[Q] Some questions regarding custom Launcher - Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

Hello,
I have started developing a custom launcher and i am in need of help/education. I want it to work like a sandbox, where user only has access to certain applications and is restricted from everything else. I have managed to get a launcher up and running with basic functionality, however i would like to add/edit more things to it:
1. Status Bar. I would like to create new, modify existing or even remove it. If i cannot remove it, can i at least disable it or make it invisible in all the applications? Where do i start? I have not found any information regarding customizing the status bar.
2. Lock screen. I would like to change this one as well. Is there any starting point where i could begin reading about modifying it?
3. Updating Launcher. Say if i install launcher from Google Play and i then want to update it, what will happen? Launcher updates and restarts? If i have 2 Launchers installed, will i see the second one will the first one restarts? Will i have to set default launcher again after update?
Note that solutions for rooted and unrooted devices fit to me so at least i know i can remove / disable the default launcher. I also fully understand that there is no way to restrict user from reflashing rom and such, but that is not a concern to me.

Related

How to remove TouchUI

is there anyway to remove this samsung touchui and just have basic android launcher?
Member for 3 years and over 500 posts and you need this kind of question answered?
Install a different launcher, press the home button and set the new one as default. If you want to completely remove TouchWiz, freeze/uninstall the related system APKs afterwards.
A search for "AOSP launcher" on the market returned a theme for ADW launcher.
maybe i should have wrote a little more as to what i was fishing for.
I basically wanted to know if anyone had a list of all the apks that samsung touchui used that could safely be removed rather than just disable or install a seperate launcher.
thanks for the reply i will continue my search.
A|ex said:
is there anyway to remove this samsung touchui and just have basic android launcher?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Create a custom rom based on the Stock GS2 Rom and remove the std TochWizUI.
http://romkitchen.org/sgs2/
Else ger ADW or Go Launcher Ex and set it as default .......
A|ex said:
I basically wanted to know if anyone had a list of all the apks that samsung touchui used that could safely be removed rather than just disable or install a seperate launcher.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Removing APKs won't magically give you a replacement launcher. TouchWiz isn't sitting on top of another one. If you remove it, you'll need a replacement regardless.
It sounds to me like you'd be better with an AOSP ROM rather than Samsung ROM if you're looking for a "pure" experience. But if you do want to stay stock, see Applications Safe To Remove, which has a spreadsheet showing what most of the APKs are and which are okay to remove. Remember though, if you remove the Samsung custom elements, you're going to need replacements.
Excellent, this is what i was looking for. Cheers

[Q] "Favorites" app

Hey all,
I have recently installed ADW Launcher EX in order to set my tablet up using the Hubs philosophy. Looks great so far, but the one thing I did like was the favorites shortcut in the status bar on the stock sony launcher. I would like to add it somewhere, but it won't let me add it, probably because it is some kind of hidden system app.
Does anyone know how to add these hidden system apps to homescreens or wherever without need root access or a custom rom?
Fluxman said:
Hey all,
I have recently installed ADW Launcher EX in order to set my tablet up using the Hubs philosophy. Looks great so far, but the one thing I did like was the favorites shortcut in the status bar on the stock sony launcher. I would like to add it somewhere, but it won't let me add it, probably because it is some kind of hidden system app.
Does anyone know how to add these hidden system apps to homescreens or wherever without need root access or a custom rom?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Without some serious dev work, it looks to me like this is not possible. It seems to be a part of the stock launcher from what I can tell. You might be able to write a non-launchable app that just launches the Favourites, but that would only work if they had any public Intents built-in.
Not too sure, since I'm at work and can't check right now, but thats just my thoughts.
Thanks,
I had thought as much. I actually don't mind the sony stock launcher, just wish I could create shortcuts that can jump to certain screens like in ADW launcher. I'm sure if I rooted, I could find some way to access that applications independently, but I don't really want to go that route with my tablet. My phone was enough lol

Couple questions about my new Galaxy S3...

So far I love the phone. This is the only phone I've had in a long time where I haven't wanted to load a custom rom the day I got it. There's just one thing I don't know if there's an option for, and something else I'd like to change that I hope it easy being rooted.
1. Is there a way to make the vibrate patterns apply to text messages? So far they only seem to apply to incoming calls.
2. The little dots on the bottom that show what page I'm on. Can I get rid of those or move them to the top of the screen?
ok, there's a 3rd I guess. The green phone icon, is there an EASY way to change that? Not thrilled about a couple others either like the contacts one. Don't know if there's a simple way to go in and swap out the image file for a different one or not. On my Galaxy tablet I was able to go in and create custom icons on the computer and use a program on the tab to select what program I wanted it to open, but that was a long time ago and I forgot how to do it, or what programs I used. If that's what it comes down too though, guess that's what I'll have to do. Just wanted to know if there was an easier way. I don't mind the icons themselves, just the colors. Not a fan of green or orange. Blue would be nice.
Thanks in advance for any help on these. Besides this stuff, absolutely LOVE the phone...
hope this helps...
1. I don't see any place in the touchwiz messaging app's settings to customize the vibrate pattern for texts... some possible solutions would be a custom ROM with the stock google messaging app rather than the touchwiz app, or somewhat less extreme would be to install a 3rd party texting client from the play store and see if that setting is present in that app.
2. I'm not sure if the touchwiz launcher allows you to hide or remove those little indicator dots, but you can open up a million options for homescreen launcher settings by installing a 3rd party launcher from the play store like Nova Launcher or Apex Launcher. Currently I'm using Apex and it is great (still rocking the stock experience until CM9 gets a stable release).
3. As for changing icons like the phone, calendar, calculator, etc. This is another thing that can be customized using a launcher like Apex.
ShawnDobie said:
So far I love the phone. This is the only phone I've had in a long time where I haven't wanted to load a custom rom the day I got it. There's just one thing I don't know if there's an option for, and something else I'd like to change that I hope it easy being rooted.
1. Is there a way to make the vibrate patterns apply to text messages? So far they only seem to apply to incoming calls.
2. The little dots on the bottom that show what page I'm on. Can I get rid of those or move them to the top of the screen?
ok, there's a 3rd I guess. The green phone icon, is there an EASY way to change that? Not thrilled about a couple others either like the contacts one. Don't know if there's a simple way to go in and swap out the image file for a different one or not. On my Galaxy tablet I was able to go in and create custom icons on the computer and use a program on the tab to select what program I wanted it to open, but that was a long time ago and I forgot how to do it, or what programs I used. If that's what it comes down too though, guess that's what I'll have to do. Just wanted to know if there was an easier way. I don't mind the icons themselves, just the colors. Not a fan of green or orange. Blue would be nice.
Thanks in advance for any help on these. Besides this stuff, absolutely LOVE the phone...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. Have heard others complain of this issue, so I don't believe that there a way to do it. Don't use that feature myself so...
2. Again, I'm not sure, but I think you're stuck with them. You could use a launcher that allows more customization. I like apex.
3. Download an app called "icon changer" and a icon pack or theme with the icons you would like to use. You can then open the application and select the app you want to change the icon of and pick a new icon. It will create a shortcut of the app with the custom icon on your home screen. Great for changing icons on your home screen if you want to remain using TW. If you decide to use an alternate launcher like apex this feature is already integrated and you have the ability to switch the icons within the app drawer as well.
Sent from my SPH-L710 using xda app-developers app
Thanks for the quick replies. Trying to stay away from a custom rom on this phone. There's just nothing I'm really unhappy with that much. There's always something that goes wrong when I load one. Not saying there's ANYTHING wrong with the roms themselves, there's just not that much on this phone I'm not happy with, unlike phones I've had in the past. I'm coming from a Desire.
Thanks for the Icon Changer app also. Changing them on my tablet was a pain in the butt, this was nice and simple. Any way you know the dimensions of the icons though so I can create some of my own?

[Q] MIUIv5 questions

Apologies if this is the wrong forum, I was unsure where to post it as the MIUI rom is not fixed to one phone in particular...
I have just flashed MIUIv5 for my HTC one X phone, absolutely love the rom, the graphical user interface and just about everything.
Unfortunately I am struggling with the launcher. I really love the launcher, but not being able to edit the shortcuts or change the icons with a few clicks is a killer. All the big third party launchers offer this simple feature. Quite a few third party apps end up with ugly icons with a background.
Can anyone recommend an MIUIv5 style launcher that could allow me to edit the icon/app short cuts on the desktop? I have played with Nova, Apex, Holo and they all get close with the various icon packs but the layout just doesn't look the same. I don't need an app drawer either so the MIUI launcher would have been perfect but for the icon/app issue.
Also, as much as I love this rom, many of the system apps installed I really do not or would not use. Coming from CM and AOSP roms, I would prefer not to have the system monitor apps, root monitor apps, app control, MI credit, cloud and whatever non essential apps. I would prefer it more like a bare bones rom. So my question, which of these system apps can I remove without causing rom instability? I like to install apps, play in root etc without multiple warnings, notifications for this and that.
Otherwise, fantastic stuff. I can see me being an MIUI user for a long time.

[ROOT] Changing icon pack without changing the launcher?

So I rooted my Motorola One a little while back and have wanted to make it more....me. A little more customised and less standard without taking it too far away from the stock android experience.
I run a stock Android ROM (or as close to stock as possible) on Android 10. I don't mind doing some work but I don't want to have to do it everytime an app is updated or changed. I have alot of mainstream apps (Telegram, Outlook, Discord) But a few less common (Session Messaging App, Tasker, VLC)
Is it at all possible to change the icon pack without changing the launcher. I am root if that makes a difference but the only way that I can see if running a custom ROM. Is it possible to do without changing ROM and purely just changing the icon pack?

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