Launcher behaviour - Galaxy S II Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

I would like to achieve the following:
I start an app from the app-drawer;
Use it for a while;
When I exit the app (via back button), I get back to the app-drawer and not the homescreen.
Is it possible? Maybe one of the many fine homescreen replacements?

It's not possible. Launchers are made to close their drawers when apps are launched. That's the reason why it's closed when you return to your homescreen.

Related

[Q] How did I lose my stock launcher?

So since SPB Shell 3D isn't working correctly for me I downloaded Home Switcher from the market so I can switch back to the Stock Launcher w/o having to uninstall SPB. I opened the program and saw a list of Launchers to pick.
Agile Lock
Home (Moto-Blur)
Launcher Pro
SPB Shell 3D
The top said that SPB was my default. So I chose Home (Motorola) as my new default and clicked launch. It then went to me stock launcher home screen. Everything seemed great. Then the next time I clicked the home key, it defaulted back to SPB. Home Switcher does not allow me to set anything other than SPB as the default launcher. So I uninstalled SPB completely so I can run the stock launcher with no issues. Suddenly, it decides to load Launcher Pro instead. Again, I went back to Home Switcher and set Moto-Blur as my default launcher. I clicked launch and it took me back to my Motorola Homescreen. Again I thought everything was okay until I hit the Home key and it defaulted to Launcher Pro. Wtf! So in a last ditch effort, I uninstalled Launcher Pro also and pressed home to go back to my Motorola Homescreen only to be met with a black screen. My Stock Launcher was gone. I could still see my notofication bar and if I hold the home button I get my recent app list. So I chose Home Switcher and was able to launch the Moto Launcher from there. Then I reinstalled Launcher Pro and it works okay. So it seems that somehow I lost my Stock Motorola Launcher. How could that happen? And how can I fix it? Factory Reset? All these other guys running SPB say they love it and have no issues. Why won't it work correctly on this phone? Even with the stock messaging app, she is still getting the repetition of text messages.
_-Jay-_ said:
So since SPB Shell 3D isn't working correctly for me I downloaded Home Switcher from the market so I can switch back to the Stock Launcher w/o having to uninstall SPB. I opened the program and saw a list of Launchers to pick.
Agile Lock
Home (Moto-Blur)
Launcher Pro
SPB Shell 3D
The top said that SPB was my default. So I chose Home (Motorola) as my new default and clicked launch. It then went to me stock launcher home screen. Everything seemed great. Then the next time I clicked the home key, it defaulted back to SPB. Home Switcher does not allow me to set anything other than SPB as the default launcher. So I uninstalled SPB completely so I can run the stock launcher with no issues. Suddenly, it decides to load Launcher Pro instead. Again, I went back to Home Switcher and set Moto-Blur as my default launcher. I clicked launch and it took me back to my Motorola Homescreen. Again I thought everything was okay until I hit the Home key and it defaulted to Launcher Pro. Wtf! So in a last ditch effort, I uninstalled Launcher Pro also and pressed home to go back to my Motorola Homescreen only to be met with a black screen. My Stock Launcher was gone. I could still see my notofication bar and if I hold the home button I get my recent app list. So I chose Home Switcher and was able to launch the Moto Launcher from there. Then I reinstalled Launcher Pro and it works okay. So it seems that somehow I lost my Stock Motorola Launcher. How could that happen? And how can I fix it? Factory Reset? All these other guys running SPB say they love it and have no issues. Why won't it work correctly on this phone? Even with the stock messaging app, she is still getting the repetition of text messages.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you go into "manage apps" and the stock launcher app does it give you the option to set it as default? The Home Switcher app may not be setting it properly.
Did you post this in Android Forums as well? I'd try Homesmack to see if you can restore the stock launcher.

[Q] Aside from ADW, a launcher with "alternate" dockbar?

I'd been a big fan of ADW Launcher EX for a long time.
It seems the development has died unfortunately though.
My favorite feature was the ability to quickly switch between 2 dockbars. One had the standard 4 + app drawer button, and the other was a scrollable dock which effectively could contain many more.
This was great for phones (not really needed in tablets) where I needed 6-8 quick access apps.
The very last versions of ADW completely removed this feature, inexplicably. I'm running the version that last had this feature, which runs okay, but was hoping for more ICS features.
I cannot find any currently maintained Launcher that also has this feature (Apex and Nova Launchers don't to my knowledge). Many/most have scrollable dockbars, but no quick-switch alternate ones.
Anyone know of any?
I know Zeam Launcher (free from the market) has scrollable dock, but not sure what you mean with alternating docks.
Zeam's a known entity. Nice and quick. But no alternate dockbar.
The dockbars can be switched with a button press, or gesture. I linked mine to home. Press home while in launcher-->5 other apps pop up as a dockbar. Press home again-->back to the original 4+app drawer button. Repeat.
Ah,never knew this was in the old ADW Launcher! I use CircleLauncher to popup more apps from my home. But can't use hardware button.
waylo said:
The dockbars can be switched with a button press, or gesture. I linked mine to home. Press home while in launcher-->5 other apps pop up as a dockbar. Press home again-->back to the original 4+app drawer button. Repeat.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I tried out TSF shell briefly, still needs some development but was a nice change from the norm
Has all apps on the main home screen with some great looking scrolling animations

Touchwiz Launcher Settings

What happened to the settings option? Can you no longer change the transitions?
I'd love to know the answer to this as well. The lack of cyclical wrap-around screens (even after I disabled the Briefing page) may have me shopping for a new launcher soon.
Also, while the T-Mobile version may have the A-Z button in the app drawer, that button alphabetizes the apps when you press it, but new apps still go on the end, so you have to keep hitting it whenever you add new apps. No setting that I can find to "keep apps sorted alphabetically"...
(And the app drawer no longer cycles front to back or back to front...)

LG Dual Screen Launcher

I have an idea
You can try installing some launchers (like Niagara for example)
And then set it to launch the app launcher automatically when opening the dual screen. Hope it works for you
Just gave it a shot. It does work as far as the launcher opening on the left screen, but pressing home on the left side takes you back to launcher 2.
This means you'd have to turn off the screen and turn it back on or close and open the case and reunlock the phone to get it to open.
Great idea though, I thought it would force it open on the main screen, but nope!
rainbowtuba said:
Just gave it a shot. It does work as far as the launcher opening on the left screen, but pressing home on the left side takes you back to launcher 2.
This means you'd have to turn off the screen and turn it back on or close and open the case and reunlock the phone to get it to open.
Great idea though, I thought it would force it open on the main screen, but nope!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Some launchers work like opening an app. Niagara is one of them. You can make a shortcut for it, in floating bar?
I use Nova Launcher on the main display and quickly 3-finger swipe apps to the Dual Screen if needed. My Dual Screen homescreen only has widgets on them., I don't use the launcher on it.
Could you use launcher hijack to make it work? Like the Kindle Fires solution for the stock launcher replacement, that opens the launcher of choice upon pressing the home button?
Yeedatoy said:
Could you use launcher hijack to make it work? Like the Kindle Fires solution for the stock launcher replacement, that opens the launcher of choice upon pressing the home button?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Launcher Hijack does not work, I just tried it.
I use Microsoft's launcher. And usually Swiftkeys. You would think with Duo coming out in a year these products would support this phone. I'm a little disappointed they don't yet.
I found a slightly quirky but reliable method to do this. See my attachments, same launcher on both screens. The one with the notification bar is the main screen, one without is dual screen.
It works with home launchers with a way to get to their home screen via shortcuts. I use nova
Instructions:
0. Make sure you have navigation bar selected instead of gestures in phone settings>display>navigation bar
1. Install App Cloner (the real one, not on Google Play) and make yourself a duplicate of nova or etc.
2. Backup your current launcher settings
3. Open and restore from backup on the second copy of your launcher
4. Install Pie Control from Google Play or etc
5. You can setup pie control as you like. You'll likely have the home button setup as one of your gestures. But this home button will only of course open a single launcher, you can't change it to use a different launcher on each screen. So, add another gesture that you'll use for the second screen.
6. On your selected gesture, set what it does to shortcut>nova (it will be the second nova on the list)>default page (this is the main home screen of your launcher).
7. To get to your launcher on the second screen, just tap your second screen, then do your gesture you set to the shortcut on your main screen. You'll see your fave launcher open on the second screen.
I know this isn't ideal, but it works great for me and if there's still anybody out there looking for this, here you go.

Moto App Launcher required to view Recents?

So I noticed something I find odd, I installed Nova Launcher as my default launcher, and I like to disable unused/uneeded system apps so I froze the 'Moto App Launcher' with rooted method. However I noticed upon freezing it that I can not bring up the recents menu (the one where you can view and switch between apps, far right button in 3 button nav).
Defrosting Moto App Launcher immediately makes the recents menu work again (in any launcher). So I'm wondering if this is normal behavior for this phone (SOFIA - Android 10 stock - magisk rooted),
...and why does the Moto App Launcher seem to have this effect, how is it tied to the resents menu? I have not observed this type of behavior on other phones when disabling/replacing stock launchers.
Not a real problem but I am curious as to the explanation, would anyone care to try it out and see if you get the same effect? Thanks.
So is this not happening for anyone else, or no one cares to try? Just freeze it in Titanium Backup or something like that and see if you can still bring up the recents menu, it would really ease my mind, thanks in advance I know someone will find it in their heart to do the right thing.
Why do you need to freeze the default launcher? Just wondering. BTW, I haven't rooted my phone yet, which means I can't freeze the launcher like you ask. But I'm thinking it's like freezing the default file manager, which causes some problems.

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