Replacement for bluetooth/connectivity/phone app? - Android Head-Units

Hey, I just got a new head unit for my car (the old one was locked android 4), it's pretty cool, but the bluetooth/connectivity/call app sucks:
1. Everything is in one app, so you have to always open and scroll to the page you want
2. No easy "quick dial screen"
3. Dialer doesn't suggest numbers
4. Bluetooth music player is basic and doesn't integrate well
Is there a way to replace this, or am I stuck with this forever?
Honestly the app before was better.
Specficailly I'm talking about an app for the android in my car that will know how to connect to different phones via bluetooth, get/make calls, let each phone have contacts, favorites, etc, and play bluetooth music from my phone.

Related

A few questions after 3 weeks use.

After almost 3 weeks of using X10 I came up with a list of question that I hope some of you may be able to help me find solutions.
1. Regarding making/receiving calls through car speakerss when there is an auxiliary cable plugged into the phone, I can hear the person who I call/who calls me, but they cannot hear me through the phone. Is this true with everyone's phone? Listening to music and then having someone call me while it is plugged in is very annoying as I have to unplug the cable and wait a few seconds for the mic to start working.
2. Is there a way to make a shortcut on desktop for MMS & Data so I don't have to go to menu, settings, wireless controls, mobile networks to switch off 3G (to save on battery..) or any other solution ?
3. Does anyone know if there's a website where you can watch latest nhl highlights, since the phone doesn't support flash.
4. I would like to find an app similar to yellow pages, which will find whatever I need based on my current location using gps and not on the location that I input in the phone for the reasons such as most of the time I won't know my exact adress.
5. Does anyone know if Wisepilot is worth upgrading after a 30 day trial or is maps.brut should be enough for GPS.
6. Does anyone know how much data app like internet radio uses approx. ?
7. There's a function in mediascape for music called playlist, but I don't seem to be able to create my own playlist. The only one that is listed is recently played. Anyone know how to create your own ?
Thanks for your help.
1- yes it is a commone problem people talked about around here
5- i guess google is doing good with updating the maps so its the same stick to maps(till garmin or something like that gets out )
6- this depends on the staion ur listing from what quality of music is it brodcasting, time of use and so on
7- u can add playlist by using media go, u creat a playlist on windows midea player or any other program or by media go, then u refresh media go to find ur playllist and right click there is transfer, then u find it in ur mediascape playlist that is the only way i guess. its fine with me
PS: u can search the other questions im sure u will find the answers coz lots of people have asked the same questions....
1. You need an inline microphone such as http://store.shure.com/store/shure/en_US/DisplayProductDetailsPage/productID.105498400 (I am sure you can find a much cheaper option if you shop around).
2. Yes just long press on the homescreen then choose shortcut and the path that you need.
3. pass
4. If you allow Google to use your location it should do some of what you require otherwise try something like Superpagesmobile http://www.superpages.com/mobile/android
5. As Google maps now has navigation why pay for an application ?
6. It will depend on the bit rate of the station, but roughly 50Mb per hour for a 128k station
7. You can add playlists by using the built in music player app use the App AnyCut to add a shortcut to your homescreen (choose Activity then Music).
My phone came with Wisepilot installed, but I prefer the new Google maps navigation.
Google Nav is only available in the U.S. and the U.K. right now so you might need a third party GPS solution.
There are plenty of widgets available for turning off/on 3G.
instigator008 said:
Google Nav is only available in the U.S. and the U.K. right now so you might need a third party GPS solution.
There are plenty of widgets available for turning off/on 3G.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Search XDA for maps.brut

TOP 10 Apps

What are some of your top APPS that you have on your Vibrant for daily use/ here are some of mine.......
1. Handcent SMS/MMS- Alot easier than the stock Android SMS setup
2. Call confirm- Love this app too many times I have called a number and said sh*t, I didnt mean to call them.
3. Call Filter- Not really sure if I wanna talk to you (I use this in conjunction with You mail, I love that service.)
4. YouMail Voicemail App- It is like visual voice mail awesome
5. Jewels- Nice way to pass the time away
6. Double Twist- easy way to transfer music, listen to music, transfer videos and podcast
7. Quick Boot- Easy to boot back up into recovery mode without holding buttons
8. Sms Scheduler- Need I say more
9. TiKL Touch to Talk- If you do not know about this cool little app you better get on it now, this is essentially Androids version of PTT ANYBODY with an android phone can use this app to talk to one or a group of people at the same time and the best thing is......IT"S FREE no minutes used!!!!!!
10. Swiftkey- I lovve this app it is extremely fast

Stand Alone VS Phone Companion

Hi Everyone
I would like to hear what smartwatch Mode do you think is the best : Stand Alone or Phone Companion and answer some questions:
1.Standalone Mode what will be in this mode the most important and what you will use the most?
2.Phone Companion Mode : What you will use the most in this mode and what you will want to have ?
3.Phone Companion Mode : When you will receive a phone call do you think you will like to answer from your smartphone or your smartwatch ?
4.What Mode you will think use the most ?
5.Someone that use yet a smartwatch how is your experience what is not practical, what did you not like?
Specify the model and if its was a Standalone or a Phone Companion.
Thanks
Best Regards
Damien Douk
A.I Watch Creator
www.aiwatchtech.com
Hi Damien, you probably know my reply already since we discussed it off-line
For me Companion mode is the most important. I would like to receive notifications of who is calling (so I can keep my phone on mute most and out of sight), notifications of txt message and being able to view it on the smartwatch (typically an easy implementation since its a short plain unformatted text), notification of calendar events so I don't miss a meeting or an upcoming appointment, and email notifications with a preview of the message.
In my personal opinion, answering call from a phone is optional but not necessary. Phone call is a private thing. I just would like to see who is calling and then make a decision if I want to dismiss the call (maybe with a simple rejection button or an option to send a few pre-defined txt messages like "i'm busy" or "will call you back soon"). If I need to pick up the call, I can always get my phone out of the pocket or pick up the call on bluetooth headset. With text message and calendar events, as I mentioned above, it is nice to preview on the screen of the smartwatch where I think 1.54"+ display is big enough to preview simple short text. With emails, it would be nice to see who is it from and body of the text. I wouldn't expect replying back from the watch; if its important and needs my immediate attention - I will take out my phone and type away the reply.
Of course, music control (of the songs on the phone and also songs stored on internal to smartwatch microSD card) would be important. Also, getting weather notifications from the phone is a big plus, as well as battery status of your smartphone.
A.I Watch
vectron said:
Hi Damien, you probably know my reply already since we discussed it off-line
For me Companion mode is the most important. I would like to receive notifications of who is calling (so I can keep my phone on mute most and out of sight), notifications of txt message and being able to view it on the smartwatch (typically an easy implementation since its a short plain unformatted text), notification of calendar events so I don't miss a meeting or an upcoming appointment, and email notifications with a preview of the message.
In my personal opinion, answering call from a phone is optional but not necessary. Phone call is a private thing. I just would like to see who is calling and then make a decision if I want to dismiss the call (maybe with a simple rejection button or an option to send a few pre-defined txt messages like "i'm busy" or "will call you back soon"). If I need to pick up the call, I can always get my phone out of the pocket or pick up the call on bluetooth headset. With text message and calendar events, as I mentioned above, it is nice to preview on the screen of the smartwatch where I think 1.54"+ display is big enough to preview simple short text. With emails, it would be nice to see who is it from and body of the text. I wouldn't expect replying back from the watch; if its important and needs my immediate attention - I will take out my phone and type away the reply.
Of course, music control (of the songs on the phone and also songs stored on internal to smartwatch microSD card) would be important. Also, getting weather notifications from the phone is a big plus, as well as battery status of your smartphone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi vectron
Thanks to taking your time to answer to all my questions, interesting suggestions like to see the battery status of your smartphone on your smartwatch seems to me a great Idea....
Just one question A.I Watch have a music player and you can play music directly from your A.I Watch, so why can be interesting to control your smartphone music from A.I Watch?
Best Regards
Damien Douk
A.I Watch Creator
If you pair up your smartwatch with a phone (wireless through bluetooth), your smartwatch becomes a controller just like any wireless headphone with playback control. That's how it works with a Pebble, Metawatch, and any other basic smartwatch. It becomes very useful when you are streaming music from your phone to external wireless speaker and can control playback right from your smartwatch.
A.I Watch
vectron said:
If you pair up your smartwatch with a phone (wireless through bluetooth), your smartwatch becomes a controller just like any wireless headphone with playback control. That's how it works with a Pebble, Metawatch, and any other basic smartwatch. It becomes very useful when you are streaming music from your phone to external wireless speaker and can control playback right from your smartwatch.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi Vectron
Thanks for your reply
Yes but If I am correct on all those smartwatches that you mention you dont have the possibility to add music directly on the smartwatch and due of that not able to connect them to a Bluetooth speaker directly you always need to past from your smartphone....
You dont think its useless on a stand alone smartwatch ??
Best Regards
dedesuper said:
Hi Vectron
Thanks for your reply
Yes but If I am correct on all those smartwatches that you mention you dont have the possibility to add music directly on the smartwatch and due of that not able to connect them to a Bluetooth speaker directly you always need to past from your smartphone....
You dont think its useless on a stand alone smartwatch ??
Best Regards
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, you are correct. Those other smartwatches don't have internal storage, so it makes sense to use them as wireless controller for audio playback on your smartphone. With AI Watch, TrueSmart and others you have an option of internal storage. As a matter of fact, I often use my TS as mp3-player on a wrist with my wireless headphones paired up directly. So in a way, its redundant to either play music from your watch or use your watch to control your music on the phone, since you can pair up external speaker directly to your watch. I do see your point now.
I believe there is a need for both a Standalone and a Companion. A standalone is great for those of us who have to carry two phones all the time. I know many people at work who have to carry their work phone and a personal phone, and at work the only thing the personal gets used for is checking email and taking calls from the wife. To be able to use the watch for that while still carrying the work phone for use all day would be great. And to be clear, the watch would ONLY be used for the personal as a standalone, and not also a companion for the work phone at the same time.
As a companion, which is how I use my Smartq Zwatch now is fairly useful, but would be infinitely more useful if: 1. Low power Bluetooth internet tethering; and 2. I need the option to let the watch make changes to the phone. I bought this watch so that I could see when I received text and email messages without pulling my phone out of my pocket but now I find that every time I receive a message I have to delete it from my phone AND my watch which actually make MORE steps in the process in stead of making the process easier. If I could have the option to "Delete Message From Phone?" Each time I deleted the message on the watch then it would make the process faster.
Just my two cents.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk
While running today I had a thought. I use my smartwatch with my Galaxy Note 3. The phone is really big but I love the s pen, the media capabilities, and the battery life. But there are times when I'd rather not carry such a big phone so I keep an old galaxy Nexus lying around. What would be really cool would be to have all the cellular capabilities built into my watch with the ability to bluetooth tether lte data through the watch and into the phone. The the phone mfg's could make sick devices without having to include radios. Instead of having to pay $700 for this phone I could have bought a Note 8 for like $300. I know the watch would be more expensive, but some are already paying $300+ for a watch AND $600 for a phone.
Then when I go running for instance, the watch could connect via bluetooth to my headset and I wouldn't have to carry around my phone at all since this screen does nothing for me while running.
Sent from my SM-N900T using Tapatalk
vectron said:
Hi Damien, you probably know my reply already since we discussed it off-line
For me Companion mode is the most important. I would like to receive notifications of who is calling (so I can keep my phone on mute most and out of sight), notifications of txt message and being able to view it on the smartwatch (typically an easy implementation since its a short plain unformatted text), notification of calendar events so I don't miss a meeting or an upcoming appointment, and email notifications with a preview of the message.
In my personal opinion, answering call from a phone is optional but not necessary. Phone call is a private thing. I just would like to see who is calling and then make a decision if I want to dismiss the call (maybe with a simple rejection button or an option to send a few pre-defined txt messages like "i'm busy" or "will call you back soon"). If I need to pick up the call, I can always get my phone out of the pocket or pick up the call on bluetooth headset. With text message and calendar events, as I mentioned above, it is nice to preview on the screen of the smartwatch where I think 1.54"+ display is big enough to preview simple short text. With emails, it would be nice to see who is it from and body of the text. I wouldn't expect replying back from the watch; if its important and needs my immediate attention - I will take out my phone and type away the reply.
Of course, music control (of the songs on the phone and also songs stored on internal to smartwatch microSD card) would be important. Also, getting weather notifications from the phone is a big plus, as well as battery status of your smartphone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So, is there a watch (ZGPAX, SmartQ, HOT) which does all of this today ? I don't see why this would be so hard today. Doesn't Android allow applications to communicate with notification manager. Isn't it just a matter of pushing all your notifications from phone to watch ? This is for messaging and phone calls. For email and other apps, update happens automatically on all devices which shouldnt need anything special to work on a watch
cyrux004 said:
So, is there a watch (ZGPAX, SmartQ, HOT) which does all of this today ? I don't see why this would be so hard today. Doesn't Android allow applications to communicate with notification manager. Isn't it just a matter of pushing all your notifications from phone to watch ? This is for messaging and phone calls. For email and other apps, update happens automatically on all devices which shouldnt need anything special to work on a watch
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi ofsinreno
Thanks for all your suggestions, A.I Watch definitely do that we working on a Phone companion app by Bluetooth, and not Bluetooth tethering to be more battery efficient for both side, for now we succeed to get notifications etc...We still testing everything with different Android versions.
Hi cyrux004
Yes you are right all the smartwatches that you mention have this possibility but for the ZGPAX and SmartQ its by Bluetooth tethering and its not at all battery efficient. for the Hot is not a stand alone smartwatch so only the Phone companion option.
A Bluetooth app of this kind is new for everyone so actually not a lot of developers know how to develop it.
Best Regards
Damien Douk
A.I Watch Creator
I always carry two numbers. My company number rings the most and having that sim in my smart watch instead of having two phones would be easier for me. Options like camera, media, anti theft, sdcard and internal storage are something I need for everyday use. Wifi is a must and if possible since the watch can use simcard I can use gps and edge to connect if no wifi is available. I know for some of this may seem too much but I prefer my smart watch to be a back up for my phone just in case and also have the option of controlling my phone remotely.
Sent from my SM-N900 using xda app-developers app

Top/Must apps for car head units

Hello everyone,
Lets start a new post, that will help each other to get familiar with new/top/best/must apps for android head units. :good:
I think it would be best if we stick to "TOP-10" per post...or maybe TOP per category (Navigation, music, etc etc...)
and thats because we can easily get dragged to top-30 top-50 , and that will be extremely confusing.. :angel:
Requirements - The apps must be fully/mostly compatible with android head-units.
Doesn't matter if they are free or not.
Thanks!
Tasker
Tasker
what special settings/conditions did you define in tasker?
Might have some good tips for us
I got poweramp installed to replace the stock music app. I used HeadUnit to forward steering wheel next/forward buttons to poweramp. It works great so far. Next, i want to configure poweramp to start playing automatically when the unit boots up. I have tried a few things, but not refine yet.
Lastly, i want to change the steering wheel "Mode" button to cycle between Music and Nav apps only, but have not figured out a way to it in exposedMTC app yet. The factory configuration for "Mode" button is to cycle through Radio, Music, Video, DVD, Nav, Avin, etc... too many of whcih that I don't want to cycle through.
AutoMate seems like it be a good fit
I'm a new guy here on XDA, but it seems like Torque (Pro) is an absolute must have.
Wouldn't it be nice to list all the given apps in the first post?
jordanow said:
Wouldn't it be nice to list all the given apps in the first post?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think that's up to the OP to go back and edit the post as more replies come in.
Here goes my list: (or at least the one I´ve installed)
- Waze: Absolute must to avoid traffic
- Spotify
- Torque
What navigation apps are people using? I like Google Maps and Waze but I want an offline option for when data connection is not availabe. I'm thinking of using TomTom Go but is there anything better?
I also plan on using spotify, poweramp and torque.
Waze to beat traffic here in LA
Spotify always on
Sent from my LG-H811 using XDA Free mobile app
For Navigation i like the Navigon App. But under 4.4.4 it is not so good running in My Car Unit. I also search for a Offlinemap Solution. The Lady Talk Not every time.
Gesendet von iPhone mit Tapatalk
I use Poweramp, Torque, and then Sygic for GPS navigation (Here also seems to work alright)
I use always:
Torque with Speedometer
Icoyote in Europe
Google Play music
GPS
I use Gaia GPS for offline offroad TOPO maps since this is installed in my truck.
Does anyone have a good app solution to manage 10-20GB of music that is plugged into the external USB port on a 1TB portable HD?
I can get a file manager to see the music files / playlists, but I can't get a music program to see the music/playlist files so that I can easily listen to the music. Any advice?
I use Folder Player Pro for my music, I have a folder for each artist with sub folders for albums, lacks media graphics if you like that sort of distraction whilst driving but functionally great.
For navigation I like iGO Primo because I can save locations from Google Earth to Dropbox and my HU syncs with these as custom POIs in iGO Primo using Dropsync, you can also install custom skins on iGO Primo for increased functionality.
Also uses offline maps
I know some people really like PowerAmp, but I found that I like MediaMonkey for music better. I have about 30GB on the SD Card and it works great. Has good widget to put on the screen as well. In MediaMonkey you can go in the settings and tell it exactly what folders and path's to search for music and it will search and index all the files.
nixfu said:
I know some people really like PowerAmp, but I found that I like MediaMonkey for music better. I have about 30GB on the SD Card and it works great. Has good widget to put on the screen as well. In MediaMonkey you can go in the settings and tell it exactly what folders and path's to search for music and it will search and index all the files.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
poweramp does all that tasks
For offline GPS navigation, HERE maps from Nokia works fine ! You can download maps by country or part of country if you want. Then you switch to "offline" navigation and it uses only stored maps. He got traffic info but i prefer Waze when online is up
es file explorer to move files is a fine tool too.
I wanted to do the exact same thing on my Joying RK3188 unit, Highlander version. After much trial and error found out that there is a bug in XposedMTC that prevents it from switching to Navi if video is not set right (crashes after 2-3 swaps). So I disabled all options in XposedMTC, so clicking on Mode hard button will start the music app (Poweramp in my case). I used the hard Navi button to switch to Navigation and "Phone Down" button for "Back Screen" option. This combo seems to be working quite well over the last week or so I have been using. Another key thing is that when you change any option in XposedMTC, close this and start XposedInstaller > Framework > Install. This will require a device reboot and the settings seem to reflect in mine only after this is done.
qtpie70 said:
I got poweramp installed to replace the stock music app. I used HeadUnit to forward steering wheel next/forward buttons to poweramp. It works great so far. Next, i want to configure poweramp to start playing automatically when the unit boots up. I have tried a few things, but not refine yet.
Lastly, i want to change the steering wheel "Mode" button to cycle between Music and Nav apps only, but have not figured out a way to it in exposedMTC app yet. The factory configuration for "Mode" button is to cycle through Radio, Music, Video, DVD, Nav, Avin, etc... too many of whcih that I don't want to cycle through.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The best App Ever is Auto dashdroid for Android
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.nezdroid.cardashdroid

Looking for a headunit

Since i got a new/old car and i am not too happy with its radio right now I would like to exchange it and get an android device.
Actually right now I am a bit torn between an android unit and a pc. I know the pc is more expensive but as I read around the internet, right now it has the following advantages for me:
1. I can choose freely which hardware it has.
2. Bluetooth works fine.
3. It will support Windows 10 so i can use cortana - which will give me the option to use it more or less hands free.
4. I can use Kodi for Radio etc.
5. it might just run android as well
6. pretty much all apps are more or less available
7. with Kodi i can customize the look (in my opinion way beyond of what i could do with different launchers)
8. Kodi supports radio traffic service
Now that I have listed all the + Notes on the PC version here comes Android:
1. A lot cheaper!
2. Works out of the box.
3. I don't have to buy the apps again (as i have bought them already and use them on my phone)
4. Theoretically I can use Kodi (afaik "just" not for radio)
5. Afaik bigger community
BUT(!)
I was digging around and found following problems which i'd like to ask you guys if they are still an issue:
1.) So far no Android 6.... so no Google Voice for hands free
2.) Bluetooth is at best buggy (incomeing calls show no name from the phonebook just the number) other devices such as obd do not work or if they work only the ones from the manufacturer of the headunit will work. Bluetooth connectivity is limited to one device at a time.
3.) I am limited to the Apps from the manufacturer as far as radio goes. (i think most of the apps i have seen are ugly - i don't want to see the frequency of the station I am listening to... especially not as big as i have seen it.) DAB(+) Apps look somewhat ugly as well. There is no real chance to change that.
4.) there is no support for radio traffic service
5.) Customization is limited
My questions are:
1.) Is what I am saying still correct (for example the bluetooth issues).
2.) Does anyone know a work around for the Google Voice? Preferably without the need to press a button. Or has someone an Android 6 device and can confirm that Ok Google works fine there?
3.) Is it at all possible to implement the Radio(FM/DAB+) into Kodi on Android - has someone done this? Maybe even something like a navigation software? (yes - i am a kodi fanboy -actually more or less from day one - i had a old xbox - the first xbox running xbmc in my car with linux and a gps built in)
What I would like to have in the end would be a system where Kodi is loaded up as soon as the car starts.
Via Tasker (if possible) I would grab the infos from torque and implement them in a custom skin in kodi. I would love to listen to the radio via Kodi and if at all possible have navigation in there as well (but if that does not work I will find a workaround - i already have one in my head)
I know this is a lot and many of you might think tl;dr but if anyone could answer my questions anywhere I am convinced that it is here on the mighty xda board.
Thank you guys so much. (If I get this all to work I will of course post all of it here (skins, tasker skripts etc)
About Android vs Windows and head unit vs PC, I think you'll have to decide on that for yourself. Nobody here can tell you what's the right choice for you.
As for Kodi, I haven't dived into it much, but I have a more typical use of the head unit I guess. Google voice works in 5.1.1, but you need another launcher and you need to install the required apps from Google Play and enable everything. I have it working in mine, but decided to have it activate on a button press. I do have to switch between apps and stuff, and the BT caller app is a little quirky to use. I would've wanted something more inline with the default Google dialer, but no go on that one. Even if you install Contacts and the Google Phone app, they don't really do anything. If you want complete control over everything, then PC and Windows (or <insert OS her>) would be the best choice for you. If you want to save time and have something that is fairly easy and quick to set up out of the box, then a head unit with Android would be better.
Thx Hilari0 for your answer.
May I ask what Unit you have. What are the pitfalls? How did you manage to solve or work around the Bluetooth problems (i saw that joying for example released an update - can anyone tell me if that fixes the bluetooth problems?)
Is it more complicated than on other devices to install another launcher?
Thank you!
I have the Joying Intel 2GB/32GB head unit, the 135 variant. The bluetooth on it worked well out of the box with the update installed, but it was vastly improved following the instructions in this thread:
https://forum.xda-developers.com/an...elopment/bluetooth-settings-launcher-t3504526

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