User Interface suggestions: WIDGETS for Common Apps - Samsung Gear S2

Would like to see more Widgets for common apps. It is so cool to have a photo gallery, but It takes numerous clicks to open it, Also I use Voice MEMO all of the time, again would be nice to have a widget that can be added to the quick launch. How about requirement for a Widget for ALL Apps (except clockfaces)
Would be nice to disable and remove certain apps, Nike+, and other bloatware.
The SOS is a nice feature, HOWEVER the watch needs screen needs to be on to activate it, that's okay but then it's three clicks to activate (one to turn on, two to activate) and timing may be an issue. I would suggest perhaps a screen rotate first (to turn on screen) then a double tap. (to avoid accidental SOS, yes this has happened to me).
Keep up the great work XDA, been here for many products, mostly Samsung Phones, Note 10.4, etc.
Rick43065

Related

[APP][3.x][4.x] full!screen - App to hide/replace Systembar

This little app acts as a replacement or companion to the default systembar on tablets. It can hide and restore systembar on most Android 3.x and 4.x devices.
Also like similar apps it requires root.
Unlike "GMD Hidebar" or "Hide Bar" which are recommended for simply using the device in "Kiosk mode" this app is meant to be more like an replacement for the systembar. It provides two configurable softbuttons which can be configured in position, size, color and transparency or can be completely disabled.
Several actions can be assigned to the buttons. Each button holds up to three actions, one for short, one for long click and one for swipe above the button. Possible actions:
Nothing: Um, yeah.. this does... nothing. Not sure why I implemented this.
Go back: Acts as the known "back" button to navigate back within apps.
Go to homescreen: Shortcut to directly go to homescreen... just like at the original systembar
Show recent apps: Will show a little panel to quickly switch between recently used apps. Unfortunately the well known "swipe to kill" function of the original can't be implemented because the necessary permission is only granted to apps with systems signature.
Restore systembar: An action to quickly restore systembar. With the latest version this can also be done by notification.
Show notifications: The second most important feature of the systembar. It shows a panel displaying the notifications. It is a complete reimplementation so some features are not available for now. The basic function works well on most devices.
Open apps menu: Older apps usually display their menu-button within the systembar. This action now can open the menu for those apps.
Pie Menu: Opens a configurable Pie Menu next to the touch area. This menu can be configured individually for each event.
This free version is fully functional and should be absolutely sufficient for most users. For lazy ones like me, who don't want to manually hide'n'restore systembar each time, there is a "plus"version available which automatically hides systembar for selected apps.
Oh, and yes, the free version shows a little advertisment for the plus version once in a while... if you want to get rid of it: just click this advert three times and it won't appear again. If you didn't buy the plus version after visiting it's store entry three times you probably won't ever.
please feel free to post critics, bug-reports, requests and suggestions
changelog:
1.0:
Initial release
1.1:
Improvement: wallpaper restoring much faster
Added settings for position and design of toucharea.
1.2:
Implemented panel for recently used apps
Added option for hiding systembar on boot
1.3:
Bugfixes
1.4:
Implemeted notification to quickly hide systembar
Added second touch area to use more actions
Touch areas now can be hidden completely
Fixed recentspanel not being hidden on buttonclick
Fixed toucharea not appearing under rare circumstances
1.5:
Implemented Notificationspanel
Added new action to access applications menu
Touch areas now always being composed correctly
Fixed apps malfunction on some devices (pfff.. the damn wrong environment issue most root-app-developers stumble upon)
1.5.1
Bugfixes
German translation
Visual feedback on buttonpress
1.5.2
Added information about battery, wifi and bluetooth in notificationpanels header
Support for big notifications in JellyBean
Changed unit for size of toucharea to dip (density independent pixel)
Fixed lost ability to accept calls on some phones
Added about- and contact-info
1.5.3b
No new features for now...
Service running more reliable. Should always restart after crash, manual or oom-kill
Removed full!screen from recent-apps-list (people swipe'n'killed full!screen from that list and wondered why it wouldn't work anymore )
1.6b1
few bugfixes.
New action: Pie Menu... this opens a Pie menu next to the touch area which can be freely configured for any event.
New event: Swipe... a third action can be assigned to the button which will be invoked when swiping over the button.
New extended options: activate them within the apps Options menu to freely change color and feedback of touch areas or to change long click timeout.
1.6
just bugfixes
Works good, I just need the notification area back and it's perfect!!
Works great for me.
Suggestions:
Multi colors
allow back button to exit the recent apps. Could not find any way to exit the recent apps when selected.
Sweet, this works for ICS too? Gonna try it out now.
synergeticink said:
Works great for me.
Suggestions:
Multi colors
allow back button to exit the recent apps. Could not find any way to exit the recent apps when selected.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for your feedback.
The recent apps panel should be closed when tapping on back button or anywhere alse outside the panel.
Well there is indeed a issue when "short click action" is set to something else than "Go back". Then tapping on button does not hide the panel. Did you mean this? I'll fix that.
I just got a message the wallpaper-workaround does not work at all on one device.
Since the wallpaper-issue was one of my main topics I am eager to solve this.
At least me and some testers never ran into this problem: if anyone else experiences this, please drop me a line. I need to collect some information to delimit that issue.
update:
the latest version now introduces the missing Notifications Panel.
At least for me the missing access to notifications was the only reason to ever restore the original systembar. So now it nearly always stays hidden.
A little drawback: new notifications so far are only being reported by sound. My own tablet doesn't have a LED and Vibro, so I personally am not missing this.
Hope you like it!
Great little app and I would be happy to shell a couple of bucks for it, one suggestion if I may though: it seems to be the case that all those who develop this kind of on-screen button apps forget to put a feedback for when the button is being pressed (momentary change of color preferably).
Since your app seems to be of the most complete offerings I think it would be great if you were to implement it in a given future. Android devices are often no strangers to lag so a feedback of any kind (that the button was actually pressed) I think it would improve the usability by quite a lot and hopefully it is easy to be implemented too...
Again thanks for this great app, here's looking forward for future updates
Stevethegreat said:
..., it seems to be the case that all those who develop this kind of on-screen button apps forget to put a feedback for when the button is being pressed (momentary change of color preferably).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Seems that those developers hardly ever imagine to operate an Android device with somthing else than their big Wurstfinger-thumbs
When I use the app I don't see the buttons since they are completely covered by my fingers. But you are right, when using eg. one of those attach-to-TV-Android-sticks which are operated by mouse and keyboard, and having systems touch sounds disabled, there is no feedback at all.. It's pretty easy to implement such optical feedback, soon to be done.
thanks for your suggestion.
Tsorn said:
Seems that those developers hardly ever imagine to operate an Android device with somthing else than their big Wurstfinger-thumbs
When I use the app I don't see the buttons since they are completely covered by my fingers. But you are right, when using eg. one of those attach-to-TV-Android-sticks which are operated by mouse and keyboard, and having systems touch sounds disabled, there is no feedback at all.. It's pretty easy to implement such optical feedback, soon to be done.
thanks for your suggestion.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks
Not much else to suggest -I guess- sort from allowing more actions (through the press of the buttons) but that can be done later... oh and a way to have the buttons accessible regardless of being fullscreen or not (for those who'd love to have "hot corners" at all times)... oh and a minor bug report now that we're at it: upon reboot the app gets superuser permission but does not procede to enable the service (even though I have "enable at boot" selected).
Again thanks for this great app, loving it so far
This works really well on the Nexus 7. I was using GMD gesture control and i had remapped my volume buttons so they could be used as back and home but this is much handier. I can now have my buttons back.
Many thanks
I bought the paid version.
I have been looking an app like this for a while, tried others but this is perfect for what i want.
Top job!!
The latest version includes visual feedback for button-press. I chose a not to flashy color, hope you like it. I am thinking of implementing the before suggested user-colorable buttons but this may take some time...
Stevethegreat said:
Thanks
... oh and a minor bug report now that we're at it: upon reboot the app gets superuser permission but does not procede to enable the service (even though I have "enable at boot" selected).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
mhh, I could only confirm this behaviour when setting SuperSu to prompt for granting su-access to the app. Which su-Manager are you using?
Did you set your su-Manager to automatically grant access to full!screen? This is necessary because the timeout waiting for su-access is set to 10 seconds... Since full!screen uses that accessibility-service it gets loaded at very early stage... far before other apps get loaded. Depending on how long it takes to fully load the system the timeout might occur even before the su-Manager gets a chance to Display it's confirmation-dialog.
Tsorn said:
The latest version includes visual feedback for button-press. I chose a not to flashy color, hope you like it. I am thinking of implementing the before suggested user-colorable buttons but this may take some time...
mhh, I could only confirm this behaviour when setting SuperSu to prompt for granting su-access to the app. Which su-Manager are you using?
Did you set your su-Manager to automatically grant access to full!screen? This is necessary because the timeout waiting for su-access is set to 10 seconds... Since full!screen uses that accessibility-service it gets loaded at very early stage... far before other apps get loaded. Depending on how long it takes to fully load the system the timeout might occur even before the su-Manager gets a chance to Display it's confirmation-dialog.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was usuing "superuser" so maybe that was why; once I've installed superSu the issue went away and now it boots with my system I've I asked it to
As for the visual feedback it works great but it goes away a bit too soon (Google's own feedback lasts quite a bit longer when one presses -say- the home button) and also it's less than visible when one uses low opacity. I like how the color is discrete though, great choice :good:
All in all I'll recommend this to friends what a great app
BugReport:
While using the app, SnapChat wont work. It FCs. When turning off fullscreen, it works.
Edit: To be to the point; One can take a picture with snapchat and put a comment on it, but when you press "send" it FCs.
dmbardal said:
BugReport:
While using the app, SnapChat wont work. It FCs. When turning off fullscreen, it works.
Edit: To be to the point; One can take a picture with snapchat and put a comment on it, but when you press "send" it FCs.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
installed this SnapChat on my tablet and could send and receive pictures without problems. I am just to blind to find a place to enter a comment to the picture!?
Anyway, I doubt I could do anything about another app complaining about missing systembar or something...
Is it a phone you installed the app to? ... there are some problems known with phone devices like not receiving calls anymore.. may be it's some related problem. :-/
Tsorn said:
installed this SnapChat on my tablet and could send and receive pictures without problems. I am just to blind to find a place to enter a comment to the picture!?
Anyway, I doubt I could do anything about another app complaining about missing systembar or something...
Is it a phone you installed the app to? ... there are some problems known with phone devices like not receiving calls anymore.. may be it's some related problem. :-/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You just click the screen for adding a comment.
Anyhow, yes. Its a phone. Its my Xperia V.
I got quite a few apps tho, so it might just aswell be any other app aswell.
But I found it to good to be a coincidence when I disabled fullscreen and then it worked.
The FC still happends when I dont comment btw.
But it might be SC complaining ofcourse. But its no problem, I just added an invisible button to get the systembar back before I take pictures with SC.
Your app is the only one working properly btw. the lower left and right buttons that you've added are perfect. I can make them small and invisible wich makes it perfect. GREAT job!
Keep up the good work.
I'd like the option to have the notification bar on, but the onscreen buttons off, with just the corner buttons etc., if that makes sense. I like having the notification bar on, I think it's useful. Apologies if there is a way to do this already, I couldn't seem to find it.
It would be good if it rearranged the app icons too to fill the extra space better.
Or alternatively, I would like notification on, original onscreen buttons on but transparent with screen visible behind them, that would be a good option too, I think.
Thanks for the app though.
TheGSL said:
I'd like the option to have the notification bar on, but the onscreen buttons off, with just the corner buttons etc., if that makes sense. I like having the notification bar on, I think it's useful. Apologies if there is a way to do this already, I couldn't seem to find it.
It would be good if it rearranged the app icons too to fill the extra space better.
Or alternatively, I would like notification on, original onscreen buttons on but transparent with screen visible behind them, that would be a good option too, I think.
Thanks for the app though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unfortunately that not possible at all... at least not without patching original systemUI. Buttons bar and notifications bar are created by the same process. Disabling this process obviously means disabling both bars. I might implement an internal UI similar to the original systemUI some day. But thats at the end of a long list of wishes and suggestions I got so far, because it would take much, much work.
Re: [App][3.x][4.x] full!screen - App to hide/replace Systembar
Hi, this program is almost perfect for me, but I have a question: given that it's oriented towards tablets, ¿do you foresee any problem using it in a phone?. I've installed the free version in my Xperia T and it seems to work alright, but I want to be sure.
--
Enviado desde mi móvil.

Android Wear, what I love and Hate

Ok as some of the members of this forum may know I got off to a shaky start with my Android wear watch (a Sony SW3).
I've now had it about four weeks and have over come the major problems I initially had, so I thought I would start a tread highlighting the things I love and the things I hate so others can assess if a smart watch is for them.
Firstly, what I love:
- Reading messages from Text, Email, Whatsapp and Messenger
It's so simply to just quickly look at my wrist see if I'm interested, if not I delete, if I am, may read further on the watch or if the message is to long, find my phone and continue there.
- Voice control
A really unexpected plus for me. I thought 'OK Google' was a bit of a gimmick at first, but how wrong could I have been. It's fantastic (OK, I feel a bit of a nerd saying OK Google to get it started, but that's a tiny problem). Driving and going to be late, OK google, Send text message to XXXX, then speak your message eg ' Sorry running late will be with you in 30 minutes. The translation is actually pretty accurate and it's done, you don't have to take your eyes off the road!
- It's an accurate watch, not sure where it gets it's time from but I guess it comes from the phone which in turn gets the time from the network which means no more setting, not running fast or slow. Not sure how it works when you change time zone though but I'll find that out soon enough.
- It's waterproof. Don;t forget to turn the touch screen off, but I've now been swimming with it, I regularly shower with it. Not a hint of a problem.
- Control you music system. I use Sonos around my home and I can turn the volume up and down, change track. Ok it's limited but it still an unexpected benefit.
- Control Bluetooth music with Spotify. Really a feature best used in the car. There's an app that will fire up Spotify on your phone which in turn will use the blue tooth audio to connect to your car. No more digging around to find you phone, unlock it, fire up spotify, find your play list etc etc etc.
- Incoming calls. Nice feature as I can decide if I want to take the call without having to find my phone to see who's calling.
What I hate (ok hate is a bit strong, but)
- The UI I think is not properly thought through You have al these options, tilt to wake, tilt to scroll through cards. Clumsy at best and a battery drain at worst (tilt to wake particularly) Even the touch screen to wake is not that cleaver as it can be operated but a lot of things touching the screen not just me, eg a sleeve, particularly one that is damp
- Voice control Ok I know I've said above that voice control is fantastic but it has one major down side, it needs internet connectivity. If it doesn't have it, it just doesn't work! Wish it would use the processing power of my phone to process voice.
- Wifi, ok I accept this is probably a bug, but wifi doesn't currently work properly, for some reason it will drain all the all the battery for no apparent reason and it does it very fast. I've now turned it off and only turn it on on the occasions because it's great to have full functionality
- Screen, the screen is fine, but that's damming it with faint praise. I would really like to see a higher quality screen and a little bit bigger would be nice.
- Incoming calls. When rejecting a call, it would be good to be offered a 'rejection message' that is sent via text giving a reason for the rejection.
When rejecting calls you can slide up instead of left por right swipe ano it will show up predefined messages that it will automaticly send to The caller.
::enviado do meu oneplus one via tapatalk::
My complaints (1 month usage) is the app tray feels bloated. Not every app needs to be displayed. Not every app has options set through the watch. Also the layout feels cramped to me. I would prefer some options (icons only, 1x2, list mode, 1x1 mode, text/no text, recent shortcuts at top on/off, etc.)
2. Embedded speaker for taking quick calls without digging for your phone last minute. 1 problem a watch introduces is that your phone starts to be left behind. I now leave my phone on the counter while I buzz around my home. Phone rings, its a mad dash down stairs to find my phone.
3. Some sort of keyboard. I'll take the old school T9 input. Just let me type a few things.
player911 said:
My complaints (1 month usage) is the app tray feels bloated. Not every app needs to be displayed. Not every app has options set through the watch. Also the layout feels cramped to me. I would prefer some options (icons only, 1x2, list mode, 1x1 mode, text/no text, recent shortcuts at top on/off, etc.)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Download wear mini launcher from the playstore. It's a brilliant replacement that let's you customise the watch to how you want it.
I totally agree with you. I also use Android wear for
Reading messages from Text, Email, Whatsapp and Messenger
Voice control
Agree with some points according to my experience with my old android wear.
Hope my new one will work better.
My most of my complaints are solved with the Asus ZenWatch2. It is a solid upgrade to the LG G Watch. Once Marshmallow drops, we'll get a new app tray and speaker support (Zenwatch2 and Huawei) for calls.
I tried the alt launchers and it doesnt replace the stock launcher but runs over top of it. So it just adds to the chaos. However after the nostalgia wore off, I dont really use apps thus dont need to go into the app drawer.
Keyboard: try FlickKey
player911 said:
3. Some sort of keyboard. I'll take the old school T9 input. Just let me type a few things.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Try FlickKey Keyboard for Wear. It adds a keyboard to any app that wants to call it. Right now, that is limited to Wear Messenger, Coffee for Wear, and K-9 for Wear - you need one of those messaging apps to be able to use it. BTE, FlickKey is not a T9 style keyboard - it works better than that.
I have tried various keyboards. What I was referring to was an option, by default, in Android wear to have a keyboard input. I don't use any of those apps, thus having a keyboard right now would be irrelevant.
What apps would you like to use a keyboard with?
player911 said:
I have tried various keyboards. What I was referring to was an option, by default, in Android wear to have a keyboard input. I don't use any of those apps, thus having a keyboard right now would be irrelevant.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I certainly agree that users should be able to decide for themselves if they want to use a keyboard or not, and which one they want on their smartwatch. What apps would you like to use a keyboard with? FlickKey can be added to any app with just about 15 lines of code. So message the dev who makes the app you want FlickKey in and let them know they can easily add it for free.
I find Android Wear to be very useful - when it works. Performance on my original 360 hasn't been very consistent either but I'm sure the S400 watches fare much better. Seriously though - every Android OEM needs to switch to AMOLED as soon as possible since it's much more suitable for smartwatch use.
I have installed AW on a Samsung Gear 2 (ported to the watch by @biktor_gj) and it runs really great !
Much much better than the default Tizen where it comes with normally.
Since I am using AW, I'm really hooked on it.
I love to be able to navigate with my watch and/or get notifications (from Google Maps) about any traffic jams or hold ups on my route.
I love to be able to use my voice to respond to whatsapp messages or even use my voice to make a new message without even holding my phone.
Really looking forward to the upcoming version (Marshmellow?), which suppose to have speaker support, because the Gear 2 has a build-in speaker.
So that means I can make calls too again from my watch (which is now only possible in Tizen, but not AW).
Hangouts and Messenger and Email (I know there are email clients that support wear and flickkey). I doubt Hangouts or Messanger will get it support.

[Q] Looking for simple one-screen pattern unlocker with trusted connection option

I'm using a Galaxy Note 3 with a recently installed 6.0.1 ROM, and the latest Google forced dual-unlock screens (i.e. where you need to swipe one screen away before getting to the actual pattern unlock screen) is really annoying me. I've searched, and tried lots of apps from the Play store, but nothing seems to do exactly what I want.
In fact, I really only have two requirements, which is why it seems so strange that I can't seem to find an app that fits amongst all the bells and whistles out there:
1) Initial pattern-unlock tool should be visible immediately after the phone is woken by the Power or Home buttons (i.e. no swiping away another redundant screen first).
2) 'Smart-Unlock' style feature to bypass the wake/unlock screen entirely when the phone is connected to a trusted Wi-Fi (home) or Bluetooth (car) connection. (Local connections preferred rather than GPS/etc location, as Android's Location feature can be a bit patchy inside our house)
Notifications, apps or widgets on the lock screen are not required, but I wouldn't object if they were available as options.
Can anyone suggest an app which fulfills both of the above requirements?
Andre

50 Android Tips and Tricks you should be using in 2022

Hello XDA Community.
Here is a thread that will help you make the most of your Android device.
Watch the video or go through the below list of tips and tricks.
You might find it useful.
Tap for AOD and Double-tap to wake.
If you have a premium Android smartphone, you ought to have both of these features. A lot of people are unaware and always use the side key. Save your side key from unwanted presses, simply tap once for AOD and double tap-to wake the screen. These options can be configured and personalized in the settings.
Double tap to lock.
Done with your work and want to keep the phone back in your pocket? Do that simply with double tapping on the screen to lock it. If it’s not working for you, your phone might not support this feature.
Double swipe down for quick-settings.
Sometimes, it can be lengthy to pull down the notification section twice, especially if you have a lot of notifications and want to change the brightness or want to toggle a quick-setting. A faster way to get there is to swipe-down using 2 fingers. It’s a handy magic trick that you can use to get things done faster.
Open camera without unlocking your phone.
A lot of times, we unlock our phone and give it to others for taking a photograph. This can be unsafe and somebody might go through sensitive information on your phone. Next time you’re at an event, just swipe on the lock screen to open the camera. This way, your personal information will stay secure and you’ll be at peace of mind.
Mark messages as read from the lockscreen.
Oftentimes a day, we get a lot of messages. It can be difficult to open all the messages to get them marked as read. A quick trick is that you can mark messages as read from the lockscreen itself. This works for SMS as well as popular messaging apps like WhatsApp.
Press and hold app icons for shortcuts.
If you are using lengthy approaches for tasks, this is bound to pave the way for a lot of shortcuts. You can tap and hold on icons for getting things done faster. Each app (depending on the developer) will show you a bunch of quick tasks that can be very useful. Tap and hold the dialer icon to add a contact, tap and hold chrome’s icon to quickly open an incognito window. Instagram shows quick options such as Camera, New Post, View activity or Chats.
Find your phone using Google Assistant.
This trick will work only if Google accounts are the same on your phone as well as smart speakers. Just say “Hey Google, where’s my phone?” and your phone will start ringing. This can be useful if you’re struggling to find your phone after a party. It might have hid in the sofa, under the bed or another dimension. Find it easily using your Google Assistant.
Check the phone's battery using Google Assistant.
About to fall asleep and don’t have the energy to check your phone, just ask Google. Simply say, “How much battery is there on my phone?” and the mighty Google will respond.
Get directions to places using Google Assistant.
Planning to go somewhere, simply ask your Google Nest device. Try saying, “Send me directions to the airport.”
Multi window
Wanna use multiple apps at once? Android has got you covered. Simply open the combination of apps in split screen view. This can be quite useful if you want to read something while completing a project. Drag and drop can also be done among windows. Also feel free to resize the apps as per your need.
Pop-up view
Doing some calculations and don’t want to switch back and forth between the apps? Use pop-up view instead. Bring up the calculator as a pop-up window on your screen to make quick calculations. The possibilities are endless.
Swype keyboard
Are you still typing the old school way? Time to change things. Swype is a great way to type faster. Turn it on from the keyboard settings if needed, and swype away. Say goodbye to typing one key at a time.
One-handed mode
Screens are getting bigger these days. Gone are the times when everything was usable with one-hand by default. To counter this, there are software enhancements. Turn on one-handed mode from settings to easily use the phone and reach all corners.
Mirror screen
Got an Android TV at home? Use the Google Home app which is downloadable from the play store to mirror your phone’s screen. This can be really useful if you have guests over and you want to showcase your gallery pics. Or just show them a presentation.
Cast content
While screen mirroring is cool, it’s not recommended for watching content. Use casting instead. Common streaming apps like YouTube, Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+ have this feature. Just ensure your TV and phone are on the same network, then use the Cast icon present in the app to play things on TV and control them using the phone. Pretty handy.
Control home devices
Once you have added your Smart devices to Google Home, simply use the Devices option to control them quickly. This can be useful to turn lights on or off, change the volume on TV or Play/Pause smart speakers.
Get rid of app drawer - Home screen apps
Recently switched from an iPhone or want a simpler home screen layout? There’s an option for that. Go to launcher settings and use the Home screen apps option. You will now have a simpler life and won’t have to open the app drawer again and again. Swipe up to perform a spotlight like search. Thanks Android for such good days
Extra-dim
It’s important to take care of our eyes during the night. Bright displays in bed while the lights are off can be stressful. Thanks to Android 12, there’s an Extra dim feature built in. Simply turn it on to make the screen easily readable even in the darkest situations.
Turn off notifications
Too many notifications from unwanted apps annoying you? Simply hold a notification to bring up notification settings, quickly turn off all annoying notifications from here.
Take calls from PC
Your phone app on Windows 10 and 11 offers a ton of features. One of them being the ability to take calls from your PC. This trick really saves from back and forth switching while working on a laptop. Make your life easier, pair your phone to Windows and take calls from the PC.
Messages from PC
Making a transaction on your laptop and don’t want the trouble to look at your phone? Your phone app helps you see all SMS on your PC itself. You can even reply or copy-paste to get content on your laptop.
Control your phone from PC
Here’s a quick trick to get your phone’s screen on your PC. Use the Your Phone app and click on the phone's icon. Grant permission from your phone. Phone display will turn up on the PC and you’ll be able to control it from there. Pretty handy if you want to take screenshots of the app you’re developing.
Notifications/Whatsapp/other apps on PC
Stay focused and forget the hassle of switching between devices. Thanks to Your Phone app, all your phone’s notifications are visible on the PC. You can manage them easily. Someone pinged you on WhatsApp? Don’t pick up your phone, reply to them right from your PC. You can use other apps too and even Pin them on your PC’s taskbar. Amazing trick indeed.
Photos on PC
Your phone app will keep your devices in sync. All your Gallery photos magically appear on your PC. You can even save them to the PC without having to worry about finding USB cables.
Create AR Emoji [SAM]
AR stands for Augmented Reality. You can create an avatar for yourself and do fun things with it.
Take measurements [SAM]
Download Measure tool in AR Zone to take quick measurements of your room. Next time you want to buy a carpet, just use this trick on your phone first before stepping out.
Edge screen [SAM]
This is a great way to access your apps and multi-task. The edge screen is highly customisable and you should definitely check out all the options to make it most productive for you.
Edge screen tools [SAM]
The magical thing about the Edge screen is that it doubles as a toolkit. Find options to view compass, tally counter, ruler and more. Next time you’re on an exploration, definitely bring up these tools.
Assistant Menu (Assistive touch)
Want a helping hand? Turn on Assistant Menu from settings. It is similar to assistive touch that you would find on an iOS device. Helps quickly take screenshots, open notifications and more. Customize and personalize it as you see fit.
Auto-complete in dialer
This is a very old trick of the book. Typically, a person wastes a lot of time in finding a contact and calling them. Quicker way it auto-complete. It works like a T9 dictionary which used to be present in Nokia phones. For eg. in order to dial John, you would have to press 5646. John’s name will automatically come-up. Use similar approach for others.
Powerful photo edits
Post taking photos, the photo editor offers a lot of options. You can make changes to a photo’s background, color and more. It’s quite powerful and definitely worth checking out to make photos stand out.
Scan documents [SAM]
The Samsung Notes app has an option to scan documents. Once you’re done scanning, save them to pdf format and share away.
Export text from image
There are times when we come across images and have to note something down manually. To counter this problem, export text from images easily. The Google Keep app comes to the rescue. Add an image to a note. Tap on that image, go to options and choose Grab image text. Easy life!
Connect mouse
Connect a mouse for precision of a cursor. Get the added advantage of right clicking while browsing for an organized and enhanced experience. Make any changes in settings if needed.
Connect keyboard
Want to complete typing that lengthy article on the go? Just pair a bluetooth keyboard for effortless typing. Finally, work can be done on the go.
Connect gamepad
If you have an Xbox or PlayStation controller lying around, pair it up using bluetooth. Gaming on the go. Sit back in the lawn and enjoy easy gaming. OR put your phone one a stand and play away. Hello GTA.
Identify plants/objects/fishes
The Google lens feature is pretty cool. Easily identify and get information about what’s in front of you. No need to save the image and do a reverse image search.
Cast presentations and docs
Google slides work amazingly in the ecosystem. If you have a Chromecast device on the same network, you’ll be able to present your content wirelessly to the audience. Goodbye HDMI cables.
Record calls [SAM]
The built in call recorder can be turned on from dialer settings. Open the dialer, tap 3 dots, choose Settings. Find the Record calls option and turn on auto record calls.
Record screen
Want to record app instructions for a friend, or complete a project? Record your screen. In the quick settings section, find the screen recorder option. You can choose recording options as needed. Start recording. Once you’re done, the recording will be saved to the Gallery.
Wireless powershare [SAM]
This feature might or might not be available in your device. Easily charge another gadget that supports wireless charging, ranging from iPhones to Smart Watches. Perfect when traveling.
Wired powershare
If you have a type C to C cable, you can charge another device. Plug the ends to different phones to share power. Perfect for saving your friend who’s running out of battery.
Developer options
There are some advanced options which are hidden by default. A lot of you might already know this, but for a lot of new Android users, tap on the build number a couple of times to unlock developer options. Know that these options are advanced and you really shouldn’t be messing with them unless you know what you’re doing.
Use screensaver
Screensaver is a great way to enhance your experience during charging. Choose from built-in screensavers or find a good one on the Play Store. A big shout out to the developer of this screensaver that I found. I will leave a link for it in the video description. It’s free and highly customizable. [link here]
Display contact info on lock screen
This is a useful way to show important info on the lock screen. You can choose to display your name or contact info, or go for your nick name.
Find my device
Find and ring your device using the Android device manager. Perform a google search “Android device manager”. Open the page and see your devices there. Find options to ring or even erase content from your device.
Flash notifications
Getting difficult to find your phone in the dark? Or just want to flaunt off your device? Turn on flash notifications in settings. Whenever you’ll get a call, the flashlight will go crazy.
Pin windows
Annoying kids want to play games on your device? Don’t worry, there’s a way to safely do that without them having access to phone’s settings or personal data. The app can be pinned, making it impossible for anyone to access anything else. Take a sigh of relief when you hand over your phone to anyone, just pin the app first.
Identify tracks
We all love music. Sometimes, you hear great music around you and it can be difficult to identify the song. Thanks to the magic of Shazam, easily identify the tracks being played near you. It’s a great app for music lovers.
Sensors and hardware check - *#0*# [SAM]
This is a secret code which helps you check all the sensors and hardware. Very handy and useful if you’re planning to buy a used phone or want to troubleshoot an issue with your existing phone.
Thanks.

Question Looking for infos about custom features (knock off/gestures/fast actions)

HI, i was a nexus user in the past and i remember a lot of features from the community. In those days i return to use a google phone, even though google has changed many of its policies about warranty. I notice a lot of problems or missed features. I was looking there but i didn't find nothing so i just ask to be sure i'm in the right place or just i missed something. For example, will be great to add the possibility to double knock on the screen to lock the screen and not only press on the right button. Or, for example, add the possibility to increase things you can do when press the botton screen. Or it will be great to improve gestures, likes oneplus so i can write some letters on blocked screen and for example activate light or something like that.
Is there alredy something for those thing or is still all blocked/work in progress?
ther3y3s said:
HI, i was a nexus user in the past and i remember a lot of features from the community. In those days i return to use a google phone, even though google has changed many of its policies about warranty. I notice a lot of problems or missed features. I was looking there but i didn't find nothing so i just ask to be sure i'm in the right place or just i missed something. For example, will be great to add the possibility to double knock on the screen to lock the screen and not only press on the right button. Or, for example, add the possibility to increase things you can do when press the botton screen. Or it will be great to improve gestures, likes oneplus so i can write some letters on blocked screen and for example activate light or something like that.
Is there alredy something for those thing or is still all blocked/work in progress?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For locking the device without using power button, I use Lock App from F-Droid, because I'm not a fan of using buttons.
3 apps/modules come to mind that can expand pixel's capabilities:
1) TapTap - tap back of phone to do something, eg pull down notification or take screenshots
2) AOSP Mods: like a Gravitybox lite. I use it to center the clock in the status bar and display date and day of week. I can also Double tap screen to sleep, but it doesn't work too well
3) ButtonMapper: customize hard buttons for other purposes. For example, i hold my volume down button to take screenshots.
For all, or most, of the best stuff (like AOSP modz) you'll need root access and lsposed to run 'em...a lot like the nexus days, lotsa toys!

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