Normally I almost never pick a default app because I have several browsers and when I click a link somewhere I like to choose what browser I want to load it up with each time. But now I upgraded to 5.1.1 and after I selected the browser the first time now it auto has become the default browser and I have not found any way of fixing it. I think once I was able to do it from the applications menu, then something changed with an update and I had to do it from the recent tasks window, or the other way around. But now I cannot find any list of default apps or setting to prevent apps from automatically becoming default upon first being selected to perform some option.
Am I missing something here? Google isn't likely to just remove a crucial aspect of the OS, so it's probably me. If you know I'd appreciate it.
Thanks.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.appiator.defaultappmanager
You can use it to change default apps.
Make sure that when you select the browser you want to use (I strongly recommend Google Chrome) that instead of pressing the big icon, you press the only once button below it.
This is what I always normally do, as I never actually pick a default. But since the 5.1.1 update I do not even see the option. As soon as I press the app I want to open the thing up with it vanishes and always uses that app from now on. I cannot find the built in default apps list. Apps are all fine and good but where is the built in and why can't I press to use an app once?
Related
Hi all,
I thought I'd share the steps I did to improve my experience (speed, battery life,...) with the stock ROM of the SK4G, and hopefully get some additional tips from you guys. There's nothing really *new* here, but hopefully it is helpful to some newer people (who don't want to mess with ROMs).
The steps in short:
1) Install the latest firmware.
2) Turn off or configure all automated syncing which you don't use.
3) Remove and/or freeze all apps you don't use.
4) Remove everything from your home screen which you don't need.
5) Disable apps that run on startup, but shouldn't.
6) Replace stock apps.
1) Install the latest firmware.
The latest firmware, currently KJ2, is a real improvement. I was previously using the KG2 firmware which seemed to have some memory leak. In simple terms, every minute the device was on, the system itself was taking up more memory, leaving less and less memory for the apps to run. This resulted in a device getting less responsive with time, the home screen being refreshed regularly, the device completely locking up, ... It was so bad that I made a habit to restart the sidekick at least once a day.
With the new firmware, this seems fixed. I don't think I have even seen the home screen refresh since I updated. Everything just seems more responsive! It also had a positive result on my battery life.
You can either wait for the update to happen automatically, or you can do it manually using Kies. It's a matter of installing Kies, connecting your Sidekick and pressing update. You can find a guide here.
2) Turn off or configure all automated syncing which you don't use.
It's a smartphone, you expect it to sync some stuff. Just check for each use case if you need the syncing and how frequently the syncing should happen. A lot of apps let you configure this kind of stuff. Some even allow you to only sync over wifi.
So just take a look at all installed apps and see which ones use some form of syncing. Some might do it without you being aware of it.
3) Remove and/or freeze all apps you don't use.
This is self explanatory for apps you've installed yourself. With the sidekick you also get a lot of apps that might be completely useless to you, but you can't remove since they are pre-installed. With root however, you can! (See the bottom of this post on how to root.)
Before I go any further, let me explain the difference between removing and freezing apps. Removing an app does exactly what it says, the app will be gone "forever". Freezing however is non-destructive: the app will be disabled and gone from your app list, but you can easily unfreeze it to restore it.
An app that's often mentioned that allows this is Titanium Backup. It is however not free. So instead, I used the free AntTek App Manager, which has worked wonderfully. You get a list of all apps, select one, choose "freeze" and it's gone! In case you want to undo your action, you select the app in the "frozen" list and choose "unfreeze". It's as simple as that.
Note that some apps should not be frozen. For example, I tried to freeze Wifi Calling. As soon as it was frozen, I got "force close" popups. Off course, since freezing is non-destructive, I could simply unfreeze the app to solve the problem.
Here is a list of everything I froze:
- com.amazon.mp3
- AllShare
- com.tmobile.apppack
- Backup (I'm not on T-Mobile)
- DriveSmart
- DriveSmart System
- Group Texting
- Media Hub
- My Account (Only the com.tmobile.selfhelp one)
- T-Mobile Device Carbon
- T-Mobile TV
- Video Chat
- SNS (Social networking)
- SNSAccount
- SnsComposer
- Visual Voicemail (I'm not on T-Mobile)
- Gallery (I use QuickPic instead)
- Swype (I use the samsung keyboard in portrait mode)
- Tips & Tricks
- Email (I use gmail instead)
- Accounts & Sync
- Files (I use ES File Explorer instead)
- Web (I use Dolphin HD instead)
- TeleNav GPS Navigator
- Talk
- Mini Diary
- com.google.android.apps.books
- Task Manager
- Messaging (I use Handcent instead)
4) Remove everything from your home screen which you don't need.
Again, quite easy. What I noticed in the beginning was that I used the home screens to list all apps I actually used, so I didn't have to open the app drawer and search for the wanted app between all apps I didn't use but couldn't remove. However, now that I removed/froze all useless apps (see step 3), the app drawer is quite a clean list of apps, so apps that I use sparingly don't need to be on my home screen anymore.
By the way, it is possible to order the apps in your app drawer. Just open the drawer, choose "menu / View type" and choose "Customizable grid". Afterwards, you can choose "menu / Reorder".
5) Disable apps that run on startup, but shouldn't.
I'm using an app called autorun manager for this. I disabled some apps that I use sparingly but that shouldn't be started when turning on the phone.
6) Replace stock apps.
It might be interesting to look at alternatives for the stock apps, depending on your needs. This is especially handy if you are able to remove/freeze the stock app you're replacing (see step 3).
Some stock apps you can replace:
1) Messaging --> Handcent.
The main features which made me choose Handcent were an incredibly handy popup window if you receive a message and great customization (both the interface as well as the configuration, for example not automatically switching to mms if your message is longer than 3 sms messages was handy for me).
Another nice replacement is Go SMS Pro, but when I tested it, it couldn't work with the led indicators of the sidekick.
2) Default launcher / home screens --> LauncherPro
I only tested this briefly before reverting to the default one, but it seemed very responsive. (I personally didn't like the spacing of the icons on the home screen)
3) Web --> Dolphin HD
I personally love the interface of Dolphin with tabs on top, gestures, efficient use of the screen space, ...
Other replacements are Opera, Skyfire, Firefox, ...
4) Gallery --> QuickPic
I find QuickPic to be a lot faster, and you can easily include/exclude folders.
Root
Rooting the sidekick is actually an easy process. It's a matter of connecting your device to your pc, installing the samsung drivers, running SuperOneClick and clicking "root". That's it. And if you want to undo this change, just go through the same process but click "unroot" instead.
You can find a guide here.
thanks a lot, man. though i'm still considering if i really need root.
Great little guide.
New users that just want a quick way to improve their phone's performance and stability should take note.
I noticed that Facebook remains in memory even after you close it or not it ever opened.
There is a patch to close it completely or do not open automatically?
MarkAndroid said:
I noticed that Facebook remains in memory even after you close it or not it ever opened.
There is a patch to close it completely or do not open automatically?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's not only the Facebook app, many apps do the same. They start up at boot or other actions. They either remain running (as a service or otherwise) too keep you up to date (notification).
Other than uninstalling, you can use a tool like System Tuner. I think you need root for this. In its task manager, select a process, then scroll the list on the right side down to Receivers. Uncheck the triggers you want to disable. This can potentially render your app unusable, so be careful what you disable.
An alternative, if you do not use the app, but still keep it or cannot install it (useful for apps that came with your ROM) is to freeze them.
MarkAndroid said:
I noticed that Facebook remains in memory even after you close it or not it ever opened.
There is a patch to close it completely or do not open automatically?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This might be kind of a hassle.
If you tap on the recent apps list.
Long tap the Facebook app it will give 2 options.
1 is remove from list
2 is app info
Tap app info
Then force close
Some say swiping from the recent apps list closes the service.
I don't believe it does.
At least this may be a way to shut Fbook down.
There's a lot of info about closing down applications on the Google Android developer blogs.
xcal321 said:
It's not only the Facebook app, many apps do the same. They start up at boot or other actions. They either remain running (as a service or otherwise) too keep you up to date (notification).
Other than uninstalling, you can use a tool like System Tuner. I think you need root for this. In its task manager, select a process, then scroll the list on the right side down to Receivers. Uncheck the triggers you want to disable. This can potentially render your app unusable, so be careful what you disable.
An alternative, if you do not use the app, but still keep it or cannot install it (useful for apps that came with your ROM) is to freeze them.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the reply. My TF700 is root!
The application I would not freeze it because sometimes I use it.
Try system tuner
This is just to inform anyone using "Phone 2 Google Chrome" that the app (currently v4.1) breaks the ability for certain app defaults to stick (at least on latest stock rom, synergyrom, and cleanrom...and probably others). For example, if you are using the browser and google for a youtube video, then select it, it will ask you every time which app to use even if you tell it to always use a certain app. Same thing happens if selecting a playstore link from a google search (it always asks if you want to use playstore to open the link, even after you tell it to always use it). These are just a couple examples of defaults that don't stick that I've noticed. Some defaults do continue to stick, such as an alternative launcher (I use Nova, and never had a problem keeping it set as default). After trial and error, I found that uninstalling this app completely fixed the problem. I'm also emailing the developer of the app, but thought others might find this info useful - especially if the app is not fixed.
I have searched this forum and the web, still surprised about the poor integration of multiple devices in Google Play.
Can anybody tell me if there is any easy and fast way to transfer most of your app's to a new device?
I am amazed the lack of usability in this matter? Why is there not a column based page with all your registered devises from left to right and all the app's downwards, then a box to "tick" on each device to install or delete multiple app's in one go??? How hard can it be???
I know you can use Titanium but you need to be rooted and still go by each app individual or take all in one go, this do not make any sense since a newer device might not need all the app's.
On Google Play I can see all my app's and then install them one by one with a confirmation box for every one? long and boring task.
A column based set-up where you choose which app's to be installed on what device you have registered seems like a "no-brainer" to me but I have not been able to find anything that resembles that??
Does it exist and am I a knob or is this a major oversight by Google???
All suggestions are welcome.
Robert
The key here is you need to tell Google to restore your phone once you install an OS. If you did this, the Play Store automatically downloads all your previously installed apps.
Also, in Titanium you have the checkboxes on the side as you're asking for, you just deselect the checkboxes besides the red apps pretty much...
If I'm using Chrome and looking something up I might click on a Reddit or news link, it asks you if you want to open it via Chrome or if I have the app installed the that app.
Sometimes it's faster just to view the web page instead so I don't usually choose use app all the time.
Something changed where no longer can select use Chrome just this instance, the pop up comes back and you can only choose the app.
I'm not sure when this changed, if it was the Android 11 upgrade or one of the patches since.
For now I just turned off opening links in apps.
Any ideas if it's a bug or one of the many things Samsung changed in 11?
No problem here, go to Chrome and clear defaults. You might have accidentally tapped always.