Related
If you purchased your phone in the last three weeks and from this date onwards (Feb 8), you have the latest 6.39 US rom preinstalled. (Currently being rolled out for older devices through the OTA).
This means that you have a high likelihood of bricking your device if you attempt to flash a non US rom – or probably any rom.
This is my experience so I decided to post this thread in this section (despite grumblings) as a caution.
After a heroic 24 hour effort last week, I gave up on trying to unbrick my last device and this time (last night) decided to take the safer road and see if the updated rom could at least still be rooted….
As mentioned elsewhere, it still can be rooted using superoneclick (run from the pc – instructions in other threads)
I’ve attached the file that worked for me below, and will briefly describe the route I’ve followed this morning to get to a smoothly running, rooted Defy that still runs 2.1 but cleanly bypasses blur and looks and feels good:
• Root using the file below or find it in other threads – there are a few versions to choose from.
• Install Tenfar’s recovery (big thanks!), found elsewhere or attached below. (Again there are a few versions to choose from including a newer version from tenfar but the one attached below worked for me)
• Make a backup using recovery – remembering that it always has to be run from the recovery app and can’t be booted into from a switched off state or battery pull – (power on volume down) This is at the core of the locked boot loader issue - correct me someone if I’m wrong.
Once backed up you can set about downloading app remover/freezers, overclock apps (setcpu) and an alternate launcher – ADW. (Aside from a bunch of other apps that require root and are lotsa fun!)
My approach to the bloatware:
I first tried freezing apps one by one (deleting/removing them will affect your ability to get future OTAs smoothly without restoring the original backup so instead unfreeze them later)
…but froze one too many – bluraccount app and got froze out of the phone interface (Blank screen - not having any way to run the functions/apps or change settings, and a factory wipe/restore or using the stock recovery didn’t fix this by the way) and four hours later found a backdoor to reinstalling recovery and restoring the backup – sweaty work believe me.
(How to: By multi tapping the home button it opened up the internet app – then navigated to a link to the online “appbrain” app and clicked a link there to download directly from the market. This then automatically opened up the market app on the phone which was otherwise unavailable by any other means. Once the market app was opened, I downloaded, installed and immediately clicked to open linda file manager then used it to navigate to the SD card to find the recovery app mentioned above, clicked to reinstall which opened the install dialogue, I then chose to open it because it was already installed and chose to boot into recovery from where I restored the earlier backup - voila! All better)
I decided then to only remove non moto/blur related apps and install ADW free and basically take the blur interface out of the equation while getting a visual upgrade.
While this approach leaves the blur account sync and other blur related apps intact, if you have the updated rom, you’ll know that it’s fast and smooth anyway, making this a workable compromise because the blur interface/launcher is basically the other half of their annoying equation.
I chose not to permanently overclock to protect the phone long term and also preserve battery life, but it does give it an immediate kick!
Once ADW and some free themes are downloaded from the market, it’s accessed by going into any area or menu of the phone, say settings, then clicking the home soft key.
This opens a dialogue asking how you’d like to execute this command, ADW or Home (blur) - click the box saying remember choice (make default) – note the instructions on how to undo this choice later and say goodbye to blur baby!
To access ADW settings – because you’re now looking at a different desktop/home screen (for want of a better term) – click the menu soft key (bottom, far left) and choose ADW settings.
From here you can change all manner of launcher (phone interface) settings:
How many icons around the app drawer button, how fast it opens, making it 3D and transparent (sorry you’re going to have to figure this out for yourself – OK, ADW settings, drawer settings, zoom effect speed 100 – background color – move the alpha slider to the far left then click in the middle of the color wheel) themes, how many rows of apps, auto hiding the task bar, and on and on.
Basically a smooth running visual overhaul to add to the rooted, free to do whatever you want device.
And for those of you who are concerned about still running éclair (2.1) – I’d say that once you’ve basically achieved a 2.3 (gingerbread) visual experience with ADW, have disappeared blur for all intents and purposes, have a device that runs smoothly (and let’s face it it’s a defy) you basically won’t miss the little extra’s that come with froyo and if you really do – just hang in there for the upgrade.
It’s gotta come sometime.
Peace out
NOTE: THIS IS AN UNINTENTIONAL DUPLICATION OF THE EARLIER POST.
If you purchased your phone in the last three weeks and from this date onwards (Feb 8), you have the latest 6.39 US rom preinstalled. (Currently being rolled out for older devices through the OTA).
This means that you have a high likelihood of bricking your device if you attempt to flash a non US rom – or possibly any rom.
This is my experience so I decided to post this thread in this section, as a caution.
After a heroic 24 hour effort last week, I gave up on trying to unbrick my last device and this time (last night) decided to take the safer road and see if the updated rom could at least still be rooted….
As mentioned elsewhere, it still can be rooted using superoneclick (run from the pc – instructions in other threads)
I’ve attached the file that worked for me below, and will briefly describe the route I’ve followed this morning to get to a smoothly running, rooted Defy that still runs 2.1 but cleanly bypasses blur and looks and feels good:
• Root using the file below or find it in other threads – there are a few versions to choose from.
• Install Tenfar’s recovery (big thanks!), found elsewhere or attached below. (Again there are a few versions to choose from including a newer version from tenfar but the one attached below worked for me)
• Make a backup using recovery – remembering that it always has to be run from the recovery app and can’t be booted into from a switched off state or battery pull – (power on volume down) This is at the core of the locked boot loader issue - correct me someone if I’m wrong.
Once backed up you can set about downloading app remover/freezers, overclock apps (setcpu) and an alternate launcher – ADW. (Aside from a bunch of other apps that require root and are lotsa fun!)
My approach to the bloatware:
I first tried freezing apps one by one (deleting/removing them will affect your ability to get future OTAs smoothly without restoring the original backup so instead unfreeze them later)
…but froze one too many – bluraccount app and got froze out of the phone interface (Blank screen - not having any way to run the functions/apps or change settings, and a factory wipe/restore or using the stock recovery didn’t fix this by the way) and four hours later found a backdoor to reinstalling recovery and restoring the backup – sweaty work believe me.
(How to: By multi tapping the home button it opened up the internet app – then navigated to a link to the online “appbrain” app and clicked a link there to download directly from the market. This then automatically opened up the market app on the phone which was otherwise unavailable by any other means. Once the market app was opened, I downloaded, installed and immediately clicked to open linda file manager then used it to navigate to the SD card to find the recovery app mentioned above, clicked to reinstall which opened the install dialogue, I then chose to open it because it was already installed and chose to boot into recovery from where I restored the earlier backup - voila! All better)
I decided then to only remove non moto/blur related apps and install ADW free and basically take the blur interface out of the equation while getting a visual upgrade.
While this approach leaves the blur account sync and other blur related apps intact, if you have the updated rom, you’ll know that it’s fast and smooth anyway, making this a workable compromise because the blur interface/launcher is basically the other half of their annoying equation.
I chose not to permanently overclock to protect the phone long term and also preserve battery life, but it does give it an immediate kick!
Once ADW and some free themes are downloaded from the market, it’s accessed by going into any area or menu of the phone, say settings, then clicking the home soft key.
This opens a dialogue asking how you’d like to execute this command, ADW or Home (blur) - click the box saying remember choice (make default) – note the instructions on how to undo this choice later and say goodbye to blur baby!
To access ADW settings – because you’re now looking at a different desktop/home screen (for want of a better term) – click the menu soft key (bottom, far left) and choose ADW settings.
From here you can change all manner of launcher (phone interface) settings:
How many icons around the app drawer button, how fast it opens, making it 3D and transparent (sorry you’re going to have to figure this out for yourself – OK, ADW settings, drawer settings, zoom effect speed 100 – background color – move the alpha slider to the far left then click in the middle of the color wheel) themes, how many rows of apps, auto hiding the task bar, and on and on.
Basically a smooth running visual overhaul to add to the rooted, free to do whatever you want device.
And for those of you who are concerned about still running éclair (2.1) – I’d say that once you’ve basically achieved a 2.3 (gingerbread) visual experience with ADW, have disappeared blur for all intents and purposes, have a device that runs smoothly (and let’s face it it’s a defy) you basically won’t miss the little extra’s that come with froyo and if you really do – just hang in there for the upgrade.
It’s gotta come sometime.
Peace out
Avoid task killers
It is best to avoid task killers such as Advanced Task Killer. Android is designed to automatically pre-load certain applications, even if you don't load them yourself. If it starts to run low on memory, it will smartly unload the oldest running apps automatically.
Manually killing tasks will only mean they get loaded in memory again. Task killers can make the phone slow, laggy, or drain battery life more quickly.
Bookmark a contact on your homescreen
To bookmark a contact on your homescreen, long press on the home screen background and select Shortcuts. Then select Direct dial.
If you call someone regularly this can be useful as you will have a shortcut to them handily placed on your homescreen
Bookmark a web page on your homescreen
To bookmark a website on your homescreen, go into your browser and find the bookmark of the page you want to create a shortcut for.
Then long press on the bookmark and select Add Shortcut to Home.
If you regularly visit certain websites, this can be handy as you will have a shortcut to the site on your homescreen.
Create folders to tidy your Apps
If you find yourself with too many Apps on the homescreen, then you can create folders to organise them.
To start, simply press and hold on an App and drag it over the top of another App. The App should change colour/shape. Then release your finger and the two Apps will be combined into a folder.
You can then drag more Apps into this folder using the same process.
To give your folder a label, simply long press on the folder and you will be able to enter a name.
Double tap for a full stop (period)
While typing emails or notes, you can simply tap the space key twice and the phone will insert a full stop / period
Install new keyboard to improve accuracy
The standard Android keyboard is good, but not great. There are many third party keyboards available which will improve your typing speed and accuracy.
Go to the Android Market and search for 'Keyboard' to see some great alternatives, many of which are more accurate and make typing much easier.
A good one is GoKeyboard.
If you see a warning saying the keyboard will collect all information (including credit cards) just ignore this. This is just a security feature that Android shows for every third-party keyboard that you install.
Accents and special characters
If you want to type non-English letters (eg those with an accent), long-press on the relevant letter. A list of options will appear for you to select.
Access the scientific calculator
To access the scientific calculator, rotate the phone to landscape mode.
The calculator will change to a scientific one
Add email or phone number from text
To add an email or phone number to your contacts from a text message, you can long-press on the email / phone number. Then select Add to contacts
Add widget to the homescreen
To add a widget, go to the homescreen and press the Apps icon (the circle with 6 dots). Then you will see a list of your Apps with the word Apps and Widgets at the top. Press Widgets, then you will be presented with a list of available widgets.
To add a widget, press and hold on it and then position it where you want
Android Easter egg
There is an Easter egg hidden in the Android operating system. To see it, go to your Homescreen, then press Menu - Settings - About phone.
Then tap on the Android version option 5 times and you will get a surprise.
Sometimes it doesn't work, so try a couple of times. By the way don't expect to see an actual Easter Egg. That is just the name given to things hidden inside software or operating systems.
Auto focus the camera
When taking photos or videos, tap the screen where you want to focus on. The phone will automatically adjust the settings to improve the image or video
Bring up more predicted words
If you have word prediction enabled while you are typing, you can long press the middle word that is suggested. This will bring up a menu allowing you to select various other suggested words.
Browse websites in full-screen mode
If you want to browse in full screen mode, without the URL bar at the top of the browser, then you can enable this..
Open the standard browser and press Menu - Settings - Labs. Then put a check mark under Full Screen .
To get access to the browser options (that are now invisible), there is now a neat hidden menu. Slide your finger in from the left or right of the screen. A circular menu will appear with various options.
Capture a still shot while recording video
To capture a still shot while recording a video, simply tap the screen while you are recording.
This will save a still image.
Change keyboards
To change keyboards (if you have additional keyboards installed), you can switch between them by pressing the small keyboard symbol in the top left of your screen. You will need to be in keyboard input mode (i.e. typing something) for this to work.
Note: you need to have more than one keyboard installed for this to work
Change quick response texts
The phone has the ability to send quick response text messages if your phone is ringing but you can't answer it.
To change these, go to your Dialer App - Settings - Quick responses. You can only have 4 of them and you may need to edit existing ones.
Change the backlight screen timeout
To change the backlight screen timeout, go to Settings - Display - Screen. Then choose the screen time out duration.
You can also tell the phone screen to always stay lit when it is plugged in via USB. Go to Settings - Developer Options. Then check Stay Awake.
Change the screen brightness
To change the screen brightness, start from the Homescreen and press Menu - Settings - Display - Brightness.
Then choose the desired brightness setting. You can also select Automatic brightness to let the phone decide for you.
If you have auto-brightness enabled, you can also press, hold and slide the top notification bar left and right. The brightness will increase and decrease accordingly.
Check phone status and battery usage
To find out information about Signal Strength, Network Information, Remaining Battery Time and Battery Usage (by Application), go to your Homescreen - Menu - Settings - About Phone.
Check the firmware version
To check your firmware version, start from the Homescreen and press Menu - Settings - About Phone- software version
This should list your Android version, Build number and Model Number.
Copy files between your phone and PC using WiFi
To copy files between your phone and PC, go to the Android Play Market and download an app called AirDroid.
This is an extremely useful App that connects your phone to your PC wirelessly, allowing you to move files and many, many other things.
Copying iTunes songs to Android
If you have decided to ditch your iPhone in favour of Android, then there is a simple way to take your iTunes music, playlists and album art with you.
Simply go the Android Marketplace and download a Free App called Easy Phone Tunes. You will also need the computer version of the software, so go to http://easyphonetunes.com and download it from there.
Then, when that is done, turn your phone into a USB storage device (this will vary from device to device, but instructions are on the website).
Once your phone is connected to your computer, open the computer version of the software and select your device from the Easy Phone Tunes list. Then follow the instructions to Sync your media
Create folders in your Quick Launch bar
If you have used up all of your Quick Launch spaces, then there is a trick.
Once it is full, press and drag an App from the homescreen and move it over the top of an App in the Quick Launch area. Then release your finger. This will create a folder containing the original App plus the new one. This is a great way to have access to regularly used App
Create shortcut to websites on your home screen
To create a shortcut to a website on your homescreen, go to your browser bookmarks.
Then long press on a site and select Add shortcut to Home
Customise your favourites tray
At the bottom of each homescreen is your favourites tray, which consists of 5 icons. You can customise it by adding icons to the tray. If it's full however, you will first need to remove some.
To remove an icon, simply press and hold an icon. Then drag it to your desktop.
Then to add a new one, simply drag an icon from your homescreen to the favourites tray.
Enable / disable vibrate / haptic feedback when you type
To disable / enable vibrate (also called haptic feedback) when you type or press the screen, go to Settings - Language & input - Settings.
Then uncheck Vibrate on keypress.
Enable sideload of Apps
If you want to install Apps outside of the Android Market (called sideloading), then go to Settings - Security - Unknown sources.
Note: use at your own risk.
Help, I have forgotten my unlock pattern
If you have forgotten your custom unlock pattern, then don't panic.
After 5 unsuccessful tries a button should appear saying 'Forgot pattern'. Press this and you will be asked to enter your Gmail username/password.
The phone will then ask for a new unlock pattern. If you don't have a Gmail account, then you might have to either call your carrier or factory reset your phone.
Hide folders or files
If you want to hide folders or files from being index or displayed, simple put a . (full stop / period) before the file or folder name.
Make volume / music louder
WARNING: Making your volume or music louder can damage your hearing.
Most phones have their volumes limited by local laws to protect our hearing. There is a way to boost your volume however. Go to the Android Market and download an App called Volume+ (Sound Boost). There is also a free version called Volume+ Free.
You will need to root your phone for this App to work.
Make your phone run faster
Here are the top 5 tips to make your phone run faster:
1) Use only essential widgets on your homescreen - each widget consumes memory and processing power which can slow your down your phone.
2) Uninstall apps that you don't use - after awhile your phone can get cluttered as some Apps are designed to always run in the background. If you rarely use an App, then uninstall it to free up memory and CPU resource.
3) Install Apps to your phone memory - if you have an SDCard, always install Apps to the phone memory, which can be accessed faster. If you have Apps on the SDCard, then move them back to the phone memory with an App called Move2SD available from the Play Market.
4) Use Static rather than Live wallpapers - Live wallpapers consume processing power and memory. Unless you really must have them, uninstall them.
5) Kill tasks occasionally - Some Apps will run in the background indefinitely unless you kill them. Most of them won't cause a problem, but it pays to check your running tasks from time to time. Hold down your Home key and check the Task Manager.
One last thing: Don't use Task Killers. Android manages tasks very well and Task Killers just make your phone unstable and can slow it down further
note this guide is mainy to help the people who didnt recieved a manual instructions booklet along with their phone like my country(INDIA)
SUPPORT THE SOFTWARE DEVELOPER'S IF YOU LIKE THE GAME / APP BUY IT
Wow thanks! Im gonna uninstall my task killer now.
Good job! Some of this are well known but many aren't so it should be sticky subject for all who are coming into Android from wherever hey are coming.
The taskkiller part should be put in red
Another one: manage your contacts in gmail. It is bscked up accesible from anywhere and so convenient. Much easier to edit from the computer after all.
Sent from my GT-I9100T using XDA
Awesome thread op. Thank you very much!
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using xda premium
The calculator one only applies to the HTC calculator. In the AOSP on you swipe to the right to access advanced functions.
Sent from my HTC Wildfire using xda premium
nejc121 said:
The calculator one only applies to the HTC calculator. In the AOSP on you swipe to the right to access advanced functions.
Sent from my HTC Wildfire using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yes i have htc one v soo made a compilation of what has been known to me and what is facts
if anyone with new tips pls post here soo tht i can add to the op to help others
and also a request pls statehow to take screen shots on your device's because it's different on each device
dont just say thanks hit thanks if i helped
a true lfc supporter
and a former symbian lover
sent from my awesome HTC One V running rc 2.0 by CKPV5 -using xda premium
SUPPORT THE SOFTWARE DEVELOPER'S IF YOU LIKE THE GAME / APP BUY IT
Thanks paarthdesai. Did not know about the 'double spacebar to get a period'.
Another software to connect to computer is 'Software Data Cable'.
---------- Post added at 12:15 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:11 PM ----------
Is there a way to save the dictionary on the sdcard and restore after full wipe/flashing custom rom?
the guide which I look for..sometimes I tend to forget small things and this guide could recall back
paarthdesai said:
yes i have htc one v soo made a compilation of what has been known to me and what is facts
if anyone with new tips pls post here soo tht i can add to the op to help others
and also a request pls statehow to take screen shots on your device's because it's different on each device
dont just say thanks hit thanks if i helped
a true lfc supporter
and a former symbian lover
sent from my awesome HTC One V running rc 2.0 by CKPV5 -using xda premium
SUPPORT THE SOFTWARE DEVELOPER'S IF YOU LIKE THE GAME / APP BUY IT
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Stock ICS screenshot is Vol- and power.
I think some HTC phones have home and power
Sent from my Ainol Novo7 Elf using xda premium
k1p2n3g4 said:
Thanks paarthdesai. Did not know about the 'double spacebar to get a period'.
Another software to connect to computer is 'Software Data Cable'.
---------- Post added at 12:15 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:11 PM ----------
Is there a way to save the dictionary on the sdcard and restore after full wipe/flashing custom rom?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
backup the dictionary app via titanium backup app+ data
that should work
dont just say thanks hit thanks if i helped
a true lfc supporter
and a former symbian lover
sent from my awesome HTC One V running rc 2.0 by CKPV5 -using xda premium
SUPPORT THE SOFTWARE DEVELOPER'S IF YOU LIKE THE GAME / APP BUY IT
Very nice tips. Add one more, use Greenify App which silently hibernate your apps. It can save much battery and memory. A must have app.
Thanks
Handy tips
Thanks for the handy tips. Didn't know you could double tap for a full stop.
Should also include a homescreen icon for some websites. =]
Thanks! That task killer thing is really interesting!
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KatKiss ROM - Asus TF101
KitKat 4.4.4MultiWindow + Floating & Resizable Windows
This rom is an aosp based rom with my own additions on top.
The main motto of the rom being Kiss. Even though the Meerkat could give you a kiss, it stands for Keeps it Sweet and Simple too
Which means that just like the other K.A.T stuff, the rom's main goal is efficiency, speed/responsiveness,
while not adding bloated features that will slow things down
DOWNLOADS:
Latest Dev Version:KatKiss-4.4.4_036.zip | Mirror1 | Mirror2
Latest Stable Version: KatKiss-4.4.4_036.zip
Latest NonLinaro Version: KatKiss-4.4.4_036-NonLinaro.zip (Slower but higher compatibility with some apps & games ...)
SL101 AddOn Compatibility Pack: KatKiss-4.4.4-sl101-compat-V7.zip | Older Versions (to flash after the rom & after rebooting once into the rom)
To get both Hardware & Software keyboard, deactivate asusec in settings.
TF101G AddOn Kernel: KatKiss-4.4_AddOn_TF101G_Kernel_01.zip (default rom kernel tends to reboot with TF101G this one is not as fast but more stable)
You then need to use PPPWidget for 3G connection.
Right Click Behavior Change: 4.4.3_RightClick.zip (default rom behavior is to send the back command, if you want it to send right click, flash this)
FSYNC: fsync_on.zip (fsync is off by default in the rom, if you want it on just flash this after the rom)
fsync off will make i/o run faster, but in case your tablet reboots or shutdown unexpectedly you might lose data more often than with fsync on.
So if your tablet tends to be unstable /reboots, if you overclock too much or that you tend to let it run out of battery, you might be better to turn fsync back on
Latest Gapps Package: gapps-KatKiss-4.4.4_20140913.zip | Mirror1
Google Home Launcher (optional): gapps-GoogleLauncher_20140110.zip
Please note that this version is made for and tested on the TF101 model.
As to not clutter the thread, no support will be given here for other devices
ChangeLog: http://public.timduru.org/Android/KatKiss/4.4/ChangeLog.html
Source: https://github.com/timduru (branch katkiss-4.4)
--
Main Features:
Rooted
Floating & Multiwindow support (see post #3)
High speed and responsive oriented
High performance and overclockable KatKernel included see dedicated KatKernel thread for more info
Built with Linaro GCC 4.8.3, -O3, strict-aliasing, c++11...
Hardware accelerated video & Camera support
Full Dock keyboard Support with special keys with additional CTRL + Menu shortcut for recents apps
Global Keyboard Shortcuts / KeyOverride Macro association (See post #2 for more info)
Battery Level Indicator & Dock Battery support + Mods (icon/Text/%)
HDMI out options: center, crop, scale
CIFS, ext4, NTFS & Exfat support
Native 4.3 FSTRIM + Manual scripts for Database optimization and fstrim (see post #2)
Media Scanner Filters
Advanced per application permission management (AppOps)
Advanced power menu with reboot options.
Expanded Desktop with the option to hide only the NavBar
Choice between PhabletUI with left or middle aligned nav buttons, and multiple NavBar height.
Trebuchet
Wifi channels regulatory domains
Integrated cpu & io performance settings panel
Custom Navbars buttons long press actions
Ethernet support with settings panel
Custom Quick Settings tiles
ART
Installation Notes:
These builds are designed to be installed from your favorite recovery. MAKE SURE TO INSTALL A COMPATIBLE ANDROID 4.2/4.3 RECOVERY!
TWRP >= 2.3.2.3 is recommended, new TWRP available here
Backup everything !
Go to recovery
[*]Make a full wipe / factory reset (you can skip this step if you're already on KatKiss-4.4, if ever you encounter a problem do the full wipe and try again before reporting )
Format /system (only if Version<026)
Flash the rom
Flash KatKiss gapps
Wipe cache/dalvik
Reboot
Credits:
Thanks to the original TeamEos, Cyanogenmod & Omni for the work on their roms, Banks, Guillaume Lesniak, jteagle, MWisBest, D4rKn3sSyS and Yanuar Harry.
YebYen for the mirror.
Original banner concept by i9apps, Bootanimation by mgeniusm, original drawing by BBF
WebPage
Tips
How to report
What to include in the report
Disclaimer: The usual
Use at your own risk, I won't be responsible for any damages caused to your Transformer or to yourself.
In most cases if something breaks, flashing a rom on top should fix it.
XDA:DevDB Information
KatKiss-KitKat, ROM for the Asus Eee Pad Transformer
Contributors
timduru
Source Code: https://github.com/timduru
ROM OS Version: 4.4.x KitKat
ROM Kernel: Linux 2.6.x
Version Information
Status: Stable
Created 2014-01-01
Last Updated 2014-12-21
Additional info & links
Youtube
Latest youtube will work ok with res < 720p.
720p might work if autoselected directly, but will most likely fail / stutter.
Using an older version of Youtube like 5.0.21 fixes these issues.
Flash & HTML5 Video
Flash is not supported by default on KitKat, you can still use it with Dolphin Dolphin Browser:
Install Dolphin Browser, install or activate Dolphin JetPack in settings, install the latest flash plugin.
HTML5 video will only play full screen in the default browser & other browsers using the default webview.
If Chrome crashes on playing the video, try the beta or another older version(29.x)
Skype Calling
Version 5.x broke calling support.
If you need calls, you have to use an older version like 4.9.0.45564
http://skype.en.uptodown.com/android/old
Plant vs Zombies - Black Screen
Game issue seems to be related to different roms / devices with 1280x800 resolution.
Workaround to avoid the black screen after launch:
- install NOMone Resolution changer
- change resolution to 1280x768 160 dpi
- click apply
- launch game
After playing, restore resolution .
Wallpaper Modes:
Different Wallpaper modes have been added in Settings => Display
** Normal (regular android mode)
** Disable System Wallpaper rendering (set as default)
** Disable Wallpaper service
2nd setting will prevent the wallpaper being rendered by the system (system rendering is not good with the asus graphic hal) and also freeing resources
That's the recommended setting you want to use if you are using a launcher that has internal wallpaper rendering
You will see a black wallpaper if you're not using a launcher that can do internal rendering
If wallpaper is important and that you want to keep your current launcher, then switch back to the 1st setting
same if you want wallpaper to display on the lock screen.
3rd setting disables wallpaper completely, depending on your launcher it might be better.
Global Key Override/Shorcut Mecanism
Available in Settings => Language & Input => Add Key Override Actions
or in Dock Settings
This will allow you not only to redefine function keys assignment, and other special keys actions,
but you'll also be able to assign global macro actions / app launch to any key + Meta key combination (shift Left or Right , ctrl..)
You can also add multiple actions to one key combination, simply click again on the "+" button for the same key combination.
For example if you want to assign to one key combination a list of action to run before going to bed for example, like: turn wifi off, bluetooth off, mute sound, and turn screen off, you can do that
Note that starting multiple applications with one key is kinda a miss and hit for the moment due to some mecanism in android that seems to prevent applications to start too close to each others.
Wifi channels:
Choose which channels are available based on your country in Settings => Wifi => Advanced => Change wifi regulatory domain
Google search:
If the version you're using is crashing when you open Google Now,
go to Settings => Language & Input => Voice Search
then uncheck Hotword Detection.
CIFS & 3rd party Mount Apps:
The Rom/Kernel have native support for them as long as you mount it outside or /storage/ and /mnt/shell/emulated/
GPS:
if it is taking a long time to get a lock or no lock, follow this:
Install the latest K.A.T app
Then follow precisely this procedure:
1) Location Settings
- Go to Settings => Location => turn OFF (top right switch)
- Turn it back ON
- Make sure you agree to let google access the location.
- Make sure the current selected mode is High accuracy
2) Launch the new K.A.T app
- make sure you grant it root access
- make sure you have internet access
- go to the install menu, Check the "Install GPS quicker fix + Assistance
- Click the Install button
- Make sure it says "Install Finished"
3) Reboot
4) Wait that it has finished booting and launching all the stuff you have starting at boot
5) Start your GPS app outside with a clear sky line, to speed things up stay in range of the wifi / internet connection.
Do not let the gps app loose focus when it is trying to get a fix.
Do not let your tablet sleep / turn off the screen either.
Doing that here, the first time and with a cold gps start, and even staying in my house,
I get a 6 sat fix within 30 seconds and 11 sat fix in 1min 15seconds.
From there subsequent fixes takes about 3 seconds to grab 7 sats and about 10 seconds to reach the 10-11 sat fix
(you still want to let it sit outside for a bit after the 1st fix, so that the ephemeris data gets consolidated and updated to help faster fix later on)
Hardware keyboard layouts
More languages have been added in the default asusec keyboard
Set the keyboard layout through Settings => Language & Input => asusec => setup keyboard layouts
These also allow live switching without reboot with ctrl + space
Window Animation Scale & Immersive mode:
If you want to be able to drop down from the top to display the status bar while in immersive mode,
the Window Animation Scale must be different than zero.
ART:
ART is not supported for the moment, if ever you tried it, to go back to a working state you can either:
- remove the file /data/property/persist.sys.dalvik.vm.lib + clean cache & dalvik-cache & reboot in your recovery
- or do a full wipe
Storage (fstrim) and Database optimization:
Fstrim is native in 4.3 and will happen in the background if your tablet is idle / sleeping and that your battery is > 70%
There is also a script to run it manually in the rom: /etc/kat/optimizestorage
To optimize the Database: /etc/kat/optimizedb
To run both, open a terminal and run:
su
/etc/kat/optimize
Be warned that the optimize storage can take from a few minutes to hours.
But the speed / lag will be greatly improved afterward
Slow downs & Battery drain after a full wipe ? :
Things to keep in mind after flashing with a full wipe:
- Media scanner will need to scan everything again, it can take from a few minutes to hours or days if you have a lot of medias or medias that it doesn't like.
During that process it'll use a lot of cpu and disk, and so can make things lag a bit and drain the battery until it's done.
You can use the Media Scanner filters to speed things up and make it scan only parts that are really containing your medias
- After a wipe, it wipes your battery stats, if you don't flash while you are with a 100% full battery, the battery stats will be inaccurate for a while until it learns again your battery capacity.
The battery can appear to drain faster because it doesn't know where your 100% is.
(see here for tips on how to speed up the learning process)
- Check that you don't have a rogue process eating cpu in the background. (run the top command)
- Check that you don't have a process keeping your tablet awake
Disabling ext4 journaling : :
This procedure will increase speed and responsiveness of the internal memory by disabling journaling
Disabling journaling will give a big speed/responsiveness increase especially on /data where writing occurs
but the risk of corruption in case of crashes, reboots, running out of battery... is also higher.
Make sure you have a backup handy and you understand what you are doing !
If you prefer to play it safe you can use the 2nd disabling zip, which will only disable on /system and /cache which don't contain user data
Corruption is unlikely to occur on /system as it's read only, and /cache is just volatile non user data, so you can simply just format it from recovery if ever something wrong happens.
To disable journaling on /system /cache /data download: dis_journaling.zip
To disable journaling only on /system and /cache : dis_journaling_system_cache_only.zip
To enable journaling back download: ena_journaling.zip
0) Put the zip on your microsd card
1) Boot into recovery
2) unmount everything but the microsd card (that means /system, /cache /data ... )
(the script will also try to unmount these, but better be safe in case the script doesn't succeeds)
3) flash zip
4) reboot
Note: Disabling journaling should only take a few seconds unless your filesystem is already dirty (fsck will take place before and after the journaling change)
Enabling journaling can take longer, especially on /data (mmcblk0p7)
Just be patient.
To disable journaling you will need to reflash the zip after you format /cache /data or /system (that means after installing the rom or after wiping cache if you do that after installing the rom)
Storage inversion(inverts microSD and internal storage) : :
This procedure will allow you to use your MicroSD as the internal /data partition (which means /data, /sdcard, /data/media ...)
So you can now have whatever extra space for "Android internal storage" you like (ie what your physical microSD size is)
And your old internal storage will be used as /storage/sdcard1/
Not that I care much about the extra space myself, but the good thing is that if you use a good MicroSD, things will also be much faster,
and for example it doesn't lag anymore when installing apps and such.
Make sure you understand what it means and what you are doing.
And backup everything first of course !
As reference:
Physical Internal partition is /dev/block/mmcblk0p7
Physical MicroSD partition is /dev/block/mmcblk1p1
These won't change, only the mount points are changing.
The commands can be typed directly from twrp command line thingie, or you can run them through adb
(just add adb shell in front of the command in that case)
One thing to note is that the standard recoveries don't know at all that your mount points are swapped, so it will still show them to you the "old non swapped way"
It won't know how to make a factory reset while retaining your data for example.
Sidneyk has made a specific TWRP version that will support inverted storage, make sure to use that one after you've inverted the storage if you want to wipe from recovery
(if you use it for this procedure, then adjust the commands accordingly)
The commands below are for the non inverted recovery.
1) Boot into TWRP (I use v2.3.2.3, it might differ if using another version)
2) WIPE MicroSD content (that means it will be empty afterwards)
unmount your microsd
Code:
/sbin/make_ext4fs /dev/block/mmcblk1p1
If you still need to transfer your data from the internal storage you can go to step 4) then come back later to do step 3) only
3) If you have transferred your data from your internal storage, you can format it too:
unmount /data and /sdcard
Code:
/sbin/make_ext4fs /dev/block/mmcblk0p7
remount /data
then
4)
Code:
/sbin/chmod -R 777 /data
5) Flash the KatKernel (JB4.4) for the rom marked with _invertstorage
6) Reboot.
Unless you transferred your old /data into your physical new microsd partition, it'll be like if you did a factory reset,
so you will just need to go through the setup again.
And of course, From now on your microsd must be inserted before booting up the system, and NEVER remove your microsd card while the system is running.
Enjoy the extra space & speed
MultiWindow + Floating & Resizable Windows
Multiwindow allows you to split the screen in 2 vertically (while in landscape) or horizontally, you can switch an app back and forth between multiwindow mode and regular mode while it's running.
Floating & Resizable window mode allows you to freely position the window and resize as many of them as you like.
(memory will be the limit though)
MultiWindow
NavBar:
- To switch between full screen and split View you can use the
NavBar Button
(It will lay apps alternatively in one SplitView spot then the other.)
- To change focus simply Tap on the app or use the
NavBar Button
Recents:
- Clicking on the app Thumbnail works as before and displays the app fullscreen
- Clicking on the app icon or the
icon will switch the app to splitview and lay it in "automode"
(If you use automode when an application was set in a SplitView slot it'll be recalled to that previous spot.)
- Clicking on the other icons will force the app to the 1st or 2nd SplitView slot.
Actions
Actions to switch the app between fullscreen / splitview, switch between the 2 most recent apps and to force the splitview slot have been added
so you can bind them to a key / key combination with the Global KeyOverride or long press action too.
Note: Most apps works ok in splitview mode, but some of them might not refresh correctly sometime.
Same when rotating the screen while in splitview mode.
To force a refresh simply tap the app or if you have 2 apps in split, just click twice on the switch to last app button:
Floating & Resizable Window
.
One Difference with the MultiWindow mode is that an app has to be relaunched to switch between Floating and non floating mode
(you can however maximize the app through the button to get it full screen and click on the minimize button to get it back to floating mode)
Also note that all apps might not behave correctly while put in floating mode, it kinda depends on the app.
To relaunch the Top Running application between floating and non floating mode, click on the new NavBar Button:
Long pressing on the button will show/hide all apps currently running into floating mode. (makes it easy to bring them back and forth as needed)
Global Actions have also been added so you can bind these 2 actions on other long pressing or Dock/Keyboard Key override in Settings
With these icons you can maximize the floating app to full screen , minimize it back to floating mode, and close it.
Using the menu button in the top left corner of the app, you can dock the app half size to the top,bottom,left,right side.
To move the app drag the top bar around, it will auto dock to the sides when you drop it close to them.
To resize an app freely, use 2 fingers pinch (like when you are zooming / unzooming) If the app is docked to the side, you need to undock it first by moving it away from the side.
To switch between apps you can also go through the recents screen, use alt right+tab, or the switch to previous app button.
Clicking on the app icon in the launcher will bring it foreground too. (same if you associated a run application shortcut to the keyboard for example)
Banners
Thanks. Happy new year.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk
Thanks for your work.
Can we expect every rom specific feature we had on jelly beans here? (once there's a stable version)
Choo Choo! Happy new year
Regards
Happy New Year!!!!! Thanks for this great new year present Tim, love the Meerkat master
Edit: Tim You are the most incredible person i've ever known. Installed ROM and everything (expect from the strike items) just works, i could not believe it. Thx Man, you ARE the greatest.
Sent from my Transformer TF101 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Will try as soon as I get home.
Happy new year!
thanks
Enviado desde mi Nexus 5 mediante Tapatalk
Happy New Year! Seems much faster for some things. Thanks for keeping it lean.
Really love the 4.2.2, big hope for KitKat with Art, I know Kat Master can do it
WOW finnally kitkatkis LOL
Fantastic! Working well here, looking forward to these updates! Great work
Sent from my GT-I8190 using Tapatalk
YayYouFixedIt said:
Happy New Year! Seems much faster for some things. Thanks for keeping it lean.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yep it's already faster than 4.3 imho , which is good as I've not even put back all the optimization flags & linaro.
pemain cadangan said:
Really love the 4.2.2, big hope for KitKat with Art, I know Kat Master can do it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm currently facing a build setup issue with art I think, same with Bluetooth.
I already had that issue in 4.3 with bluetooth, that's why I got ShevT Bluetooth build in KK4.3
which uses the exact same code, so I know it's not the code itself that is the issue, but mostly my build environment for some reason.
and it might actually haave been the same kind of issue that got Office suite pro to crash in libskia in 4.3.
In KatKiss 4.4, my build setup generates a working libskia with Office suit pro at least,
so all those who have been wanting to use Office suit pro, you can in KatKissKitKat
But I'm still facing the same issue with Bluetooth, and with art it seems to be allergic to something in my build setup that gets it to crash for some reason.
I might have to try to install a new build setup or once I clean/ push things to github, see if ShevT's KatKiss build generates a functionnal art & bluetooth.
I'm pretty sure it will, as I've changed nothing in art source code, it's the pure aosp source.
I could also most likely use art & bt binaries from another rom as a workaround in the meantime too, as I KatKiss doesn't really require any modifications from those.
timduru said:
In KatKiss 4.4, my build setup generates a working libskia with Office suit pro at least,
so all those who have been wanting to use Office suit pro, you can in KatKissKitKat
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just finished the KK 4.4 upgrade: Office suite Pro works fine. Thank you Tim! Everything looks very nice in this update
New Year, New ROM!
Thanks a lot!
This rom in its current state is enough for my daily use, thanks tim
For you to notice a small drop in the battery life, you can disable adding new options google.
Sent from my Transformer TF101 using Tapatalk 4
Happy New Year Tim and thanks for the KitKat version of your famous KatKiss rom.
It is running very smooth and responsive on my TF101 B60. Everything I am actually using is working fine.
The only issue I recognised so far is the ability to boot into recovery. This doesn't work neither from the power menu option nor from e.g. Goo.im entry. The tablet always just reboots normally. Only working alternative was shutting it down and use the power and volume button.
Great work Tim and thanks for keeping our TF101 still alive! :good:
Guichinga said:
Happy New Year Tim and thanks for the KitKat version of your famous KatKiss rom.
It is running very smooth and responsive on my TF101 B60. Everything I am actually using is working fine.
The only issue I recognised so far is the ability to boot into recovery. This doesn't work neither from the power menu option nor from e.g. Goo.im entry. The tablet always just reboots normally. Only working alternative was shutting it down and use the power and volume button.
Great work Tim and thanks for keeping our TF101 still alive! :good:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ah yep, forgot to add the recovery command back
It'll be fixed in the next version.
timduru said:
Yep it's already faster than 4.3 imho , which is good as I've not even put back all the optimization flags & linaro.
I'm currently facing a build setup issue with art I think, same with Bluetooth.
I already had that issue in 4.3 with bluetooth, that's why I got ShevT Bluetooth build in KK4.3
which uses the exact same code, so I know it's not the code itself that is the issue, but mostly my build environment for some reason.
and it might actually haave been the same kind of issue that got Office suite pro to crash in libskia in 4.3.
In KatKiss 4.4, my build setup generates a working libskia with Office suit pro at least,
so all those who have been wanting to use Office suit pro, you can in KatKissKitKat
But I'm still facing the same issue with Bluetooth, and with art it seems to be allergic to something in my build setup that gets it to crash for some reason.
I might have to try to install a new build setup or once I clean/ push things to github, see if ShevT's KatKiss build generates a functionnal art & bluetooth.
I'm pretty sure it will, as I've changed nothing in art source code, it's the pure aosp source.
I could also most likely use art & bt binaries from another rom as a workaround in the meantime too, as I KatKiss doesn't really require any modifications from those.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've got OmniROM builds going on, as you probably already knew, and until yesterday when I brought in a cherry-pick to fix screen shots, I had made no changes to the base source code for 4.4.2. Only changes were in the device tree with mainly certain build flags in BoardConfig.mk (?) and a modified kernel config using your kernel source tree. I have nowhere near your experience or expertise with the coding side which is why I've tried to avoid changing anything there if I didn't have to. But, with my current setup, art seems to function very well, once enabled. I'm not noticing any reboots, crashes or otherwise that I wasn't seeing in the Dalvik mode, and maybe less, with a seemingly better performance (at least felt like it). That's not to say that everything else is working perfectly, just that art seems to work pretty well in OmniROM. Just sharing this to help you in your troubleshooting, not trying to hijack your thread. Good luck because I know you can do some magic for this machine.
I have good news and bad. There’s a new, candy-themed version of Android. Huzzah! But unless you have one of the latest Nexus devices or the new LG V20, you’ll probably have to wait some indeterminable amount of time to sink your teeth into Android 7.0 Nougat.
Here’s a very specific kind of dumbness that my fellow Androidians may be able to relate to: On the desk in front of me sits a brand spanking new Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge and a three-year-old Asus Nexus 7 tablet. Nougat arrived on Aug. 22, but neither the S7 Edge nor the tablet from the Nexus family of devices that’s supposed to get these updates pronto have received Android 7.0.
WTF, Alphabet?
The Nougat rollout is already shaping up to be yet another frustratingly prolonged Android update. I love me some Android, but boy do these rollouts stand in stark contrast to the lightning-quick updates delivered en masse to our iOS brethren. (What’s up, iOS 10!)
The Android conundrum is a classic clusterfudge of too many interested parties: Google releases a new version of Android each year and gives it to the world for free, just like Apple. BUT then the two processes begin to diverge. Each device manufacturer (your Samsungs, LGs, and HTCs of the world) feels compelled to create their own spin on Android, which requires further tinkering and testing before it’s let loose into the wild. THEN the carriers have to confirm all these various flavors of Android work nicely with their networks. Oy.
There is, however, one upside to working with all these chefs—many new ideas get into the mix. It’s a weird form of bottom-up democracy where each OEM adds their own little flavor (including all new features), which Google often makes standard in future generations of Android (e.g. the ability to reply to an SMS directly in the notification shade, which you can now do in stock Nougat, but has been available in Samsung phones for several generations). While Apple users are usually the first to receive the latest stable release of a new OS, Android users are often the first to get a splashy new software feature. (Enjoy your latest up-to-date OS, Appleface, I’ll just be over here enjoying my live-updating widgets #boom.)
New things that now come standard inside the stock version of Nougat. Note that I tested these on a new Nexus 6P. Some of these features may not be available on your device whenever you eventually get Nougat, and I cannot guarantee that they will work in exact same way. Good luck, people.
Nougat
Split-Screen Mode
Split-screen functionality might not seem all that new since it’s already available in numerous OEM versions (the Galaxy Note, for example, has included it for several generations now). But now it’s available as a stock feature and may be coming to your device soon eventually maybe.
Split-screen works in portrait and landscape modes. When you have one app open, you can simultaneously access another app by long-pressing the recent apps button (the little square one) to prompt a carousel of apps on the side. (You’ll notice that once you enter split-screen mode, the recent apps button transforms into a new hamburger icon.) You have some limited ability to resize windows (but only in portrait mode?). You can exit spit-screen by dragging the barrier all the way to one side or long-pressing on the recent apps button.
Note: Not all apps yet work with split-screen. For example (and quite surprisingly), the Google Search app doesn’t play nicely with split-screen (but you work around that by long-pressing on the home button for Google on Tap).
Android 7.0
Quick Switch
Nougat now allows you to switch back and forth between the two most recent apps by double tapping the recent app button—it works in split-screen or full-app mode. Seems like this helpful little trick should have been a standard feature a long time ago.
Android 7.0
The Secret ‘UI Tuner’
To enable the hidden “UI Tuner” menu, swipe down the notification shade and long-press the gear icon you would use to get to Settings. You’ll find a new menu in your Settings menu under the “System” section. Enacting this feature prompts a warning that you’re about to encounter “experimental features” that “may change, break, or disappear in future releases. Proceed with caution.”
Here you’ll find some cool options like the ability to tweak the status bar, the “Do not disturb” feature, or even add swipe-up, split-screen functionality.
Have fun exploring, but keep in mind that there’s a good chance you won’t be able to use this one. The UI Tuner was available in stock Marshmallow, but didn’t quite make it to my current Samsung phone’s version of 'Mallow. I’m going to go out on a limb and predict that this feature will not be available in most OEM versions of Android. But give it a shot, who knows, you might get lucky?
Android 7.0
Easy Pull-Down Shade Editing
Want easy access to tiles of your choice through the top pull-down shade? Nougat’s got your back.
Once you pull down the top shade, expand the little arrow on the right to see a fuller list of easy-access tiles (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Airplane Mode, etc.). Nougat gives you some freedom to choose which tiles live there permanently. Just hit the “edit” button on the bottom-right corner to access the complete list of tiles, and you can drag to re-order.
Another welcome change: The pull-down shade allows you to swipe left or right to multiple pages to access more tiles. You could, theoretically put all your tiles up there for quick access.
enter image description here
Power Notifications
Are you a total control freak? Well, Nougat gives you some more of that control you need, you power-hungry monster.
First, you’ll need to enact the aforementioned hidden UI Tuner and then toggle-on “Power notification controls” (under the “Other” menu). This gives you the opportunity to set app notifications on a scale from Level 0 (Block all notifications) all the way up to Level 5 (Show at the top of the notification list, allow full-screen disruption).
Now, when you go into Settings > Notifications, you’ll be able to set each of your app’s notification level after tapping the large green “A” to the slide’s left (which I assume stands for “auto”?).
enter image description here
Easy Notification Editing
Nougat gives you the ability to easily access app-notification preferences by long-pressing on a particular notification in the pull-down shade or slightly pushing it to either side to reveal a little gear icon. This little trick even works on the lock screen.
enter image description here
Set a Separate Wallpaper for Lock and Home Screens
This feature was already available from many OEMs, but finally makes its long-overdue stock debut with Nougat. It’s simple to access: Long-press on the home screen to change the wallpaper image (as you would usually) and once you choose which pic you want, you’ll be met with a screen asking if you’d like to make that wallpaper for your home screen, lock screen, or both.
enter image description here
Display Size
Are your eyes not what they used to be? By which I mean, do you need things to be BIGGER so you can see them properly? Well, ol’ stock Android might be able to help.
You can now change the “display” size on your device to embiggen all the text and icons. Access this option via Display > Display size to choose between five different settings.
enter image description here
Easter Egg
And of course, as always, Google engineers make sure to never miss an opportunity to show the world that they suffer from an overabundance of free time. Yes, Nougat has a hidden Easter egg.
The last two Android OSes have boasted hidden Flappy Bird games with either Marshmallow or Lollipop themes. It was super hard, and I always just got bored and frustrated. But Nougat changes it up with some kind of weird cat game. Okay, this one’s a little complicated, so here’s what you do:
You initially access this Easter egg like the others: Settings > About Phone > repeatedly tap “Android 7.0” (or whatever version you have) to prompt a giant Nougat logo (a big “N”).
Loooooong tap the logo until you see a little cat emoji at the bottom of the screen.
Swipe down from the top to bring up the notification shade.
Hit “Edit” and scroll down and you’ll find a little cat face icon with the label “??? Android Easter egg.” Drag and drop that above the fold wherever you’d like.
Now when you swipe down the shade, you’ll see a tile for “empty plate.” Tap that to prompt a choice of four cat treats and choose one.
Now, wait. Eventually your phone will notify you that you’ve caught a cat. Have fun with that.
thanks for your information