I've tracked down why some apps don't changed the status bar for tablets running ICS. There was an API change where tablets now use a different method to dim the status bar. I already passed this along to the Plex team who have put it in their test build for their next release. If you have an app you'd like this put into please pass the following information along to the dev team:
Controls for system UI visibility
Since the early days of Android, the system has managed a UI component known as the status bar, which resides at the top of handset devices to deliver information such as the carrier signal, time, notifications, and so on. Android 3.0 added the system bar for tablet devices, which resides at the bottom of the screen to provide system navigation controls (Home, Back, and so forth) and also an interface for elements traditionally provided by the status bar. In Android 4.0, the system provides a new type of system UI called the navigation bar. You might consider the navigation bar a re-tuned version of the system bar designed for handsets—it provides navigation controls for devices that don’t have hardware counterparts for navigating the system, but it leaves out the system bar's notification UI and setting controls. As such, a device that provides the navigation bar also has the status bar at the top.
To this day, you can hide the status bar on handsets using the FLAG_FULLSCREEN flag. In Android 4.0, the APIs that control the system bar’s visibility have been updated to better reflect the behavior of both the system bar and navigation bar:
The SYSTEM_UI_FLAG_LOW_PROFILE flag replaces the STATUS_BAR_HIDDEN flag. When set, this flag enables “low profile" mode for the system bar or navigation bar. Navigation buttons dim and other elements in the system bar also hide. Enabling this is useful for creating more immersive games without distraction for the system navigation buttons.
The SYSTEM_UI_FLAG_VISIBLE flag replaces the STATUS_BAR_VISIBLE flag to request the system bar or navigation bar be visible.
The SYSTEM_UI_FLAG_HIDE_NAVIGATION is a new flag that requests the navigation bar hide completely. Be aware that this works only for the navigation bar used by some handsets (it does not hide the system bar on tablets). The navigation bar returns to view as soon as the system receives user input. As such, this mode is useful primarily for video playback or other cases in which the whole screen is needed but user input is not required.
You can set each of these flags for the system bar and navigation bar by calling setSystemUiVisibility() on any view in your activity. The window manager combines (OR-together) all flags from all views in your window and apply them to the system UI as long as your window has input focus. When your window loses input focus (the user navigates away from your app, or a dialog appears), your flags cease to have effect. Similarly, if you remove those views from the view hierarchy their flags no longer apply.
To synchronize other events in your activity with visibility changes to the system UI (for example, hide the action bar or other UI controls when the system UI hides), you should register a View.OnSystemUiVisibilityChangeListener to be notified when the visibility of the system bar or navigation bar changes.
See the OverscanActivity class for a demonstration of different system UI options.
from:
http://developer.android.com/sdk/android-4.0.html
Say I have an app running, how would I go home or back without the nav bar? We have no physical buttons or capacitive buttons...
Sure some apps let you quit from the app itself but others don't.
Are u saying you would like to have it duck outta the screen?
Modded by MBOK
It would be nice if it was sorta programed as it was on the GNex when in apps such as YouTube when viewing a video in full screen the buttons disappear (actually disappear not dim out) and when you touch the screen the buttons reappear.
mrokeefe said:
Say I have an app running, how would I go home or back without the nav bar? We have no physical buttons or capacitive buttons...
Sure some apps let you quit from the app itself but others don't.
Are u saying you would like to have it duck outta the screen?
Modded by MBOK
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Button Savior.
mrokeefe said:
Say I have an app running, how would I go home or back without the nav bar? We have no physical buttons or capacitive buttons...
Sure some apps let you quit from the app itself but others don't.
Are u saying you would like to have it duck outta the screen?
Modded by MBOK
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The buttons don't disappear, they dim; if you touch them they come back
If anything, I would love to have the app drawer button on the nav bar
Modded by MBOK
mrokeefe said:
If anything, I would love to have the app drawer button on the nav bar
Modded by MBOK
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1 here. im sure its a mod we'll se after bootloader. why must i reach to top right!?
+1
+1
Yep agree... this thing with menu top right and notifications bottom left is nuts. Buttons should be near the bottom where I hold it. Ideally the menu buttons (Inc app drawer) would be bottom right and notification top right.
Actually all devices have power button which can be used for getting back from fullscreen mode.
There is an issue on code.google (24546): hxxp://code.google.com/p/android/issues/detail?id=24546
I think it's pretty nice solution. Also there can be "hide" button on panel.
Honor 7C, Android 8.0.
I hide the nav bar with an app that gets the permission to hide it through adb (eg. Navigation Gestures app). So when I simply press “Hide navigation bar” in the Navigation Gestures app, the nav buttons disappear, but the invisible bar stays on. To remove the bar I first go to the phone’s settings, make the bar hideable there, hide it natively, then go to the Navigation Gestures app and hide the bar there. It’s now gone. But as soon as I make a swipe from the bottom of the screen, the invisible bar appears (without the buttons), pushing the icons up. It only happens on the home screen, not in any other apps.
As far as I understand it’s the phone’s launcher responsible for this behavior, it’s not a bug of the Navigation Gestures app (I tried two such apps). So can the nav bar be hidden completely with adb or otherwise?
Hi - my tablet upgraded yesterday to One UI 2.1. I use my tablet to play games frequently and the now the navigation bar is activated differently while doing so. Before the update I had full screen gestures enabled so that when I was playing games I could just single swipe the bottom area of the screen to perform navigation functions. There were no hints or symbols. After the update with the same settings... when i swipe the same area the first swipe brings up a small navigation bar (as well as notification bar at top) and then I have to swipe again for the navigation result. It's like the have the navigation bar on auto hide like a Windows task bar.
I was really used to the single swipe gesture in these games so am looking for a way to get back to that if possible. It appears that in the android interface and other apps it works as it used to. It is only in games that it now acts different. I checked my "game booster" settings and couldn't see anything different.
Thanks in advance!
More specifically, when I use VLC to watch a video, the navigation bar is minimized, and I have to tap the screen for it to re-appear. I was wondering if there was a way to always keep it in its position, where no app will minimize it. I have already installed the Nav Bar application to customize its colour and some of its behaviour. However, I can't seem to find a modification for the navigation bar to do exactly what I want. I want the navigation bar always to be present because I have dead pixels in the bottom left corner of the screen. By keeping the navigation bar black and always on, I will never notice the dead pixels.
I'm still investigating why and when it's happening: After using the Wing for some time (regular use, nothing special) the navigation gestures stop working and the navigation bar (hidden) is unacceptable. Only solution so far is to rather a) to restart your phone or b) go to settings and turn the "classic" navigation bar on and off. You can see the navigation bar indicator flashing at the beginning while I'm trying to do the"swiping up" gesture on the screen. But no multitasking screen is shown.
Video of bug