Hi there,
first off, sorry if this is in the right forum. Please move it to the right one in that case.
Then:
I originally posted this in the Apex Launcher thread but some users pointed out (correctly) that this is probably an idea that should deserve its own app and is not limited to Apex alone. Here goes:
Android has the great ability that you can change launchers quite freely, allowing you to change the look and feel of the main GUI with a few clicks. Unfortunately, every launcher has a different way to store their settings and when you switch to a new one, you will lose the settings from the old one. I personally switched from GO Launcher EX to Nova Launcher when I upgraded my Desire to ICS but would now like to switch to Apex - but after taking all the time and effort to recreate half a dozen of folders with 50+ apps sorted, I don't feel like doing that again.
My idea would thus be to have an app that can detect a backup you made with one launcher (almost all of them allow backups these days) and convert it to the backup-format of another launcher, allowing the user to import it into the new launcher. That way stuff like folders and settings could be transferred, allowing people to switch launchers more easily.
I'm not a dev, so I have no idea whether this is possible and if so, how hard it would be to develop it, but I wanted to request it here in case someone might be able to do it.
TIA
SoWhy
Nova-Launcher already does it!
Even if this is an older request: I would also appreciate, if there would be an app which can do that. And: In general this conversion is for sure possible. The Nova-Launcher already has this function of transferring already implemented. But it would be better, if there's an independant app for this, 'cause at the moment it's only "one way", from another launcher to Nova, but not the other way round.
Related
Hi all,
I'm currently using LauncherPro and I was wondering if the stock launcher still runs in the background when LauncherPro is active, or if it's completely shut down.
Basically, I'm trying to find out if the stock launcher would take up any RAM/CPU when you're running a different launcher on top.
Thanks
/Mot
anyone?
/Mot
Interesting question. I think the easiest way to get an answer to this, is simply to ask one of the creators of the home screen replacements apps. I'll try to get in touch with them and get back as soon as I can.
swipee said:
Interesting question. I think the easiest way to get an answer to this, is simply to ask one of the creators of the home screen replacements apps. I'll try to get in touch with them and get back as soon as I can.
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Click to collapse
Thanks swipee
In the mean time, it can't hurt to remove all widgets and things from the stock launcher homescreens. This way it won't use resources.
OrganizedFellow said:
In the mean time, it can't hurt to remove all widgets and things from the stock launcher homescreens. This way it won't use resources.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
not a bad tip
I'm pretty sure it doesn't.
Even if it does it would get killed after residing in memory long enough.
There can only be one default launcher and you'll notice if you switch between launchers, each time you do the launcher you load has to redraw everything on the home screen. Thus it's not residing in memory.
Heck, the default launchers don't stay in memory very long without some tweeks so I can say with confidence that launchers not actively running aren't gonna be taking up resources.
That's my observation as well, but I'm no expert
Sent from my GT-I9000 using XDA App
It's not used unless it is called, typically by another app using an intent, or it's set as your default launcher.
So, if it's not set as your default launcher the only resources it consumes is storage space EXCEPT until it is called by another app. For example, the stock launcher has a wallpaper picker intent so when you open the wallpaper picker it will "launch" that function (not the whole app) of the stock launcher because the stock launcher is registered (in androidmanifest.xml) to respond to such calls.
In reality it will sit idle for most of the time and use a tiny amount of resource if it's needed. It would be a measurable use of resources but probably not perceptible to a human.
Guys, I don't know if that also has happened with your kindles, but there's no way to create a folder on my ADW.
No way at all!
When I was using Go launcher EX I could create folders easily, but with ADW it just doesn't work.
Someone is having the same problem? any workarounds?
No, it doesn't work (and ADW Launcher hasn't been updated in a while so I'm not sure if there is a new version in development or not). It's the same with shortcuts and custom shortcuts too. It's a pain, as I quite like folders, but I'm just sitting patiently for CM7, and then at that point, I probably won't care!
lol I just posted a similar problem with apps that use folders. Did you have this problem before the update?
Sent from my Kindle Fire using Tapatalk
SikYou said:
lol I just posted a similar problem with apps that use folders. Did you have this problem before the update?
Sent from my Kindle Fire using Tapatalk
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Yeah, this has been a problem since day 1. Doesn't seem to be just ADW either, Go Launcher Ex has the same problem. Clearly something in the KF stock ROM that disables these things.
I also started a post about the creation of shortcuts ("Car Home") and the lack of the OS recognizing that when I click "Add shortcut" it should give me a list of applications.
I suppose this is related to the lack of being able to create folders. There has to be a way to fix this without resorting to going to CM7. I'd like to be able to keep the Amazon functionality with the vanilla OS feel.
MinionOfEckerd said:
I also started a post about the creation of shortcuts ("Car Home") and the lack of the OS recognizing that when I click "Add shortcut" it should give me a list of applications.
I suppose this is related to the lack of being able to create folders. There has to be a way to fix this without resorting to going to CM7. I'd like to be able to keep the Amazon functionality with the vanilla OS feel.
Click to expand...
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I'm suspect it's buried deep in the kernel somewhere, and I'm not sure it would be any easy fix. I could be wrong, but bearing it mind it doesn't provide any errors, Amazon must have disabled it as part of providing their custom UI.
I'm with you though, I quite like the overall feel and coloring of the Amazon interface, and it's pretty damn functional with a Launcher enabled despite the minor issues such as this.
For some reason, when I was using Go launcher I was able to create the folders, but not shortcuts. Its really strange...
I side-loaded the ADW apk 1.3.6 but it doesn't seem to work on my Kindle. I know this is off-topic but I was hoping someone could tell me which version is best on the Kindle. Every time I go to install it and open it says the ADW.Launcher stopped unexpectedly :/
ADW 1.3.3.1 is the one I'm using
JvictorSS said:
ADW 1.3.3.1 is the one I'm using
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Click to collapse
Thanks! I d/l it and this version works great. Thank you!
_https://market.android.com/details?id=com.th.android.widget.SiMiFolder&hl=en
Simi Folder Widget has got you covered
true, and it works even though the market says its incompatible.
I was able to create folders in Go Launcher, but only by putting icons on top of each other. You have to be really precise though or the icons just move out of the way. Huge pain, took me a couple minutes for EACH folder I made. Haven't found a way to do this in ADW yet...
Hey Guys,
the new update for ADW solved the issue, besides ADW feels a little bit faster on my kindle.
BTW, folders can only be created by putting icons on top of each other, just like we do using Go Launcher.
As a new member of XDA, I would like to begin by thanking all of the devs for their great work, as well as all others for their advice and knowledge. Whenever I have problems with my phone or something I want to get done, I have learned that the great people of XDA always have an answer.
But now, on to my request: I'm sure many of you have seen the sphere transition that launchers such as GO Launcher EX have for their app drawers. I think it would be a great idea for someone to evolve this idea, and transform this sphere effect into full app drawer (preferably in the format of a standalone app, so that it may be used in any launcher). I imagine this would be fairly simple for someone to make, but quite frankly, I have no knowledge of programming and could not begin to undertake this task myself.
I imagine the app drawer would function much like the transition in GO Launcher EX does, but would not revert to the flat pages of the app drawer. Curiously enough, in GO Launcher, the transition can be rotated fully as long as you don't let go of the screen. This told me that it must be possible for someone to make this the actual UI for an app drawer, rather than just a transitional effect. In my opinion, this could be a versatile and modern interface, not to mention it being very classy in appearance. Thank you in advance for any help you guys may be able to offer.
Here is a link to a quick video I made, demonstrating how GO Launcher EX's sphere app can be rotated fully (the launcher is free on the market if you want to experiment with it on your own). Shouldn't this be able to be ported into a standalone app that STAYS a sphere? (Sadly this is my first post, so using a picture of the link as a workaround will have to do for now... Sorry!)
What he said.
No one has any idea how to get this option without Go Launcher? I'm surprised I've been trying to find any way to do this on my Nova pro launcher and can't find anything anywhere even about it really. I guess it must not be possible. It would be the nicest look though for sure.
I was wondering if there was a way to get all widgets to be availible on an non-stock launcher. I am using the Nova Prime launcher, and widgets for Samsung's S-Planner are not showing up in the list of available widgets. Anybody know a way to get full access to all my widgets, on this launcher (I don't have any plans to switch to another launcher)?
(The device is unrooted, if that's relevant.)
If you figure anything out please feel free to share, I've been trying to get my ****ing swidgets to work with now for a long time
Sent from my GT-N8010 using xda app-developers app
I believe they only work on the touchwiz launcher, even if you have touchwiz installed.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda app-developers app
I guess our best bet, is for all of us to keep messaging Samsung, until they recognize that enough people want this capability, that they should work at getting it to happen. Another, that comes to mind, is to seek out a ROM, that could allow that compatibility.
For immediate purposes, I imagine that some app developer(s) have discovered this royal pain of incompatibility, and was smart enough to realize that:
A) Very few people actually keep the launcher on their devices as stock
B) Samsung is undisputed as the current most popular Android-device manufacturer, with the highest number of users & sales,
So they released what would pretty much be a clone of these Samsung apps, but with more universal compatibility to other apps. I will browse the market when I have the time. I will, and ask that other users do as well, post the best/most similar/user-friendly/useful/blah of these finding.
otherwise, we may have to set the stupid touchwiz as our default (if we prefer and wish to regularly utilize Samsung's S-planner & other launcher-picky S-widgets) and have the touchwiz default homepages remain relatively uncluttered, except for these widgets, obviously. Then put in an app icon to switch to the launcher you actually prefer most.
OR
I just did a search in the google app market for "launcher switcher". There seems to be a semi-decent number of apps to help make it easy to toggle between the use of 2+ different launchers. Again, no time for me to test them out at the moment. Will also try to report back with anything promising... this is getting to be an annoying obstacle. lol.
If, like me, you mostly just want to be able to be able to keep on top of your S-planner to-do's, & don't have a great need for that apps menu that pops out of the side when you take out your S-pen, then change the s-pen settings, so that S-planner appears whenever the pen is detached.
I just remembered I could change it. for me this is GREAT because I never used that pen-apps popup. Also, I have really bad A.D.D., alongside O.C.D. . The result is that I constantly do ocd things, like put a lot of time into making detailed lists of things to do for the day, and set a stopwatch counter to track how long a task takes me to finish, but then I Always get distracted to the point, that All the time i put into countless overboard ocd attempts to keep on top of things, become completely worthless, because I have great difficulty keeping up any platform consistently. I feel like Sisyphus, rolling the giant bolder up the hill, and having it always roll back down. Anyways, on my Note tablet, I use the S-Pen more often than I use my finger, so for me, This works well.
Tablet_JF said:
Also, I have really bad A.D.D., alongside O.C.D. . ...
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I guess we all are to some extent or we wouldn't be on this forum reading things like this...
Hello,
Does anyone know of a HomeScreen/Launcher app that is similar to "For 2.2+, Tag Home(Launcher)" that is compatible with Android 4.2+ ?
Namely, the categorised app drawer.
I used TagHome on my Nexus One for four years and loved it, but it's not compatible with SGS4/Android 4.2+.
I have done a lot of searching and experimenting, the only one I could find that comes close is "ADWLauncher EX".
But the setup and maintenance of app's categories is horrible compared to the simplicity of TagHome.
***
To clarify the setup, in TagHome you go: edit mode, select an app then choose it's category.
Where as in ADWex, you go: edit mode, select a category then choose all the apps that belong to it.
***
It might not seem like a big deal but it means the difference between scrolling through and scrutinising all your apps only once or many, many times.
Also, after the initial setup, when new apps are installed, there is no having to search for them among all apps in order to categorise them.
I have tried contacting the developers of both apps. No response from either.
But ADW did add an uncategorised tab, though it's pointless with the above described setup/edit mode they use.
I have a very large collection of apps and games and I like trying out new ones regularly. Being able to categorise my apps is important to me.
I'd love to hear any advice.
Thanks in advance.
Aussie Cheers,
Puppet Test Pilot
PS sorry if this post is in the wrong thread, admins feel free to move it.
Make me a Launcher like TakHome?
Me again..
I came across this "[HOW TO] Create your own Android Launcher (Video Series)" but its way beyond my abilities.
Would I be asking too much for someone here to please make me a Launcher like TagHome for Android 4.2+ ?
Kind regards,
Puppet Test Pilot
anyone?
puppettestpilot said:
anyone?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Its kinda differet, but SmartLauncher is really great and amazingly fast
Or give Nova Launcher a try. Provides creating own app categories/tabs
Go launcher ex does that automatically.
Thank you LS.xD and Kobro, I'll check-out these three launchers and let you know what I think.
Cheers
Ok so I've played around with all three for an hour or so and I think I like Go Launcher EX, its really easy to categorise apps.
Smart Launcher was good but adding and changing categories is only available in Pro version.
Nova Launcher has no categories except in Pro version.
Thanks again