Related
Since the day the Galaxy s came I've fallen in with loved Touchwiz as matter of fact it is one of the reason i will not be trading in my Vibrant for Nexus s, well until touchwiz is ported nexus s at least.
But I've notice others with vibrant and other galaxy s phones hate Touchwiz and i want to know why? Please leave response as to why you love or hate touchwiz?
I like some things about TouchWiz...but...
its not customisable
the icons are too big and iphone-like
a lot of screen real estate is lost because everything on the homescreen is too big (should have grids of 5x5 instead of 4x4)
I like the app drawer...jumping to screens when clicking the small dots etc
and its quite fast for me
I really like touchwiz to. I tried launcher pro and adw and i really didnt like them. But i did just installed nero from tw and the gingerbread launcher is sweet.
Fear the beard...
For me it's not so much the TW Launcher as it is the widgets. I've found that I really use Feeds & Updates and Daily Briefing quite a lot, and though there are vaguely comparable ones, none of them have grabbed me.
The notification bar is also unique and extremely useful, so much so that Cyanogen largely copied it.
I think the biggest reason why people hate Touchwiz is because it has been blamed for much of the initial lagginess of the phone. Now we know this is largely not true.
It's childs play to use another launcher however, and people may prefer widgets that do not bind to TW. To each his own, which is the true beauty of Android.
What I don't like about TouchWiz:
-the page indicator on top can't be turned off or set to auto-hide
-the dockbar icon labels don't match the rest of the UI (they don't have black bubbles around the text, it looks mismatched)
-cannot change the number of rows on homescreens
-no swipe actions (ADW ruined me for swiping down anywhere on the screen to get the notification pulldown)
-no activities shortcuts (Wireless AP requires a shortcut!)
-seems to run slower/laggier than ADW or launcherpro
What I do like about TouchWiz:
-FEEDS AND UPDATES
-FEEDS AND UPDATES
-FEEDS AND UPDATES
Soooo much better than the Facebook widget...
Edit: I use ADW.Launcher myself and love it. I really miss Feeds & Updates though.
The app drawer can not scroll like a stock android launcher.
The docks can not be customizable to the level Android allows.
The icons look like an iPhone - AND I hate scrolling left to right (and I dont like the view for scrolling up/down)
I switch ROMs often, TW does not backup it's settings like LP/ADW can.
Other than those things, TW is great... I also prefer the widgets that come with LauncherPro Plus and the speed/customizations that it allows. TW COULD be able to duplicate those features..... but until it does, no thanks.
I love touchwiz. Love the left to right scrolling of the app drawer.love the look and feel. Love the icons. The dock icons are custamizable. This is one reason i dont like custom roms without touchwiz because i love it sooo much.
Things i hate. You cant hide the notification bar and it starts to Burn into your screen. Errrr
It's the iPhone clone look that turns me off. It was bad enough that the samsung made the phone look physically like an iPhone, but to skin Android to look like the iPhone's software was over the top. I don't want people to think I have an iPhone.
youre right
monstah_rain said:
It's the iPhone clone look that turns me off. It was bad enough that the samsung made the phone look physically like an iPhone, but to skin Android to look like the iPhone's software was over the top. I don't want people to think I have an iPhone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i got tired of the ipod touch i had and it resembles the ipod touch iphone too much for me. plus i dont like lines on my screen. i use adw and minimalist theme with black background, totally awesome for me. i can do with out the non sense.
"I love that Google is innovating the Smartphone technology space at an amazing rate. Android is growing fast and holds so much promise. For instance Google voice actions which I am sure you are all familiar with is such a great idea and I cant wait to use it with 2.2. The updated Gmail client and services as well, Chrome to phone are both awesome ideas but will never work on 2.1 so I am looking forward to 2.2 or higher. I own a car and well I do take calls while driving and would like to use voice search or voice dialing to be hands free. Obviously Android can do this just not with 2.1 this is a pretty cool feature also available on 2.2 or higher. What Samsung has done with Touchwiz is pretty cool too. Let's face it Google is perhaps innovating the space a bit too fast. Samsung has developed Touchwiz not only to slow that hectic innovation down. But, perhaps stall it completely on Samsungs devices that way we can enjoy 2.1 with Touchwiz just a little bit longer. It also sets the Galaxy S devices apart from all the other Android smartphones in the market running Google's latest innovations. But also because we like it and it is so good.
That new android Keyboard for Gingerbread is just what the Doctor ordered isn't it? How about the new Google personalized voice recognition for Google voice? Nice, but no thanks I like taking it slow with Touchwiz and 2.1. Who needs location services and GPS anyway right? What are your favorite 2.1 features?" - by Countbunny from the other forum.
That is how I feel about it.
like everyone else, there are a lot of icons or apps (depending on what we're talking about) that I don't use. what does superclean leave in, and how hard is it to just delete them.
SuperClean is much much more beyond just deleting apps.
This thread mostly details.
adrynalyne said:
DL30 super clean FROYO
Removed
-------
All bloatware
All verizon apps
All verizon framework
Touchwiz live walls and widgets
Touchwiz launcher
Touchwiz calendar
Touchwiz calculator
Memo and write apps
Flash
Nuance
Samsung keyboard
Startup animation
shutdown animation
startup sounds
market widget
setup wizard
backup assistant
Added
---------
2.2.1 launcher, modified to work with TW dialer. You need to set PHONE as default activity on the phone button for the first time use.
Musicmod
aosp calendar
aosp calculator
Google voice
Google voice enabled dialer (voicemail button)
aosp dock app
non binged car dock app
non binged browser
camera to include geotagging
latest market, search, voice, gmail, etc
resolv.conf
aosp ringtones
ad blocking hosts
aosp lockscreen
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Read the changelog for any changes/modifications since the original. The latest SuperClean (2.6) is a hybrid of EB01 and EB16, as well.
Edit: And this should either be in the Super Clean thread, or in General- not a new thread in Development.
okay, thanks. I guess that rules out superclean. I like touchwiz too much. how do you delete stock apps?
m91-30 said:
okay, thanks. I guess that rules out superclean. I like touchwiz too much.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Read the post! There's a patch to add TouchWiz.
m91-30 said:
how do you delete stock apps?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Remove the .apk by hand, or use something like Titanium Backup and remove it, or use Titanium Backup's Freeze feature. Be careful what you remove! If you remove some things, TouchWiz and other stuff could stop working!
i don't miss touchwiz at all. honestly what do you like about it?
and i am not being rhetorical, seriously why do you like it over a clean rom running launcher pro?
I like the effects, look, and feel of it. I've never had any speed issues with it, and I use the touchwiz apps like program manager, media player, weather clock, calander, clock, ect...
This belongs in general discussion.
upsidedownaaron said:
i don't miss touchwiz at all. honestly what do you like about it?
and i am not being rhetorical, seriously why do you like it over a clean rom running launcher pro?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Dogma serves no one. Several touchwiz apps are more functional than their aosp counterparts. Now I do agree that the touchwiz launcher is meh, but there is a lot more to a ROM than just the launcher.
rigglemania said:
Dogma serves no one. Several touchwiz apps are more functional than their aosp counterparts. Now I do agree that the touchwiz launcher is meh, but there is a lot more to a ROM than just the launcher.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree, the launcher is the weakest part of TW, but even the launcher isn't so bad. As far as speed goes, the thing that really slows it down is the TW widgets. Those must be terribly bloated.
My biggest complaint is just the goofy app drawer with the seizure inducing app backgrounds, but the home screen setup isn't too bad. I've switched back to it from ADWex as EX was starting to exhibit some strange behavior (seemed like memory use was ballooning over time and the whole system was slowing down).
Why not just use titanium backup and freeze the apps instead of deleting. (you need the premium version though)
If you really want to know what files are different between ROMs, you can always download 2 zipped ROMs (such as stock deodexed EB01 and superclean EB01 for example), unzip them and use a program like WinMerge (Windows only) to compare the files between the two.
As far as TouchWiz is concerned, it's all personal preference. There was a thread on here where a bunch of people talked about liking the TouchWiz launcher - me included. I like horizontal scrolling, being able to re-arrange the apps to specific pages and I even like the backgrounds to all the apps in the drawer. It is visually more uniform and a lot easier for me to view/launch apps without all the dead space between the icons.
I don't like vertical scrolling and small icons the stock launcher provides. Part of the problem isn't just the launcher, it's the icons. Not all app developers follow the same guidelines for making app icons. Some are 2D, some are 3D, they're all different sizes. I guess the icon backgrounds from TouchWiz or MIUI give them all a uniform look that's appealing to me?
yeah. I'm not giving up touchwiz, or the touchwiz apps, I like how they work, I've liked it since my omnia 2 (even though, admittedly, it did slow that phone down). I also like the continuity it provides from one samsung phone to the next, as I plan on sticking by samsung as long as the phone works like it should for me from the git go (I never had any serious problems with my omnia 2, or fascinate). right now my only setback is only having a linux computer. I need to figure out how to hack android (linux kernel) from ubuntu (linux). you would think two linux OSs would play well together, oh well.
also, is there a list somewhere of .APKs you can delete without effecting touchwiz or android?
m91-30 said:
also, is there a list somewhere of .APKs you can delete without effecting touchwiz or android?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There are lists around, but there has been a fair amount of work put into the superclean ROMs. That is a good basis for what you can/can not remove to an extent.
I say to an extent, because there are some things left in, some things removed and some things added to the superclean ROM that doesn't "officially" make it "super clean" to me.
For example, the Memo app can be removed (it has been in superclean) and it won't hurt anything. The additional fonts can be removed, but they haven't been in superclean. There are some Google apps which typically come stock that can be removed - some that don't come stock have been added to superclean - all of which can be installed from the Market.
Sometimes the best way to test is from trial and error (if you do use this method, use ADB and rename files to test - don't delete). If you go asking questions, people will either tell you to Google it, try it yourself, or you'll get 2 different answers that conflict which will cause you to try it yourself anyway.
I don't believe in breaking core functionality.
If I remove the extra fonts in superclean, there is a nice fat force closing sub menu under display settings.
My OCD will not stand for it. This is the same reason Samsung Mms.apk was added back. No multi-part messages= broken, imo.
superclean is a name. If you want a truly SUPER CLEAN rom, then use blackhole, and customize to your liking. Although i think you wil find that in some respects, SC is cleaner.
Typically, apps added to superclean are there to increase functionality. Its not meant to be an aosp replacement/clone.
adrynalyne said:
I don't believe in breaking core functionality.
If I remove the extra fonts in superclean, there is a nice fat force closing sub menu under display settings.
My OCD will not stand for it. This is the same reason Samsung Mms.apk was added back. No multi-part messages= broken, imo.
superclean is a name. If you want a truly SUPER CLEAN rom, then use blackhole, and customize to your liking. Although i think you wil find that in some respects, SC is cleaner.
Typically, apps added to superclean are there to increase functionality. Its not meant to be an aosp replacement/clone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Interesting.. I never noticed a FC sub menu after removing fonts, but I (like most others else here) trust your judgment 200% over my own.
I'm making a bit of an assumption that if you remove the fonts, then go to display settings and mess with fonts there, it will crash. I've not tested the theory, but thats the main reason I have left them in. That and they take little space, and don't run in the background xD.
adrynalyne said:
I'm making a bit of an assumption that if you remove the fonts, then go to display settings and mess with fonts there, it will crash. I've not tested the theory, but thats the main reason I have left them in. That and they take little space, and don't run in the background xD.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just re-flashed MIUI so I can't give you the step-by-step, but I recall removing a total of 3 files with the string *EUK* and they just don't show up in the fonts list in display settings. The option to download fonts is still there - no FC.
can someone give me a list of some of the apps to avoid freezing/uninstalling to avoid locking up touchwiz and android?
Good discussion
Hello XDA I’ve been away from android for some time; switched to iPhone for a bit, from the htc evo 4g. I have switched to Verizon and the galaxy s4 sense then and I want to make some changes to my phone (hence the post). I have rooted my device but haven’t put any custom roms or kernels on my s4 just different launchers. Here is a list of thing I want to change:
Quick disclaimer: some of my wording may be off, I don’t have my phone in front of me to check everything and do proper background research
Phone UI-I want to change the phone app entirely. Its ugly it’s white and it’s [for lack of a better word] fat and cartoonish. I hate the stock dialer and the in-call ui. It has to go; please if nothing else give me some ideas on how to change this! Im using ex dialer and contacts but that doesn’t change the in call experience.
Unread Notifications- I’m currently using nova launcher prime and action launcher pro the kicker is that neither have a proper unread counter for calls texts and emails. Nova works the best because it does in fact have an unread counter but it only works for phone and texts but not for Samsung emails which I use for both my Gmail and my exchange emails. It irks me; I’ve emailed the developer but haven’t heard anything back from him.
Wi-Fi- is there a way to move/add wifi to the notification panel? The panel being the quick access buttons on the top of the notification scroll down. I hate that is “floating” in the other part of the notification list.
Volume- how can I get rid of the volume alert I get when I have something plugged in to the headphone port? I feel that it’s the dumbest warning in the world and it’s even more annoying because it keeps coming back after each reboot (I think). We aren’t 5 years old we already know that loadnoises arnt good for our ears…
App drawer icon- I love the touchwiz app drawer icon and that’s probably the only thing I can’t live without. I’ve got a similar icon from a touchwiz icon pack but it’s not the same one. How can I extract it from touch wiz so that I can use it with various roms or launchers?
Google play- I buy things from Google play every now and again and would like to continue to do so. The only problem is, is that I can’t move the content over to the SD card I would like to store it there because 16gb can only hold so much. I saw that someone figured out how to move Google play music over to SD which is great but I want my magazines and movies on the SD too.
I would like to keep as many Samsung features as I can when I rom my device I enjoy a lot of the Samsung gimmicks that came with it; such as multi-window and the smart stay, view, scroll and pause it’s fun to play with.
Are there specific roms and kernels I need to use for my specific device? If so please refer me to the thread.
Is there a rom that adds a professional and sleek look to the device and adds the discussed features from above? If so what is it and where can I get it!?
J.L.Greene
Sent from my SCH-I545 using xda premium
Thread to discuss what apps you've disabled and any side effect. This doesn't require root.
To disable apps go to Settings > Application Manager > All, select App then select Turn off. All the disabled apps will then show up under Application Manager > Turned Off. Probably a good idea to reboot when done to make sure disabled apps are cleared from RAM.
Went through and disabled these apps:
Amazon (two apps with this name)
Amazon Kindle
Amazon MP3
Amazon Appstore
Audible
Caller Name ID
IMDb
NFL Mobile
S Voice
Slacker
Verizon Mobile Security
Verizon Tones
VZ Navigator
Deciding on these:
Trip Advisor
Someone please do me a favor and note the RAM usage before and after. Forgot to note before but my after is 725MB used and 1.7GB free.
How do you disable? In application manager?
Exodus885 said:
How do you disable? In application manager?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes. Application Manager > All, select App then Turn off. All the disabled apps will show up under Application Manager > Turned Off. Probably a good idea to reboot when done to make sure disabled apps are cleared from RAM.
mi7chy said:
Yes. Application Manager > All, select App then Turn off. All the disabled apps will show up under Application Manager > Turned Off. Probably a good idea to reboot when done to make sure disabled apps are cleared from RAM.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Will report back once i get home
I disabled below apps (for now):
1. Amazon
2. Amazon Kindle
3. Amazon MP3
4. Audible
5. Caller Name ID
6. Group play
7. HP Print service
8. NFL Mobile
9. Samusung Watch on (it was crashing)
10.Verizon Location agent
11. Verizon Tones
12. VZ Navigator
There is so much bloat on the phone, will disable many more apps later, cann't wait for the root to uninstall all this crap.
Hey guys i just a little write up here for our newer members and to show which ones i disabled http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2478589
After disabling some bloat and with NOVA launcher - it's now super smooth, as good as a nexus.
Does any one know any non root apps to skip music with long press of volume keys and re mapping soft keys (miss these from my GS3 LS rom)?
droidguy22 said:
After disabling some bloat and with NOVA launcher - it's now super smooth, as good as a nexus.
Does any one know any non root apps to skip music with long press of volume keys and re mapping soft keys (miss these from my GS3 LS rom)?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've been curious about this. I've used Nova Launcher for years, and I love it. However, there are some pretty neat features in TW for this phone (like the split screen view, some of the stylus stuff, etc.). Are you, or anyone else, giving TW a try, or just going straight to Nova?
My N3 will be in tomorrow so I'll experiment for myself. Just curious what everyone else was thinking.
I'm sticking with TW for now until I get bored with it. I have Nova Launcher Prime installed but I'm not using it yet...
dclutter1 said:
I've been curious about this. I've used Nova Launcher for years, and I love it. However, there are some pretty neat features in TW for this phone (like the split screen view, some of the stylus stuff, etc.). Are you, or anyone else, giving TW a try, or just going straight to Nova?
My N3 will be in tomorrow so I'll experiment for myself. Just curious what everyone else was thinking.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Those features aren't exclusive to the launcher ... About the only thing you'll loose are widgets. Some widgets only work with the TW launcher, typically the cool ones like the full calendar and weather widgets LOL
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 4
This guy did an amazing job listing apps that can be deleted for Verizon
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2478589
lmike6453 said:
Hey guys i just a little write up here for our newer members and to show which ones i disabled http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2478589
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Very comprehensive list, thanks! I already used up all my thumbs for today in the Bounty thread, but I'm commenting here so I remember to come back tomorrow and give you a proper thanks.
---------- Post added at 08:42 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:27 AM ----------
dclutter1 said:
I've been curious about this. I've used Nova Launcher for years, and I love it. However, there are some pretty neat features in TW for this phone (like the split screen view, some of the stylus stuff, etc.). Are you, or anyone else, giving TW a try, or just going straight to Nova?
My N3 will be in tomorrow so I'll experiment for myself. Just curious what everyone else was thinking.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
YankInDaSouth said:
Those features aren't exclusive to the launcher ... About the only thing you'll loose are widgets. Some widgets only work with the TW launcher, typically the cool ones like the full calendar and weather widgets LOL
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 4
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
@dclutter: I agree with with @YankInDaSouth, the widgets are all you give up. I went straight to Nova because I wanted to put a lot more icons on the screen (seriously 1080p & 5.7", and they want to put only 4 columns?), plus you can get some cool replacement widgets to make up for the Sammy ones you can't use. And, with Nova/other launchers, you can resize any widget, giving you more flexibility. Personally, I use Fancy Widgets for clock/weather -- I really like the MIUI skin -- and aCalendar for the calendar widget because it's very flexible.
mynameismolotov said:
@dclutter: I agree with with @YankInDaSouth, the widgets are all you give up. I went straight to Nova because I wanted to put a lot more icons on the screen (seriously 1080p & 5.7", and they want to put only 4 columns?), plus you can get some cool replacement widgets to make up for the Sammy ones you can't use. And, with Nova/other launchers, you can resize any widget, giving you more flexibility. Personally, I use Fancy Widgets for clock/weather -- I really like the MIUI skin -- and aCalendar for the calendar widget because it's very flexible.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's great news. I'm really glad those features aren't dependent on the launcher. Like you, the ridiculously small grid on this screen is a big hangup for me. Plus, I'm so used to the 5 slot scrolling dock now that I don't know what I'd do without it.
dclutter1 said:
That's great news. I'm really glad those features aren't dependent on the launcher. Like you, the ridiculously small grid on this screen is a big hangup for me. Plus, I'm so used to the 5 slot scrolling dock now that I don't know what I'd do without it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you want to do something really different, I just learned of a new launcher called Buzz Launcher. You can design some really unique setups with it, but what's really cool is it automatically saves the whole setup as a package file. So you can share it through the app, and browse other people's creations, then if you find one you like, you just apply it, and it downloads the whole layout, background, theme, etc. If it involves widgets or apps you don't already have, it just puts a placeholder icon and when you touch it, it takes you to the Play Store directly to said app to install (or you can replace it with something else if you prefer). It's pretty slick and there's a ton of different ones available, with more variety than you can imagine.
Nova launcher used to be (arguably) the best free Android launcher - until now - so what's better?
Unfortunately, the day after Branch Analytics acquired Nova launcher, it grew in size by 150% (8MB to 12MB) without anyone noticing that "something" huge (but as yet unknown) is going on inside of the previously venerable Nova launcher.
So now, I, like anyone else who is logical, is in the market for a new "best Android launcher" app APK.
But which Android app launcher replaces the venerable Nova free APK?
Mostly what I loved about Nova was that the homescreen could be organized by any grid - or no grid (see screenshot example below).
What best launcher do you recommend to replace Nova [now that Nova was sold out and as such, it has (apparently) gone over to the dark side]?
I take you're on a Samsung device?
One UI shreds Nova on my N10+; faster and uses less battery even has some features Nova lacks. It's missing a trick or two that Nova can do. One UI is rock solid stable on my device, no issues.
After a 3rd party launcher boot looped me twice, back to back over 2 years ago I stopped sampling them One UI won.
blackhawk said:
I take you're on a Samsung device?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes. But I've been using Nova free launchers since the dawn of time on Motorola, LG, and other phones - simply because Nova did what nobody else could do - which was allow me to place any icon on any grid or no grid at all.
But now that Nova went over to the dark side - it's time for a new "best launcher" that works for more than just one brand of phones.
blackhawk said:
One UI shreds Nova on my N10+; faster and uses less battery even has some features Nova lacks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
With batteries being five amps and more nowadays, I don't have any problem going days without a charge, but it's interesting you say that you found that one launcher uses more battery than another.
I've never tested how much battery power two different launchers use. But I've done a lot of battery power testing over the years.
The fact is that you can only use one launcher at a time - so it would be hard to test two of them side by side given only one can work at any given time frame on any one phone.
Sure you can test two launchers with two exact same phones side by side, but did you really run a test that detailed to conclude what you did?
Given that practical problem set, how could I tell if one launcher used more battery than another?
blackhawk said:
It's missing a trick or two that Nova can do.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Besides putting icons on any grid (or no grid at all), what I next like best about Nova is I set up EVERY phone in the house, for years, with the same well-managed set of apps and icons.
Motorola
LG
Nexus
Samsung
They ALL have the same homescreen.
For years and years and years.
Note that what you do on a computer never changes so the organization of the homescreen never changes.
Does the Samsung OneUI launcher save a backup file to be used on any brand of phone?
Nova launcher easily saves a backup file which is imported into the new phone. It's TRIVIAL to re-install all the apps in the EXACT same place from the old phone to the new phone, even when you move from an LG phone to a Samsung phone.
There's no way any Samsung launcher could possibly do that, right?
blackhawk said:
One UI is rock solid stable on my device, no issues.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My only experience with One UI is that I originally saw it when I got a handful of Samsung Galaxy A32-5G phones from T-Mobile for free.
I didn't like it at all but maybe it does the two most important things that Nova free does?
1. Put any icon on any grid (or no grid at all), and,
2. Save a backup file of the homescreen to load onto any other device
Note that this backup file includes all installed apps in the location that they are installed in - which - for me - is important since EVERY app icon is placed in an EXACT location for a reason.
There's a third thing I love about Nova free launcher but I don't know if it's part of the launcher or part of Android 12, which is:
3. Place a widget INSIDE any folder on the homescreen
Is THAT last feature of being able to resize a widget and then place it INSIDE a folder on the homescreen part of Android 12 or Nova launcher? (If it's part of Nova, then can One UI do that too?)
blackhawk said:
After a 3rd party launcher boot looped me twice, back to back over 2 years ago I stopped sampling them. One UI won.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have nothing against One UI because my only experience with it was that it was the first launcher I saw when I received my free Samsung phones from T-Mobile and the last Samsung I had was about ten years or so ago (the S3) but what I asked on the Samsung groups what apps from Samsung were worth getting just about a month ago.
Is there any app in the Samsung Galaxy Store worth the login requirements?Note the screenshots show you can resize widgets and then place those resized widgets INSIDE folders on the homescreen.
That homepage is way too busy and not AMOLED friendly at all.
In 24 hours this is what One UI used...
One UI supports folders which are a lot better than burning up pixels. Over time this will happen. I rotate my icons, folders and widgets to spread out the wear. The icon packs are red for a reason, red pixels have the longest lifespan, blue the shortest. No wear if a pixel isn't light and it's easier on your eyes.
I'm not too concerned with backup. I want a clean load if I have to factory reset to avoid doing another one. The current load on this phone is over 2yo and running strong. I keep a screenshot to help with setup. SmartSwitch will preserve some homepage settings but it can also cause issues.
Apex Launcher Classic, get the PRO and Apex Notifier.
You can use ancient Launcher and Icon packs, I've kept many old Apex Themes from 2013 and on, and they all still work with the latest Apex Classic.
Offers the same features as Nova.
Its clean.
I understand you are looking for a FREE launcher, but with the launcher being so integral to your device experience, maybe thats the one app you should be prepared to pay for.
I have been using what I think is the most powerful and customizable launcher. Not only does it do the few things you mentioned:
Put any icon on any grid (or no grid at all), and,
Save a backup file of the homescreen to load onto any other device
Note that this backup file includes all installed apps in the location that they are installed in - which - for me - is important since EVERY app icon is placed in an EXACT location for a reason.
Place a widget INSIDE any folder on the homescreen (yes thats launcher specific)
So it does ALL what you listed (i know its a quick list), but also (among many MANY other things..)
Folders inside folders, inside folders.... and widgets n deep in the folder structure
Any widget can be Resized, Scaled (Different to resize which I think is more on the widget to resize itself), Rotated, transparency, Skewed (think parallelogram), positioned to a decimal pixel position
All visible (or even hidden transparent hot-spots) have complete control of the event (eg start ab app, start a script etc) or I *thinik* even multiple actions (I dont use that feature)
All items covered by 3 above also have short AND long press events (Tap, Long Tap, Swipe Left, Swipe Right, Swipe up, Swipe down) I personally have transparent hot-spots (on top of other widgets that respond to their default tap), that I swipe uy[p on to turn on AUID and down to turn off AOD. I also have a long press on my navigation, which turns on GPS, Bluetooth (to connect and call handsfree), starts my music player, starts playing the music and finally starts the Navigation app ready to navigate.
Lots of visual effects such as shadow of the text
Control of the Font, Size, position/offset
"Reflections" on the icons, as if they are hovering above a crystal clear pool/puddle of water
You can have/add code to make your own things. There is an example out there how to add a analogue clock simply with code. Well beyond any of my needs.
and on and on and on...
My personal experience is, if you can imagine it, then there is a way to do it. I have been using it since gingerbread, and as I upgrade device and/or ROMs, I use the backup / restore to get the launcher config started. NB: The private widget data/config doesn't come across in the launcher backup, but a "fallback" image/placeholder is show, reminding you of how you previously had it set up. So although there is a steep learning curve, and with ALL the different options/function can take some time to set up how you want, a lot will transfer onto your next device or ROM. But since its a paid app, you can only run it on one device at a time.
Now, the thing to REALLY take note of, the default set-up on first install is utter TOTAL rubbish ,and so are the preview/demo images on the PlayStore. It really is a case of "if you can imagine it, you can do it"
Oh, and the launcher is called "Lightening Launcher Extreme"
The following are some screen shots I qui8ckly snapped, but the actual config is of course very personal. And because its so customizable, I can do things others will hate I just quickly flashed through the screens I personally use the most in set-up, but didn't scroll through anything or ensured I got everything that is beyond the screen and there are many more options/features I dont use; or even know about.
Part of the problems Nova is having maybe the same that ones Samsung is having dealing with scoped storage and other changes starting with Android 10. I have 2 N10+'s, one still running on Pie, the newer one on 10. The look and behave almost identically except the Android 10 has a 100 or more small Samsung system apks.
I prefer Pie because it's easier to troubleshoot and provides better functionality for trusted apps. I don't even want to see what 11, and especially 12/beta 13 look like. Maybe it's not so much Nova but rather Android that has turned to the dark Apple side...
imonxda said:
Apex Launcher Classic...
Offers the same features as Nova.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for that suggestion of the Apex Launcher to replace the functionality of the Nova free launcher, specifically:
a. Place homescreen folders on any grid, or no grid at allb. Export homescreen and import into ANY brand of phonec. Resize widgets and place widgets INSIDE folders
Assuming the free version of the Apex Launcher is this one...
Apex Launcher by Android DOES teamFree, contains ads, contains in-app purchases, requires GSF,rated 4.2 out of 354K reviews with 10M+ Downloads
That sucks in terms of requiring GSF (Nova free doesn't spy on us with GSF, and no app should ever need to use GSF calls) and requiring ads (again, Nova free doesn't have any ads and no launcher should, IMHO); but unfortunately, the description on the Google Play Store doesn't say whether Apex Launcher can do the three most important things that I feel ANY "best" launcher should do (see above).
Bear in mind there are a billion app launchers, where there's a good REASON Nova free was almost universally hailed as the best out there.
If Branch Analytics didn't take over TeslaCoil software, I wouldn't even be LOOKING for a better app launcher... (sigh)... but no free app launcher with ads and lack of privacy can possibly be on the list of the "best" there is.
That's just impossible (IMHO of course).
No app can be the "best" if it has ads and if it sucks out your privacy.
BTW, I know full well what I'm asking is NOT an easy question to answer... otherwise I'd have found the answer already, but I do appreciate the suggestions.
In order to be "better" than Nova free, it can't be worse.
GalaxyA325G said:
Thanks for that suggestion of the Apex Launcher to replace the functionality of the Nova free launcher, specifically:
a. Place homescreen folders on any grid, or no grid at allb. Export homescreen and import into ANY brand of phonec. Resize widgets and place widgets INSIDE folders
Assuming the free version of the Apex Launcher is this one...
Apex Launcher by Android DOES teamFree, contains ads, contains in-app purchases, requires GSF,rated 4.2 out of 354K reviews with 10M+ Downloads
That sucks in terms of requiring GSF (Nova free doesn't spy on us with GSF, and no app should ever need to use GSF calls) and requiring ads (again, Nova free doesn't have any ads and no launcher should, IMHO); but unfortunately, the description on the Google Play Store doesn't say whether Apex Launcher can do the three most important things that I feel ANY "best" launcher should do (see above).
Bear in mind there are a billion app launchers, where there's a good REASON Nova free was almost universally hailed as the best out there.
If Branch Analytics didn't take over TeslaCoil software, I wouldn't even be LOOKING for a better app launcher... (sigh)... but no free app launcher with ads and lack of privacy can possibly be on the list of the "best" there is.
That's just impossible (IMHO of course).
No app can be the "best" if it has ads and if it sucks out your privacy.
BTW, I know full well what I'm asking is NOT an easy question to answer... otherwise I'd have found the answer already, but I do appreciate the suggestions.
In order to be "better" than Nova free, it can't be worse.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, absolutely correct, Apex Launcher DOES NOT have all the features your looking for, but AndroidDOES has brought back the Classic launcher (I'm assuming because of popular demand) it is called Apex Launcher Classic - this is FAR superior to the new-ish Apex Launcher. BTW, some of the best features of Apex Classic are unavailable without the paid Pro but most features work with free version.
As for privacy concerns, you can use something like My Android Tools Pro, it will tell you exactly what an app like Apex is doing behind the scenes and it gives you control over all hidden activities. https://www.myandroidtools.com/ it has been kicked out of Google play store, I don't know the reason, but I've been using this app for years, I have never seen any evidence of malware in it, and it has revealed the spying, reporting activities, and ad activities of all other apps I use and I can actually STOP these activities, I trust it.
It takes a bit of getting-used-to, but it works great once you do (get used to it). Some advice, check the About in settings for automatic detection of newly installed or updated apps feature, and check the Apps tab at the bottom, then select any app and then tap "see all component info", this is really helpful and easily overlooked feature.
@DiamondJohn That's a cool Launcher I've never heard of, I will certainly check it out
GalaxyA325G said:
Nova launcher used to be (arguably) the best free Android launcher - until now - so what's better?
Unfortunately, the day after Branch Analytics acquired Nova launcher, it grew in size by 150% (8MB to 12MB) without anyone noticing that "something" huge (but as yet unknown) is going on inside of the previously venerable Nova launcher.
So now, I, like anyone else who is logical, is in the market for a new "best Android launcher" app APK.
But which Android app launcher replaces the venerable Nova free APK?
Mostly what I loved about Nova was that the homescreen could be organized by any grid - or no grid (see screenshot example below).
What best launcher do you recommend to replace Nova [now that Nova was sold out and as such, it has (apparently) gone over to the dark side]?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Love Niagara launcher
Pear Launcher - Apps on Google Play
Download Pear launcher — a launcher designed for performance and customization.
play.google.com
Just started using this app and it's pretty good so far