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Always seems to be a ton of threads about why people hate touchwiz and how eager they are to get rid of it but...what do you like about what Samsung did different?
I absolutely love the pulldown menu modifications
I love the music/call controls in the pull down, and like the power widget there. This is something I really wish that Google would adopt/roll into stock android later on (or at least Cyanogen).
I also like the shortcut to adjust your phone's brightness (rolling finger across the top bar).
I personally prefer the way this phone handles making a call on a 2nd line and conferencing people in...it's much better than stock android (I came from a Moto droid and conferencing in a new # was always kind of a pain in the ass).
I personally prefer the way they redid the calendar to stock (I seem to be in the minority here though).
I use google voice for all SMS, so I can't really comment on that.
I use LauncherPro, so the actual look of the launcher doesn't bug me...
Actually, the only thing I truly hate about the modifications Samsung made was the damn alarm program..it's way worse than the droids, and it's way too easy to turn off...and the snooze button is hard to differentiate from the turn off alarm button.
Overall, Samsung has some nice stuff if they just abandon the cartoony iPhones look of the launcher and work on a few of the performance hickups here and there.
hydrogenman said:
I absolutely love the pulldown menu modifications
I love the music/call controls in the pull down, and like the power widget there. This is something I really wish that Google would adopt/roll into stock android later on (or at least Cyanogen).
I also like the shortcut to adjust your phone's brightness (rolling finger across the top bar).
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Other than the calendar (which is a near-total fail for me; maybe others' calendars don't have the same bugs as mine - which is a scary thought, b/c it makes a global "fix" seem less likely), I really like TouchWiz - particularly the features listed above. The "Power Control" Android widget (or whatever it's called) - which is normally crucial - becomes almost unnecessary, provided you're OK with using the pulldown for toggling GPS, Wifi, etc.; and sliding finger for brightness. (The only Power Control item you can't toggle using pulldown is "Sync," which I almost never turn off anyway).
I like how the TW icons look; and I dig the app drawer, b/c I prefer the "list" view that it offers. I may try another launcher someday, but right now I feel no need -- I'm digging TW (and much prefer it to stock Android).
Don't care for the Samsung widgets at all, but their functions can easily be bested with stuff in the Market.
pavvy said:
Other than the calendar (which is a near-total fail for me; maybe others' calendars don't have the same bugs as mine - which is a scary thought, b/c it makes a global "fix" seem less likely), I really like TouchWiz - particularly the features listed above. The "Power Control" Android widget (or whatever it's called) - which is normally crucial - becomes almost unnecessary, provided you're OK with using the pulldown for toggling GPS, Wifi, etc.; and sliding finger for brightness. (The only Power Control item you can't toggle using pulldown is "Sync," which I almost never turn off anyway).
I like how the TW icons look; and I dig the app drawer, b/c I prefer the "list" view that it offers. I may try another launcher someday, but right now I feel no need -- I'm digging TW (and much prefer it to stock Android).
Don't care for the Samsung widgets at all, but their functions can easily be bested with stuff in the Market.
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I've never once used any of the TW widgets...that's one thing that was a bit of fail
BTW, you can get the TW style of app drawer on 3rd party launchers
I was rather pleasantly surprised with TouchWiz. I think it's much better than Stock Android. I'm not sure exactly why people are complaining about it.
What I like about it.
1. WebOS like UI controls for Music and Toggles in the Notification drop down.
2. Paged scrolling of apps in the App Drawer. I hate inertial list scrolling.
3. Some of the widgets like dual clock and calendar clock. If there is no place to add a widget on that screen, it finds a screen with space. Buddies Now is a nice widget, but it's slow and buggy.
4. The interface to add/remove screens and move screens around.
What I dislike.
1. It syncs all contacts instead of just "My Contacts". Of course this is not the launcher, but the app. But other than this, the contacts and dialer are much better than stock.
2. Pressing the Home button, sends it off to Screen 4 on my phone instead of the center screen. Very annoying.
3. There is an Android bug that prevents folders from being opened. With LauncherPro, I can restart the launcher which fixes the problem. No such ability in TW.
4. Can only change two of the 4 icons at the bottom.
Likes:
Messaging/calling through contacts.
Power control in notification drawer
Launcher is starting to grow on me
The interface when a call is in progress
Puzzle piece notifications
Dislikes:
Music player can't distinguish between songs and ringtones
Nearly the same issue with gallery and album art
Can't set the home screen when less than 5 screens
Lock screen but that's purely cosmetic
The media scanner, but I don't think that's TW specific (Be awesome to have it scan on demand)
I really don't like how all the Samsung widgets want to take up an entire screen.
hydrogenman said:
BTW, you can get the TW style of app drawer on 3rd party launchers
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Thanks, that's good to know... I'll have to try 'em sometime, I know they have lots of fans around here.
I actually prefer TW to LauncherPro or ADW. So far everything works pretty well.
I do wish that the samsung widgets were re-sizeable so they didn't take up the whole screen. I like the app drawer, it is just copying the iPhone, but I don't visit it a whole lot thanks to the FolderOrganizer widget. That widget should have come stock with the phone IMHO.
i really like some of the modifications that samsung has added, especially in the dialer and contacts apps (they have already been mentioned). i found another one last night in the calendar app, if you add a location to an entry it shows you a map of the location from the calendar entry.
wolfvgang said:
I actually prefer TW to LauncherPro or ADW. So far everything works pretty well.
I do wish that the samsung widgets were re-sizeable so they didn't take up the whole screen. ......
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Hey. If I do understand you correctly, you are using ADW or LauncherPro and mention that 'everything is working pretty well, also referring to 'samsung widgets'?
How do you access 'samsung widgets' from say ADW Launcher - ESPECIALLY BuddiesNow ??
I can only access it from the default launcher, but do prefer ADW also - but am stuck
Thanks for your help or ideas.
I don't understand anyone wouldn't use LauncherPro.
The scrolling dock is genius. I have about 15 apps that I use regularly, so the dock does a really great job to accommodate that. Also, you can easily add your own custom icons, and do away with the default ones that come with TW and LP.
I also hate that on TW, you have the home screen # indicators at the top, giving you a lot less home screen space.
The app drawer, though not as easy to use as the Applications viewer in TW, is at least original. This phone already looks like an iPhone, so having a very Android-esque applications viewer is refreshing.
TW does a lot fantastic things, some of which you guys mentioned, but the general layout of it is pretty ****ty, and LauncherPro is just about perfect... and free.
I like the toggles on the notification pull down. I don't like how the brightness slider has no visual feedback to determine what the current bright is set at. If there was a slider widget attached to the bottom or a popup when the slider is in use that would make it easier.
I like the swipe on contacts for the call/sms.
After loading JI6, I tried using the TW launcher again, but I couldn't find any of the TW widgets compelling so I'm back to Launcherpro.
Just found this out, if you dislike the iPhone style of the app drawer, left to right, changing it to Alphabetical list gives me the normalish way we are used to the app drawer working, up and down.
Now if we could just remove the annoying outline on the icons I'd be set
Coming from an iPhone, Touchwiz was a bit too iphone-ripoff for me. I personally use Launcher+ but TW did have some good points.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
my biggest dislike is that contacts and dialer are no longer the same application. I never had a dialer shortcut on my phone before because I could just use contacts, now I have to use up 1 more space for the dialer.
Owenv said:
my biggest dislike is that contacts and dialer are no longer the same application. I never had a dialer shortcut on my phone before because I could just use contacts, now I have to use up 1 more space for the dialer.
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You can access the contacts from the dialer, would be an extra click if you really want to not have that extra icon
z0phi3l said:
You can access the contacts from the dialer, would be an extra click if you really want to not have that extra icon
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yeah but as far as I know you can't get to dialer from contacts, and I'm used to having the contacts icon on my home screen. I know I could just change it but you know what they say about old habits. however it isn't a problem since I have another contacts app that solved it for me.
My favorite feature is the dialer. I love the fact that it has speed dial unlike stock android. I also love the predictive dialing. These two are the biggest for me.
hi all
ive searched everywhere but could not find the answer to this problem. the home widget in the stage ui where the recent apps are also has a weather app in built (shining sun). it has been saying 'getting location' ever since i updated to froyo. it never gets my location (i dont want it to also). now is there a way to remove this part of the widget? i have deleted accuweather app from the system. i would like to remove this aspect of the widget also. please help
that would take an entire rewrite of the app. mine said getting location for a while too, dunno what makes it choose whether or not to work correctly. overall, im a little disappointed with the stage widgets. theres no config, and they dont seem well thought out. the home app only showing recent apps with no ability to place your favorite apps you want to launch quick on hand, whos brilliant idea was that? they would be a great idea if they didnt feel like they where done a bit half assed.
Cant agree more! Long press home button already does that.
A more useful widget will be to list most used/ favourite applications instead of to list recently used applciations.
Had my Blade for about a month now, tried half a dozen roms, settled on Jap Jellyfish with some tweaks, overclocked kernel, black status bar, yadda yadda yadda.
I have looked at people's home screens, and think... why? I tried having a big clock or circle battery widget, I still instinctively look to the status bar up top. I've tried various other widgets, but everything just seems to get in the way.
I have only one home screen populated with stuff I use regularly, Droid48, Email widget, contacts, power control and google search. I have seen some things that I think look cool, but don't see the point in doing, does it really add enough to my user experience to be worth the juggling and hoops?
So far the only real modifications I would consider heavier than just applying a couple zip files (Forst paragraph), I have made involve Widgetlocker, and a couple sliders, plus... Droid48. Sometimes I just really, really need to have a calculator. Maybe I'm just not cut out for this pretty phone thing.
No offense, but whats the point of this post?
A few questions buried in there, will the heavy mods actually make my experience any better? Are there any changes that are. aactually worth the effort?
Sent from my ZTE-BLADE using XDA App
you've hit the nail on the head with "look cool". that's a pretty good reason. plenty of apple owning friends are pretty jealous of the widgets possible on my blade. and i remind them often that it's £100 vs £500.
i agree that overkill is possible but it all depends on what you want from your phone.
ive got a calendar and task widget on my home screen so i always know my next engagement.
ive got a widget showing what torrent my server is currently grabbing.
on one page i've got a page full of my best mates + family photos grabbed straight from facebook which i far prefer over going to the contacts app then favourites.
and everyone needs the instant buttons app so you're only ever 2 presses away from playing the tumbleweed sound effect after someone cracks an awful joke....
Ok some good ideas there, and I have gotten some other ideas elsewhere. The scrolling wallpaper that is making the rounds has given me the inspiration to try out some things, and I am starting to understand the allure of themeing.
Noticing somedistinct improvements with 2. 2 as well.
Sent from my ZTE-BLADE using XDA App
galorin said:
I have looked at people's home screens, and think... why? I tried having a big clock or circle battery widget, I still instinctively look to the status bar up top. I've tried various other widgets, but everything just seems to get in the way.
I have only one home screen populated with stuff I use regularly, Droid48, Email widget, contacts, power control and google search. I have seen some things that I think look cool, but don't see the point in doing, does it really add enough to my user experience to be worth the juggling and hoops?
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I'm pretty much from the same school of thinking with android. I only had my blade for a few weeks now & I've come from an iPhone & I really think less is more. I have launcher pro plus installed with only two homescreens.
One which simply has typo clock widget, a basic helvetica clock & a shortcut to my camera. The typoclock takes me to my alarm clock if i press it & obviously i got the launcher pro dock with browser, sms, gmail etc & swipe gestures for all 5.
The 2nd has a facebook widget, a setCPU widget, couple of folders for games/utilities & a few more short cuts to apps I use regularly (Astro, market, cal, maps etc....).
Have you tried the 0x90 addon for Jjelly? It let's you put the power control widget at the top of your notification bar, esier to get to & frees up home screen space! It also let's you tweak your home screen a bit, add a music player control (which works with spotify ) It's a brilliant mod, you should give it a try.
Awestome
Sent from my HTC Magic using XDA App
Downloading now, haven't found any widgets yet for fb that are both good and work well with a black theme.
Sent from my ZTE-BLADE using XDA App
Besides the Home screen, is there a way I can have the next screen display the app I most frequently use and constantly update it? For example, I've used Apps A, D, K, and J more often than others so they are listed at the top of the "secondary" screen in the order I've use them the most on average; that being said, if I were to begin to use App L much more often than K and J, it would automatically appear on that screen and listed right after Apps A and D. App K and J would move down the order. Hope I made my question clearer rather than more confusing. Appreciate any assistance on this one.
You might have to look for widgets for favorite apps, or a different launcher. Nova for example makes the first row of the app drawer as most used apps.
Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk
Thanks. Does Nova do only the first row or should I rather ask, what's the max amount of Apps it keeps track of?
Just the top 4 most used apps. Again it's not the best solution. You need a widget and put it on another home panel.
Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk
You're right. I cam across Nova and it's not what I'm really looking for. I found a widget (Favorite Apps) but it doesn't seem to be working. I e-mailed the developer but it's been 2 days and haven't gotten no response. Hopefully I'll get a response soon because this widget seems to be the only one that actually does what I was looking for.
Hi,
In every other android based phone I've owned I've always had an option to hide apps I don't use allot so you just drag an app up to the top and there are usually two options: Uninstall and Remove which places it in a vault for safe keeping. This doesn't seep to be present on this phone and I HATE cluttered desktops so I'm a bit bummed about this so I thought I'd reach out and see if I'm not figuring this out.
I am now aware of the right swipe that brings me to some other settings but there is no app vault there for hiding apps I don't use.
Also is there a way to uninstall allot of the bloat ware this phone came with? I use Google apps for most of my needs and Opera as my main browser so having these other apps on board isn't much to my liking and again without a vault of some kind to take them off of hte desktop...... no fun!
I do know about the combining apps into "folders" and renaming them but I'd just like the apps GONE that I don't and never will use.
Thanks for any help you can provide.
You could just download another launcher with the option to vault apps and about the bloatware you can follow this tutorial right here: https://forum.xda-developers.com/redmi-note-7/how-to/remove-redmi-note-7-bloatware-root-t3925049
Can you recommend a launcher that's stable and good? I've tried a few on my tablets but ended up going back to the default as they were mostly unstable... I'm sure it's going to be different on a phone but it was a bit disheartening to try about 4 launchers on my Lenovo tablet and just didn't like them at all.
Thanks for the quick reply!
Nova Launcher is pretty good
Give a try to poco launcher.
Very stable.
I use Evie Launcher, lightweight amd simple to use
RAMWolff said:
Can you recommend a launcher that's stable and good? I've tried a few on my tablets but ended up going back to the default as they were mostly unstable... I'm sure it's going to be different on a phone but it was a bit disheartening to try about 4 launchers on my Lenovo tablet and just didn't like them at all.
Thanks for the quick reply!
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You can try CPL (Customized Pixel Launcher) from playstore. I guess CPL is the best in term of stability, optimizations and LOTs of customization, you wont find in any launcher IMO
No need for Nova launcher or Poco ,new system launcher alfa version ,have new options , swipe up to app drawer..
Hmmm, but if there is an App Drawer in a newer version of the launcher that ships with this phone I wasn't aware of that but the main thing for me, besides the drawer or vault or what ever it's called (too many strange labels to understand what I'm trying to say ) I really need that bit when I'm dragging up to allow me to remove the app from the desktop. In the default there is that weird option that seems to replace the "remove" option.... called "Dual apps" which I have NO IDEA what that's all about and really don't care.
I'm using Poco and it's nice enough. I love the dark theme option but one thing I am missing is when one gets new phone calls or texts the icons in the lower bar area usually changes to indicate how many there are waiting. With the Poco set up there doesn't seem to be any indicators like that... or perhaps it's because I changed the icon set out?? Not sure what's caused that to stop working.... Weird.
Thanks for all the suggestions good people!