Got my sensation.. where to begin? - HTC Sensation

I finally got my phone today. I am new to android, and actually i am new to smartphones.. this is my first smartphone and i decided that if i get myself one im going big and im getting the sensation
my question is.. where to begin with? like i just have the phone in my hand.. what is the first thing i should do or configure on the phone? i know its maybe a big question, but any help on how to setup the phone in the best way would be appreciated, as like i said, it is my first smartphone
thanks

Just go through the initial setup and then just use it. Change the home screens to your liking, download some apps and enjoy the handset. There's not a lot else to do as yet

mazinya said:
I finally got my phone today. I am new to android, and actually i am new to smartphones.. this is my first smartphone and i decided that if i get myself one im going big and im getting the sensation
my question is.. where to begin with? like i just have the phone in my hand.. what is the first thing i should do or configure on the phone? i know its maybe a big question, but any help on how to setup the phone in the best way would be appreciated, as like i said, it is my first smartphone
thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Put it through it's paces I reckon to see everything is working out of the box. Sign up to gmail so you can use the market.
Use the GPS, internet, Youtube etc etc. Make sure everything works as they should.
Setting up the screen is already done for you just go to settings>Personalize and pick "Scene" or "Skin" to begin with.
Watch a quick Youtube video http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=How+to+operate+HTC+Sensation&aq=f
But you can customize it to your liking. Watching some videos will makes things quicker to pick up if you're new to Android phones.

Import your numbers to your sd card and then back to your google account, that way you won't lose your numbers if you lose your phone and when the time comes to upgrade to a new phone, you only have to sign in and you can have all your numbers back automatically, oh and your apps will come back too.
Sign into any emails you have and make sure that any new numbers you get you save to google and they will be kept too.
Try whats app and communicate for free across multiple platforms (supports BB, Iphone, symbian and Android) it's kinda like BBM, sign into facebook, twitter everything you have an account for and then sit back and let the phone do the rest, for me this is were HTC Sense stands alone, no other phone integrates social networking better.
Test your GPS out with the Navigation, join latitude and most importantly, make it your own.
Congrats on your new phone.

From all apps menu open "show me"
Very helpful info
Sent from my HTC Sensation Z710e using XDA App

dladz said:
Import your numbers to your sd card and then back to your google account, that way you won't lose your numbers if you lose your phone and when the time comes to upgrade to a new phone, you only have to sign in and you can have all your numbers back automatically, oh and your apps will come back too.
Sign into any emails you have and make sure that any new numbers you get you save to google and they will be kept too.
Try whats app and communicate for free across multiple platforms (supports BB, Iphone, symbian and Android) it's kinda like BBM, sign into facebook, twitter everything you have an account for and then sit back and let the phone do the rest, for me this is were HTC Sense stands alone, no other phone integrates social networking better.
Test your GPS out with the Navigation, join latitude and most importantly, make it your own.
Congrats on your new phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
would u mind telling me how to back them to my google account?
im planning on getting a 16gb card so i wouldnt want any contact to get lost when i change cards
also, should i be downloading juice defender as well?

mazinya said:
would u mind telling me how to back them to my google account?
im planning on getting a 16gb card so i wouldnt want any contact to get lost when i change cards
also, should i be downloading juice defender as well?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sure, if your numbers are on your sim then go to your people (phone book) press menu and click import / export, then import from sim, then select google.
If they're on your actual phone because you've input them one at a time, then click on import / export again and select export to sd card, then straight after it, press menu and click on import / export again, then click import from sd, when it asks where to? you say to google.
After you've done that simply click on menu from the phone book, go to view and just select google, as you have already moved them over.
PS: It may take a moment to sync all the contacts over so if it's dragging it's heels, make sure you have a good connection at the time ie: 3G upwards, preferably WIFI, and press menu, settings, accounts and sync and sync google.
That should sort that out for you
Not sure if you know this but when you save your numbers to google, it also means that you can't lose your numbers and if you change your phone, all you will have to do is sign into your google account and the numbers will come flooding back on their own, this will work for apps too, providing you've told your phone to do so.
Once you've done this with your phone, it won't make any difference what sd card you have in your phone.
As for juice defender, no not really, just go to accounts and sync, tell the phone not to sync stocks and news and weather all the time oh and facebook, just do them manually, i tend to leave google alone and allow it to sync, last thing you need is you turn off google, forget to sync in a month and you lose all the contacts which you aquired in that time!
Juice defender and the like are nifty apps but not really needed unless you have probs with your battery, your not going to get much more than a day from any Smart phone these days besides a nokia 6200000 or whatever they're called, just try to preserve what you can, turn off wireless communications unless you need them, like GPS, WIFI, mobile data and bluetooth.
Like i said b4 alter your account settings for different services, alter the brightness of your phone and when you get the chance to root properly, get autostarts and set up some rules for your phone so your not starting up programs that you don't need, autostarts is like a task killer, but instead of killing open apps and actively running in the background all the time, it actually sets the rules for them so they can be told not to open before they do, sounds hard but it's really easy
Task killers aren't recommended, they kill processes which shouldn't be killed, 99 - 100 people on XDA will tell you that, the other 1 is probably the bloke who moans about having a crap battery all the time

dladz, thank you very very much for the elaborated answer. it is greatly appreciated.
about the battery.. i noticed that i cant see battery percentage like other here are showing.. i see stats but i dont see in percentages how much is left, only in a green line that when it goes down it gets orange and then red.
would i need to install juice defender if i wanna see accurate percentages?
if you have in mind any more useful and necessary apps that i should download and install, it would be great.

When you get it all set up,go and read about the problems others are having and see if you can live with them,example my bluetooth has a bad background noice rendering it almost useless,I thought it was the headset I was using but turned out it's the phone so if a s/w update doesn't fix it then I will have to send it back to HTC,just got it back from a loose charging port fix.So basically if you need to exchange it don't wait like me and have to send it in for warranty repair.

mazinya said:
dladz, thank you very very much for the elaborated answer. it is greatly appreciated.
about the battery.. i noticed that i cant see battery percentage like other here are showing.. i see stats but i dont see in percentages how much is left, only in a green line that when it goes down it gets orange and then red.
would i need to install juice defender if i wanna see accurate percentages?
if you have in mind any more useful and necessary apps that i should download and install, it would be great.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Get the Battery Widget by Elvison.
It will do what you are looking for

Don't obsess over the battery
Congrats on your purchase, I hope you enjoy android and your phone as much as I do. Everyone here has experiences fast battery drain when they get their new phone. The reason is because they're using their new phone a whole lot simply because it's a new phone. It's not rocket science. Just be sure to charge it whenever you can and you'll be fine.
Be sure to check out the free apps in the android market. The thing I love most about android is the voice command ability, and how it's so tightly knit into all of googles services. "text - Mary", "Call - Teresa", "Navigate to In N Out". You can also use voice to text to dictate an email while on the road. Have fun.

Macklessdaddy said:
When you get it all set up,go and read about the problems others are having and see if you can live with them,example my bluetooth has a bad background noice rendering it almost useless,I thought it was the headset I was using but turned out it's the phone so if a s/w update doesn't fix it then I will have to send it back to HTC,just got it back from a loose charging port fix.So basically if you need to exchange it don't wait like me and have to send it in for warranty repair.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i dont wanna jinx myself, but so far i have none of the problem mentioned here on the board and i hope it stays like that although most problems started to pop out at a much later time, so i will keep crossing my fingers it wont. so far im loving it

Yea I just started setting up my phone yesterday too, and it's a little overwhelming, lol. It's gonna be a wild ride, with s-off rumored to come out soon.

mazinya said:
dladz, thank you very very much for the elaborated answer. it is greatly appreciated.
about the battery.. i noticed that i cant see battery percentage like other here are showing.. i see stats but i dont see in percentages how much is left, only in a green line that when it goes down it gets orange and then red.
would i need to install juice defender if i wanna see accurate percentages?
if you have in mind any more useful and necessary apps that i should download and install, it would be great.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Your more than welcome m8, hope it helped.
As for the battery, i would put up with it until we are able to permanently root our devices, get a custom recovery on there and the rom's will come flooding in, then there will be a percentage over the battery on your home screen (up the top)
There are apps which will give you a read out, too many to mention but they run in the background and I could do without that and for that reason i wouldn't recommend them because i wouldn't get them, if you don't mind the app running then there are loads on the market.

Paging Dr B said:
Congrats on your purchase, I hope you enjoy android and your phone as much as I do. Everyone here has experiences fast battery drain when they get their new phone. The reason is because they're using their new phone a whole lot simply because it's a new phone. It's not rocket science. Just be sure to charge it whenever you can and you'll be fine.
Be sure to check out the free apps in the android market. The thing I love most about android is the voice command ability, and how it's so tightly knit into all of googles services. "text - Mary", "Call - Teresa", "Navigate to In N Out". You can also use voice to text to dictate an email while on the road. Have fun.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm from Liverpool born n bred and believe me, the people who made the voice recognition did not have scousers in mind when it was made.
I've had some pretty strange things come out of what i've said to my phone, needless to say some other people with strong accents will have the same problem it's funny tho.
If i speak the queens then it works perfect but i must sound like a right tit.

another question i have.. when i download an app or a game from the market.. how do i know if this app\game should be installed on the phone or on the SD card?
Is there an option to to choose where to install the app? (i dont think i have seen an option to choose)

mazinya said:
another question i have.. when i download an app or a game from the market.. how do i know if this app\game should be installed on the phone or on the SD card?
Is there an option to to choose where to install the app? (i dont think i have seen an option to choose)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not so much an option, rather the ability to move it afterwards.

So if an app is installed on my SD card and then im switching cards, then i will have to install this app again right?

Your phone will still know that the app is installed but the files will have shifted so it won't open it or it will force close.
best thing to do is to get a decent SD card and just take care of it, personally when I really install a rom, I clear all the data on it by formatting the card, that way you get a fresh slate.
I back up co pilot and some games my pics, tunes and videos. The reat can be re iinstalled.

Got it... well, i ordered a 16GB card so until the card arrives i will wait with installations

Related

Stupid question that is probably more of a rant...

Ok, so we all have the latest greatest most "open source" phone, right? LMFAO
Why is it, seeing as battery life is complete CRAP, that programs are not smart enough to be able to turn on and off the wifi, gps, wireless networks, etc as needed? When I open google maps, it should start up the GPS. When I try to get on the web, it would be nice if it could check for pre-configured wifi. When those programs are exited, or after an inactive time limit, the wifi, gps, etc should shut back down. It seems silly to fumble around in settings to turn things on and off all the time.
Since this is a problem with Google's software, I assume they will continue to support the "not our problem, let the developers figure it out" stand, while locking us out of the ability for a fix.
Am I the only one that thinks this way?
I completely agree! I am greatly disappointment in the direction Android is going. Leaving everything to 3rd party developers and then locking root access, yeah, really smart move! As soon as T-Mobile USA releases a 3G pocket pc, I am so gone. I would have left my HTC Wizard behind for another device (and G1) but I'm stuck with this strange 3G AWS frequency and no real option for a WM device except what my provider offers. Google still has a chance to fix this issues for Android but I am very impatient with things in general. One day, it could be a great OS but as of right now and the way the road looks ahead is a dismal path to possible destruction. My suggestions to Google would be to jailbreak all devices, create your OWN soft keyboard so all programs can be used with it, ADD SOME KIND OF OFFICE SUPPORT, add support for your own software (built in) to be able to control all settings (like speed racer mentioned), video recorder, better camera options, and better Marketplace support. Again, this is a new mobile OS and it will evolve somewhat but if things continue to happen in the same path or pattern, failure is practically the only option.
gospeed.racer said:
Ok, so we all have the latest greatest most "open source" phone, right? LMFAO
Why is it, seeing as battery life is complete CRAP, that programs are not smart enough to be able to turn on and off the wifi, gps, wireless networks, etc as needed? When I open google maps, it should start up the GPS. When I try to get on the web, it would be nice if it could check for pre-configured wifi. When those programs are exited, or after an inactive time limit, the wifi, gps, etc should shut back down. It seems silly to fumble around in settings to turn things on and off all the time.
Since this is a problem with Google's software, I assume they will continue to support the "not our problem, let the developers figure it out" stand, while locking us out of the ability for a fix.
Am I the only one that thinks this way?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi, download Locale or Power Manager.
I have seen both, and they are good....but they dont do what I am asking.
NATIVE support. Its like Google has all these different departments, and none want to work with the others. Everything needs to be streamlined together, maps should be able to turn on and off resources....instead of me doing it with my keypad. Who chooses to leave GPS on all day? Same with Wifi?
I am fed up with Google thinking everyone needs to do the grunt work. They cant even get their own software working properly (for example, try using the search function in maps, then try to get directions to that search...good luck!) and instead of USEFUL updates, we get updates that RESTRICT us.
gospeed.racer said:
for example, try using the search function in maps, then try to get directions to that search...good luck!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hmm... seems pretty easy for me? Open maps application, start typing your search (e.g. "starbucks mountain view"). List of locations comes up. I tap one, it shows location on map. Tap on the address and it brings up menu. Choose Directions to this Address and click Route button.
true...but if you simply click on "directions" and type in the exact same items you searched before, it suddenly forgot how to search.
For example, if I search for "pdx" or "gresham" on the maps, no problem. But, when I click "directions" and type in the same thing, it cant find it. It cant do a search and come up with a list of results? Google cant? LMAO. Seriously? I guess I need to do a search, write down the results. Then do another search, get directions, and type in the previous location that I wrote down. Pretty handy if you ask me!
Never had this issue with the desktop version of google maps. I can type in "gresham" and "PDX" and it can get me there. On the phone, it cant figure it out.
Apparently no one can read or understand what has been said. Google hasn't left it to 3rd parties, they are working on these things as we speak. It is in their "roadmap"
OK so it doesn't do everything your home computer can. Why can't you give it time. Why did you buy something that is brand new if you weren't ready to be patient? That is like the people who claim Vista sucks just because they used the beta version and had problems.
Give it time. As for directions are you talking about Gresham, OR? I get directions just find typing pdx and then gresham, or
Obviously you have to type the state for the city, also that little bookmark icon can be usefull... just search for the two things you want first (PDX then do a search for gresham) then use the history bookmark to add those to the direction. Worked simple that way too.
And guess what... I also can use copy and paste too... wow I guess there are many ways to do it you just have to figure it out.
gospeed.racer said:
Ok, so we all have the latest greatest most "open source" phone, right? LMFAO
Why is it, seeing as battery life is complete CRAP, that programs are not smart enough to be able to turn on and off the wifi, gps, wireless networks, etc as needed? When I open google maps, it should start up the GPS. When I try to get on the web, it would be nice if it could check for pre-configured wifi. When those programs are exited, or after an inactive time limit, the wifi, gps, etc should shut back down. It seems silly to fumble around in settings to turn things on and off all the time.
Since this is a problem with Google's software, I assume they will continue to support the "not our problem, let the developers figure it out" stand, while locking us out of the ability for a fix.
Am I the only one that thinks this way?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, it's not an open source phone (and I don't think google or T-mobile have said that the G1 would be), but the _software_ is. If you want a totally open phone, you should be looking towards the openmoko platform, or the dev version of the G1 that google have now announced.
neoobs said:
OK so it doesn't do everything your home computer can. Why can't you give it time. Why did you buy something that is brand new if you weren't ready to be patient? ....
... wow I guess there are many ways to do it you just have to figure it out.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If Google was up front and said that it wasnt ready yet (why are WE the beta testers?) that would be one thing, but the way it is marketed in commercials and on the website, this is a phone that is ready for mass use. It is very much still in beta.
The problem with your "its not a home computer" logic is that is CAN do the functions I am referring to. It just doesnt. I used bad examples- try using something like "denny's" instead. In a search it will pull them up, but in the "directions" it will not. Apparently if there are more than one result it gets confused. My example was bad.
I have been patient, the updates so far have done nothing (for my phone at least) but fix problems and patch loopholes. There has been nothing updated that improves functionality that I have seen yet. I found their roadmap- Looks like some soft keyboard functionality next year, and more supported languages. Who hoo.
gospeed.racer said:
If Google was up front and said that it wasnt ready yet (why are WE the beta testers?) that would be one thing, but the way it is marketed in commercials and on the website, this is a phone that is ready for mass use. It is very much still in beta.
The problem with your "its not a home computer" logic is that is CAN do the functions I am referring to. It just doesnt. I used bad examples- try using something like "denny's" instead. In a search it will pull them up, but in the "directions" it will not. Apparently if there are more than one result it gets confused. My example was bad.
I have been patient, the updates so far have done nothing (for my phone at least) but fix problems and patch loopholes. There has been nothing updated that improves functionality that I have seen yet. I found their roadmap- Looks like some soft keyboard functionality next year, and more supported languages. Who hoo.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Don't get mad a google for marketing... the commercial doesn't even say that it is google's OS... it just says Powered By Google. It blows for them.
And for the maps... I haven't been able to get either the phone or desktop to map the locations for me. Besides that doesn't it make more sense to figure out where the dennys is before getting directions to it?
It hasn't even been a month in a half yet and you think you are patient. I don't remember any significant updates to any OS in the first month it was out.
I guess my point is that tmobile (not Google apparently) released a phone that isnt ready for the general public. It should be in beta still, until the bugs (like a battery that lasts half a day under light use, calls that do not ring through, messages that dont show up, and ringtones that sometimes work and sometimes dont) are fixed. There are many problems with the phone and the OS and if you cant admit that I dont know what to say. If you are happy then fine, but not all of us are. We did NOT sign up for beta testing, if we had then there is no issue.
Sounds to me that someone should have done a little bit of research before purchasing their phone? I mean, come on! It hasn't even been 2 months yet. Maybe a razr would fit your likings more? Tmobile has plenty of those.
I say if you aren't gonna get out there & learn to write your own apps to make it the phone you want it to be, don't complain. No one held a gun to your head & said buy the phone or else. You bought into the hype. Deal with it.
No one is perfect the first time out the gates. You should have known this if you came from a windows mobile device previously. Microsoft has been at it for how many years & they still haven't gotten all the bugs & kinks out. If you think you can do better than google, I'm all in! Lets see what you got. Till then, buy a phone that doesn't have all the hype you want. Then you won't be setting yourself up for disappointment.
I haven't had any issues with this phone. So you can't save apps to the SD (YET) but that can be fixed. So your battery isn't the best (YET) but that can be fixed. Give it time. You didn't come sprinting out your mothers womb did you? Didn't think so. Let Android learn to crawl before you expect it to run hundred yard dashes
gospeed.racer said:
I guess my point is that tmobile (not Google apparently) released a phone that isnt ready for the general public. It should be in beta still, until the bugs (like a battery that lasts half a day under light use, calls that do not ring through, messages that dont show up, and ringtones that sometimes work and sometimes dont) are fixed. There are many problems with the phone and the OS and if you cant admit that I dont know what to say. If you are happy then fine, but not all of us are. We did NOT sign up for beta testing, if we had then there is no issue.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That is funny... I had all those issues on my wing... guess I should go complain in the herald forums about my beta testing that device too.
I admit it has errors... but that doesn't mean it is the worse phone ever made like you make it out to be.
Yeah go complain at the Herald forums! They'll just tell you that you're an idiot and to unlock your phone and flash a new ROM on it. Oh wait... you can actually do that with a wing and not this pos and it actually ends up being a decent pda. That's the difference... and yes a lot of this anger comes from people with stock RC30. Also, to the dude who wipes his ass with money, lol, a lot of tmo. customers didn't have much of a choice for pdas with 3g. It's not a matter of not having the facts but the expectations were very high for this os and phone seemed to have fallen quite short. I'm not going to repeat what the shortcomings are... for they have been hammered into our skulls enough already but Google basically copied a lot of things from different mobile OS and seem to have forgotten the basics and left them out. They other thing is they won't admit any mistakes were made but simply state that they will be left to 3rd developers. After that, a security update was pushed out that locked root. How will or why should this affect developers? Well, there are several applications that only be used on rooted devices and this number will continue to rise. Several developers have quit trying to port over a few applications because of this and the crappy java layers used on android. And finally, T-mobile, google, and htc all claim that this is an open source device and os. It used to be.... the security flaw was announced on every tech blog and web site so basically google (yes google!) Sent a quick patch to fix it and now open source is dead essentially. I guaranty that root will be locked down on every other android device released next year. I know we will find a way to unlock everything here but it's just bs and you guys know it. Of course, no fanyboys will admit it while having their lips firmly placed on google's ass. It's not open source and it won't be until we unlock root ourselves. And now one can argue with me until the next android device comes out. Yes, it is its infancy but it really seems more like a beta. Just disappointed like many others. It's such a stable OS and has a lot of potential but a lot of basic things have been left out, nothing less or nothing more...
I'm sorry, can you show me where T-mobile and HTC claim the G1/Dream is an "open source device" please? I haven't seen anything from either company stating that the G1 would be open source. Android, on the other hand _is_ open, and while, yes I will agree that it's frustrating that you need to "hack" the device to be able to use it to it's full potential, Google have addressed this by releasing the "dev" handsets. Ultimately, as a previous poster has pointed out no-one forced you into picking up the G1, and as you've discovered, frustration often comes with picking up bleeding edge hardware.
So basically your mad at htc/google/tmobile cuz you neglected to read the specs on their websites? Damn my headlight just went out on my car. I'm gonna go yell at chrystler for not putting a better bulb in it! Your forgetting to realize what I stated before, no one forced you! You can piss & moan all you want but again as I stated before, make your own apps to make it the phone you want it to be! So you want 3g? Why? Cuz its faster? Umm I forgot where htc/google/tmobile said this was a laptop? Can you show me? Cuz last time I checked, it was still a cell phone. 3g is a novelty. I don't live in a 3g area so maybe I'm just speaking on deaf ears. I by no means am a fanboy of htc. If tmobile got that touch blackberry, i'd be all over it like white on rice! Be angry but all your gonna get is white hairs & wrinkles. Its wasted energy. Take a seat & wait for android to grow & then you may speak. Or go out & do it better than google. Make your own os. Let's see how you do your first time out
And as far as the unlocking & flashing, how long did it take for that to be a reality? I wasn't there from the start of windows mobile but I'm pretty sure people weren't able to do that right out the box. It is a skill that needed to be learned, as with Android. Maybe you'll research your device better next time.
so I can write apps that will make me not to miss calls when they dont ring through? Will help battery life? Will keep me from missing messages?
I AM TALKING ABOUT THE ROOT GOOGLE SOFTWARE not just apps. Have you heard me complain about a video recorder? A video player? no, because those CAN BE FIXED. How do we change the way Google maps works? WE dont...Google does.
The OS itself is very nice. Coming from WM6.1 the stability is great. I dont need to reboot daily, constantly shut down programs, etc. I understand that WM has been around forever, I had a tmobile PPC2003, so I have been around this stuff for a bit. Android is new, given time it will get better. But I am missing calls NOW. I am constantly charging my battery NOW. These things are important as it is a "phone" after all. The roadmap addresses NONE of these things, just some multi language support and a keyboard.
I am quite sure that there will be many more replies to how f'd up my thinking is, but I am done. I am at the point where all I can do is repeat myself. Its NOT ready yet, and there are MAJOR things that need fixes.
gospeed.racer said:
so I can write apps that will make me not to miss calls when they dont ring through? Will help battery life? Will keep me from missing messages?
I AM TALKING ABOUT THE ROOT GOOGLE SOFTWARE not just apps. Have you heard me complain about a video recorder? A video player? no, because those CAN BE FIXED. How do we change the way Google maps works? WE dont...Google does.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, you DO fix the problem - you file a bug with google, and if you have the skills, a patch that fixes the problem, if it's all ok, then it'll get accepted into the source and fixed.
The only problem is, that as T-mobile have (I assume) insisted that the G1 is locked, google need to compile the release for you.
please, go read this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_source and, if you can return your G1, I don't think it's the phone you want.

[Request] Chrome to phone-like app for finding phone

Hi guys!
I know there is a way to create a Chrome extension which, when clicked, launches an app on the phone that vibrates the phone and plays a sound file at the loudest volume, so I can find it. Like Chrome to phone but with a different purpose.
This would be a great app for those times when you need to go but just can't find your phone even though you know it is somewhere in the home. With just the press of a button you could hear (or feel, if it's very close to you) where it is! No need to use another phone to call yours or run around the apartment getting all tired and angry!
Personally I would have used it like eight times since I came up with the idea, but I don't know Android programming or HTML (for the extension) so I can't create it myself.
where's my droid
and a couple of other apps already do this. They take a sms message and crank up the volume.
arw01 said:
and a couple of other apps already do this. They take a sms message and crank up the volume.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's great for some people (with unlimited SMS), but unfortunately I haven't got unlimited SMS (nor do I always have access to a second phone. If I did though I would probably call my phone instead as this request is for finding the phone when you know it is somewhere near but don't have the patience to run around and search for it)
The app I want doesn't use SMS messages for launching the app but the Cloud-to-device service introduced with Android 2.2 and at the moment only available to a small but growing number of devices.
I use the Chrome to phone app & ext (code dot google dot com/p/chrometophone) on my Nexus and although it doesn't work every time when it does work it feels like magic!
I thought it would feel as much if not even more like magic if you could use this new service to find your phone with ease. I don't need it to have all the (for some) great features like showing where the phone is on a Google map or wiping important data if it's lost, I've got other apps for that.
I want this app to be as simple as it possibly can be, again like Chrome to phone:
Setting up: Download, Register phone, Be logged into Google account, done!
Use: Be logged into Google account, click extension button, wait a sec, phone rings, done!
Now does anyone here know how to create this app or where to request it to increase the chances of it getting past the idea stage and into something usable? It would surely make my day!

[Q] stop google maps, and keep it dead

Figured this was a general Android app problem. And in case it matters, I'm running an HTC EVO Shift with stock room and rooted.
My problem, and this has been so since day one but its gotten to the point of bugging me too much, is that google maps will constantly run. i can kill it using taskiller, but it'll just come back after a few minutes. and normally with more than one copy. i do use it a lot which is why i don't just flat out delete it off my phone. however, it'll auto run its self without me doing anything.
for example. i can hit the kill all button (i've hidden the system apps) and it'll kill everything off and be fine and dandy. give it about 5 minutes and during which i don't even touch my phone, and when i refresh taskiller, maps is running again and is the only thing running, and their may be more than one copy of it running (aka more than one icon with the name "maps" under it).
so short of uninstalling it, how does one go about making it stop and stay stopped till i run it again? is there some program that's starting it? how do i find and destroy it? And yes i'm fairly certain its not latitude. i've never even run that program once. personally, i'd like to just uninstall it, but don't see it under titanium backup any where's. is it embedded in google maps or something?
When you buy a phone you should 1st do some research about it's OS, how it handles memory and all that. You don't even deserve an answer you know that?
Why are you so obsessed with killing Google Maps?
If your phone works fine I don't see the problem. Android handles process killing by itself when needed. Task killing in Android is a bad reflex. Android doesn't work like WM.
Hello Viper,
I played around with this for a little while, and here is what I came up with for ideas:
1. You have the 'Let Google use my location' enabled. Settings -> Location and security -> Use Wireless networks
2. You have some app that is tied to Google Maps, maybe not Latitude, but something.
I also have Latitude, but I found that if I leave the 'my location' setting unchecked, Google Maps stays away. Once Maps once, though, it is there until I reboot.
p.s. You deserve an answer. I can't figure out why people who don't even have the answer go out of their way to point out that they don't like your question.
If you really want to kill map uninstall it or use titanium backup to freeze it.
purline said:
Hello Viper,
I played around with this for a little while, and here is what I came up with for ideas:
1. You have the 'Let Google use my location' enabled. Settings -> Location and security -> Use Wireless networks
2. You have some app that is tied to Google Maps, maybe not Latitude, but something.
I also have Latitude, but I found that if I leave the 'my location' setting unchecked, Google Maps stays away. Once Maps once, though, it is there until I reboot.
p.s. You deserve an answer. I can't figure out why people who don't even have the answer go out of their way to point out that they don't like your question.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What he said. Had Same problem on my inspire. Latitude killed my battery.
I read from some where that Google Apps use Google Map to check android phone's location.
viperv303 said:
Figured this was a general Android app problem. And in case it matters, I'm running an HTC EVO Shift with stock room and rooted.
My problem, and this has been so since day one but its gotten to the point of bugging me too much, is that google maps will constantly run. i can kill it using taskiller, but it'll just come back after a few minutes. and normally with more than one copy. i do use it a lot which is why i don't just flat out delete it off my phone. however, it'll auto run its self without me doing anything.
for example. i can hit the kill all button (i've hidden the system apps) and it'll kill everything off and be fine and dandy. give it about 5 minutes and during which i don't even touch my phone, and when i refresh taskiller, maps is running again and is the only thing running, and their may be more than one copy of it running (aka more than one icon with the name "maps" under it).
so short of uninstalling it, how does one go about making it stop and stay stopped till i run it again? is there some program that's starting it? how do i find and destroy it? And yes i'm fairly certain its not latitude. i've never even run that program once. personally, i'd like to just uninstall it, but don't see it under titanium backup any where's. is it embedded in google maps or something?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Helo...i am x Android fan boy...there is an option in settings, kill task or process until I start it again manually or something...don't have an Android device anymore so you will have to figure it yourself...anyways...but the option is definitely there, used it myself a few times...
And yes, you DO deserve an answer...people who criticize should be banned IMHO. Anyways...hope I helped...
missparker76 said:
Why are you so obsessed with killing Google Maps?
If your phone works fine I don't see the problem. Android handles process killing by itself when needed. Task killing in Android is a bad reflex. Android doesn't work like WM.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Google Maps can prefetch map data when you're not using the app, so it keeps burning battery power and data in the background.
You can disable prefetching and switch off network location, but then you'd have to switch it back on everytime you need it. In some scenarios killing the maps app makes more sense.
In android you DONT kill apps/process's/services unless there is a problem with the app itself.
There is no point in using a task killer unless you want to waste your battery for some reason. That is why you do not deserve a answer.
Instead of being a jerk, you could have just avoided the thread. And, pretty much, there's no use killing it. If you're rooted, you can use titanium backup to freeze and unfreeze when you want to use it, but apart from that, inorder to avoid problems, just let it be.
Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk
I have latitude and trust me, im feeling the pain lol. Latitude is raping my battery at the expense of keeping my gf happy.
Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk
Go to Settings > Location. Uncheck GPS and wireless networks. It should be good enough to not run constantly. BTW, task killers are bad. Who ever thought it would be a good idea to have on Android is stupid and who ever installs a task killer is stupid too.
Wow...people need to learn how to stop trolling. You dont think they deserve an answer then dont waste your time replying. The title was self explanitory and could have been skipped by the xda gods if they didnt seem fit for their level.
OP, I would keep an eye on the battery use and if you see it there then worry about killing it somehow. If not then it is not doing you any harm. Your not in windows aymore. Lol
Unchecked network location, switched off map prefetching, disabled auto updating, but when I rebooted Google Maps still started all by itself to download a few megabytes of data.
Task killers are a waste of time for most apps, but Google Maps is an exception. Google Maps is really a misbehaving app that needs to be tought who's boss.
i thought this was supposed to be a help site
lvnatic said:
When you buy a phone you should 1st do some research about it's OS, how it handles memory and all that. You don't even deserve an answer you know that?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why do you guys act like asses on here? You were asked a question. If you've no desire to help, keep you mouth shut. I came here looking for the same answer and I find vitriol. And for the record, at night I like to play games and could give a poo about the maps. The maps, however, cause the game to stutter. Pain in the rear. So in conclusion, thanks to those of you trying to help. And the others, regardless of how 'senior' your member may be, can keep you hating to yourselves.
supernugget said:
Why do you guys act like asses on here? You were asked a question. If you've no desire to help, keep you mouth shut. I came here looking for the same answer and I find vitriol. And for the record, at night I like to play games and could give a poo about the maps. The maps, however, cause the game to stutter. Pain in the rear. So in conclusion, thanks to those of you trying to help. And the others, regardless of how 'senior' your member may be, can keep you hating to yourselves.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
amen to that
If the OP doesn't want to use the memory in his phone, that he paid for, could he remove it and send it to me?
I could always use some more!
supernugget said:
Why do you guys act like asses on here? You were asked a question. If you've no desire to help, keep you mouth shut. I came here looking for the same answer and I find vitriol. And for the record, at night I like to play games and could give a poo about the maps. The maps, however, cause the game to stutter. Pain in the rear. So in conclusion, thanks to those of you trying to help. And the others, regardless of how 'senior' your member may be, can keep you hating to yourselves.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I couldnt agree more!!!
Ive noticed in the short time ive been on this forum that theres ALOT of pricks in here, that makes the atmosphere really bad.
Not all are retards just because a question is "stupid"
Actually, there are no such things than stupid questions, if no one asks, no one will ever learn, so please show some respect for the people whos not as superinteligent as you are...
Sorry, had to get it out
I do also notice the battery is draining fast on my Samsung S3, and on top of the consuming list is Google maps, and considerably a lot more than the next one on the list, so i too would love to stop that Google map unless its VERY important for the phone to work normally...

[Q] Why does my lock screen freeze every 6 days?!?!

Hi all ,
I really hope I'm not duplicating here, but I've had a look and it seems like no-one has had this exact problem. Please accept my apologies if there is someone with an absolutely identical problem and I've just not seen it. I have looked on various different forums however, and to no avail.
Background - I got my shiny new HTC Sensation at the end of Oct. Fell in love with it, and Android, quite quickly, as it gave me the customising ability that I could never get from my iPhone.
Issue - Every 6 days since I got it (a pattern I've only just noticed) the lock screen freezes. The ring and shortcuts are there, but no background - just black. No touch input works, but if I call it, it rings and the status bar responds, I just can't get into it. The only way to get to it, is to take the battery out and do a factory reset. This is obviously incredibly annoying as, even tho I have a good backup system, I still need to do all my widgets and shortcuts and blah blah blah. The reason I've only just worked out that it seems to be a 6-daily cycle, is that my provider have already replaced the handset once, and it still does it even on the new one. The latest episode was on Friday night just gone.
Current situation - On the advice of my provider, I am now using my phone without the SD card in it, and without any apps apart from the the stock ones. Then, if it's still running after a week, they told me to put the SD back in, and then get my apps back on in batches of 2 or 3. This is going to be a very lengthy process, and will therefore be a massive inconvenience.
Question - Does anyone have any idea what might be causing this? I'm a total droid noob, but I've read lots of stuff and spoken to a few people and I've come up with the conclusion that it might be an auto task killer that is messing with a process, or it could be something that tries to update every 6 days, but causes a massive conflict somewhere in doing so. I'm really just guessing there, which is why I have come to what seems to be the best source of info on smartphones, to see if any of you guys and gals might have any ideas on this issue.
Thanks so much in advance for any help anyone may be able to throw in my direction.
Mike
a reset wont work? are you ROOTED? or Stock? if anwsered these im sorry its like 48 hour day for me right now and reading and even typing is putting me to sleep,
but back to your problem it could be something updating and causing the issue, if it happens every 6 days, on the 5th day go into phone and turn off background data, this will stop anything that wants to update in background, and see if that stop the problem, then you know it is something that is running that causing the issue
or possible as stated a auto task killer,
what apps do you usually have normally, a list of what you install on your phone can do eliminate of process
Hi ilostchild,
Thanks so much for your response.
In answer to your questions:
Not rooted. I really want to, but because of this issue, have not done so yet. So it's got HTC Sense 3.0, and lots of apps that I have never used and will never use from my provider, Orange.
Here's a list of downloaded apps:
Apps:
Dropbox
Tappin
Evernote
Es File Explorer, Task Manager & Security Manager
AVG antivirus (free)
Viber
Bump
IMDb
Ultimate Guitar tabs (Purchased)
Backup Everything
Dolphin Browser
Tune in Radio (Purchased)
Perfect Keyboard (Purchased)
PowerAMP full (Purchased)
Soundcloud
Zedge (I have "auto change wallpaper" option on)
ebay + paypal
MX Video player
Kindle
Skitch
uTorrent Remote
App2SD
Applist Backup
Various google apps (goggles, night sky, g+ etc)
Games:
Contract Killer
Drag Racing
Non market games:
Gameloft - Asphalt 6 Adrenaline; N.O.V.A. 2; Eternal Legacy
I think that's everything.
So, at the moment I am using my phone without the SD card, on the advice of my provider, to see if it is the SD card that is causing the issue. Could it be the SD card that is causing the problem? It doesn't make much sense to me as I can't see how a corrupt or problematic card would be causing such a time-related issue. However, as I said in my first post, I am an Android noob, so I'm not basing that assumption on anything apart from what I know about PCs.
One thought I did have, was that it may be my Zedge app. I had it installed on both the original handset and the recent replacement one. Plus, I had it set to an hourly wallpaper auto-change, and when the phone freezes, there is no wallpaper visible on the lock screen. Again, that is purely guesswork.
I hope that info is useful for you. And thanks again for taking the time to answer my post.
If you need any other info I will be more than happy to provide it.
It could possibly be that app zedge, ans no can't be sdcard if it was it would fail on the spot , also could be avg virus scanner , I suggest clearing phone and just installing zedge and see by sixth day, if it doesn't try avg, I only can see those 2 causing the problem
Thanks again for your help.
I'll try your suggestions. It's good to know it's not the SD card. I can start taking pictures again!
I wouldn't say it was avg I got it on my senny and its ok try the other app 1st how often does it change ur wallpaper and how many are there
Sent from my HTC Sensation Z710e with beats mod using XDA App
boroboy69r said:
I wouldn't say it was avg I got it on my senny and its ok try the other app 1st how often does it change ur wallpaper and how many are there
Sent from my HTC Sensation Z710e with beats mod using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Evenin' squire,
Thanks for your input.
I have it set to one hour intervals (I bore easily!) and there are probably about 20 wallpapers that it cycles through. I'll give a go for a while without that app - although I've had a look for any known issues with it and I can't find any that are similar to my issue. I guess it could be a conflict with something else and I'm just unlucky enough to have the exact config of apps that creates that particular problem!
Thanks again mate.
Im not a dev, but i thought of this, what you could do is when it freezes up you can plug it in computer and get a logcat, maybe someone who can read it will know what happen
ilostchild said:
Im not a dev, but i thought of this, what you could do is when it freezes up you can plug it in computer and get a logcat, maybe someone who can read it will know what happen
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That sounds like a really good plan, only problem is, I have no idea how to do it.
What do i do after plugging it in? Do i need any software on my PC?
Sent from my HTC Sensation Z710e using xda premium
adb/fastboot/sdk installed, and when it happens just plug phone to computer,
go to adb directory(unless you have it set in windows enviroment)
and do adb logcat and it will output bunch of stuff and copy and paste it here
Thanks man.
Well, I'm on day 8 now with no issues (really hopeni haven't jinxed it now!).
I haven't re-installed Zedge or the avg antivirus and I've kept auto-sync off.
I will come back if it happens again, but in the meantime, thanks so much for your help with this. It's so good to know that there are actually people out there who don't mind helping out a fellow human.
Sent from my HTC Sensation Z710e using xda premium
Np, man glad to see it working, i suggest try it with auto-sync now without the app
see what happens, but glad its working good for you

with Nexus 5 & new to Android Ecosystem, need suggestion

With a heavy heart i have to keep my SEx1 aside and have entered to Android Ecosystem.
I'm a customized freak & made my X1 ROM super stable with my super minimalistic custom rom's, im still going to use that as my primary portable music gear, but for rest of the things Google Nexus 5 is the new companion.
Kitkat is whole new world for me, used gingerbread a a little bit but both are poles apart. hence need some suggestion to keep myself educated with latest trends and tech. Please ignore my noobe-tagged question. So here i start:
No Lollipop ? ?
As broadcasted nexus devices should be the first one to get Android 5.0, Lollipop.
Im yet to get any update & currently running 4.4.4. Any words on when could i expect Lollipop upgrade in my device.
[I don't want to root/ flash until my device is out of warranty].
Contact Backup & Google sync:
a) When starting the device for first time, it prompted me to use google account credential, i did, and it dumped all thousands of my gmail contact in phonebook. Too bad. i have manually deleted all of them from phonebook. and switched-off auto sync.
b) it refused to sync my contact form X1, which was back uped in outlook under win7. Found an alternative, transfered all my contact via bluetooth to nexus 5 and imported them one-by-one. Again when importing in batches, it gives error, which is kind of helpful for me. I only imported selected contact and not the obsolete 8 yrs old contacts
Now the question: How my Sync my contacts without downloading email-contact from gmail. Another gmail account doesn't seems to be ideal as i use email, calendar, drive from this mail. Please suggest.
Customization:
a) I like to keep my phone at minimals. used mycolorscreen- Themer for few days, which let me customize to what i want till great extent. but its getting corrupt by it own at random times, spoiling my widgets location & functionalities and sometime replacing wallpaper with "black" and have uninstalled it now.
Do we have anything similar to HTC / touchflow full screen animated weather for android? roa any alternative to themer which let me customize N5?
b) Lockscreen customization like changing the background according to themer wallpaper and add few information like battery level, weather, etc. I goggled DashClock please let me know what you guys think about it or any other recommendation.
Few App recommendation
Fitness tracker : currently using Pedometer by j4velin, which is good, but it doesn't give me much control, no difference in distance covered if you running or walking, no actual track of distance covered as it derived from the stride length we enter in the setting. Any recommendation in this please ? should i try Google fit app ?
Pulse Light Controller N5 seriously missing "things" in this department, apart from default white glow of unleaded sms, i never noticed any other indication. they should have provided a notification for low-battery and missed call. Currently using Light Flow but i hate its presence always in my notification area. what's XDA's thoughts in this please? I dont need anything with bells and whistles, just a minimal app which show me red light when my battery is low & some other-then-white-color from unreaded SMS & missed calls.
Vibrate on call connect Got ExDailer but im clueless how to make it the default dialer. Also i liked the stock dialer is there any way to make it vibrate when a call connects, i have to install 3rd party app on my phone
Cache cleaner
as im playing installing, uninstalling lots of stuffs these in these experimenal days what would be a recommended app for this, if its mandatory. have used this bloatware Clean Master in my X10i earlier which killed the phone in multiple ways. any other recommendation please, i just want to clean junk files and do not want any antivirus and gold plating.
Thanks in advance.
- bump -
netant said:
No Lollipop ? ?
As broadcasted nexus devices should be the first one to get Android 5.0, Lollipop.
Im yet to get any update & currently running 4.4.4. Any words on when could i expect Lollipop upgrade in my device.
[I don't want to root/ flash until my device is out of warranty].
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OTAs are a rollout. They don't give it to everyone at the same time.
You can sideload the OTA instead of waiting, and you don't have to unlock the bootloader for that.
There is also no point in "keeping warranty" since the only way to tell is if you have bootloader unlocked/or tamper flag is left triggered. Bootloader is easily re-locked and the tamper flag isn't that big of a deal to reset unlike on many other devices (you can do it with apps lol..). There is no other way to tell unless you blatantly have modified software. Of course, if the device was defective to the point where it doesn't boot up, then the bootloader/tamper flag/any sort of software doesn't even matter anyways. Also, if you bought from the Play Store, Google will even let you send it in with a custom ROM and kernel if you wanted to.
netant said:
Contact Backup & Google sync:
a) When starting the device for first time, it prompted me to use google account credential, i did, and it dumped all thousands of my gmail contact in phonebook. Too bad. i have manually deleted all of them from phonebook. and switched-off auto sync.
b) it refused to sync my contact form X1, which was back uped in outlook under win7. Found an alternative, transfered all my contact via bluetooth to nexus 5 and imported them one-by-one. Again when importing in batches, it gives error, which is kind of helpful for me. I only imported selected contact and not the obsolete 8 yrs old contacts
Now the question: How my Sync my contacts without downloading email-contact from gmail. Another gmail account doesn't seems to be ideal as i use email, calendar, drive from this mail. Please suggest.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Mass delete your obsolete contacts from gmail: https://www.google.com/contacts/ then sync them afterwards.
netant said:
Customization:
a) I like to keep my phone at minimals. used mycolorscreen- Themer for few days, which let me customize to what i want till great extent. but its getting corrupt by it own at random times, spoiling my widgets location & functionalities and sometime replacing wallpaper with "black" and have uninstalled it now.
Do we have anything similar to HTC / touchflow full screen animated weather for android? roa any alternative to themer which let me customize N5?
b) Lockscreen customization like changing the background according to themer wallpaper and add few information like battery level, weather, etc. I goggled DashClock please let me know what you guys think about it or any other recommendation.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just look at the Themes and Apps section, there is also a stickied homescreen thread.
netant said:
Few App recommendation
Fitness tracker : currently using Pedometer by j4velin, which is good, but it doesn't give me much control, no difference in distance covered if you running or walking, no actual track of distance covered as it derived from the stride length we enter in the setting. Any recommendation in this please ? should i try Google fit app ?
Pulse Light Controller N5 seriously missing "things" in this department, apart from default white glow of unleaded sms, i never noticed any other indication. they should have provided a notification for low-battery and missed call. Currently using Light Flow but i hate its presence always in my notification area. what's XDA's thoughts in this please? I dont need anything with bells and whistles, just a minimal app which show me red light when my battery is low & some other-then-white-color from unreaded SMS & missed calls.
Vibrate on call connect Got ExDailer but im clueless how to make it the default dialer. Also i liked the stock dialer is there any way to make it vibrate when a call connects, i have to install 3rd party app on my phone
Cache cleaner
as im playing installing, uninstalling lots of stuffs these in these experimenal days what would be a recommended app for this, if its mandatory. have used this bloatware Clean Master in my X10i earlier which killed the phone in multiple ways. any other recommendation please, i just want to clean junk files and do not want any antivirus and gold plating.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't use fitness trackers so I can't say anything about them. The Nexus 5 has a hardware pedometer rather than using sensors like accelerometer/gps/etc to determine steps, which saves a LOT of battery but obviously can't determine distance.
There are a multilude of LED apps.
Cache cleaners are useless since you can wipe cache in recovery anyways, including stock recovery. If you mean for cleaning in general, I don't use anything myself as I don't find it any necessary, but some others do.
netant said:
hence need some suggestion to keep myself educated with latest trends and tech.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are far as this is concerned, there really isn't any big thing with the Nexus 5 that would not be applicable to other phones. Just read around the forums to see if anything piques your interest.
Thanks for the reply.
I will wait some more time for official OTA update, in the meantime exploring the device. once i done i will do a factory reset anyways
contact things is easier to manage in Gmail interface, thanks for pointing out. Took hours to clean all the contact, but feel good after housecleaning

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