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Set custom keyboard shortcuts on external keyboard?

I just bought a Logitech bluetooth keyboard for my xoom, and it's fabilous (im using it right now actually). The android specific keys are an awesome added feature. However, I cannot go to my recent apps, or use common shortcuts like ctrl+R for refresh on chrome. Is there any way to make it so there are shortcuts on an external keyboard? any help is appreciated. thanks!

Bumping because I'd like to do the same thing with my Motorola bluetooth keyboard.
Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk 2

Solution
Hi Guys,
On the off chance you haven't already found a solution...here goes!
First of all you need a little app called AnyCut, which unfortunately is not available on the Play Store, and I can't post a link, because I'm new. Sorry. A quick G search will get you the .apk
Install the .apk onto your device. On 4.2.1, at least (my Xoom) trying to run AnyCut from the app drawer does not work. However go to the widgets drawer and select AnyCut from there, and create a shortcut to "Quick Launch". There may be 2 instances of quick launch, if so select the first one.
**I tried for hours to find how to get to quick launch without anycut. Couldn't do it...maybe in the future!***
Now use the widget to access quick launch, and assign your new keyboard shortcuts.
I used it to edit/repair the shortcuts on the top row of my motorola bt keyboard for my xoom. And to change the browser shortcut, to a chrome one.
Hope this helps you!

[Q] [Disscussion]Hidding your apps

I am using Go launcher, it is great, it is so cool. But you know what is the most stupid thing about Go launcher? I think it is the hide-app function. Anyone can just click the "hide app" button and see what is being hidden. I always think that someone will open it someday. It is so awkward, how did you guys solve the problem?

That's really a problem.
cysx2487 said:
I am using Go launcher, it is great, it is so cool. But you know what is the most stupid thing about Go launcher? I think it is the hide-app function. Anyone can just click the "hide app" button and see what is being hidden. I always think that someone will open it someday. It is so awkward, how did you guys solve the problem?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have been using Go launcher also, it's a nice launcher. But this problem really bothers me. Wish this problem can be fixed soon!:crying:

It's because the 'hide apps' option isn't privacy-related.
It's there to hide apps from your app list that serve no purpose being there. For instance, Live Wallpapers put an icon in the app list, which forces you to open the wallpaper picker anyway. If you're like me and have about 30 of them installed, they clutter up the list. Ditto for Zooper Widget packs and apps you can't uninstall but never use. (No every launcher user has root access).

I also use Go Launcher. It's one of the best launcher apps. But I never tried app hiding until now...
My phone is password protected and since I am the only one using it I don't really see a reason why I should hide them.
And if there is someone who really looks out to find hidden apps.. That's a person I would not give me phone
Sent from my GT-I9195 using XDA Free mobile app

Overscan Calibrator - How to Launch

Here's something I stumbled on that I haven't seen mentioned... Found it very helpful.....
Problem: On my Samsung HDTV set, I found that many apps (particularly Chrome) were getting key parts of their screens cut off by overscan. But I couldn't find a way to set the overscan on my HDTV or in the Nexus Player.
Solution: While I was playing around with Nova Launcher on the Nexus Player, I found a way to launch something called "Overscan Calibrator" which fixed the issue!
Here's how I did it:
(1) Install Sideload Launcher (so you can launch Nova Launcher)
(2) Sideload Nova Launcher
(3) Use Sideload Launcher to launch Nova Launcher
(4) In Nova Launcher, long click on the screen to bring up the "Add to Homescreen" menu
(5) Shortcuts -> Activities
(6) Scroll down to find "Overscan Calibrator"
(7) Click on it to open the selection and click on the revealed item to add it to the home screen
(8) Now launch "Overscan Calibrator" and adjust the screen so that then entire screen is visible
Then... your entire Chrome screen will be visible !

How exactly do I long press on the home screen? I tried long pressing the select button on the remote but that didn't help

NexusNow said:
How exactly do I long press on the home screen? I tried long pressing the select button on the remote but that didn't help
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You'll have to get an OTG cable and hook up a mouse. Just about any wired mouse works, and many wireless do too. I use the Logitech K400 keyboard/touch pad combo unit.

On my Samsung TV, I just switched the picture size to best fit and the picture being cut off is longer an issue.

This is fantastic. Wonder if we could extract the calibrator out somehow.
xfortrenox said:
On my Samsung TV, I just switched the picture size to best fit and the picture being cut off is longer an issue.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Older TVs don't have this option. I'm in the same boat with my Samsung. There's no best fit or just fit option. Sounds like they added it to my TV's updates model in 2007. It's been driving me nuts.

How I did it!
I currently don't have an otg cable or a compatible bt mouse but I was able to get the same result.
I sideloaded nova launcher and airdroid and use the desktop client of airdroid to mirror it to the computer.
first I navigated in airdroid to login with the nexus remote. Maneuvering is kind of wonky but you should be able to login with username and password. I couldn't login using google+.
After logging in on the nexus player, I logged into airdroid on my desktop and Mirroring worked! but it looks bad lol but you can still tell what you are doing which is the important part.
Use the nexus remote to open sideload launcher and open nova launcher.
Then on the mirror you can right click with the PC mouse!
Then follow the rest of OP instructions starting at #4
Note: I am using a Panasonic Plasma tv. I have options on the remote for different "Aspects" but no options that auto adjust like "best fit".
There are picture options that I was able to tweak but not for overscan.

If you go into Nova settings -> gestures and buttons -> home button -> shortcuts - activities -> scroll to overscan calibrator, then press once, then press and hold the center button on the remote you can launch the app. No mouse needed.

Alternatively, without needing to sideload anything, just type this into adb shell:
Code:
am start -n com.google.android.tungsten.overscan/.CalibratorActivity

saeba said:
Here's something I stumbled on that I haven't seen mentioned... Found it very helpful.....
Problem: On my Samsung HDTV set, I found that many apps (particularly Chrome) were getting key parts of their screens cut off by overscan. But I couldn't find a way to set the overscan on my HDTV or in the Nexus Player.
Solution: While I was playing around with Nova Launcher on the Nexus Player, I found a way to launch something called "Overscan Calibrator" which fixed the issue!
Here's how I did it:
(1) Install Sideload Launcher (so you can launch Nova Launcher)
(2) Sideload Nova Launcher
(3) Use Sideload Launcher to launch Nova Launcher
(4) In Nova Launcher, long click on the screen to bring up the "Add to Homescreen" menu
(5) Shortcuts -> Activities
(6) Scroll down to find "Overscan Calibrator"
(7) Click on it to open the selection and click on the revealed item to add it to the home screen
(8) Now launch "Overscan Calibrator" and adjust the screen so that then entire screen is visible
Then... your entire Chrome screen will be visible !
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You Sir, just made my night.

I tried the screen calibration, but now it messes up some of the emulators I have on the Nexus Player, and I can't restore things to normal.

Here's an apk I quickly slapped together to run the Overscan Calibrator.
Run it from Sideload Launcher.

Turge said:
Here's an apk I quickly slapped together to run the Overscan Calibrator.
Run it from Sideload Launcher.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good work, I've been meaning to make something similar but I got super lazy and forgot.
You should upload it to the market, it's a useful tool!

Turge said:
Here's an apk I quickly slapped together to run the Overscan Calibrator.
Run it from Sideload Launcher.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I. LOVE. YOU.
haha seriously. wow. my old Sony TV has no setting for this and my chromecast and nexus player were off SO bad and this fixed it all. thank you.
Sent from my Galaxy Note 4

Thank you. Fixed nexus player issues for me.
Sent from my A0001 using Tapatalk

Thanks for this or has been bugging me for ages. TV player seems to be the only app with text still hanging off the screen but it is only a few letters and I can live with that. Really should be a stock feature.

For some reason, it's not working for me. I've tried with the Nova Launcher, the overscan APK, and a few other ways. The app opens and has me calibrate, I "click to confirm", but the youtube videos and such are all overscanned still. I haven't had any issues ever with the main menu overscanning, or some of the games. Would it have to do with my TV model?
I'm not sure of the exact model, since I bought it from a thrift store and all of the stickers and numbers were scratched off, but it's a small 16' VIZIO tv.
Update: After doing it once more and checking some games apps, none of them are overdrawn anymore. The only thing that's still overdrawn is YouTube, or rather any videos in YouTube. The HUD is just fine, but the videos are a bit zoomed in, cutting off quite a bit of the experience.

I tried this Overscan app on my Nexus Player running full Android AOSP 6.0.1, but the app just says "Unable to start" when I try launching it from the app drawer. I also tried pulling the app from CM13, which is the default overscan app for CyanogenMOD13 fugu builds, but again it does not run. I tried manually installing it to System/app and /system/priv-app which is where it is located in Cyanogenmod, but it still refuses to run. If I install it and set permissions as a system app, it then tells me "Parse Error: There is a problem parsing the package". Nothing I do will get this to run.
However, it works perfectly if I install a ROM with it already part of the ROM, such as with CM12.1 or Pure Nexus ROM. Not sure how to get this to work. Any ideas?

SkOrPn said:
I tried this Overscan app on my Nexus Player running full Android AOSP 6.0.1, but the app just says "Unable to start" when I try launching it from the app drawer. I also tried pulling the app from CM13, which is the default overscan app for CyanogenMOD13 fugu builds, but again it does not run. I tried manually installing it to System/app and /system/priv-app which is where it is located in Cyanogenmod, but it still refuses to run. If I install it and set permissions as a system app, it then tells me "Parse Error: There is a problem parsing the package". Nothing I do will get this to run.
However, it works perfectly if I install a ROM with it already part of the ROM, such as with CM12.1 or Pure Nexus ROM. Not sure how to get this to work. Any ideas?s
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Same issue as you. Love running AOSP, but that overnscan issue almost gives me a headache. I tried it in HAL browser, Nova, sideload... Every one says unable to run. Maybe in 6.0 it's controlled by a different portion of the OS...

sivboy said:
Same issue as you. Love running AOSP, but that overnscan issue almost gives me a headache. I tried it in HAL browser, Nova, sideload... Every one says unable to run. Maybe in 6.0 it's controlled by a different portion of the OS...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What I found strange is that the Overscan Launcher.apk works great in AICP. However AICP is just not ready to be used as a daily ROM. The only ROM I have found that I like enough to keep is Pure Nexus (Which has Overscan Launcher built in), but I'm having issues figuring out how to get my VPN installed thus Netflix is still useless to me. By the time the NP gets a ROM that just works it will be too old to use altogether, lol.

Is there any way to reset the overscan settings?

2019 Kindle Fire HD 10 - Adding shortcuts to home screen

I recently got a new 2019 Kindle HD 10 and started setting it up. I have been able to get Google Play and Nova Launcher successfully installed without any issue. Everything has been working great but I am unable to do something that I was able to do with my older Kindle Fire HD: add shortcuts to the Home Screen.
Previously on a 2017? HD 10, I was able to add shortcuts from Chrome right to the desktop. I was also able to add a book's shortcut from Moon+ Reader right to the Home Screen. But now, neither of these things seem to work. I am not exactly sure what's the issue that is preventing this from happening. App permissions? Newer version of Fire OS? A setting within Nova Launcher? I Googled the issue and found someone mention this was due to the OS version being higher but I haven't found any real confirmation on this anywhere else.
Does anyone have an idea of why I can't do this - and is there any workarounds for this feature?
Thanks,
TB

Todd Banister said:
I recently got a new 2019 Kindle HD 10 and started setting it up. I have been able to get Google Play and Nova Launcher successfully installed without any issue. Everything has been working great but I am unable to do something that I was able to do with my older Kindle Fire HD: add shortcuts to the Home Screen.
Previously on a 2017? HD 10, I was able to add shortcuts from Chrome right to the desktop. I was also able to add a book's shortcut from Moon+ Reader right to the Home Screen. But now, neither of these things seem to work. I am not exactly sure what's the issue that is preventing this from happening. App permissions? Newer version of Fire OS? A setting within Nova Launcher? I Googled the issue and found someone mention this was due to the OS version being higher but I haven't found any real confirmation on this anywhere else.
Does anyone have an idea of why I can't do this - and is there any workarounds for this feature?
Thanks,
TB
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You must disable Amazon's crappy launcher
Code:
adb shell pm disable-user com.amazon.firelauncher

AmznUser444 Dev said:
You must disable Amazon's crappy launcher
Code:
adb shell pm disable-user com.amazon.firelauncher
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yep, already did this using the Toolkit (14.2). I have Nova Launcher set as my default launcher and have even restarted to see if that cleared anything in memory. Still nothing. I have even gone back in and run the command again from the Toolkit to no avail. I keep checking permissions on the Kindle but I obviously haven't found the solution ... yet.
Take care,
TB

I had widget support allready activated with toolkit but no option to add a shortcut to Nova Launcher in Chrome and gdrive. I don't no why but suddenly the option appears in drive an chrome app.

Same problem here, configured with fire toolbox to use nova launcher, and widgets work but shortcuts don't.
So... I installed "Shortcut Maker" app, and created widgets that are shortcuts on the desktop. I even made some use chrome and some use Firefox, works great. I'm guessing there are other similar app choices but this solved my problem.
Note that when it first starts it says it can't make shortcuts, to try widgets, and that worked.
As usual ymmv, but did exactly what I needed.

Looking for an Android App -- a launcher, but... not.

I'm looking for an app that behaves like a launcher, but isn't an actual launcher/home app: multi screen, can use widgets, has an app drawer, etc, but doesn't specify itself as a launcher program.
Basically, I want to use is as one of the sides in a split screen configuration, but any app that defines itself as a home screen app android will treat differently and give most of the screen real estate to when it's running.
Google fails me because any search terms I can come up with to search for such an app just gives me useless listicles of 'the best android launchers!'
Any suggestions?

Are you seeking such action?
Split Screen Launcher - Apps on Google Play
Launch two apps on the screen
play.google.com

ze7zez said:
Are you seeking such action?
Split Screen Launcher - Apps on Google Play
Launch two apps on the screen
play.google.com
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, that's an app that just launches apps in split screen. I want basically a launcher that runs as an app and not a home screen.

Well, you still want your "splitable" Launcher to handle the home button/intent, so I think the only answer is to patch Android so that the Home app can be split screened.
There's some logic in there for older apps ("this app is too old and can't operate split screen"), probably some for Home activity.

Renate said:
Well, you still want your "splitable" Launcher to handle the home button/intent, so I think the only answer is to patch Android so that the Home app can be split screened.
There's some logic in there for older apps ("this app is too old and can't operate split screen"), probably some for Home activity.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not really -- I'm ok with using a completely different app for my actual home screen. I effectively just want an app to behave exactly like a launcher, only not to tell Android it is a launcher.
I realise this may not exist. If it doesn't I'll probably just find an open source one and modify it accordingly; I was just hoping it was already a thing.

dnfm said:
(...) launcher that runs as an app (...)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
https://www.reddit.com/r/androidapps/comments/v9phh4/_/ibz42jl

Take your favorite launcher. Use ApkTool. Edit AndroidManifest.xml and remove:
<category android:name="android.intent.category.HOME"/>
Build it back with ApkTool then sign it.
Of course this can not coexist with your "Homey" version unless you change the package.

Renate said:
Take your favorite launcher. Use ApkTool. Edit AndroidManifest.xml and remove:
<category android:name="android.intent.category.HOME"/>
Build it back with ApkTool then sign it.
Of course this can not coexist with your "Homey" version unless you change the package.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ya I figured it might be that easy, but my Android dev experience has been limited to writing a widget. Thanks for the heads up. I think I'll end up doing this.