Database Users

Semi-Transparent/Transparent application menu while keeping original launcher

Is it possible to make the applications menu semi-transparent/transparent while keeping the original launcher? I don't like it when I press the app drawer and the app menu turns the background black.
Its something like this(in the attachments) but I also want it to be completely transparent.

If you get an alternate launcher from the Play Store like Nova or Apex, I believe there is an option in the settings to adjust the opacity of the app drawer. I don't think there is a way to do this with the stock launcher, though.
Sent from my Paranoid Nexus 7

RockNrolling said:
If you get an alternate launcher from the Play Store like Nova or Apex, I believe there is an option in the settings to adjust the opacity of the app drawer. I don't think there is a way to do this with the stock launcher, though.
Sent from my Paranoid Nexus 7
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I hope to keep the stock launcher because I want to keep it original while doing some mods to it to make it look better

Unless you somehow mod the stock launcher and change the background transparency then no you can't do it. I use Nova launcher and my app drawer is semi transparent. Nova is much better than the stock launcher IMO. Maybe talk to a dev and see if they can help you out with the mod if you wanna keep everything stock.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda premium

SPreston2001 said:
Unless you somehow mod the stock launcher and change the background transparency then no you can't do it. I use Nova launcher and my app drawer is semi transparent. Nova is much better than the stock launcher IMO. Maybe talk to a dev and see if they can help you out with the mod if you wanna keep everything stock.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
EDIT: Thks Nova launcher is a better option everything looks better.
Thank You SPreston!

What does your X's homescreen/theme look like?

What have you done to your Moto X?
MIne, after Smart Launcher, Root, Xposed/GravityBox
Dark and minimal, PIE controls.
Looking for inspiration.

Sent from my XT1058 using Tapatalk

Nova launcher. FD shift calendar widget. Combo of stealth icons and cobalt icons. Gravitybox
US Cellular Moto X

Nova Launcher w/ "Made icon theme" (I didn't make it. It's called Made). Yahoo weather widget.

Nice.
cdrice15 said:
Nova launcher. FD shift calendar widget. Combo of stealth icons and cobalt icons. Gravitybox
US Cellular Moto X
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I like the stealth Icons, and I'm on USC too.

Nova, HD widgets, DCikonz...
Sent From My Ghost/XT1055/USC, UL BL, Rooted on 4.4 KitKat.

Double post? Sorry
Sent From My Ghost/XT1055/USC, UL BL, Rooted on 4.4 KitKat.

I'm using Nova Launcher + KitKat HD Launcher Theme 7 in 1.
Enviado de meu XT1058 usando Tapatalk

All Christmased out. Even got Santa Hat Floating Notifications and Swiftkey winter theme, it snows where you swipe, haha
Sent from my XT1060 using Tapatalk

Trying the basic approach. Top rows are folders, image is shortcut to gallery, double tap is playstore. Nova launcher prime is bomb haa

Pretty basic
Sent from my XT1060 using Tapatalk

Simple yet stunning.

Just nova launcher set to hide clock only on home screen
Sent from my XT1056 using xda app-developers app

JoshJ22 said:
Sent from my XT1058 using Tapatalk
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Click to collapse
How Did you get the sound search widget?
Edit: never mind I didn't realize the app was in the play store. It can preinstalled on my nexus 7 so I thought it was a nexus app.

Simple Yet satisfying..
Imprinted directly to your mind via a Moto X

Simple and functional.

It works for me, nothing special
Apex launcher Pro
Digital clock widget
Google Keep, Calendar, Play(music)
speed dials folder
and weather

Updated mine
I like the minimalist look a lot. I think I'm gonna stick with this for a while.
Looks great coming from the active notifications. And I'm all about consistency.
I hae gestures set up for Google Now, App Drawer, Quick Settings Bar, Flashlight and a few others. Plus the PIE controls, everything is pretty quick and easy.
Satisfied.

Pretty basic, I know. I got tired of changing my setup every couple days because I wanted it *just so*, so I put a pretty monochrome wallpaper on it and picked an icon pack that I liked a lot. I used Nova Launcher + Missed It for unread counts on certain icons too.
[EDIT] Finally found the attachment button.

Mine is very simple, yet elegant I think:
Using Zeam launcher....

Best apps for using themes on Nexus 5

I find AOSP plain and boring so i try new homscreen replacement now and then and have compiled a list of top 5 android homescreen replacements and they are
1] Next launcher
2] Go launcher
3] themer
4] Buzz launcher
5] Nova launcher
here is the blog post i wrote about it Top 5 android theming apps

Wergin said:
Good apps thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
welcome

Also Apex Launcher (similar to Nova but some slight differences).
I tend to use either Nova or Apex (currently Nova since they were the first to add in KitKat's transparent status bar) but Themer is on track to be very cool for people who want something a little less like an extended version of the stock launcher. It's still in beta but it's from the folks at mycolorscreen who have become the best source for custom theming on Android.

My number 1 spot would go to Themer. Liked it from my old phone. Since I'm not that keen on customizing anymore, and I want to have Google Now with just 1 swipe away on my homescreen, I don't use it currently. But from all the launchers I have tried so far, themer is my favorite one. The second place goes to Action Launcher.

Good information sharing..

Where is the Mi Launcher?

And tsf launcher too
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

@hapticc - your page isn't opening mate
about the launchers, my favorite atm is holo launcher...
cos all i need from a launcher is gesture swipes.. up & down for notification & app drawer..
nova & apex have these only in paid version..
i wish GEL would incorporate gestures..
along with access for google now & LMT, that would be perfect

Sliding Explorer
Sliding Explorer have full screen on 4.4:laugh:

solved said:
Where is the Mi Launcher?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Doesn't work...
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

I was always a nova user since i had a galaxy nexus. Since getting the nexus 5 though, i discovered more customization tools for themes and widgets, and ive been using Go launcher just because it works with the aesthetic/homescreen setup im currently using.
If nova launcher had a few more tweaks to it like icons not clipping/cropping, id probably go back to using it.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

Juansegovia20 said:
And tsf launcher too
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk
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Click to collapse
TSF launcher is great but next launcher has replaced it.
letmedanz said:
@hapticc - your page isn't opening mate
about the launchers, my favorite atm is holo launcher...
cos all i need from a launcher is gesture swipes.. up & down for notification & app drawer..
nova & apex have these only in paid version..
i wish GEL would incorporate gestures..
along with access for google now & LMT, that would be perfect
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Fixed the link sorry for inconvenience
aangelsmithh said:
Good information sharing..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanx for positive comments its make me blog more and more

DigitalUnderground said:
Doesn't work...
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk
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Yeah they updated it to work on their website but the play store version wasn't updated yet. I had a thread on it. The only thing I don't like about it is non transparent nav bar. The notification bar is transparent but not the nav bar. In the broken version it was transparent. Not sure why it was removed unless that's what caused the issues
Sent from my white LG Nexus 5

Custom Launchers, Full Screen or Letterbox?

Has anyone tried using custom launchers like Nova on the Essential? Do they use the full screen or do they letterbox around the camera like apps that haven't been updated tend to?

bump.....this is an excellent question I didnt think of. If someone could try action launcher it would be appreciated!!!

Nova and Action Launcher both are not full screen.

bretrick30 said:
Nova and Action Launcher both are not full screen.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Neither is the pixel launcher port

graffixnyc said:
Neither is the pixel launcher port
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Click to collapse
You just killed any excitement I had for this phone. Nova is an automatic install for me. It may take them several months to update

Yup, nothing is full screen right now. Just the stock Essential launcher which is pretty terrible and has virtually no settings.

Isn't the stock launcher literally Essentials own port of the Pixel launcher?

IM0001 said:
Isn't the stock launcher literally Essentials own port of the Pixel launcher?
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Click to collapse
Probably fork of launcher3 from aosp
Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

slothdabski said:
Probably fork of launcher3 from aosp
Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk
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Which is the same launcher I am using on my U11 right now instead of Sense.
Love it. Simple, fast, smooth.

worldsoutro said:
You just killed any excitement I had for this phone. Nova is an automatic install for me. It may take them several months to update
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They will fix it in no time..

I'm not too sure it's something that Nova can fix. I just received this email response from them when I inquired about it.
Hello,
This is a bug on their end that we are hoping to have a work around for at some point in the future.
Please contact us using Nova Settings -> Contact Support. This helps us help you better!
Answers to your questions are often found in the FAQ's: https://help.teslacoilapps.com/faq

I have an HTC U11 and own the paid version of the Shortcutter app by LeeDrOiD. I've installed it on my PH1 and it's giving me a few more features such as custom quicksettings tiles and a sidebar. I have enabled his version of night mode which adds some red to the screen. It's gonna have to tide me over until we get root and custom launchers etc. rolling.
Sent from my PH-1 using XDA Labs

Arrow launcher is not full screen either.
Sent from my PH-1 using XDA-Developers Legacy app

what about lawnchair? anyone tried?
I want to increase my grid size to 7 by 5 and stock launcher just has 0 customization!

Did anyone who installed a different launcher have any issues switching back to the stock Essential launcher (Launcher3)? I tried Action Launcher and after seeing that it was not full screen I switched back to Launcher3. However, Launcher3 won't run now - it keeps crashing. I tried uninstalling Action Launcher and rebooting but neither helped. I'm stuck on Action Launcher now because the stock launcher crashes before loading the home screen. Any advice? Anyone have the stock launcher apk?
UPDATE - I got it working again by clearing the cache and data for the app. I just have to set it back up with my preferred apps & widgets again.

What sucks is that the the status bar size is HUGE!! I tried many apps for status bar overlay but doesn't work with custom launcher. Pretty stupid of Essential!

varun.gid said:
What sucks is that the the status bar size is HUGE!! I tried many apps for status bar overlay but doesn't work with custom launcher. Pretty stupid of Essential!
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Click to collapse
That doesn't have anything to do with essential, the custom launcher developers have to update their launchers to work with essential phone.
Sent from my PH-1 using XDA-Developers Legacy app

I sent an enhancement request to Nova and they responded with the following:
"Essential has made it that only apps that are whitelisted will use the full screen. You would need to contact them directly."
Looks like we all need to be submitting requests to Essential. Seems to be a stupid decision on their part.

tigercranestyle said:
folks of you want to use custom launchers, it takes about 60 seconds to submit a request here:
https://support.essential.com/hc/en-us/requests/new
one thing android has always been better than ios at is customization. with this phone we can't say that. fill out the request, please. include the name of the apps... nova launcher, action, lawnchair, etc.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks. Just submitted asking to whitelist Arrow Launcher.
Sent from my PH-1 using XDA-Developers Legacy app

Ahh the joys of beta testing

Amazon Music issue

I can only assume this is due to the way essential is setup but I have noticed since day one that the Amazon music app is extra wide with no way to adjust on the widget or the play bar. Is this an issue with anyone else?

I would suggest using a custom launcher like Nova. They give you way more customization than the stock launcher.
Sent from my PH-1 using Tapatalk

dwg08d said:
I would suggest using a custom launcher like Nova. They give you way more customization than the stock launcher.
Sent from my PH-1 using Tapatalk
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That would fix the homescreen widget, but unlikely to take care of the lockscreen. I'd imagine that's due to Amazon's layout structure and unlikely to be fixable unless you run a different lockscreen app or Amazon fixes their coding to be a bit more adaptable. I found on my Mediapad M3 that the Amazon Music lockscreen notification goes all crazy when I change the DPI through the settings tab.