Hi all, I only recently switched to Lollipop and I'm not quite sure how Contacts and Phone are meant to work together.
For example, if I try to make a shortcut to Phone using PIE or any similar app, it always sends me to Contacts instead. And then, once I'm in Contacts, there doesn't seem to be a way to open up the dialer keypad to directly punch in phone numbers to call. I don't know if I'm just missing something but it's rather inconvenient; I'd like to be able to access the dialer keypad from anywhere for quick calling instead of needing a shortcut on my homescreen or fumbling through my contacts or app drawer.
TIA!
Link the Phone app instead. You can access contacts from there anyway
That's the problem though - linking the Phone app often results in it automatically sending me to Contacts instead. It doesn't make any sense!
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Ive been trying to figure out how to set custom ringtones for txts for individual contacts but havent gotten anything. Can anyone help?
Use handcent sms from the Market. Turn off notifications in your stock messaging app once you've installed it to avoid double notifications. In the thread for the person whose notification tone you want to change, tap the button in the top right (the person with a gear) and choose notification settings, then notification sound.
There's no way to do it through the AOSP contacts or sms app.
thank you but thats for android. I forgot to mention I use the touch pro 2. I appreciate the help tho.
This may have been asked before but I am awful at navigating the xda search. Basically, my question is: Is there a way to link text notifications with the Epic lock screen without using the default Messaging app?
Example: When I get a text while the phone is locked using default messaging app, I drag the lock down and the unlock takes me directly to my inbox.
Is there a way to do this same thing but using an app such as GoSMS, ChompSMS, or HandcentSMS instead of the default Messaging application?
If you know of a way, please let me know.
Thanks.
With handcent I just use the pop up, I have it set to private so it doesn't come on when the screen is locked, and when I unlock it its right there, not exactly my inbox but I can read and reply messages, works on any lock screen also.
Hello, I am trying to find an app I used to have installed on one of my old android phones that I no longer own, and for some reason can't find under the previous installed apps on google play store.
It was a simple app for hidding that I loved because the way it worked. The app itself didn't install any icon on your phone and was launched via an nterception of your calls whenever you dialed your secret pin. I have been looking for other hiding sms apps and found none with this functionality. Also it had the option to notify you of the incoming hided sms by the icon, vibration or tone you wanted on your notf bar, so I had it configured to show a slightly different 'missed call' icon on the notification bar when i got a hidden sms.
I will be very thankful if someone can refer me to this app I am talking about, or find another one with similar functionality.
I've had this Samsung S3 for six months now rooted with stock AT&T JB ROM. I'm starting to use the phone in the car more and am perplexed how difficult I'm finding it to do some pretty simple, commonly useful things. Here's what I'm trying to achieve:
- When phone connects to bluetooth in car, to on Car Mode and Driving Mode
I already use Llama and turning on Car Mode is easy. Driving Mode looks like I have to use a custom Android Intention (haven't tried it yet)
1. Replace lock screen (currently using Widget Locker) with Car Dashboard for easy app launch and forwarding of songs being played in Power Amp, Spotify or Pandora. Strange that Llama toggles Car Mode but the toggle on the OS is "Driving mode" Seems Driving Mode controls TTS activation and Car Mode toggles the Car Mode app. I think this is just the problem with Touchwiz not being "Android Standard" functionality?
2. Make it so I don't have to press a button to wake phone but don't eat battery with screen usage. The only Car app I've found that comes close to this is the iBOLT Dock'n Drive app where you set the screen brightness slider all the way down and it just shows a clock jumping around the screen. I don't even want the stupid clock - but I guess it's nice to know the phone is in car mode waiting for me to touch the screen. Unfortunately music controls are not on this dash app and the Car app with Pandora integration (forget the name) doesn't have the blank the screen mode without sleeping.
3. When a text comes in, I want either (a) and auto-response that I'm driving and to call me if its urgent, or BETTER, (b) allow me to speak "reply" and do a voice to text response or "auto response" to send my auto response. S-voice allows you to say 'reply' but only if the text comes in when the S-voice app is the currently opened app. If phone is sleeping and text comes in, all it does is read the text. Disabling widget locker and having no lockscreen slider made no difference.
Sidenote: I've also discovered on the S3, because I don't use S-Voice, (I have home double tap mapped to Google Voice Search), the TTS doesn't work. If I manually launch S Voice once, then TTS works but if I remove it from the background apps list then no TTS. That's sort of a side issue.
4. If car mode is enabled, on GoSMS I don't need a pop-up. Just TTS. But GoSMS still thinks I haven't seen the message. So even though I heard the message GoSMS keeps pinging me with a reminder (which I do want repeat reminders for unread texts when NOT in car/driving mode) Strangely there is no Car/Driving mode settings in GoSMS. Surprising. And the Auto Response has to therefore be manually toggled.
It appears I may have to add some 3rd party apps to achieve what I want and possibly dump GoSMS - I've also found that CloudSMS (to replicate SMS to my tablet) doesn't work with GoSMS running. Boo. Hiss. I GoSMS is such a superior SMS program in most all other respects. Hate to see it go.
Seems what I'm asking to do shouldn't be so complicated. With all Google's resources, I'm surprised this isn't all built-in to Android and easily used.
Getting close. Turned off option on GoSMS to disable other messaging notifications (fixed CloudSMS issue).
Found two promising apps:
SMS+Car - Does the job but the it doesn't use the native Google voice recognition and more importantly doesn't read calendar reminders. What it DOES do is mark the SMS messages it reads as read!
Enhanced SMS + Caller ID+ - This is the better app, it cleaner, more options, used native Google voice recognition. It's missing one thing though, DOESN'T MARK THE SMS AS READ! Dealbreaker.
Search continues...
The purpose of this widget is to make it easier for elderly people to make phone calls and read SMS.
You can download it from the site: https://easyjoin.net/index.html#otherapps
There are various applications like this, but none were as simple and essential as I needed it, so I decided to create one. I share it in case it's useful to others.
Unlike other solutions this is a widget and not a launcher. The widget shows a dial panel, icons to show contacts and SMS and you can have buttons for a quick dial contact and device flashlight.
You can configure the widget from the application.
It is recommended to use a launcher that allows you to remove any other item from the home page and that allows you to lock the home page so as to prevent the person using the phone from removing the widget.
Personally I have used Nova but I would like to know if there are other launchers that can offer the above features in a better way.
The Neo-Launcher home page lock is great and is what I currently recommend.
It needs Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean) or newer.
Uses the following permissions:
android.permission.CALL_PHONE: to initiate a phone call. If you don't give this permission the application will open the default dialer app with the selected telephone number.
android.permission.READ_CONTACTS: to read the contacts to be displayed.
android.permission.READ_SMS: to read the SMS to be displayed.
android.permission.CAMERA: to use the flashlight.
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Thanks. I have been looking for a good widget for my mom's phone. I like the clear numbers in boxes. There are a couple of changes that I think will make this more usable. The spaces to the left and right of the 0 button should have star and number sign buttons. Also, isn't the Android hang up button built into the Android calling screen? It seems this widget's hang up button is just for clearing the typed numbers? If so, it would be simpler for a senior to see this visually as CLEAR or something like that, or turn it into a backspace button .
The way I have set up my mom's phone is that her few contacts are shortcuts on the screen so there is no need to see the contacts icon. You have the option to disable the sms icon in the dialing window which is great, but an option to remove the contacts icon would be good to have also.
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Also, maybe remove the keep alive service which is just for getting back into the settings? Just have the settings as a one and done when you add the widget since there aren't many options.
Thank you. Simplicity.
Simple and Clean is the way that this dial pad makes my grandmothers phone work.
Update 1.0.1
- Enabled default tick sound on a button's press.
Update 1.1
It has been removed the permission to create a service in foreground and the relative notification.
It has been removed the permission to listen to the arrival of new SMS.
Permission to make phone calls has become optional. If it is not given, the default phone application with the selected phone number will open.
The icons for contacts and SMS are displayed only when corresponding permissions are given to the app.
The contact list is automatically updated when the device contacts are changed.
The icon to cancel the choice of number and/or contact has been replaced by the one with an "X" - it is no longer the one with the handset down.
The icon to close the contact and SMS list has been moved to the bottom.
Update 1.2
The dial and cancel buttons are visible only when a phone number has been typed/selected.
You can set the name and phone number of a contact to get a speed dial button.
It is possible to have a button to turn on the phone flashlight.
For devices using Android M and newer, the buttons and icons you see in the widget depend on the permissions given to the app. For Lollipop and older devices there are switches to decide what you see in the widget.
Update 1.3
You can view SMS and contacts with a smaller font.
Installed but only goes to set permissions screen.
Thanks