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[Q] App/Panel ideas for the Edge screen?

I'm not a developer or programmer (although I could learn how to, but by the time I figured out how to create a program, the Note Edge 3 would be released), but being an end user of the phone and with first hand experience, I can always comes up with ideas that may improve the functionality and accessibility of the device. Below are some of the ideas on different panels/apps that I think can greatly improve the functionality of the Edge screen.
Music Control - This definitely needs to happen. It would be amazing to be able to control your music app (play, pause, stop, fast forward, rewind, etc.) while using your phone for other tasks without having to open up the music app.
Multi-Window Functions - Why can't we use the edge screen as the multi-windows toolbar? Instead of having to hold the back button for the toolbar to appear, we can just drag the apps from the Edge screen and start multi-windows.
Task List - Tasks on the Edge screen where we can tap it to mark it as complete and a new task will show up. This could also be a shopping list and will most definitely be useful for Black Friday.
Bubble Level - There's a ruler...why can't there be a bubble level too?
Battery Bar - I know there's a battery bar at the top of the screen, but it would be nice to have a larger battery bar that's actually color coded based on the percentage of life left. And it could also displays percentage of battery life as well as remaining usage time.
Fantasy Score Updates - I play Fantasy Football and Basketball and would love to see updates on my Fantasy scores without having to open up the Fantasy apps.
What do you think of some of the ideas? Do you have any ideas you would like to share? Hopefully a developer/programmer will read this thread and create some of the highly requested/useful panels/apps for the Edge screen.

There is a thread with a list going. My company will be building a suite of apps that accomplishes many of these items.

jribbe101 said:
There is a thread with a list going. My company will be building a suite of apps that accomplishes many of these items.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do you have a link to the thread by any chance? And what's the name of your company so that I may follow the progress of the suite? Thank you in advance.

When I first saw the edge, the first thing I thought of was my fantasy team lol. Fantasy points would be amazing. Yahoo already has a sports ticker, I'm unsure if Yahoo has any api that will allow other apps to pull points, but that would be so amazing.
I like the idea of a bubble level too. Seems like a no-brainer now that you mentioned it.
I'd like to see web browsers take advantage of the edge and place navigation buttons there so you wont have to hit menu->forward or menu->reload or menu->load desktop site anymore.
I'm also interested in being linked to that other thread with edge app ideas as well, please

ok dudes, let me get some of this work off my plate tonight and tomorrow, I'll probably make an official post or something for this. I responded to a few people in different threads so I went quickly and copied them here to give you guys something to ponder on, and add suggestions. This is a aggregation of things requested.
Ultimately the goal is to make apps that make it productive for business, and then make a few extra general apps. I was thinking a suite of 4-6 depending on the complexity to build.... which given how I design, the apps are usually complex to build. But with the limited space and functions of what we are making, these may not be to bad on time.
Some of these apps may exist, but I won't have my phone til Monday to see what comes preloaded. If I feel there is a lack of functionality, like in the messaging widget I'll build a better mousetrap.
WIDGETS
1. A rss feed type panel where user could add their own feeds.
2. A To Do list (integrates with outlook... so it can pull my data from there)
3. Messaging alert and reader. -- (so you can switch between sms/email/etc and use your finger to swipe left/right like a ticker to read the messages.. and maybe swipe up and down to cycle messages... still in thought)
4. Level tool
5. Music controls while using the phone
6. Twitter timeline
7. A converter tool.
8. Ir favorite channel edge panel
9. swipe or knock to turn screen on
feel free to add on!

Thanks for the reply.
So the Edge has an IR Blaster? If that's the case, I'd go further than just a favorite channels bar and add Volume up/down/mute as well as power too.

seeking said:
So the Edge has an IR Blaster?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No idea... its something another user asked for.

seeking said:
So the Edge has an IR Blaster?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, both the Note 4 and Note Edge come with the IR Blaster. It has been confirmed by many Tech and phones sites.
seeking said:
When I first saw the edge, the first thing I thought of was my fantasy team lol. Fantasy points would be amazing. Yahoo already has a sports ticker, I'm unsure if Yahoo has any api that will allow other apps to pull points, but that would be so amazing.
I'd like to see web browsers take advantage of the edge and place navigation buttons there so you wont have to hit menu->forward or menu->reload or menu->load desktop site anymore.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You and me both! The first time I saw it presented at CES 2013, I said to myself that it would be neat to see Fantasy updates on that side of the screen while at the bar or pub. lol.
And yes, I would love to have all the browsers navigation bar on Edge, it would make web browsing so much better and more efficient.
@jribbe101
Thanks for listening to the community feedback on creating apps for the Edge, I greatly appreciate it and I'm sure I'm not the only one! I look forward to supporting your company in the near future and am excited to experience your apps firsthand.

no problemo. Speaking of a fantasy widget... I am currently working on something that would probably blow y'alls minds, lol. I'm designing the UI now, and will have a running beta for March Madness and TNT (cable channel). So maybe I will integrate it with the edge... A small easter egg for our "limited" community

jribbe101 said:
no problemo. Speaking of a fantasy widget... I am currently working on something that would probably blow y'alls minds, lol. I'm designing the UI now, and will have a running beta for March Madness and TNT (cable channel). So maybe I will integrate it with the edge... A small easter egg for our "limited" community
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That would be fantastic! I look forward to seeing it in action, hopefully soon!

jribbe101 said:
ok dudes, let me get some of this work off my plate tonight and tomorrow, I'll probably make an official post or something for this. I responded to a few people in different threads so I went quickly and copied them here to give you guys something to ponder on, and add suggestions. This is a aggregation of things requested.
Ultimately the goal is to make apps that make it productive for business, and then make a few extra general apps. I was thinking a suite of 4-6 depending on the complexity to build.... which given how I design, the apps are usually complex to build. But with the limited space and functions of what we are making, these may not be to bad on time.
Some of these apps may exist, but I won't have my phone til Monday to see what comes preloaded. If I feel there is a lack of functionality, like in the messaging widget I'll build a better mousetrap.
WIDGETS
1. A rss feed type panel where user could add their own feeds.
2. A To Do list (integrates with outlook... so it can pull my data from there)
3. Messaging alert and reader. -- (so you can switch between sms/email/etc and use your finger to swipe left/right like a ticker to read the messages.. and maybe swipe up and down to cycle messages... still in thought)
4. Level tool
5. Music controls while using the phone
6. Twitter timeline
7. A converter tool.
8. Ir favorite channel edge panel
9. swipe or knock to turn screen on
feel free to add on!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi jribbe101,
Its great to see you're giving user suggestions serious consideration. Can't wait see some of these ideas come alive. These apps potentially makes the edge seriously useful.
Good luck!

invisiblesense said:
Hi jribbe101,
Its great to see you're giving user suggestions serious consideration. Can't wait see some of these ideas come alive. These apps potentially makes the edge seriously useful.
Good luck!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree, all these reviews talking about it being a gimmick.. I can actually see some good use for that screen in my daily business scenarios that would make small things more efficient. So, maybe we can make them eat those words @[email protected]!
Which forum should I post my thread on? General or Q&A? I'm going to start the new thread with this username and want to make sure it's under the right area. It will be a starter thread to aggregate ideas to pick which apps should be made.

Yes it has an IR blaster and comes with Smart Remote app (the same thing that was on the note 3 just renamed and themed a bit)
I was the one asking for frav Ch. IR. I think it would be cool to just swap over and tap the top 5 ch you watch.
There could also be one for vol up and down or even channel.
For those that arent use to the power button on top. You can get a screen off/power off app from the market and short cut it to the edge.
So far there isnt much i can think of for apps for the edge. Most of the stuff i can think of would have to be updated via the main app.
i.e.
facebook status scrolling,
ebay ending soon count down
TV guide reminders

I would love to be able to put any app that I have in the drawer to the edge screen instead of just the basic ones. Then you can put any of your favorite apps or most used apps in edge screen for easy access, or more sports ticker options for sports scores, yahoos one basic doesnt have any NCCA college football options.

Probably not the right thread but it's Q&A so I thought I would give it a shot , problem is I can't get the side panel to turn on without turning on the whole screen , I've read and read , your supposed to just activate it by running your finger or thumb up and down the side panel , but no matter what I do I can't get it to work without turning on the whole screen , am I missing something , I couldn't even get the night clock to work as it is supposed to , now to be fair I haven't had the phone for even 24 hrs yet , but have set everything up and messed around with it for a few hrs ...? Stumped ....any help or suggestion's would be greatly appreciated , I'm beginning to think I got a lemon , Thank's in advance ....

Philly Jim said:
Probably not the right thread but it's Q&A so I thought I would give it a shot , problem is I can't get the side panel to turn on without turning on the whole screen , I've read and read , your supposed to just activate it by running your finger or thumb up and down the side panel , but no matter what I do I can't get it to work without turning on the whole screen , am I missing something , I couldn't even get the night clock to work as it is supposed to , now to be fair I haven't had the phone for even 24 hrs yet , but have set everything up and messed around with it for a few hrs ...? Stumped ....any help or suggestion's would be greatly appreciated , I'm beginning to think I got a lemon , Thank's in advance ....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't have a Note Edge yet for reference, but I recall reading somewhere that you can "wake" the Edge panel by swiping your finger right and then left on it. Then once you wake it, you can use your thumb to swipe up and down to look at the different panels.

I do not believe that the edge panel turns on with the main screen still off.

seeking said:
I do not believe that the edge panel turns on with the main screen still off.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, it does. With the screen off, swipe back and forth on the sharpest part of the curve. That's the most sensitive part of the edge display. That will turn on the clock/notifications/weather (wait a bit, and it'll start scrolling to show your notifications). To access your panels, slide left or right on the edge as you would when the screen is on. once again the sharpest part of the curve is most sensitive.

jooniloh said:
Yes, it does. With the screen off, swipe back and forth on the sharpest part of the curve. That's the most sensitive part of the edge display. That will turn on the clock/notifications/weather (wait a bit, and it'll start scrolling to show your notifications). To access your panels, slide left or right on the edge as you would when the screen is on. once again the sharpest part of the curve is most sensitive.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can confirmed that this works. Just put your thumb on the edge screen with your thumb covering the whole side of the edge, and slide/drag it up and down.

working on the EDGE ALERT for messages...

Feature Requests - (I see you essential team)

Since you guys peruse here and reddit.
-Stay awake while reading/holding
The same way the sony xperia series detects the phone is upright and being held, delays the screen time out.
- Setting to adjust the bottom round corner overlays
There two overlays at the bottom of the screen. Would be great to add some setting stop adjust.
-Hide Navbar
Similar to the GS8 That give you granular control over when it's hidden.
-Auto Pin unlock
Again the on the xperia series, the check mark is removed, so once you put the correct pin the phone accepts and unlocks.
More to come....

So most of the things suggested above are actually pretty gimmicky, imo.
Only thing I miss coming from other phones is gesture support for things like camera and flashlight with screen off. Double tap power for camera works fine, but no way to get to flashlight without turning the screen on, pulling down quick toggles, and clicking flashlight. Maybe holding down the volume down button with screen off?
Moto has the best gestures, then oneplus, then everyone else. Unfortunately, there is hardware support required for these to work without killing the battery, so totally understand if we never get gestures like these.

Those are pretty lame requests.. Essential runs AOSP.
A request that are needed & needs addressing:
- manual mode for camera
- hdr auto toggles the flash on??
- release system images already
- beta program/Oreo
- timely security updates (just getting October?)
- fix touch issues and scrolling
- fp scanner causing lockups
Let's get the OS polished and working better before we add more features

tlxxxsracer said:
Those are pretty lame requests.. Essential runs AOSP.
A request that are needed & needs addressing:
- manual mode for camera
- hdr auto toggles the flash on??
- release system images already
- beta program/Oreo
- timely security updates (just getting October?)
- fix touch issues and scrolling
- fp scanner causing lockups
Let's get the OS polished and working better before we add more features
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I mean, those requests of yours are already what they're doing, and bug fixes. So like duh list.
As for essential running aosp. They do, and they are already adding stuff on top.
The elegant solution for the status bar is to run devices in full screen, then manually
bring back the nav bar and status bar. So options for that would just be additional to what they are doing.
The rounded corners. They are already overlaying black corners on top. So options for that would just be additional to what they are doing.
Double click power button for cam isn't aosp last I checked.
So hence "feature requests" not just another list asking for "do it faster". :good:

Fix the camera.
Show us you can do this and smash the naysayers. Please don't just throw in the towel and let companies like Razer come in and show you up.
I would like Oreo like everyone else, but keep the guns pointed at the cameras.
There's seriously no rush to race to Essential phone 2.
You have reduced the price and now have the stage yet again. (Not to mention a ton of dedicated customers waiting with faith and phone in hand. )
Seize the moment an knock it out of the park.
This is the perfect time for you to take gobs of consumers away from the Pixel line. Google is against the ropes with its own set of issues.
Now that your price is set where margins are thin, its time to prove your name. Fix the camera and move units like crazy to get it in as many hands as possible.
Essential Phone 2 will help when you user base confidently upgrades ans recommends your product.
I bought an Essential phone for tight finish. (Software & Hardware)
Oreo will clean up a lot of peoples wants.
Again though, make the hardware work to it full potential.
Essential, you put yourself in this position with Stock android promises coupled with exceedingly high end hardware.
If I wanted bells/whistles with headaches, I would have zero troubles finding and OEM for that.
I essentially want you to focus on the hardware and leverage what you have to a higher standard and level.
Fix the EIS
Bring the camera levels to LG G6 results since the parts are the same.
Fix the Camera Icon (The only one you created) - Its ridiculously amateur and sticks out like a sore thumb.
Keep up the AMA's
Stay focused and steady.
Don't just kick the can down the road.
Another point:
I feel you should point out and lean your American roots. Lots of consumers purchase phones from offshoot companies that are created outside of the USA. Subsequently, many of them have been busted by running data collecting and or malicious algorithms.
You will not have more attention than you do now. Get cracking on it and show us what your made of.
Show us you can do this!

I agree totally with Maven1975 this phone is an awesome piece of equipment, I think that the weak link is the stock camera app and the way it processes the photos taken (compression) I have been able to take some pretty good looking photos with the stock app, but both The GCam port and FV-5 take far better pics but why?
Over the past year I owned the G6 which took some really nice pics, I sold it to purchase the S8 which took some amazing pics but I just couldn't deal with the UI of either of those phones even with the themes and the S8 wasn't user friendly for myself because of how I hold a phone I need me some side bezels with how I hold phones. I ended up getting the U11 and I love HTC and the UI but the phone was "big" but it took the best pictures out of the three.
Then the Essential PH-1 came out with it's awesome form factor and amazing quality and design I figured hey it has the same image sensor as the G6 with newer hardware and dual camera setup I bought into the"Image Fusion" hype and figured the photos should be somewhere in between the G6 and U11
Fix the camera, give us a Pro/Manual Mode and Release the System Image
I love stock Android, so keep the updates quick and the owners of this high quality phone will be some of your best advertisement "bang for the buck"
Become part of the development community and make this a "flash happy" phone ..... I come from a time when the HTC Hero had so many options for flashing different roms and apps it was so pleasing make the Essential PH-1 an ICON like the Hero

Ticwris Max SmartWatch

does anyone have any experience with the Ticwris Max Android SmartWatch? mine is freezing at least twice a day, and fails when trying to do firmware updates.

Mine failed too, how did you recover?

I own one and 6 months ago the screen went blank and staticky. I have been looking for someone to repair it and have emailed ticwris and kospet at least 4 times each but no one even bothers to answer. Any suggestions?

au.ant0ni said:
does anyone have any experience with the Ticwris Max Android SmartWatch? mine is freezing at least twice a day, and fails when trying to do firmware updates.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I recently got the Ticwris Max S and so far it's been great. The connection to the phone drops every now and then though. I haven't done the firmware update yet. Mine says it's on V1.9_20201221_20201221-2014.
I'm looking to customize it to get Nova Launcher working and for it to hopefully work to get notification from my phone like my TicWatch Pro 3 GPS is a phone companion.

I just bought a DM101 Max S (unbranded) running on Android 7.1.1 and so far I havent found any custom ROM for it.
These watches go by the name LEMFO, LEM 4, LEM T, TICWRIS, DM98, DM99, DM100 MAX, DM101 MAX S, etc..
Does anyone know about these watches? Theyre high quality little smartphones basically. If only the ROM was customized a bit more for app font scaling and size of font on apps. It runs apps but the font is so small on some and so are nav buttons (on most apps).
The best thing is I installed Blockchain app on my watch and now I can access my bitcoin wallet on this thing! insane!!
I also installed Chime, Cashapp, Facebook Messenger and they all run fine, but some have such micro sized fonts as I said.
Maybe someone can develop a magnify app that expands areas for this watch.
So Im requesting anyone whos interested to start tweaking this cool watch! Ill be trying a few things like trying to root my DM101 Max S, creating a magnify tool for expanding app interfaces.
PLEASE SOMEONE HELP DEVELOP THE FIRST ROM EVER FOR THIS AWESOME WATCH!
IM GOING TO TRY TO COPY MY ROM FROM MY WATCH AND UPLOAD IT HERE. ITS ANDROID 7.1.1

GeoffM said:
Mine failed too, how did you recover?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I know these watches can be flashed. Ive read that the ROM on it can go bad (largely due to premature ROM development). The trick is to not go overboard with apps. install only a few apps. the ROM isnt stable from the get go. There is a flash tool I saw somewhere with the ROM to reflash it. There is also a way to boot into recovery on the Max and Max S. Ill try to find it all and upload it here.

missionman said:
Does anyone know about these watches? Theyre high quality little smartphones basically. If only the ROM was customized a bit more for app font scaling and size of font on apps. It runs apps but the font is so small on some and so are nav buttons (on most apps).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Here are 2 things that may help.
1. Go to settings, scroll to the bottom and click more, scroll down to third-party apps adapter and turn it off (this causes apps to "fit" the screen better by reducing the size to the elements in the app, you don't want this).
2. download and install an app called Hidden Settings on the play store. In the app hit the search bar and type accessibility, the setting you are looking for should be the 1st of three results. Within that setting scroll down to font size and set according to your liking. There may be some text that is small but this should help.
I've had my Ticwris Max for a few days now and the more I discover the more I'm enjoying this watch.

knowledge5106 said:
I recently got the Ticwris Max S and so far it's been great. The connection to the phone drops every now and then though. I haven't done the firmware update yet. Mine says it's on V1.9_20201221_20201221-2014.
I'm looking to customize it to get Nova Launcher working and for it to hopefully work to get notification from my phone like my TicWatch Pro 3 GPS is a phone companion.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just got my Max S yesterday. I have it running through Nova Launcher (pro) and so far it's been a lot smoother compared to the default launcher. I'm also using a "sync notificator app" to forward my notifications from my main phone.
I'n my opinion the watch has a lot of potential. Just need to figure out a few minor issues.. like lack an always on display volume controls and/or Navigation overlays disappear (and the apps premission settings get reset to once the screen is locked.

ninpo said:
Here are 2 things that may help.
1. Go to settings, scroll to the bottom and click more, scroll down to third-party apps adapter and turn it off (this causes apps to "fit" the screen better by reducing the size to the elements in the app, you don't want this).
2. download and install an app called Hidden Settings on the play store. In the app hit the search bar and type accessibility, the setting you are looking for should be the 1st of three results. Within that setting scroll down to font size and set according to your liking. There may be some text that is small but this should help.
I've had my Ticwris Max for a few days now and the more I discover the more I'm enjoying this watch.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you ninpo! I really appreciate this. Ill try it out. Im working on a dark mode next. If its not in hidden settings Im going to try to modify the firmware image and other various tweaks with Android SDK and other tools.
Theres not much more to be displeased about. This watch is awesome.

For those who need the info, here is the USB wiring diagram and useful photos for the DM100 Max and DM101 Max S for whatever reason you might need them for. I found it useful for buying DM98 and DM99 chargers which are way better than the box shaped charger the DM101 comes with. The thing is so loose and doesnt stay in place. Thats where mods or other chargers come in. HOWEVER, you must place the charger of the DM98 or DM99 in the PROPER ORIENTATION with respect to the contact diagram.
Reverse this and you can burn out your watch. Heres a diagram of DM98, 99 charger as well. They line up fine. Only thing that may/may not line up is the magnets but mods are up to you. Ill post about it as soon as I get my DM98 charger.

ninpo said:
Here are 2 things that may help.
1. Go to settings, scroll to the bottom and click more, scroll down to third-party apps adapter and turn it off (this causes apps to "fit" the screen better by reducing the size to the elements in the app, you don't want this).
2. download and install an app called Hidden Settings on the play store. In the app hit the search bar and type accessibility, the setting you are looking for should be the 1st of three results. Within that setting scroll down to font size and set according to your liking. There may be some text that is small but this should help.
I've had my Ticwris Max for a few days now and the more I discover the more I'm enjoying this watch.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So i turned off 3rd party app adapter like you said.
Next, which app of hidden settings do i pick for this watch? There seems to be some bad ones. I cant tell which one to install..

missionman said:
So i turned off 3rd party app adapter like you said.
Next, which app of hidden settings do i pick for this watch? There seems to be some bad ones. I cant tell which one to install..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The one that I'm using is called "Hidden settings for Android" by developer, Common Tools.
I've seen " Settings Search" heavily recommended here but like you, I've found many with that name and wasn't sure which to use.

For those that are interested, I've uploaded a screen recording of my Ticwrist Max home screen setup on YouTube. Take a look if you're so inclined.
Ticwris Max home screen setup

ninpo said:
For those that are interested, I've uploaded a screen recording of my Ticwrist Max home screen setup on YouTube. Take a look if you're so inclined.
Ticwris Max home screen setup
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I posted this on another forum but thought it might be a good fit here it describes my setup in greater detail.
Launcher:
The launcher that I'm using is called Lightning launcher. Lightning launcher is a highly customizable launcher that allows you to have an unlimited workspace. The launcher gives you complete control over all desk top items such as widgets, shortcuts, icons, and text. These items can be resized, rotated, placed on a grid, or placed freely within the desktop space. The launcher also allows for unlimited horizontal and vertical scrolling. Items placed on the desktop can have up to six assignable actions using gestures such as swipe left, right, up, down, tap, and long press. Assignable actions can include launching apps, shortcuts, and system actions. You can even have multiple desktop setups and easily switch between them. That is just a small sample of what this launcher is capable of. My current setup has a center page with an additional page to the left, right, top, and bottom of the center page.
Home page widgets:
I have two widgets on my home screen, BobclockD3, and Battery Reborn 2020. I've added seconds above the clock widget using lightning launchers dynamic texts feature. I have assigned gesture actions to the widgets in my setup.
Long pressing the clock widget opens the native clock app.
Tapping the battery reborn 2020 widget will give you comprehensive data and stats about your battery.
Long pressing the battery widget will launch an app called flashlight. This app simply turns your screen bright white which you can use to softly illuminate your surroundings in the dark. I like it because it does not kill your night vision but provides just enough illumination to see your immediate surroundings.
Swiping left on the battery widget opens a lightning launcher folder which slides down from the top right of the screen. This folder is a three-page vertical scrolling folder with each page holding three apps. The apps in the folder include Gmail, Google Voice, Google Duo, YouTube vanced, calculator, hi-q voice recorder, watch Droid assistant, Google translate, and wyze (home video surveillance monitoring app).
Swiping up on the battery widget opens the app drawer. The app that I am using for the app drawer is called JINA drawer. I like this drawer app because it is highly customizable and it gives you a great deal of information about your apps as well as the ability to manipulate the apps such as uninstalling, hiding, etc.
Top page:
The top page contains a lightning launcher panel that holds a calendar widget and an agenda widget. These widgets populate the entire screen and can be scrolled horizontally. The app that I use to get the widgets is called Digical, I am using the pro version.
Bottom page:
The bottom page contains a widget called weather & clock widget for Android.
Left page:
They left page contains a widget from an app called YMusic. This app is similar to YouTube music and allows for background play, audio and video downloads but is free. I like the widget because it fills the entire page with the album art of the song that I am listening to.
Right page:
The right page contains a widget from an app called accupedo. I prefer this app over the stock step counter because it gives you a lot more information in the app as well as within the widget. The widget is long but not very tall so I added static text from lightning launcher saying "Step Count" to help fill the screen out a bit.
Navigation:
For navigating the phone I use an app called fluid navigation. The way I have it configured, a short swipe from the bottom center is for home, a long swipe from the bottom center launches Google voice assistant. A short swipe from the bottom left would open a volume app called ultra volume this allows you to have many different volume panel setups, the one that I'm using is a horizontal bar that populates the entire bottom width of the screen. A long swipe from the bottom left would launch the native volume control panel. Swiping long or short from the bottom right would launch my app drawer. A short left swipe from the right bottom half will execute the back command, and a long swipe left will open the recents menu. A short swipe downwards from anywhere along the top will launch the bottom navigation bar app, and a long swipe will drop the navigation panel. I customized my navigation panel with an app called power shade, I have the paid version.
Apps:
I have quite a few apps loaded on the watch too many to mention here as this post is already very lengthy. Feel free to check out the video that I posted in this thread and you can pause while I'm scrolling through the app drawer to get an idea of some of the apps loaded on the watch. I have added a few more since the posting of that video, if there is enough interest I will compile a list of the apps and games that I have installed.
Conclusion:
I love this watch. I love that I can make it my own using the customization options that Android provides. The watch does have some quirks. I have to monitor it when charging because it tends to get pretty hot, sometimes. Also when running memory intensive apps the watch would heat up as well. There are times when the watch becomes unresponsive and I would need to do a soft reset, but thankfully that doesn't happen too often. The battery life is very impressive however, I cannot give an accurate estimate as to how long the battery would last during normal use because I am constantly tinkering with the watch. My main gripe is that although the watch is constantly connected to my home Wi-Fi or tethered to my phone, it would not always pick up notifications from apps that are connected to the web. I find myself periodically turning Wi-Fi off and then back on only to have a flood of notifications come through. Perhaps this is user error, or maybe it is a flaw in the watch software. Although these issues can be annoying it is by no mean a deal-breaker and has not tainted my enthusiasm or enjoyment of this watch. I hope this helps those who own this watch or similar watches to enjoy theirs as much as I enjoy mine. Feel free to engage me with questions or conversation as I really enjoy talking about this device.

ninpo said:
I posted this on another forum but thought it might be a good fit here it describes my setup in greater detail.
Launcher:
The launcher that I'm using is called Lightning launcher. Lightning launcher is a highly customizable launcher that allows you to have an unlimited workspace. The launcher gives you complete control over all desk top items such as widgets, shortcuts, icons, and text. These items can be resized, rotated, placed on a grid, or placed freely within the desktop space. The launcher also allows for unlimited horizontal and vertical scrolling. Items placed on the desktop can have up to six assignable actions using gestures such as swipe left, right, up, down, tap, and long press. Assignable actions can include launching apps, shortcuts, and system actions. You can even have multiple desktop setups and easily switch between them. That is just a small sample of what this launcher is capable of. My current setup has a center page with an additional page to the left, right, top, and bottom of the center page.
Home page widgets:
I have two widgets on my home screen, BobclockD3, and Battery Reborn 2020. I've added seconds above the clock widget using lightning launchers dynamic texts feature. I have assigned gesture actions to the widgets in my setup.
Long pressing the clock widget opens the native clock app.
Tapping the battery reborn 2020 widget will give you comprehensive data and stats about your battery.
Long pressing the battery widget will launch an app called flashlight. This app simply turns your screen bright white which you can use to softly illuminate your surroundings in the dark. I like it because it does not kill your night vision but provides just enough illumination to see your immediate surroundings.
Swiping left on the battery widget opens a lightning launcher folder which slides down from the top right of the screen. This folder is a three-page vertical scrolling folder with each page holding three apps. The apps in the folder include Gmail, Google Voice, Google Duo, YouTube vanced, calculator, hi-q voice recorder, watch Droid assistant, Google translate, and wyze (home video surveillance monitoring app).
Swiping up on the battery widget opens the app drawer. The app that I am using for the app drawer is called JINA drawer. I like this drawer app because it is highly customizable and it gives you a great deal of information about your apps as well as the ability to manipulate the apps such as uninstalling, hiding, etc.
Top page:
The top page contains a lightning launcher panel that holds a calendar widget and an agenda widget. These widgets populate the entire screen and can be scrolled horizontally. The app that I use to get the widgets is called Digical, I am using the pro version.
Bottom page:
The bottom page contains a widget called weather & clock widget for Android.
Left page:
They left page contains a widget from an app called YMusic. This app is similar to YouTube music and allows for background play, audio and video downloads but is free. I like the widget because it fills the entire page with the album art of the song that I am listening to.
Right page:
The right page contains a widget from an app called accupedo. I prefer this app over the stock step counter because it gives you a lot more information in the app as well as within the widget. The widget is long but not very tall so I added static text from lightning launcher saying "Step Count" to help fill the screen out a bit.
Navigation:
For navigating the phone I use an app called fluid navigation. The way I have it configured, a short swipe from the bottom center is for home, a long swipe from the bottom center launches Google voice assistant. A short swipe from the bottom left would open a volume app called ultra volume this allows you to have many different volume panel setups, the one that I'm using is a horizontal bar that populates the entire bottom width of the screen. A long swipe from the bottom left would launch the native volume control panel. Swiping long or short from the bottom right would launch my app drawer. A short left swipe from the right bottom half will execute the back command, and a long swipe left will open the recents menu. A short swipe downwards from anywhere along the top will launch the bottom navigation bar app, and a long swipe will drop the navigation panel. I customized my navigation panel with an app called power shade, I have the paid version.
Apps:
I have quite a few apps loaded on the watch too many to mention here as this post is already very lengthy. Feel free to check out the video that I posted in this thread and you can pause while I'm scrolling through the app drawer to get an idea of some of the apps loaded on the watch. I have added a few more since the posting of that video, if there is enough interest I will compile a list of the apps and games that I have installed.
Conclusion:
I love this watch. I love that I can make it my own using the customization options that Android provides. The watch does have some quirks. I have to monitor it when charging because it tends to get pretty hot, sometimes. Also when running memory intensive apps the watch would heat up as well. There are times when the watch becomes unresponsive and I would need to do a soft reset, but thankfully that doesn't happen too often. The battery life is very impressive however, I cannot give an accurate estimate as to how long the battery would last during normal use because I am constantly tinkering with the watch. My main gripe is that although the watch is constantly connected to my home Wi-Fi or tethered to my phone, it would not always pick up notifications from apps that are connected to the web. I find myself periodically turning Wi-Fi off and then back on only to have a flood of notifications come through. Perhaps this is user error, or maybe it is a flaw in the watch software. Although these issues can be annoying it is by no mean a deal-breaker and has not tainted my enthusiasm or enjoyment of this watch. I hope this helps those who own this watch or similar watches to enjoy theirs as much as I enjoy mine. Feel free to engage me with questions or conversation as I really enjoy talking about this device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank for all the info ninpo.
Could you help with some pre purchase questions?
Can you install WhatsApp and does it work well?
Same question regarding waze and spotify.
Is the device and the interface slow comparing to mobile phones?
Again, thanks a lot

Android 11 for Fold 2

Does anyone have a port of a rom from say the S20 for Android 11 on the Fold 2 I want those new features.

Would have been nice if Samsung did a Android 11 beta with the Fold 2 as well and not just the S20.

I hear you. You would think Samsung's most expensive phone would get the best service. Samsung should have a team working to get it out FIRST. I know they had to make some major changes, but Android 11 adds a lot of the multi screen stuff native.
Samsung said the the phone needs extra attention so it will be later. (From a Samsung Tweet).

AquaticXi said:
Does anyone have a port of a rom from say the S20 for Android 11 on the Fold 2 I want those new features.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Let the S20 owners "test" all the bugs in the beta and give us Fold2 owners a stable build for Xmas

JagXK8 said:
Would have been nice if Samsung did a Android 11 beta with the Fold 2 as well and not just the S20.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Note line doesn't even get the beta.

It's simply because the S20 series phones have the largest user base, so it makes sense to target them for the best possible and consistent bug reporting.
Samsung users don't really see the huge benefits of each iteration of Android, because generally new features have already appeared within OneUI. Seems Google take on cool Samsung features each year
So I am much more interested in what OneUI 3.0 is going to bring to the table (following info is from September 2020, so more features and amendments are likely since this release):
One UI 3.0 based on Android 11 – Beta Changelog September 2020
Home screen
Touch and hold an app to add an associated widget
Turn the screen off by double-tapping on an empty are of the Home screen. You can turn this on in Settings > Advanced features > Motion and gestures.
Lock screen
Dynamic Lock screen now has more categories,, and you can select more than one.
Lock screen widgets are improved.
Quick panel
See your conversations and media more conveniently in their own sections when you swipe down from the top of the screen.
AOD
Always On Display widgets are improved.
Accessibility
Get quick access to the most important accessibility settings during device setup.
Get recommended accessibility features based on what you use.
Set the Accessibility shortcut more easily in settings.
Sound detectors now work with your SmartThings devices such as TVs and lights to give you more visible alerts when the doorbell rings or a baby is crying.
Samsung Keyboard
You can find the keyboard in settings more easily under General management in Settings, and the settings have been reorganized to put the most important ones first.
Samsung DeX
You can now connect to supported TVs wirelessly.
New touchpad multi-gestures let you change screen zoom and font size more easily.
Internet
Added ability to block websites from redirecting you when you tap the Back button.
Added warnings and blocking options for websites that shot too many pop-ups or notifications.
Rearranged menus to make things easier to find.
Added several new add-ons, including one that translates websites.
Added option hide the status bar for a more immersive browsing experience.
Increased maximum number of open tabs to 99.
Added ability to lock and reorder tabs.
Improved design for tab bar which is now supported on all devices.
Ended support for Samsung Internet edge panel.
Contacts & Phone
Added the ability to edit multiple linked contacts at one time.
Added an option to help you quickly delete duplicate contacts.
Enhanced the search experience.
Extended the storage period of the Trash bin from 15 to 30 days.
Phone/Call background
Added the ability to customize the call screen with your own pictures and videos.
Messages
Created a Trash bin to store recently deleted messages.
Call & Text on other devices
Added the ability to turn Call & text on other devices on or off with Bixby Routines.
Calendar
Events with the same start time are now shown together in month and agenda view.
Reorganized options for adding and editing events.
Improved layout for full screen alerts.
Reminder
Improved layout for full screen alerts
Digital wellbeing and Parental controls
Added trends to your weekly report. You can see how your usage has changed since the previous week and check your usage time for each feature.
Added phone usage time while driving to the weekly report.
Added a lock screen widget so you can check your screen time without unlocking your phone.
Added separate profiles for personal and work modes so you can track your screen time separately.
Camera
Improved auto-focus and auto exposure functionality and usability.
Improved stabilization when taking pictures of the moon at high zoom levels.
Photo editor
Added the ability to revert edited pictures back to their original versions.
Bixby Routine
Grouped preset routines help you get started quickly and learn how to build your own routines easily.
You can now see what actions are reversed when a routine ends.
New conditions have been added, such as a specific start time, the disconnection of a Bluetooth device or Wi-Fi network, a call from a specific number, and more.
New actions have been added, including talking to Bixby and accessibility actions.
You can add a customized icon for each routine and add routines to the Lock screen for quick access.
.

Hex Themes users have to think that way used for theme installation is hacky. There is a big chance new iteration of OneUI will block it and there will be no way to apply it any more.

I wish OneUI would let you use Icon Packs from the Google Play Store, like OxygenOS on 1+ phone does. These icons from the Samsung Theme store are pretty terrible and they dont cover as many icon as the Icon Packs do.

CtK4949 said:
I wish OneUI would let you use Icon Packs from the Google Play Store, like OxygenOS on 1+ phone does. These icons from the Samsung Theme store are pretty terrible and they dont cover as many icon as the Icon Packs do.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It can be initially tedious but using Nova Launcher allows you to customize your icons. So if you have some preferred set of icons (even like iOS ones from the JB community) you can manually apply them and save a back up.

burrzoo said:
It can be initially tedious but using Nova Launcher allows you to customize your icons. So if you have some preferred set of icons (even like iOS ones from the JB community) you can manually apply them and save a back up.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The problem is that Nova forces the cover display to mimic the main display layout, which forced either poor use of the real estate on the main display, or extremely cramped cover display. On top of that, Nova + native gestures don't work too well and is a bit buggy. I've learned to appreciate Samsung's default home and use GoodLock + hex to make small changes.
But if OneUI were to allow us to use icon packs from the play store - I'd be absolutely besotted and would never even think about using Nova again. I hate ugly icons so much that I'm using Samsung's browser (which admittedly isn't bad at all since it works well on the Fold 2) because I hate looking at Google's ugly icon on my dock. I'll occasionally use Nova since it's already setup, but I miss bug-free native gestures + the awesome animations that come with the stock launcher.

burrzoo said:
It can be initially tedious but using Nova Launcher allows you to customize your icons. So if you have some preferred set of icons (even like iOS ones from the JB community) you can manually apply them and save a back up.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would use Action Launcher, but it doesn't work that well on this phone.
Sent from my SM-F916U1 using Tapatalk

AhsanU said:
The problem is that Nova forces the cover display to mimic the main display layout, which forced either poor use of the real estate on the main display, or extremely cramped cover display. On top of that, Nova + native gestures don't work too well and is a bit buggy. I've learned to appreciate Samsung's default home and use GoodLock + hex to make small changes.
But if OneUI were to allow us to use icon packs from the play store - I'd be absolutely besotted and would never even think about using Nova again. I hate ugly icons so much that I'm using Samsung's browser (which admittedly isn't bad at all since it works well on the Fold 2) because I hate looking at Google's ugly icon on my dock. I'll occasionally use Nova since it's already setup, but I miss bug-free native gestures + the awesome animations that come with the stock launcher.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm looking into cloning KLWP as I've heard you can use a separate Preset on the cover so as not to have the issue you spoke about (& still use Nova).
Sent from my SM-F916U1 using Tapatalk

Question cover screen used while Biking, cycling or riding

Hello Guys, any chance someone would like to make a cover screen app/widget for cycling. Honestly, a huge 6"+ phone on a handle bar looks kinda stupid to me. I know I could use the cover screen tool but a dedicated widget would make more sense. I would definitely pay for that kind of widget.

When I ride I usually use the cover screen launcher from goodlock and I use that to launch whatever app I need in the moment. TBH you shouldn't be worrying about that stuff while riding, pay attention to the road/trail and be safe brotha

I don't think your idea is workable - first there are 3 ways to use the cover screen:
1) Samsung's proprietary cover screen/widgets - there are no 3rd party widgets available, by design
2) SamSprung - it's a launcher, I don't believe it allows widgets. You can run apps, and they often run OK
3) CoverScreen OS - you can add widgets to your cover screen.
However, you then have the screen timeout issue, CoverScreenOS allows you to go up to 30 seconds iirc. I'm not sure about SamSprung, but there is abundant documentation on the thread in this forum.
All the same, when on a bike I personally would appreciate using all the screen with a standard cycling app. And with the Flip3, I am not sure about all the vibrations and that folding mechanism. (just as an aside, iPhones' cameras break - the optical stabilization - if you use them on motorbikes at least!)
I wanted to use my phone on my motorbike, and I ended up using an old candybar phone on my bike, tethered to the Flip3 in my pocket

paul c said:
I don't think your idea is workable - first there are 3 ways to use the cover screen:
1) Samsung's proprietary cover screen/widgets - there are no 3rd party widgets available, by design
2) SamSprung - it's a launcher, I don't believe it allows widgets. You can run apps, and they often run OK
3) CoverScreen OS - you can add widgets to your cover screen.
However, you then have the screen timeout issue, CoverScreenOS allows you to go up to 30 seconds iirc. I'm not sure about SamSprung, but there is abundant documentation on the thread in this forum.
All the same, when on a bike I personally would appreciate using all the screen with a standard cycling app. And with the Flip3, I am not sure about all the vibrations and that folding mechanism. (just as an aside, iPhones' cameras break - the optical stabilization - if you use them on motorbikes at least!)
I wanted to use my phone on my motorbike, and I ended up using an old candybar phone on my bike, tethered to the Flip3 in my pocket
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
SamSprung allows widgets and will start on the last used one when leaving off there. It also has custom screen timeout from the default 3 seconds up to 60 seconds.
That said, only the stock widgets are really designed for the screen space and even those are questionable when riding.