I have an Android 9.0 car stereo unit
Of course, it's permanently in landscape mode.
I have the dock set to the right-hand side of the screen, with the apps I use most.
However, when I launch an app, the dock disappears.
Is it possible to always display the dock?
The unit can not be rooted (as far as I know).
I'm happy to use any launcher/tweak.
I do not wish to use Android Auto.
Related
Let me preface this post by saying that I'm an uber-n00b. I haven't had my SF very long, and it's the first android device I've ever had, or smartphone of any variety for that matter. It's quite possible that an elegant solution to my issues already exists. Feel free to call me stupid and point me in the right direction.
So obviously, the fixed up version of the Car Cradle app in the SuperClean 2.9 ROM is a VAST improvement over the stock VZ Nav/Bing garbage. That being said, it's still not user customizable, so I tend to prefer to just use my own home screens. I've set one up that has my most used functions in the car, and some direct navigation shortcuts, etc.
So my understanding of what happens when the thing is docked - it goes into "car mode" and it launches the Car Cradle app. Exiting out of the app, but not "car mode" still makes your home button take you back to the Car Cradle app. So right now, I pop the phone in the dock, exit Car Cradle, pull down the notification bar and kill "Car Mode", and go on about my business using my phone the way I want to. However.this is far from ideal for several reasons.
First, "Car Mode" kept the screen lit up. I went in and checked "stay awake while charging" which keeps the thing on, but it still dims way down after the timeout period. While this is annoying, I could probably live with that if it were the only issue.
Second, it seems that the only way to get the sound out of the 3.5 jack on the dock and not through the phone speaker is to use the Car Cradle app. And even then, it takes some creativity to keep things going through the output jack instead of the speaker if you want to use navigation or other apps.
Is there a way to change what the "Car Mode" does? It would be nice if the thing recognized it was in the car dock, didn't launch an app and change the home button, but switched all audio to the dock output and kept the screen lit up. Then you could use your phone as you normally would, but have the advantages of having it mounted and the audio coming out of the dock jack. It would be awesome if these options showed up in a settings menu where you could configure what you want it to do when it senses that it's in the car dock.
I guess the other way to attack this is to continue to have it launch car mode and the Car Cradle app, but just make the app customizable like the homescreens are. Be able to throw shortcuts to apps you want, direct nav shortcuts, etc.
Am I the only one that feels this way? Are there already solutions in place? Can I specify just what "Car Mode" does? Thanks for reading this inexperienced man's rambling wish list.
Mike
Somehow my phone went into the car dock menu yesterday, and I don't know how? I don't see the program on my phone. Has anyone seen this happen, or know how to do it again?
Doitall76
Its a magnet triggered switch. It comes up when you stick in in the car dock. The actual program is called car panel. It doesn't seem to show up in sense launcher but it does show in adw.
Does anyone still have the apk for the Motorola Car Dock App from the Gingerbread-Stock ROMs? It seems that it's no longer in the ICS Stock Rom included.
Thx in advance
Install any cut from play, new shortcut, activities, there will be 10 vehicle docks to choose from, try number 8, if the list looks blank, scroll down, but it might take a few tries to find right vehicle dock shortcut.
Also the Rotate app licenced works great if your using universal car dock.
Sent from my DROID RAZR using xda premium
ElHive said:
Does anyone still have the apk for the Motorola Car Dock App from the Gingerbread-Stock ROMs? It seems that it's no longer in the ICS Stock Rom included.
Thx in advance
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Click to collapse
Are you saying there's no vehicle dock app in the ICS stock rom or do you just prefer the GB one? There's absolutely a vehicle dock app with ICS - I use it every day - and IMO its alot better than the GB version: a full screen of customizeable short cuts, more flexible calling options, etc. Are you missing that all together?
jeff_roey said:
Are you saying there's no vehicle dock app in the ICS stock rom or do you just prefer the GB one? There's absolutely a vehicle dock app with ICS - I use it every day - and IMO its alot better than the GB version: a full screen of customizeable short cuts, more flexible calling options, etc. Are you missing that all together?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
im missing that too.
i know its installed, but i cant set it in Smart Actions.
how are u using yours?
R3dbeaver said:
im missing that too.
i know its installed, but i cant set it in Smart Actions.
how are u using yours?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm not doing anything special to utilize the doc app. When I snap my phone in to the dock, the phone immediately recognizes it and launches the dock app home screen. I do have a smart action built to launch once it senses the dock:
Triggers: Vehicle Nav Dock and Charging
Actions: Brightness 100%, GPS On: BT On
The two services that run when I'm snapped into my Nav Dock are Motorola Dock Service and a Motorola Dock Helper Service.
Go to /system/app/ and look for: DockService.apk/odex and MotoDockHelperService.apk/odex. Are they missing?
jeff_roey said:
I'm not doing anything special to utilize the doc app. When I snap my phone in to the dock, the phone immediately recognizes it and launches the dock app home screen. I do have a smart action built to launch once it senses the dock:
Triggers: Vehicle Nav Dock and Charging
Actions: Brightness 100%, GPS On: BT On
The two services that run when I'm snapped into my Nav Dock are Motorola Dock Service and a Motorola Dock Helper Service.
Go to /system/app/ and look for: DockService.apk/odex and MotoDockHelperService.apk/odex. Are they missing?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ah you use the Motorola car dock?
I don't have the dock. I only have a plastic GPS-holder-thingie that holds it in the car.
Back in GB, I have a Smart action rule that uses:
Trigger: BlueTooth connected to - my car
Actions: Launch: CarDock app, GPS on, WiFi off, etc....
Now I don't see the CarDock as an option of an app to launch. And yes, I do have those 2 apk/odex in my /app folders. And TiBackup also shows I have Cardock app installed as a system app.
I guess in ICS, u need the actual cardock to launch the cardock app? that's too bad :crying:
I'm following now
Maybe the solution is to use a 3rd party dock app from Google Play. I fooled around with a few of these while on GB because of the limitations that came with the Moto car dock before the ICS version. I remember liking Car Home Ultra the best.
Maybe installing one of them and then in Smart Actions you can add an action to launch the program? Good luck!
In nova launcher you can set an activity widget that launches the stock car dock app.
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HELP
If anyone has the apk for the stock razr car app please post it. that would really be awesome
motorola car dock
i have just received the original motorola car dock last week and when i snap my phone into it the car dock comes up but having to unlock the phone is annoying.
i have ICS 4.0.4 installed and the car dock works fine apart from it does not stay active the screen times out which i find odd so i use the "keep screen" app to keep the screen alive when i have the car dock running.
now to the point!!! i also have a smart action rule set up for when the car dock is working. it sets the brightness, volume ring and other things so smart actions can be used with the stock car dock app.
the only other thing i find annoying is the navigation, the map shows upside down and after using sat navs in my work van its real annoying to get in my car and the map show upside down...
I'm curious to know if there is a way to show the "Dock Mode" app in the app drawer and/or create a shortcut?
I know the App exists on the phone (location: /system/app/VZW_Dock_Mode.apk ) and have looked for it in the App Drawer, by clicking on the Clock app (some older phones has a Desk/Dock mode in that app), and still can't get it working.
Using Tasker, I tried to get it to launch the app when plugged in, to no avail there. I even tried creating a "dummy" profile in Tasker that just launched the app at a specific time and no-go.
Anyone know if the app can be 'manually' run or do I just have to wait for the actual dock hardware to become available? (I'd actually like to activate it when on my Qi Charging mat at night...)
OK, I sort of figured this out...
First, I downloaded free App called "QuickShortcutMaker." Then, I long-pressed empty space on my homescreen and chose to add a "Shortcut" The very first icon says "Activities" Searched for "Dock" and chose the one called "HTC Dock Screen" Done.
Of interesting note, the Dock mode only stays in portrait mode for me... wonder if that means the docks for the DNA (if and when they are released) will only show the phone in portrait mode?
WorldOfJohnboy said:
OK, I sort of figured this out...
First, I downloaded free App called "QuickShortcutMaker." Then, I long-pressed empty space on my homescreen and chose to add a "Shortcut" The very first icon says "Activities" Searched for "Dock" and chose the one called "HTC Dock Screen" Done.
Of interesting note, the Dock mode only stays in portrait mode for me... wonder if that means the docks for the DNA (if and when they are released) will only show the phone in portrait mode?
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Click to collapse
yeah, i noticed this too. ridiculous. every other HTC phone i've used with dock mode allows for portrait dock. ugh!
You can also find it through apex launcher repeating the same steps. It doesn't look to me like it's suppose to be a nightstand dock but rather an office type dock, I will investigate more
earthrocker said:
yeah, i noticed this too. ridiculous. every other HTC phone i've used with dock mode allows for portrait dock. ugh!
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Click to collapse
You mean they allowed both portrait and landscape and yes they did, however previous HTC devices (Rezound, Thunderbolt in particular) had the USB port on the left side of the phone, so I would envision that HTC will eventually release a dock so you can flip open the stupid little 'flap' on the bottom and set the DNA in portrait mode into the base. My wife has a Moto Razr Maxx and though the USB port is on the top of that phone, the dock for that phone is landscape and you have to slide the male dock connectors into the phone. (Sounds kinky)
ML417 said:
You can also find it through apex launcher repeating the same steps. It doesn't look to me like it's suppose to be a nightstand dock but rather an office type dock, I will investigate more
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Correct. I believe the Rezound (and I perhaps the Thunderbolt) had two non-car mode Dock apps... one was accessable via the Clock app (was called Desk Mode or something like that) which was more of a nighttime dock with the clock, and then when you put the phone in the HTC branded "Multimedia" docks, it would start the HTC Dock Screen. Unfortunately the DNA didn't have the Desk Mode option, and there are no Multimedia Docks out there for them yet.
I also noticed that you can actually use the "Tasker" app to initiate the HTC Dock Screen app, as they allow you to start Apps that don't show up in the App Drawer. Unfortunately, Tasker doesn't have any support for Qi Wireless Charging states, so I had to create a profile that starts the Dock Screen whenever the phone is being charged until the Tasker Devs add the Wireless Charging support.
I had a few problems with my DNA it kept going into "Car Mode" not a car docking or dock mode. Anyways it would put my homescreen into landscape. Which is exactly what I wanted for my car. I believe the phone was thinking it was being connected to a certain device that would put it into this mode. So is there any way I can get my homescreen into landscape without the HTC's car docking feature. You can't use Google Music with it.