First post on this site, so bear with how horribly round-about this actually is.
Examples are attached, as I can't post outside links, even to images.
Introduction:
Instead of flashing the honeycomb lockscreen to my phone, I decided to set out and create a suitable alternative. I didn't want to dig too deep into my Evo, but I still wanted something that looks good and works. Thankfully, I found a fantastic app that pretty much allows me to do just that already: LockBot.
Many of you may know of LockBot already, but some don't, so here's the basics: it's a free replacement for your lockscreen that allows you to customize it beyond compare. As well, it allows you to use the lockscreens of many other ROMs (Eclair, Hero, Galaxy, among the names) as a basis. With this in mind, it allows you to modify almost everything, all while being free. Did I mention it's completely free? So let's dig in.
Instructions:
First step, download the zip file attached to this post that contains the images you'll need to use in this project. Upload these images onto your phone's SD card in a new directory. You obviously only need to upload the background you wish to use, the lock icon, and the "blank.png" file. Do not upload the .psd file or the "demo" files, as they won't do you any good there.
Then, install LockBot on your phone (I would link to it, but as I'm a new user, I can't post outside links).
With LockBot open, click "New Theme". Select "Eclair" from the menu (if you bought the paid application you can select Galaxy for a more realistic experience).
Hit "Menu" up in the top right corner of the screen. Change your background to be that of your selected style (if you chose to use the Eclair lockscreen, select "eclair-bg.png").
Select "Menu" again to edit the clock. Select digital, and then tap on the clock itself to edit it. Select "Hide Clock Background" to remove that ugly grey line.
Tap the clock again and this time choose "edit clock". On the first dropdown under "Date Font" select the option you want. I chose "Sunday, February 20", for example. After you have selected the correct date format, hit your phone's back button to get out of the menu.
Tap "Menu" again and select "Style". Click your style once again to confirm what you want to go with, and then tap on the slide bar. Click "Change Unlock ICON" and change it to the lock.png file included in the zip folder.
Before you change the Slider Background, make sure you click "Move Slider" and align the lock icon with the circle on the background. Be sure to keep it a little below the correct placement. For some reason, LockBot isn't great on exact placement for this one feature. You can adjust for it, however.
After you have moved the unlock icon, change every other icon to the "blank.png" file, including the slider background itself.
When you are done, hit menu and then save. Your new theme will be in the "My Themes" section of the app. This is where you have to select which lockscreen you want to see...
Hit your phone's menu button to bring up the "Playlist" option. Select it. From here, uncheck every theme except for your new theme. If you don't do this step, it will randomly select between all of the other themes to display when you turn your phone on.
Hit the back button to get out of the menu.
You are almost done! Right now, when you unlock your phone, you get a vibration. If you wish to edit that or remove it completely, hit your phone's back button until you get to the app's main menu. Hit your phone's menu button and select "Config". Select "Vibrate" and select your preference.
Now you are done.
To revert these changes, simply uninstall the app and delete the folder of images from your SD card. Unistalling the app will give you your stock lockscreen back.
Known Issues:
- The clock doesn't have the correct font. This can be fixed by using a live wallpaper for your background. I don't have one, but it can be quickly and simply created.
- Once in a rare while the lockscreen will skip right to the home screen. This all depends on how much RAM your phone has free at that moment, but this application doesn't use much at all. As well, it may take a couple seconds after your phone has been put to sleep before the lockscreen will come back. Quickly hitting the sleep button twice might just skip the lockscreen all together. Give it a couple seconds of sleep to realize it needs to launch the lockscreen.
- Using the Eclair lockscreen, the lock icon can only go in one direction or the other, not in a free motion like the real Honeycomb lockscreen. This is kind of solved by using the Galaxy version of the lockscreen Even then, however, if you use the standard clock (instead of using a live wallpaper), it drags the clock along with the lock icon. Other than that, the Galaxy option works flawlessly, as if it really were Honeycomb. Please note: the Galaxy option works perfectly if you use a live wallpaper for the clock! This is the closest we can get to the Honeycomb lock screen with this method. It does cost money for the paid app to use this option, however.
If anybody can create a live wallpaper, much in the same nature as the "wp_clock_light" from the Market, please contact me or leave a post here. Creating a live wallpaper with the correct font would mean that this project can be completely authentic.
Also, one last note: in the zip file, I have included the .psd of the images. The original size for the background image is 513x855 simply to get around some random (and odd) limits that the developer of the app put in. You can use the "city_wallpaper.jpg" file to create a background image of any size. This will allow you to use this method on any phone you want. Obviously, this is intended for the Evo primarily because that's the phone I own, and it's the only phone I have access to. This works on any 2.2+, as far as I know. If the app works with your phone, then this method works, too. I'm pretty sure this doesn't require a root, but I'm not the author of the app, I simply used this as the quickest, easiest method of getting what I wanted: the Honeycomb lockscreen. If you have any ports you'd like to include, please post here with the background image files attached. Thanks!
sweet thread im loving the sweet honeycomb lol
here is a link to that app
lockbot
i would provide a pro apk but i don't wanna support piracy
This is fantastic! Great work! I wanted this lock screen the moment I saw it and this is a great alternative! Thank you.
how would you make the wallpaper a live wallpaper?
Download of attachment stops at like 60kb
Doesn*t work for GalaxyTAB and doesn't support Landscape Mode for me..
Doesn't give the feeling of Honeycomb to me :/
Ok, I'm at a loss. I downloaded Pro so I could utilize the Galaxy option, and for the life of me, I can't get my lockscreen to look like the screenshots... How did you manage to get the lock icon and the so?derived background to line up????
My clock moves also...
Wow, didn't realize I was getting hits on this thread. Like I said in the OP, you can select the "style" from the top right, hit the type of style you want, and select to move the slide around from the menu (select "move slider"). You must use the appropriate background, however.
Honda, you are correct that there is no landscape mode. That is a limitation if the app, unfortunately. As well, you will gave to use the OSD file I provided to create a larger background for the tab. This was designed for phones, not tablets. You are more than welcome to use it on the tab, but you will have to do some extra work for it.
One last note: when I first created this thread, I submitted my work to the developer to be added to the gallery. Now, you can simply launch the app, go to the gallery, hit the "Eclair" tab, scroll to February 20th, and select the one entitled "Honeycomb by Mark". I see someone already took my background and work and tried submitting a Galaxy version, but it is horribly buggy, and the developer hasn't added my Galaxy version to the gallery. The Eclair version I submits works fine, however. You can download that I'd you have the Pro version of the app (the free version is unable to download themes).
Let me know it anyone is having any other problems, I would be more than happy to try and help you.
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App
i made something like this today on iphone theme.
EvoShift
Works on the EvoShift from Sprint.
Only issue being the stock HTC Lock Screen still appears once in a while and couple of clicks for the sleep button will take it out but it will show up once again later....there is no way to disable it.
Mine's a non-rooted evoshift.
going to try this out now, just going to install lockbot pro the legal way and then put this honeycomb lockscreen on my desire z
when he says you would need a live wallpaper i think he means a live wallpaper that has a a live clock and the wallpaper...well thats what i think.
Just a slight update... my walkthrough has been spotted and picked up on AndroidNG, and that article is the #1 Google search result when you search for "Android Honeycomb Lockscreen"!!!! This is huge for me, and I'm excited. Squeeeee!
Sorry. That is all.
Note: Again, can't post links because of my low post count, even though my guide has helped a lot of people, and has been proven to be useful for those that want the Honeycomb Lockscreen without rooting their phones... strange world we live in. Just Google "Android Honeycomb Lockscreen" and click the first link. I am "Method I".
Edit: Yes, the live wallpaper of the clock is only necessary if you want the Honeycomb font for the clock itself. If you don't care about the font, you don't need it. As of right now, I don't think there's a Honeycomb clock live wallpaper, but I don't know enough to make one. Wish I did. As for the issues with the app itself: yes, there are some bugs, and it occasionally hiccups and shows you the stock lockscreen. This is just the nature of the beast when it comes to this app. Bugs happen, but this is the closest we can get to perfect for now.
Thanks again for reading and trying this method out, I appreciate all the great responses!
would love to try.. but it seems a little daunting.. scared me off for now
It really isn't. Basically: download the zip, put the images you want on your phone, download LockBot and place the images and parts as you want. Easy enough.
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App
Just so I'm sure I've done everything correctly: when the phone first boots, I see the default (system) lock screen, not the LockBot version. Is there any way around that?
Other than this one (relatively minor) issue, it's fantastic - thank you very much!
Unfortunately, Google has set a five second lock out for apps once a button is hit and the device being turned on. In those five seconds, nothing can be run. Some security measure our something, I don't pretend to know what it means, but it is supposedly there. That is, scouring to the developer, the reason for it. The solution: give your phone five seconds after hitting a button and turning the phone on again. Good luck!
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App
Wow! Thanks... it really works for my Motorola Milestone.
http://youtu.be/IPHvEuhumbA
Hey guys, I just wanted to do a quick update.
First off, thank you all for the major success of this guide! It has been so much fun watching youtube videos featuring my work. I'm just happy that I could make a difference to some of you. Now for the great news...
If you have and old, pirated version of Lockbot Pro or free, get the latest version (1.17.1)!!! This new version comes with a legit honeycomb lockscreen. It looks beautiful! Even if you don't have the app legally, you need to. Donating money to the creater of this app is worth it. I'm trying to get in contact with him, but so far no luck in getting even more features. Maybe he is just working on it. I giggly recommend getting lockbot pro now, as it is so worth it. Just trust me.
I also once again want to make clear: I only created the images in the zip file (except the background, but the circle is me ); I did not create the app. I cannot say enough about how good the developer is, though. Buy the pro version! I will post screens later.
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App
Hi everyone, noob here.
I come to you for advice after exhausting my ability to Google properly.
I have an idea for a homescreen project and I will try to describe it as clearly as possible. I am running a Motorola triumph with cm7.
I saw a screenshot of someone's phone which I am hopeless to find again.
HERES WHAT I WANT:
On my main homescreen I want shortcut links to other homescreens that are organized by function (work, communication, social, gaming). I would like those shortcuts to be text-based, but larger than the standard icons.
As far as I can tell, only adwlauncher ex has shortcuts to other screens. I don't want to swipe, nor zoom out to a view of all screens to select.
The reason adw bothers me is that there is seemingly no way to change the size of icons. I downloaded desktop visualizer but it does not give me the option to choose one of adws "screen 1,2,3" shortcuts to configure.
In the simplest terms, I want adws screen shortcut links with the ability to resize or change them. Maybe I'm missing something simple (this is my first Android and I've only had it for maybe 45 days so that's probably likely), but I wanted to seek advice from the best forum for information.
Thank you for following my meandering mind, if you have any questions I will try to clarify.
James
I hope it's OK, I don't want to make a bad impression, I want to bump this thread.
Have you tried folders I have four system media tools games with hundreds of apps between them.
There's an app called smart shortcuts that organizes stuff all so.
Sent from my MB855 using xda premium
Hello my fellow tf700 users,
I find it really annoying to have to open the recent apps list to see what i have open. I have gestures set up that allow me to swipe from the bezels to switch bw apps, however, I am curious if anyone knows of a tweak/app that would simply list open apps as icons in the bottom bar to the left of the clock. kind of like the taskbar in windows (never thought id say that), yet I dont want them to be interactive or anything (simply grey icons like the storage/KB dock icons). I find opening the recent apps list to check what is open incedibly redundant as I already have gestures that allow me to quickly swipe to switch apps. This may seem trivial, however, this is my primary device, and workflow is very important to me for school. I am simply trying to limit the number of gestures I have to initiate to get **** done.
Best,
Lucius
To me, it sounds like you want the VivoTab -- indeed, Windows-based.
Sent from a comfortable chair from the outer ring of Purgatory. The red guy asked me to say 'hi'.
Hmm I took don't really see the need. Google put the recent apps there for a reason. It's a single click away and includes swipe to close. How does moving it to the notification bar make it any simpler?
BTW prepare yourself as the 4.2.x update will really annoy you as notifications are now in a split bar up the top wasting screen space.
sbdags said:
Hmm I took don't really see the need. Google put the recent apps there for a reason. It's a single click away and includes swipe to close. How does moving it to the notification bar make it any simpler?
BTW prepare yourself as the 4.2.x update will really annoy you as notifications are now in a split bar up the top wasting screen space.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I dont use the recent apps list to switch apps, i use 1 gesture to do so. the recent apps list forces me to tap it, find the app, then tap the app. doing more than 1 gesture breaks my train of thought when im switching between a pdf im reading and evernote where im taking notes. with my gesture i swipe from the bezel and it switches instantaneously fwd/bckwd between apps. I would like to be able to see what i have open so i dont need to open the recent apps list, as sometimes i forget. It doesnt seem like a big deal but workflow is huge for me.
Ive seen 4.2 and it looks terrible, we are deffinitely on the same page. please avoid includig it in later versions of CROMI unless necessary lol.
That's exactly why I use a floating notepad - take notes without having to switch apps, and paste then into another app when I'm done...
I just got a Samsung S4 (Verizon) because I was tired of Apple's stagnant OS and tiny screens. And I'm a tinkerer, so I'm loving (sort of) the endless ability to change and modify just about everything. And LOVE the big screen (and I have no problem whatsoever putting it in my pocket or using it one-handed...).
I'm encountering a couple of Android frustrations and wondering if anyone can either confirm, "yep, that's how it works", or point me to an app/widget/utility that "fixes" what I'm encountering.
Thanks in advance for your advice.
Notifications and status bar: I have to say I'm missing Apple's red badges that easily call attention to new emails, facebook posts, text messages, etc). I understand that on Android, all notifications show up as those little teeny, tiny white icons in the status bar, amongst the sea of other little white icons (wifi, gps, gestures, bluetooth, etc), making it not always obvious at a quick glance what's new.
I understand swiping down gives me the list of all notifications. But strangely, for such a customizable interface, evidently you have little control over the appearance and order of what's there. For instance, the "ongoing" notifications of WiFi connected shows up at the top, which I dont want to know about at all (along with those from other apps that merely announce the app is working, such as Juice Defender). And others follow in a long list with no particular organization or visual distinction.
I have played with the app SuperStatus Bar to reduce the status bar clutter, but it grinds things to a halt and takes over the notification panel without improving it. I've looked for widgets that show email, sms, etc badges but most are ugly (like most of the email widgets that come with the popular email apps like K-9, Aquamail, etc) or don't function consistently (like Notifier Widget for Facebook).
So, any suggestions or apps that help with this? And thanks to all who have read this all the way to the bottom...
Sorry to know your move to Android wasn't too smooth
I'd recommend you try Floating Notifications once it comes out of beta, holds a bit of promise
You'd get notifications from apps you choose as little floating bubbles.
It isn't too smooth now though.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2263987
Apart from that, getting the little wifi icons and bluetooth icons are pretty standard, and if there is a way to remove them, I'm not aware of it.
Also, you could use an app like light flow to make the notification light display a color of your choice based on the notification, it'd let you know exactly what notification you have before you turn the screen on.
I hope I helped
csmiler said:
I hope I helped
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for your suggestions!
I've been using Notify+ which I like for notifications. The status bar still looks like a mess to me, but I'm sure I'll survive it.
I'm actually starting to get used to the Android way of things and am feeling much better. Loving the bigger screen (Apple is loosing the game in this regard) and the customizability (although this is a double sword when you have some OCD tendencies...).
Sort of wish I'd held out for the Verizon HTC One, rather than the S4. the S4 is great, but I'm finding most of its much-touted whiz-bang features (air gestures and motions) to be gimmicky, buggy, and available in too-few apps).
But all in all, having fun with my new phone!
Thanks again for your suggestions.
I was wondering if it's possible to make the panel persistent. I'd like it to be visilbe all the time instead of autohiding when entering apps. Is this even possible with root or custom rom?
Not a whole lot of mods for the Edge. Best mod I've seen is RuggedHunter's AutoCocktail. Search RuggedHunter in the play store. Also that 24hr night clock mod...
Seems like having the panel fully visible would block stuff.
That's pretty cool, even though it's not what I'm looking for. I wonder if it would be difficult to make by myself. I'm a programmer but never tried android modding. When edge panels are active on the home screen, they don't block stuff, maybe that would be possible in normal apps ass well. Is there any developer who could at least give me any hint where to start or if this is even possible to do? I found a simple workaround for this. If you'll start popup window and make it as big as possible, you can use both app and screen all the time. Perhaps it would be possible to force apps to launch as popup which would take entire homescreen except edge?