Sorry this is such a noobish question to start off with but I'm having trouble finding a feature I stumbled across a few days ago. Obviously to move between home screens you swipe left and right and pressing the home key from the main screen displays all 5 (swiping up from the bottom of the screen also does this).
The display I saw was a minimized view of each page, each a bit larger than when you're viewing all 5 at once, but only one was viewable on screen at a time and you could swipe left or right to see the others. I've no idea how I got in to that and I can't find any combination of controls to get back to it. I also can't see any purpose to it but it was definitely a deliberate feature and not a bug or glitch.
Can anyone shed any light on that please?
I believe that would be a bug.. there are several homescreen bugs I encounterd with my razr but all tolerable for me..
Case 1:
Slightly tilted diagonally homescreen when swiping left and right..
Case 2:
Minimize view (5 displays) also all screen tilted diagonally...
Maybe we can consider your scenario as a 3rd case..
The screen you see when you tap the home button twice (when already at the middle /primary home screen)?
Sent from my DROID RAZR using XDA App
This sounds interesting, but i'm not sure what you want this for?
Is it like when you see all the home screens, but more zoomed in?
For what its worth, i've been hitting the keys, trying to get to something like this, but no luck..
Yeah I can't fathom any purpose for it... The best I can describe it is like viewing a zoomed out version of each page on your home screen. The same widgets and icons are there, you can flick left and right, 1 page displays at a time but it didn't seem like you could do anything useful from that view.
I thought it may have been a deliberate feature but any combination of buttons or gestures won't reproduce it on my RAZR so I guess it was a bug. It seemed completely deliberate though, it wasn't distorted or glitchy... It was somewhat like on samsungs touchwiz (galaxy s II for example) when you can add in widgets and shortcuts from a zoomed out view of each page except all you had was the zoomed out view and no discernible function.
Thanks for the advice though.
I figured it out.
Sometimes, when you are dragging between the homescreens, and press home at the same time, you will get strange zoomed versions of the home screens, and sometimes it was zoomed out, exactly as you describe.
However, i mostly got a heavily zoomed in version or crooked one.
Just try again and again, and you will see a lot of strange things, and eventually the one you describe
I am not sure if this is a common issue (I searched with no results), but my US 5.0 is far too sensitive as far as the screen goes. When I am trying to scroll it usually makes a selection instead of scrolling.
For example, if I want to scroll through My Apps in the Market or on Amazon's App Store instead of scrolling it selects whichever app my finger is on whenever I begin the scrolling motion. It forces me to constantly have to use the 'back' key.
Thumb Keyboard doesn't work very well either. I don't know if it is a compatibility issue or if it is related to my screen issue.
I know that screen sensitivity is a big factor in product design, but mine is ridiculously over the top.
CreekDirt said:
I am not sure if this is a common issue (I searched with no results), but my US 5.0 is far too sensitive as far as the screen goes. When I am trying to scroll it usually makes a selection instead of scrolling.
For example, if I want to scroll through My Apps in the Market or on Amazon's App Store instead of scrolling it selects whichever app my finger is on whenever I begin the scrolling motion. It forces me to constantly have to use the 'back' key.
Thumb Keyboard doesn't work very well either. I don't know if it is a compatibility issue or if it is related to my screen issue.
I know that screen sensitivity is a big factor in product design, but mine is ridiculously over the top.
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Click to collapse
Mine will select stuff on it's own from time to time. Especially when I'm holding my finger over the home button or something it'll detect a press right on the screen right above the button. I've learned to live with it.
You might wanna look into an alternate keyboard too, I use swiftkey and it allows you to calibrate the keyboard and customize it greatly.
I solved my screen sensitivity issue by rebooting the player.. I got to thinking about it and realized that I had never rebooted since originally getting the player.
I am trying swiftkey x right now and it is definitely a lot better. I downloaded it a long time ago on my Xoom.
I've been using my HOX+ for almost six months now, fairly light use but I'm mostly happy with it. I'm still running unrooted stock, just installed the official 4.2.2 update. This is my first real smartphone, I had an unsubsidized $100 3.14" Android smartphone last year that I don't think really qualifies.
The big complaint I have with the jump to a 4.7" screen is that one-handed use is uncomfortable and requires me to stretch to reach the corners, where the buttons are often stupidly located, or sometimes even to slide the phone up and down in my hand to make the buttons accessible, not exactly easy to do with one hand without dropping the phone. I would really like a phone that is comfortable to use one-handed, but I don't want to compromise by buying a smaller screen phone, say 4.3" or god forbid the 4" size of the iPhone, as I'm not exactly thrilled with the "looking through a keyhole" quality of 4.7" either.
I think the right solution would be a thumbwheel UI in the bottom right corner, placed in the arc right where my thumb is, so I can use it one-handed with my thumb and not have to reach with my fingers. As long as it let me virtually hit all the buttons on the screen, even native app buttons like the menu button at the top or the tab switcher button at the top in Chrome, I could even buy a phablet if there was something like this, maybe a 5.5+ inch screen that I could use comfortably one-handed with just my thumb in the bottom-right corner.
The closest thing I've been able to find like this is the Splay launcher, but I don't think such launchers actually let me control menus within apps, only launch apps. This guy wrote a small app earlier this year to do something similar, seems to be a great article talking about the idea but I don't think that effort went anywhere.
Is there any effort within the xda community to integrate a one-handed control interface like this? This is a feature that would actually make me root and install a ROM, as I haven't had the need to go to the trouble yet. I'd love to see an effort like this on Android, wonder what everyone else thinks.
joakim_one said:
I've been using my HOX+ for almost six months now, fairly light use but I'm mostly happy with it. I'm still running unrooted stock, just installed the official 4.2.2 update. This is my first real smartphone, I had an unsubsidized $100 3.14" Android smartphone last year that I don't think really qualifies.
The big complaint I have with the jump to a 4.7" screen is that one-handed use is uncomfortable and requires me to stretch to reach the corners, where the buttons are often stupidly located, or sometimes even to slide the phone up and down in my hand to make the buttons accessible, not exactly easy to do with one hand without dropping the phone. I would really like a phone that is comfortable to use one-handed, but I don't want to compromise by buying a smaller screen phone, say 4.3" or god forbid the 4" size of the iPhone, as I'm not exactly thrilled with the "looking through a keyhole" quality of 4.7" either.
I think the right solution would be a thumbwheel UI in the bottom right corner, placed in the arc right where my thumb is, so I can use it one-handed with my thumb and not have to reach with my fingers. As long as it let me virtually hit all the buttons on the screen, even native app buttons like the menu button at the top or the tab switcher button at the top in Chrome, I could even buy a phablet if there was something like this, maybe a 5.5+ inch screen that I could use comfortably one-handed with just my thumb in the bottom-right corner.
The closest thing I've been able to find like this is the Splay launcher, but I don't think such launchers actually let me control menus within apps, only launch apps. This guy wrote a small app earlier this year to do something similar, seems to be a great article talking about the idea but I don't think that effort went anywhere.
Is there any effort within the xda community to integrate a one-handed control interface like this? This is a feature that would actually make me root and install a ROM, as I haven't had the need to go to the trouble yet. I'd love to see an effort like this on Android, wonder what everyone else thinks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A "Whole" UI made especially for one hand usage? Well I know the second best solution.
Install "Pie Controls" and assign it to any corner/side of the screen, it will allow you to launch apps but for the function that you want, you will need to root. Once you are rooted PIE has extra features like "Back, Home, Sleep, Menu, Recent Apps" ..etc.
A Second best is "LMT" launcher ALSO requires root. Once you have it, you will be able to have PIE Controls as well, PLUS a unique feature to have gestures working in all screens. You can swipe down to bring up the notification bar or swipe up for recent apps. The reason i put it as second best was because I don't really like it ..
Ofcourse there are normal launchers , like nova launcher ..etc. that allows you to swipe down to bring up the notifications but sadly that only works on the home screen.
There are also ROMS like AOKP (For us Carbon rom or something similar) which has a stock feeling but extra buttons in the Power menu. When you hold down the power menu , under the normal "Power off, restart, screenshot, airplane" you will also find "Back, Home, Recent apps"
I honestly think that PIE Controls is the best app to have out of them all since it works on all ROMs . Though for full features you should buy the Pro version.
P.S: All apps that you are looking for will require ROOT access.
Ghand0ur said:
A "Whole" UI made especially for one hand usage? Well I know the second best solution.
Install "Pie Controls" and assign it to any corner/side of the screen, it will allow you to launch apps but for the function that you want, you will need to root. Once you are rooted PIE has extra features like "Back, Home, Sleep, Menu, Recent Apps" ..etc.
A Second best is "LMT" launcher ALSO requires root. Once you have it, you will be able to have PIE Controls as well, PLUS a unique feature to have gestures working in all screens. You can swipe down to bring up the notification bar or swipe up for recent apps. The reason i put it as second best was because I don't really like it ..
Ofcourse there are normal launchers , like nova launcher ..etc. that allows you to swipe down to bring up the notifications but sadly that only works on the home screen.
There are also ROMS like AOKP (For us Carbon rom or something similar) which has a stock feeling but extra buttons in the Power menu. When you hold down the power menu , under the normal "Power off, restart, screenshot, airplane" you will also find "Back, Home, Recent apps"
I honestly think that PIE Controls is the best app to have out of them all since it works on all ROMs . Though for full features you should buy the Pro version.
P.S: All apps that you are looking for will require ROOT access.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for all the info. I tried the Pie Control app by coolace based on your recommendation, but it didn't seem to do anything on my unrooted HOX+. I'll look into the other stuff you talked about.
joakim_one said:
Thanks for all the info. I tried the Pie Control app by coolace based on your recommendation, but it didn't seem to do anything on my unrooted HOX+. I'll look into the other stuff you talked about.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How didn't it function?
Well here is a good video that will help you install it : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBud1hk27Rw
Although to have full features you will require to BUY the pro version and root, the free version on an unrooted version should have some functions that will work like launching apps and other stuff. Try to clarify what you meant
Ghand0ur said:
How didn't it function?
Well here is a good video that will help you install it : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBud1hk27Rw
Although to have full features you will require to BUY the pro version and root, the free version on an unrooted version should have some functions that will work like launching apps and other stuff. Try to clarify what you meant
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I installed the app and set it to work on the left, right, and bottom, then configured two short-click apps in level 1. I would then long-press at those edges and nothing happened with pie control: HTC Sense would send me to widget configuration instead.
I just watched your video and he does a slight swipe from the edge, instead of the long-press I was trying. I just installed the app again and tried that on the home screen and within a couple other apps, again no pie controls. If I do it on the home screen, it starts to scroll to the next home screen, as it always did.
There may be something about HTC Sense that it's not giving control to the pie app for gestures, or maybe there's some other switch I have to hit somewhere to actually enable the pie gestures?
joakim_one said:
I installed the app and set it to work on the left, right, and bottom, then configured two short-click apps in level 1. I would then long-press at those edges and nothing happened with pie control: HTC Sense would send me to widget configuration instead.
I just watched your video and he does a slight swipe from the edge, instead of the long-press I was trying. I just installed the app again and tried that on the home screen and within a couple other apps, again no pie controls. If I do it on the home screen, it starts to scroll to the next home screen, as it always did.
There may be something about HTC Sense that it's not giving control to the pie app for gestures, or maybe there's some other switch I have to hit somewhere to actually enable the pie gestures?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh yeah I forgot to tell you. Although HOX+ and S3 have the same screen size, for the PIE to activate you just need to increase the activation area width. Just thought of installing Pie again after a while of not using it and just remembered. Now it's working fine
I remember there was a small bug of the activation area width being reset everytime you open the app if I can remember correctly. That or everytime you press on the activation width area. Can't really remember but my point is, while using the app if it suddenly doesnt appear anymore just increase the width again and it will work.
Sorry it took me a while to reply since I couldn't really remember
Sent from my HTC One x+ using XDA developers app
Ghand0ur said:
Oh yeah I forgot to tell you. Although HOX+ and S3 have the same screen size, for the PIE to activate you just need to increase the activation area width. Just thought of installing Pie again after a while of not using it and just remembered. Now it's working fine
I remember there was a small bug of the activation area width being reset everytime you open the app if I can remember correctly. That or everytime you press on the activation width area. Can't really remember but my point is, while using the app if it suddenly doesnt appear anymore just increase the width again and it will work.
Sorry it took me a while to reply since I couldn't really remember
Sent from my HTC One x+ using XDA developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, now it shows up. I'll mess around with it and let you know what I think.
I actually like the stock launcher/UI, it is amazingly clean and while I miss several key Nova Launcher capabilities I am trying to stick with it for natural theme options, etc. Clearly the launcher was designed for gesture navigation, something I have always found quite repulsive even with nicely done variations we have seen over the years. The typical Samsung style three icon onscreen navigation icons work 'fairly well', but they are buggy. (I wish I could swap the outside buttons around, but...)
In games, they do what they are supposed to do - slip away entirely unless you brush them back up with a minor swipe. The problem is that they don't go away in most apps otherwise - which they kinda should. Even if they simply barged their way onto the screen transparently, it wouldn't be so bad (although they are an ignorant shove to any other existing lower control mechanism). In some apps they may even be necessary, although I thought it was sorted out a long time ago that if they weren't onscreen, there would be a generalized triple dot alternative in the upper right of whatever you were doing.
The biggest problem of them all is that regardless of theme, battery dark settings, or any options to do with navigation or the home screen, this navigation bar is sometimes not only glaringly white against an otherwise well sorted out 'dark theme', there are many apps I load up where they aren't just white - the icons themselves turn perfectly white as well.
On any other device I have owned in recent times (and let's assume they were all on custom roms), even if you had actual hardware touch buttons (like my last daily, a 1st gen OPO) you could always enable onscreen navigation buttons. They would slip away by themselves in nearly any app or game you could possibly run.
Opera is a perfect example of every problem I have listed at its worst - they barge in, they are blindingly white, and the icons are white as well. Opera already has a rather beefy UI bar on the bottom, so this ends up quite broken. Will Nova Launcher solve these issues for me? Are we at a point where we can even use Nova Launcher without several nasty traps snapping shut when it comes to recent apps, orientation, etc?
As I said, with the app drawer enabled I like the stock launcher. I just want navigation buttons that behave. Am I missing anything or is the implementation of this kinda broken even though the protocols for this have been sorted out several generations of Android ago?
TL;DR: No function keys (F2, F3, etc.) makes this keyboard less useful for work (using Epic, Excel, etc.). However, this is the best case/keyboard solution around, which is why I would still recommend it as long as you know the limitations.
So this tablet and keyboard combination is ostensibly supposed to be a laptop replacement, but the keyboard lacks the function keys that would allow it to do that. While the keyboard itself is well-built, holding the tablet well, and the keys actually feel good to type on (despite being not full-sized), not having the function keys (F2, F3, F4) makes it so that working in Epic or Excel is impossible. Samsung customer service confirmed that there is no way to access those keys from the keyboard.
In Epic, you can customize hot keys onscreen to simulate key presses, to include the function buttons, so I just do that and it isn't too bad, since poking the screen at the F2 is about where the actual key would have been...still way worse that if they had included some function keys. No easy solution in Excel that I couldl come up with. You can pull up other virtual keyboards with the buttons, but that gets in the way of workflow.
I'm typing this review on the keyboard right now and touch typing works decently, with the exception being the top row is so condensed that I will mistype the symbols above (need too shift my finger reach a litte to the left for each one).
There ARE keyboard shortcuts! Many are actually context specific (Home screen vs Samsung internet, etc). Hit the Magnifying Glass + / and you'll get a nice list of what you can do. Ironically, some of them refer to using the F4 and other keys that don't exist on the keyboard...
I do use this on my lap quite a bit, but I really wish it had one additional position to lay more flat like my TabPro S.
I thought that I would hate the S Pen holder, but it actually works really well and isn't as annoying as I thought it would be. It is important to push the S Pen into the holder until it clicks.
I set mine up to not launch DeX on docking, as it tends to be less useful for my multitasking since my main work app (Epic) is not optimized for DeX. Detaching from the keyboard automatically sleeps my tablet, not sure how to change that setting.
I do use it folded back pretty often, and the keys on the reverse side don't bug me too much, but that's likely to be a pretty personal preference.
I've tried some keyboards from Amazon that includes a touchpad, but I can't use it on my lap Folding Keyboard I do really like it though for desktop use! It has function keys
Cons:
- Lacks function keys
- No backlight
- Only one position on the stand
- touch typing the number row is hit or miss
- No touchpad/pointer control
- heavy/bulky
Pros:
- Build quality
- Compact size
- Customize tablet attach/detach actions (mine does not activate Dex)
- S Pen holder is actually pretty good
Hope this helps!