for a similar easy way to do it.
its just annoying to take the phone out of the pocket and use both handy or juggle around to unlock it...
i dont know it it wastes additional energy to have the touchscreen active, so it can be used to unlock the phone. so my ideas:
1. use the touchscreen to unlock; i.e. draw a pattern, press the bottom key in some order (home, back, menu to unlock)
2.1 use the volume keys. if the screen is disabled, they are used to change the audio volume (or is that only the case, if music is playing?) When holding the phone at the bottom with the right hand, the volume-down hey is easily reachable. so you can do volume-down (which activates the screen) and then slide on the screen like you would do if you have pressed the power button. pressing volume-down with deactivated screen does not change the volume, but pressing it twice does (i.e. 1st press unlocks the screen and 2nd press takes volume down).
2.2 press vol-up and vol-down at the same time to unlock the phone. if i do that the phone vibrates sometimes, no idea why.
3. use acceleromater (or a other sensor?) to unlock, i.e. shaking the phone in a special way (i.e. a circle), activates the screen, so you can unlock it by sliding on it. also full unlock by shaking a phone could be possible (also known as kung-fu-unlock )
other ideas also welcome.

Proximity sensor for unlock when taking it out of the pocket :-D. I have the same problem as you so a 'fix' would be nice

yeah, you take the phone out of the pocket and it unlocks and says "hello raw, how you are doing?".
but that would be nice. question is if constantly checking the prox sensor would drain the battery much. it needs to be checked every 3 seconds or so.

lynxboy said:
Can't help but say, "you're holding it wrong!"
Seriously though I've never encountered this problem on either this phone or my N1 which has a smaller screen.
How exactly are you managing to press the buttons by mistake?
Regards.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
if i try to use the phone with one hand

seems like here (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=854073) is another user with that problem.

same problem: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=9550179#post9550179

Merged threads as topic is similar....
Cheers,
M_T_M

Turn screen on with a touch

In the display setting we can adjust the screem timeout. Mine is on 10 minutes for example.
Is there any application which can turn on the screen just with a touch on the screen (instead of pressing the power button) ?
Would be very nice together with the application "Unlock with WiFi"

I mean is there any application which enables the functionality to get the screen back (phone is not locked) only by touching the screen (instead of pressing the power switch on the top).
I know, folks, it is not a big deal to press the power switch, it is just a little bit more comfort to touch the screen only

I don't, believe so, but you can use the volume keys:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1107041

scoob8000 said:
I don't, believe so, but you can use the volume keys:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1107041
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Click to collapse
Hi scoob800. Thanks, but the volume keys would be pritty "the same" as to press the power button.
Generally spoken. Is it possible (and in case it is) and is there any application which can detect a touch on the screen, even if the screen is off ?

Well, the only thing I can think of is to set your screen to never autolocking and have a screensaver app that leaves the screen black. If you do that your battery will probably drain a good bit seeing as your screen will always be on.
Sent from my Gingerblurred Atrix

You can achieve this with NoLED, but that is not its intended purpose. I will explain how: When you get a notification that would normally trigger your LED, NoLED displays a customizable icon on a black screen. With SGS, which it was developed for, has samoled screen and black uses little to no bat/cpu. This is NOT the case with the Atrix, your battery WILL suffer. So battery aside.. Set NoLED to display the time (that way its always on even when you dont have a new notification). Now play with the settings, tell it to "wake up" with the home key. TaDa!

the short answer is feasibly NO. having the touchscreen on at all times will DESTROY your battery life. your only option is to enable the volume buttons.

I use the volume buttons with no lock screen ..... waaaayyy better then powerbutton
Sent from my MB860 using XDA App

Would like to avoid stress on the buttons
dLo GSR said:
the short answer is feasibly NO. having the touchscreen on at all times will DESTROY your battery life. your only option is to enable the volume buttons.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OK. But to be honest, what is the difference to use the volume buttons instead the power button ? I would like to avoid this mechanical stress of these buttons. As I used my last phone ( a Samsung) for 8 years, I am afraid, my ATRIX will not make it such a long time
But I got an other idea. What about one of the four "softkey" buttons ? For example the home button.

1.ATRIX-in-PT said:
OK. But to be honest, what is the difference to use the volume buttons instead the power button ? I would like to avoid this mechanical stress of these buttons. As I used my last phone ( a Samsung) for 8 years, I am afraid, my ATRIX will not make it such a long time
But I got an other idea. What about one of the four "softkey" buttons ? For example the home button.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The problem is they're still softkeys and not actual hardware buttons. Using the volume is just easier to press depending how your holding the phone. That and your spreading out that wear of the power button across 3 different buttons.

scoob8000 said:
The problem is they're still softkeys and not actual hardware buttons. Using the volume is just easier to press depending how your holding the phone. That and your spreading out that wear of the power button across 3 different buttons.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Soft keys will waste a lot of battery, it isn't a good way to turn on your screen by either soft keys or touchscreen