Database Users

[Qeustion] Notification Bar Functionality

Question for the Devs,
I have one thing that bugs me about Android: taking a ton of steps to get to places, so I had an idea, but I'm not sure if it's possible. It's a two - parter:
1) Is it possible, to put into the notification area a scrollable list of your currently running applications, or possible your most used apps? Kinda like holding down home, but it's not the same.
2) I had a program on my jailbroken iCrap back in the day: sbsettings. LOVED this program, gave me quick access to just about anything. It's kinda like the power widget, but it was accessible from sliding your finger accross the top of the screen from anywhere. Imagine having the power control widget in your notification area.
Are the two above possible, or are there limitations to what the notification bar can do. Obviously, I'd want it so that if I hit "clear" they'd still remain there. Also, I don't want just a link poining me somewhere else, I want the action to occur right from the notification screen:
I searched and searched but cannot find. Have I missed something?
Sorry if this is in the wrong thread, but I figured it does have to do with development, so there ya go... Thanks in advance!

For #2 use smartbar with quick settings checked in settings for notification. It might also have #1 but I don't really poke too much around in the settings.

I use Quick Settings, which will put a notification in the pull down task bar and you have access to a number of system settings.
jkAppSwitchEX works great as a sort of AltTab type thing and you can pin it to a long press of the search button. It also can be used as a task killer and can have a list of your favorite/most used apps for easy launch (and has a recent apps list). Plus, it can put a notification in the pull down task bar. There's also a free version on the market which just shows running apps.
I also believe Folder Organizer will put apps in the task bar, I have the lite version which doesn't do that (I don't think), but I don't really need it for that, so the lite version is fine for my needs.
I've also tried SmartBar, and it does have that functionality of swiping the screen and having access to programs, etc. But it wasn't what I had been looking for when I tested it, but worth checking out.

*off topic a bit*
Sorry but it's not Qeustion it is Question

Has anyone found a way to add the power control toggles to the notification screen as seen on the Galaxy S?

if your rooted cyanogen mod have the settings in the notification like the galaxy s or you can use a app call quickdesk you can launch quickdesk by long pressing the search button or double tap the home button in any program it has this thing call quick pannel that shows you your recently used apps and the apps thats running its really slick you can also swype up on any running apps to close them. theres also another app call itchingthumb that basically do the same thing but i like the simplicity of quickdesk more you should check them out. Theres also another app call smart task bar that can also do those thing it as the most options all you have to do is swype your finger at the side of your phone to launch it. Feel free to ask me any questions about them and I'll try to answer them. Oh yeah theres another one call power strip.

I found this thread and applied the mod to the HD ROM that I'm using, it works well.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=838013

I crave a brightness button

I have found all kinds of widgets for controlling brightness, but they all have one disadvantage - you have to first go to the home screen and then click on the widget. I really want a way to control brightness from any application without having to leave the application to go back to the home screen. The CM9 based rom I'm using (Paranoid Android) actually has something like this ... but I don't like it for two reasons. The first is that it takes two taps to bring up the brightness slider. (One tap to open the notification window, and a second tape to bring up the toggle screen). The 2nd reason (and more significant) is that the slider is quite small and for me it does not feel very responsive or easy to control. The brightness slider control from some of the widgets I have tried are much easier to use.
Ideally I could bring up a brightness widget by long pressing on the physical home button. Currently this long press on my note will bring up the recently used apps, but this function is already served by a soft button provided by CM9. I've read that the ADWlauncherEX will allow you to reprogram the function of the long press - although installing and learning how to use a launcher seems like overkill, especially since I have a rom that already includes quite a sophisticated launcher.
I found an app that would bring up a brightness slider when you clicked on the vol up or down buttons. This worked well for brightness although was a major drag when all I wanted to do was adjust the volume. I also found an application that would allow you to call an app or a widget in response to a double or triple click of the volume buttons. That seemed ideal because it would give me quick access to a brightness control without interfering with the main use of the volume rocker. Unfortunately that application seems to have been discontinued (why!) and I couldn't even seem to find an old verison of that.
Another idea would be to reassign one of the soft keys provided by CM9. Since these soft keys merely duplicate the functions of the existing galaxy note keys (the physical home button and the two buttons on either side of it). Unfortunately I have yet to find an application that can remap one of those buttons. Another idea would be to add another soft button near the 3 soft buttons that are already there. (Are their any applications that can do that?)
And finally I figured that brightness could be controlled via screen gestures. I did find some applications that claimed to be able to do this, although I couldn't get them to work on my Note.
If you know of any application or method that can provide a brightness control button, please let me know as this is the only remaining aspect of the note's user interface that is still driving me nuts.
Thanks
~Paul

Wasn't there a feature in CyanogenMod 7 that would allow to change brightness via sliding sideways in notification area? Too bad it never worked for me in any of the phones I tried CM7 in. I understood it should have worked with no slider? Just sliding your finger accross the notifications area? That would be better than a slider imo.

I've not used paranoid android, I'm using the RC of CM9 and that does have status bar brightness control. To turn it on you go to system, then Status bar and there is a tick box. Maybe that is still included in PA if it is CM9 based? It lets you control the brightness from anywhere just by swiping left and right on the status bar.
It is not as nice as the notification tray slider you can find in AOKP roms, and there used to be a mod for CM9 that did this, but it no longer works, but it is better than nothing.

Ekreed said:
I've not used paranoid android, I'm using the RC of CM9 and that does have status bar brightness control. To turn it on you go to system, then Status bar and there is a tick box. It lets you control the brightness from anywhere just by swiping left and right on the status bar.
It is not as nice as the notification tray slider you can find in AOKP roms, and there used to be a mod for CM9 that did this, but it no longer works, but it is better than nothing.
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Exactly what I meant.

I use QBright it works great.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/...Bright&feature=nav_result#?t=W251bGwsMSwyLDNd
John.

hi bro,
i m using switchpro widget. u can put the widget inside notification bar. and can set the brightness level.

Tinderbox (UK) said:
I use QBright it works great.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/...Bright&feature=nav_result#?t=W251bGwsMSwyLDNd
John.
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Click to collapse
Thanks for the tip John. Qbright certainly has one of the best brightness slider bars I've seen and the configurable buttons are great. However I have to say I'm somewhat mystified about how you use it. Qbright says you can activate it by long pressing on the search button. Search button? Do we have such a thing? On either side of the physical home button I only have the menu and back buttons. By long pressing the menu button I do get the search menu ... but it doesn't bring up Qbright. There is also a "Google" button at the top of the launcher. Pressing on that also brings up the search menu, but again it can't bring up Qbright. I'm running Paranoid Android. Maybe that's the problem. Does the stock ICS have a search button?
Thanks
~Paul

To edit the setting.
Open the QBright app and then press the hard menu button left of the home key.
John.

Tinderbox (UK) said:
To edit the setting.
Open the QBright app and then press the hard menu button left of the home key.
John.
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Click to collapse
Hi Tinderbox. Thanks for your reply but I think you seriously misinterpreted my question. I mentioned that I like that the Qbright buttons are configurable so I obviously found the preferences menu. But I was asking how you bring up the Qbright widget (other than clicking on its icon from the home screen of course). The documentation suggests this can be done by "long pressing on the search button". (There is no preference item related to this). I couldn't bring up the Qbright widget by long pressing on anything, so I'm wondering how you do this. If you actually have to go back to the home screen to start the widget, that would greatly detract from the beauty of the widget (which I'm sure is why they put the search long press capability into Qbright). But as I indicated in my previous message, it seems that the galaxy note does not have a dedicated search button, so this feature may not work. There are so many ways one could start such a widget I'm somewhat amazed that no one has figured out how to do it. (Or maybe they have and I am just in the dark or very confused). One way would be to long press on the back button. As far as I know, this currently does nothing so there would be no drawback what so ever. Perhaps a long press on the volume up or down button could also work for such a thing. Or an extra item could be added to the menu that appears when you press the power button. Or since I have a CM9 derived rom, it gives me three more soft keys (back, home, and recent apps). A long press on any of those could be used to bring up the widget. Or even a regular press on the first two could be used since they are duplicates for buttons I already have elsewhere.
Is this a valid question, or am I out in left field somewhere?
~Paul

I once accidentally set my brightness so low that I couldn't see the screen AT ALL.
I found myself really wishing there was some foolproof way to reset the screen to 100% brightness.
For example, rebooting the phone auto-resets the brightness to 100% or something.
I also tried using tasker so some obscure combination like volume+home could also reset the brightness.
I don't recall how I managed to reset my phone - i couldn't see anything. I think I just flailed about on it.
- Frank

Paul...i am lookingforthis too...qbright should have an option to change that... So you can ise the long oress menu button for us note users wjo dont havr a search butto
Sent from my GT-N7000 using xda app-developers app

Try kimi's.15 toggles. Gives you 15toggles in the notification bar, brightness being one of them. Need to flash it via recovery though.

Can i flash that in temprary cwn? I have a stock rom with the temp.cwm root.method
Sent from my GT-N7000 using xda app-developers app

I think it should beok to flash via temp cwm. Ask in the kim's thread just to be sure.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=rubberbigpepper.DisplayBrightness&feature=search_result#?t=W251bGwsMSwxLDEsInJ1YmJlcmJpZ3BlcHBlci5EaXNwbGF5QnJpZ2h0bmVzcyJd
I use this you can put it anywhere on the screen.

Download Slider Widget and add it to home screen.

Alexanderbooth said:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=rubberbigpepper.DisplayBrightness&feature=search_result#?t=W251bGwsMSwxLDEsInJ1YmJlcmJpZ3BlcHBlci5EaXNwbGF5QnJpZ2h0bmVzcyJd
I use this you can put it anywhere on the screen.
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At first I thought that might be the answer, but I ran into two problems with it. The main one was that I would accidently change the brightness pretty often when I was just trying to click on an icon for instance. (Unless I made the slider very thin ... but then it was too hard to grab the slider). The other problem was that some of my full screen applications would force themselves on top and the slider would not activate.
Someone in another thread suggested what I now feel is the ultimate solution:
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Quote:
Originally Posted by aalupatti View Post
https://play.google.com/store/apps/d....home2shortcut
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Oh my gosh!!! You weren't kidding. Such an application does really exist
This solves all my problems with the galaxy note.
I can't believe this was so hard to find. I can't imagine that anyone would uninstall this application after trying it. It's like getting 3 extra hardware buttons for free!
I'm using:
- Home,Home to bring up Qbright.
- Home,Back to bring up papyrus (you never know when you need to scribble a note)
- Home,Menu to bring up a toggle widget (haven't decided which one yet, although I'm sure it will be easier to use than the built in PA one).
Thanks a million.
~Paul

Paul what is this app called the link doesnt work
Sent from my GT-N7000 using xda app-developers app

asf58967 said:
Paul what is this app called the link doesnt work
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Click to collapse
Type in "Home2 Shortcut" into the play store. Or you could probably type in the author's name which is "Hideki Kato".
~Paul

You can adjust the brightness on most Note ROMs by deactivating auto brightness and tap + hold on the statusbar and slide the finger.
Left = Decrease the brightness
Right = Increase the brightness
Sent from my GT-N7000 using xda premium

[Q] voice to text and other woes

I imagine that this, like my other problems with my n4, is likely to be the result of my tinkering more than the phone itself... But seeing as I'm not terribly skilled, and I don't as much time as I'd like to fiddle around with my phone... I'm reaching out to the hive mind.
One of the problems thats annoying me the most right now is the voice to text button on the google keyboard. Namely it isn't doing anything. No error message, no change to the helpful microphone shaped circular button waiting to convert my dulcet tones into words... nothing.
To be honest I'm not entirely sure when this began, because its not a feature that I used frequently, unless alone in my car at a stoplight or something and I want to slam out a quick text. The mic still works fine, and gNow has no problem triggering and responding to me - it just seems as though the action is never triggered by the button.
I'm currently running KK, bootloader unlocked, rooted, xposed framework, gravity box, and a few other smaller modules (dictionary blacklist for example). Minimal rooted applications such as titanium and tasker, but nothing fancy is being done with them (didn't deepfreeze any system apps or set up any related tasks). The keyboard app is the google one with only small tweaks that are built in like the blue trail and shorter longpress time. I have offline voice to text set up, and this issue is present on wifi or network regardless.
Any tips? has anyone had this problem before? can anyone point me to a potential culprit or a way of finding one?

One hand use

Hi!
I'd like to know if anybody actually uses Samsung's features in order to help using the phone with one hand?
I myself make only use of the (not convincingly thought through) gesture which allows me to shrink the screen.
The assistant menu:
quite customisable, but much too big and slow for my taste.
Side key panel:
the other way round, quite comfortable to use, but nearly no customisation at all.
All in all I'd say lots of options, but not really thought through. What do you think?

Like you, I find the side key panel quite useful- eliminates the thumb stretching for the "back" button.
One handed input is also turned on & is mildly helpful for the dialer. Seemed to help a bit with continuous input on the keyboard as well, but ended up switching back to the stock Google keyboard I've grown so accustomed to.
Long pressing the recents key to bring up menus is also nice, though not specific to the Note 4.

Sometimes I use the shrink screen function that's when I'm to lazy to move my other hand haha
Sent from my SM-N910F using XDA Free mobile app

It's not just laziness. Sometimes you really need to do other things with your other hand (old school multi-tasking).

Holmegaard said:
Like you, I find the side key panel quite useful- eliminates the thumb stretching for the "back" button.
One handed input is also turned on & is mildly helpful for the dialer. Seemed to help a bit with continuous input on the keyboard as well, but ended up switching back to the stock Google keyboard I've grown so accustomed to.
Long pressing the recents key to bring up menus is also nice, though not specific to the Note 4.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree with everything you said. Still: I'm not too convinced from what the side key panel offers. If you could customise the side key panel the same way as the assistant menu, I'd totally go for it.

macmobile said:
I agree with everything you said. Still: I'm not too convinced from what the side key panel offers. If you could customise the side key panel the same way as the assistant menu, I'd totally go for it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I seem to remember that there should be an app that mimics the one you can find in Ios. Anyway, there are several very good apps I use for 'one handed mode':
- button savior non root (you can find in in the google play store) which gives you back, home, recent, screen lock and lets you start both the dialer and the camera;
- lmt launcher (see at xda) which works very well if you are rooted and lacks some little features if you are not. You just have to remove tue superuser permission from the manifest file (which you can do with apk permission remover) and turn on accessibility and it'll work almost as a charm. I mean, it does not only allow you to mimic the hardware keys, it can start any app and any activity which does not require root. If you are rooted, it can do virtually anything;
- as a good replacement of lmt launcher, you can test pie control by Coolace (always in the google play store).
I mostly keep the note 4 in my left hand (though I am right handed) just because my 2 years experience with the note 2 has got me accustomed to writing with my right hand, while keeping the smartphone with the left one... so that I currently feel uncomfortable while holding the note with my dominant hand So, I feel the need to have virtual keys on the right side, since reaching the back button on the right side is not so easy (though my hands are normally sized) and the above mentioned apps are the most useful I have found.

Funny, you actually named some very important apps I already use on my phone except for the lmt launcher. Could be that I thought there isn't anything to gain from if you're not rooted. Going to give it a try though. Thank you! Still I don't get it, why Samsung's Touchwiz doesn't offer better solutions? They could do it so easily.

No doubt macmobile, some customization options would be nice. The big phone trend isn't going away, so I'm hoping that more options for easing one-handed use are in the pipeline. Samsung would do well to lead the way, given their investment in the "phablet" space.

macmobile said:
Funny, you actually named some very important apps I already use on my phone except for the lmt launcher. Could be that I thought there isn't anything to gain from if you're not rooted. Going to give it a try though. Thank you! Still I don't get it, why Samsung's Touchwiz doesn't offer better solutions? They could do it so easily.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I rooted every single phone or tablet before buying a Note 4 and now, though I miss the fun of flashing rom and mods, I think this phone has too many sensors which wouldn't be supported by an AOSP rom, while custom touchwiz roms aren't worth for me to give up to knox. Not much for the warranty loss, but more for the loss of the knox enviroment itself. So, since I don't want to root, I have got to look for work-arounds and I think there are many good apps.
Back on topic, imho Samsung has so far designed the best implementation for one hand usage, though it could be better. If you look at the nexus 6, it's just a big phone and the Iphone itself is just a (good) 5.5" phone which doesn't pay particular attention to single hand usage.
I agree with you both that phablets are very likely here to stay and that the current UI for single hand usage is at very early stage.

I just received the Note 4 with lollipop pre installed.
The one-handed operation (that I was using woth my note 3) has disappeared from settings!!!!!
WHY????
how to get it back?

Settings/Display and Wallpaper/One-handed operation

Samsung screwed one thing about One handed operation: there is no separate setting for dialing keyboard and QWERTY keyboard, just like it was on my previous Note II.
I wish I could set smaller dialpad, but retain full QWERTY, which is not the option any more.
When set one handed operation ON, samsung keyboard is just too small to me.

Software annoyances with Marshmallow/6P

I recently switched from a Droid Turbo to a 6P for the sole reason of I needed the unlocked radio abilities that the Nexus line offers and I was unable to obtain with other phones. (Droid Turbo/Moto Maxx I have plenty of threads on this around). Aside from the Verizon bloat and added software, I loved that phone.
The Nexus 6P is a very good phone on it's own, aside from the size, but I am having a few adjustment issues that some of you might be able to help me out with. I've read that most switchers from the Droid line of phones are unhappy with the Nexus Active Display compared to the Moto version. Just curious if anybody has found a worthy software that has been able to replicate or was able to port the Moto Display over to the 6P? I would be very interested and even willing to shell out $ to help that progress. The Nexus version just seems so unfinished. It very rarely wakes up upon movement and I really enjoyed how I could just wave my hand near my Turbo and I would get the time and notifications.
But my biggest issue with the software of the 6P is the fact that the bottom navigation buttons are software based and do not stay put or visible at all times. I hold the device mostly with my left hand in landscape mode and it doesn't matter which way I am holding it (the top is to the right or left) the navigation buttons are on the right side. If they would just stay put where they are supposed to be, on the bottom of the phone, I could easily use this phone one handed in landscape mode. But I cannot currently. The second part of this issue is the immersive full screen mode where they keep making my navigation buttons disappear! Ok, the screen is big enough, I do not need that extra 4 mm of screen real estate. Leave the buttons visible so I can use them please. I hate the extra screen tap and then delay to be able to back out. The video player is even worse, only allowing a small x to be pressed to back out. I've tried Immersive Full Screen Mode and a few others including Power Toggle but none lock the immersive full screen off. So does anybody know of or have a remedy to lock the navigation buttons and keep them visible? I'm also of the apparent minority that prefers the notification bar to always be visible as well.
Thanks for any help offered.

You may have to wait till some custom roms hit the scene. Sounds like a rom with pie controls would be what you seek.

Yea I was afraid of that. I was hoping there was another secret menu out there that allows control of these features.

I am annoyed with the stock messaging app...does a decent job, however it always crashes when attempting to access through the app switcher. I hate having to go back to the home screen to access my text messages.

unhappy with the Nexus Active Display compared to the Moto version. Just curious if anybody has found a worthy software that has been able to replicate or was able to port the Moto Display over to the 6P?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
acDisplay worked pretty well on my HTC One.

Looks pretty good, but it disables my fingerprint security. With it on I can press the power button and gain access or just swipe up. If I use the built in lock screen, after unlocking with the fingerprint, it still gives the acdisplay lock screen. Perhaps it just needs a marshmallow update to work specifically with this phone. I will continue to monitor it. Thanks for the suggestion.
qoncept said:
acDisplay worked pretty well on my HTC One.
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grubbster said:
You may have to wait till some custom roms hit the scene. Sounds like a rom with pie controls would be what you seek.
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wile e said:
Yea I was afraid of that. I was hoping there was another secret menu out there that allows control of these features.
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Click to collapse
I'd load Xposed with gravity box. Keeps you on AOSP and you'll have PIE, and many options for the nav bar alone.

How does one get this immersive display where the navigation buttons hide? I'm curious about this feature
Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

It's built into the apps. The Google Photos app, any video playback, a lot of apps and games that I have automatically go into it. There's also plenty of apps, I mentioned one above, that you can install and get immersive all the time. Be aware though, I got myself into a bit of a jam as it removed the back and home buttons and I couldn't exit a certain app.
rice923 said:
How does one get this immersive display where the navigation buttons hide? I'm curious about this feature
Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk
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