Note 4 swapping menu and back buttons in the keyboard layout - Galaxy Note 4 Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

This is for Samsung Note 4 N910G models, most likely applies to other N910 models also..
Some left handed people like to swap over the buttons, in my case a faulty button forced me to swap them over so i had a usable back button.. so i got searching for ways to swap them over!
After a little while googling around, I found a lot of forum posts which advise to swap over the MENU and BACK key mappings in the generic.kl file as per below
Key 139 MENU
key 158 BACK
change to
key 139 BACK
Key 158 MENU
Note 4 is a little different, its menu button is now the "APP_SWITCH" button which switches between apps, where-as most galaxy models are a double tap of the home button to switch apps.. i accidentally broke my back button when swapping over an LCD screen, as a temporary measure while i wait for my new buttons (whole usb charging section contains the back and menu buttons) to arrive, i opted to swap over the buttons (i know you can have an on-screen back button but prefer the soft key as on-screen gets in the way)
1. Using ES Explorer on a rooted note 4, browse to \system\usr\keylayout
2. Open up Generic.kl in ES note editor
3. Go into Edit mode
4. Swap over the generic keys anyway (not sure what affect this has as my right-side soft key is broken)
key 139 BACK
Key 158 MENU
5. Find the following key under #samsung comment further in the file;
key 254 APP_SWITCH
change this to:
key 254 BACK
6. save the file, reboot your phone and voila! menu button is now the back button. :good:
hope this helps someone as this caused me a little confusion due to the number of forums which explicitly state that the soft keys are key 139 and 158...

Related

Reassign (Hard)keys Home and Back

Hey guys,
is there a way to reassign the hardkeys home and back?
I also have an item "Buttons" in the settings but there is only one key defined: "Key 1 (Hold), Voicedial settings".
However, I can't find this button, where is it?
It's the first button i.e phone pickup, hold it and it will give you the voice dial
Key 1 is the dial key (far left).
You can reassign the back key with AE Button Plus. I'm not sure that you can remap home.
use AE Button Plus to reassign the keys, words great on my touch hd. I read somewhere that Home button is not supported due to different driver implemented by HTC
Thanks for your replies.
I'm aware of AE Button Plus but the interesting thing is the reassignment of the home key.
I wanna keep the back key as it is and assign an ok/close task to the home key because the end call button actually does the same thing as the home button namely go back to the today screen when you have a running application in foreground.
In AEB+ I have the following:
Button 1 (hold)
Windows Key
Enter/Action
Volume Up
Volume Down
Green Phone Button
Red Phone Button
Left Softkey
Right Softkey
Up Arrow
Down Arrow
Left Arrow
Right Arrow
I can access the volume up and down keys but which key is the back key?
I assume the green and red phone button is pickup and hangup key respectively?
Is there a way to access the power key at the top?
ez2remember said:
...but which key is the back key?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The back key is "Enter/Action".
It seems that the home key as well as the power key cannot be reassigned.
Back and home key can be reassigned on a window by window basis in the registry. Not particularly useful, but better than nothing.
V
What exactly needs to be done in the registry to reassign the home key?
Even if I have to enter a new registry key for any program window I might use it is worth the effort (at least for me).
gacowarlock said:
The back key is "Enter/Action".
It seems that the home key as well as the power key cannot be reassigned.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just want to update:
the back key is not the "Enter/Action" key. i have tried to edit this button and it didn't remap to the Back key.
If you go to File -> Add Button, and tap the Back key, it will recognize the key as button #405C. I have remapped it to "Close Active Application" and it worked.
i don't think u can reassign the Home key as AE Button Plus cannot access the Home key.
I was also unable to change the Home key in AEBplus.
Concerning the back key assignment with AEBplus, I was trying to assign something to the long press but unable to get it working. No problem for single press and double press.
Anyone has better luck?
vijay555 said:
Back and home key can be reassigned on a window by window basis in the registry. Not particularly useful, but better than nothing.
V
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So how do we go about doing that vijay555?
Power Key
Here's the modified power key from Diamond but it can be used on HD.
When Power key on long-pressed, it will display the menu for choice. Tested.
Regards,
KCJ
just tested on Aeplus 2.6.6.1, the Back key = the Ok key, it can be remapped.
I have it set to:
Single press="Ok/Close"
Double press = S2U2
Long press=close active app
EDIT: Long press doesn't work... might try another method.
don't know if this works, but it is worth a try:
if you copy a shortcut to \Windows and name it "Short_Power.lnk" you can intercept the short power key press. at least that worked for me on my diamond.
you could try s.th. like "Short_Home.lnk" but that would intercept the "other home key" (which manages the cursor's position like end, up down, left, right, etc).
the magic would be to find the correct name of the key.
longpress back key (405C)
I know this is an old thread, but I haven't found yet a solution.
I'd like to be able to add longpress back key (405C) to the key menu on the windows config.
I've found the registry key that HTC uses to provide longpress send key, but I copied with no luck.
Anyone knows how to do it? vijay555 has said it's possible but never indicated how...

[Q] Remap Hardware Buttons

Is there any way to remap the hardware buttons on the DHD? I use nolock and it works great but my volume buttons wake up my phone and sometimes when I have it in the case on my belt, the volume button gets pressed and some strange things can happen when it's not locked. I would like to remap the volume buttons so that they don't wake the phone up.
That would be no problem at all. That is, if you have full root (S-Off) so that you can write to your system partition.
If so, just edit the file: /system/usr/keylayout/spade-keypad-v0.kl
The original file has the following keymap definitions:
Code:
key 102 HOME WAKE_DROPPED
key 139 MENU WAKE_DROPPED
key 158 BACK WAKE_DROPPED
key 217 SEARCH WAKE_DROPPED
key 116 POWER WAKE_DROPPED
key 114 VOLUME_DOWN WAKE
key 115 VOLUME_UP WAKE
I've swapped the Home and the Search button because I've rather small hands
(I will write a app to redefine these buttons in the future)
I think your problem will be solved by deleting WAKE behind the volume buttons
Thanks, I'll give it a shot.
This is one thing I hate about the different manufactures; different button order.
Sent from my Desire HD
I wrote a tool to edit the keylayout map file simple and easy. Posted it here:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=850464
(it says experimental, because it is intented as an app for all Android devices. However, it is tested on the DHD and it works without any problems)
With the app you can turn off the waking up of the device, but you can also assign functions to your keys like call/endcall, media next .. you can swap the home and search button or remap the volume keys to page down/up for ereading (with a hot reboot which will be implemented later, effectuating key redefinitions can be done fast, so that it is also possible to do a temporarily remapping)

[GUIDE] Change logo2menu to logo2recents

I don't recall seeing any roms having logo2recents by default, and my current setup did not allow for it either. (I use Android Revolution + Elemental), so I decided to look for a solution.
What you do is this:
-You must have a kernel that enables logo2menu, it'll enable the logo as a button (duh )
-Navigate to /system/usr/keylayout
-Backup the synaptics-rmi-touchscreen.kl file
-Open with the text editor
-Change this line:
key 139 MENU VIRTUAL
To:
key 139 APP_SWITCH WAKE_DROPPED
Save, exit, restart.
Your logo will now load up the recents window.
To me this is much more useful than menu, since most apps have integrated the menu button into their menu bars, so I'd be wasting the use of one capacitive button. I tend to switch between apps much more often, so the quick recents window access is totally worth it.
Side benefit (an odd one that didn't exist before I changed that file). When you go into settings/display&gestures&buttons, there will be a new setting under "buttons." It'll allow you to set tap or long press for recents/menu. Weird how it didn't exist before editing the .kl file above.
Thanks to danny 92 and wednesday13 for pointers from another thread.
*Note, just figured this out. When using this method it breaks the lockscreen shortcuts. No idea how to fix that part, sorry.
great.
this is what Im looking for long time
xposed module "MenuBeGone" could also do the same
I tried changing it to:
key 102 APP_SWITCH WAKE_DROPPED
key 158 BACK
key 139 HOME
So that the setup would be similar to onscreen keys in stock android ie left button: back ; middle button: home ; right button: recent apps.
Now my home button doesn't work even after changing settings to:
key 102 HOME
key 158 BACK
key 139 APP_SWITCH WAKE_DROPPED
Also tried changing settings to:
key 102 HOME
key 158 BACK
key 139 MENU VIRTUAL
and still my home button doesn't do anything.
Had to do a restore from TWRP
I'm running android 5.1 GPE with ElementalX kernal.
Any idea how to make this work, or why the home button doesn't work even after reverting the file?
After restoring I tried just changing the Key 139 line to APP_SWITCH WAKE_DROPPED and leaving everything else as is, and it works as intended. Guess I'll just have to get used to home and recent apps being in the wrong position (and then get used to them being in the right position when I get me new phone)

How to Swap the Menu & Back Buttons on Your Samsung Galaxy Note 2 for Easier Left-Han

How to Swap the Menu & Back Buttons on Your Samsung Galaxy Note 2 for Easier Left-Han
Mod edit: links removed
How to Swap the Menu & Back Buttons on Your Samsung Galaxy Note 2 for Easier Left-Handed Navigation
Throughout history, almost every superstition dealing with evil has had something to do with left hands. In the seventeenth century, it was thought that the Devil himself baptised his followers using his left hand.
Today, studies show that left-handed people are more likely to be schizophrenic, alcoholic, delinquent, dyslexic, have Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, and a slew of other medical problems. To top it all off, left-handed people have an average lifespan that is 9 years shorter than their right-handed counterparts.
As if the whole wasn't already against lefties, the majority of smartphones—hell, most products in general—are tailored to right-handed people, and your Samsung Galaxy Note 2 is no different. The Back button is located on the bottom right of the phone, so that right-handed users can easily navigate to it without having to stretch out their thumb.
To make life easier for all you lefties out there, if you have a rooted Galaxy Note 2, you can switch the Menu and Back buttons for more comfortable use.
Switch Menu and Back Buttons
If you haven't already rooted your device, you'll need to do so. You can use this quick and easy guide for instructions.
Now, to switch your Menu and Back soft keys, you'll need to do the following:
Download a root file explorer so you can browse the folders and files on your device. is a great free option.
Under Device, navigate to /system/usr/keylayout.
Select the file called Generic.kl and open it as Text.
Scroll down and locate (and replace) the following files for the Menu and Back keys:
Find key 139 MENU WAKE_DROPPED
Replace with key 158 MENU WAKE_DROPPED
That took care of the Menu button, so now let's do the Back one:
Find key 158 BACK WAKE_DROPPED
Replace with key 139 BACK WAKE_DROPPED
The buttons should now be switched, making it easier for you lefties to reach the back button (especially if you have small hands). If you ever want to change it back, just change the codes to the original ones and you will be set!

Keylayout

Hallo, the new Recent Apps button is annoying me. So i tried to rebind the button to menu. This worked. I changed the /system/usr/keylayout/Generic.kl. (Swapped key 254 (APP_SWITCH) and key 127 (MENU). But I don't know how to rebind the APP-SWITCH key to the hold home key, wich brings me to Google Now. Google Now would be nice on hold MENU, but if I hold the changed button S Finder appears.. I don't need it. So could you tell me, how to bind APP-SWITCH to hold HOME, and Google Now to hold MENU please?
The change I made was inspired by this thread: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2337229
Thanks, Colin P
You can use the xposed framwork additions module to remap hardware keys. Or any number of other Play store apps will also endeavor to do so for you.
Or you could directly edit the the /system/usr/keylayout files. As you aren't already doing this though, I can only presume that you aren't familiar with the syntax. In which case, xposed will be your best option.
.
I have a question that involves keylayout, since this is a similar thread, I thought I should ask here. I've added on-screen navigation buttons, and want to disable the soft touch keys (I accidentally press them a lot...). I found out through a Note 2 forum that I need to put a # sign in front of keys 158 and 139, but I think it might be different for Galaxy S5. Can someone help me disable the two soft touch keys (back and recent apps keys). Thanks a lot
You should start your own thread, rather than hijack an existing one.
In short, you can either use an app like Xposed to reassign the keys or edit the keylayout files directly. Simply leave the keys in question unassigned. If you find that the keys still light up, that can be disabled in the Settings menu with the touch key duration setting = always off.
.

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