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Android App Reviews by codesplice

Hello, all.
I've got a confession to make: I like apps. A lot. To an unhealthy degree. I've got a huge stash of apps on my phone, and an even larger collection of .apk backups waiting to be reloaded whenever I feel like it. I love finding new apps to try out, and deciding which ones are worthy to be added to my collection. A lot of the apps that I find and want to try out are paid apps; without finding many thorough reviews on them, I don't know whether they are worth my money - but I can't stand the thought of missing out on the Next Big Thing. And so I buy them, download them, install them, and test them out anyway. If it's an awesome app and well-worth the money, I tell my friends. If it is money that could be better spent on another app that I've tried before, I tell my friends that, too.
Unfortunately, not all of my friends are interested in my opinion on apps. They only listen to me because of my rugged good looks (my theory). This makes me sad, because I spend a lot of time (and money, in some cases) trying apps out - someone else needs to benefit from that time (and money) as well. Until someone decides to pay/reimburse me for all the apps that I evaluate, the next-best thing I can do is offer up reviews to the community of any apps that I have found particularly useful. This is the driving force behind my desire to make this thread.
I will be running down my list of currently-installed useful applications and entertaining games. I will include screen shots, AppBrain links, and as much detail as I can muster up. My hope is that the rest of the community may find some benefit from these reviews - and who knows, maybe you'll find a kick-ass app you'd never heard of.
I'm open to questions, ideas, requests, suggestions, and pretty much any other type of communication or input that could be provided. I only ask that you be respectful - both of me, and of the app developers. And if this list helps you find a neat paid app to try out, please do support the developer(s). Piracy is bad, mmmmkay?
Enjoy!
-codesplice
Credit where credit is due: All screenshots are made using the free ShootMe app.
NOTE: Now that the Android Market has a shnazzy new web interface, I'm going to change the primary links for apps to reflect this. I will add the AppBrain links as a secondary, and hope to add direct market links at some point once I find a site to reliably provide this information. Stay tuned!
Reviews:
Minimalistic Text (Widget)
Clutch Pad(Multitasking App) UPDATED 2/24/11
CircleLauncher (Widget)
Swipe Pad (Multitasking App)
Keyboard Manager (App) UPDATED 2/23/11
Shift Puzzle Game (Game)
ElecroDroid (App)
Hella Umbrella (Game)
Digital Wall (LWP)
Shortyz Crosswords (App)
Elixir (System Info App)
Google Authenticator (App)
Zeam (Launcher)
Lookout / WaveSecure (Mobile Security App double-feature)
If you don't want to subscribe to this thread, you can follow me on that twitting thing, as I will post updates about new reviews there.

Minimalistic Text (widget)
App Name: Minimalistic Text (v.2.1.3, @AppBrain)
Developer: Devmil
Price: FREE
There is quite a handful of text-based widgets available on the Market, and a lot of them are very nice. There are widgets for displaying the time as text, the weather as text, the battery level as text.... but this is one widget that does it all. Just about every aspect of the widget is configurable, from the text alignment and rotation to the font size and colors to even the format for different types of data. You've got several options for the display type, whether you want to use digits or words or even a bar (for days of the week or percentage of battery charge). There is also an optional "blur" text effect which works wonderfully for making accented text appear to be illuminated. To top things off, this widget also functions as a plugin for Locale or Tasker and can be used to display variables from either of those applications. For instance, if you want a small text-widget to display what Locale/Tasker profiles are currently active, this is your answer for a very configurable solution.
For each widget you are also able to define an action to perform when tapped - whether it is launching another activity (my clock widget launches my alarm clock), opening the widget preferences page, or even reading out the text currently displayed on the widget. You are also able to save and restore your widget settings, so don't be afraid to experiment.
Given the sheer amount of customizations available to you with this widget app, the configuration menu may be a little bit overwhelming and complex when you first get into it. Play around for a few minutes, and you're bound to get the hang of it.
This is a fabulous widget, and one that I highly recommend to anyone who will take the time to tinker with it.
Verdict: A highly-configurable text-based widget to display pretty much anything you want, especially with Tasker integration.
Screenshots:
1) Widget(s) in action. I should note there are three separate widgets displayed: Time / weather up top, day / date on the bottom, and a battery level bar on the right-hand side.
2) Preferences Manager for all widgets
3) Text Style menu
4-5) Custom Layout configurator
(tested on NexusOne / Kang-o-rama 1.2 T1 (CM7.n13 / GRH78C / Android 2.3.2))

Clutch Pad[APP]
App Name: Clutch Pad (v.1.3v.1.4.2, @AppBrain)
Developer: stevealbright
Price: $0.99 $1.99
Clutch is an application that seeks to optimize and streamline the way you multitask on Android. It is currently in beta status, but is very functional in its current state. It is a powerful supplement to the built-in Recent Apps feature.
Clutch manifests itself as a small semi-transparent "trigger" area, which functions similar to "hot corners" on a Mac (I think. I'm a Linux/PC guy). This small region rides at the very top layer of the Android interface (in a user-configurable position) and is accessible no matter what application you may be working in. You can tap this region to instantly bring up a small grid displaying your recently-accessed applications. You can customize how many apps you want to be visible, configure the application to ignore your Home (Launcher) app in its list, and to visually distinguish currently-running applications from terminated apps. This makes it very easy to quickly determine if that app you just exited is still running or if it has been shut down as it should, as well as providing a quick (and lightweight) task switcher.
Nice, but nothing terribly fantastic. Yet. Clutch also has configurable swipe gestures - the most useful (to me) of which is a Last Task functionality. For instance, if I Swipe Up from the Clutch region, I instantly switch to whatever my previous app was. If I swipe again, I am moved back to the app I just switched from. This functions similarly to just pressing ALT+TAB quickly, and is very useful for quickly jumping between two apps.
This little utility is quick and lightweight, and I have found it to be extremely useful. It is still in development, and has many more features planned (and a price increase to accompany them - so get it quickly!) including support for additional gestures (open/close notifications, for example), on-click task control (press-and-hold to kill, for example), and configurable transition animations.
If you've got a dollar to spend, you would do well to add this application to your device in its current state, and I can only imagine the app's versatility and usefulness will increase with the further planned updates.
Update (2/24/11): Clutch Pad has recently been updated to version 1.4. With this update, the application has dropped the "Beta" tag, gained an additional "Pad" in its name, and has added additional features and configurable options. At the same time, the price has also been increased to $1.99. New features include additional swipe gestures, configurable transition animations (that are quite pretty), the option to toggle the trigger button via a press-and-hold on the Search hardware key, and a Favorites option to quickly launch your favorite apps. Options have also been added for additional visual tweaks and adjustments of both the trigger icon and the popup lists, and all known bugs have been fixed. With each incremental update, this app gets more and more useful and I find myself relying upon it more all the time. Even at the increased price, this is still one of my must-have applications.
Verdict: An innovative way to access recent apps, and the Last App gesture functionality is every bit as useful as Alt-Tabbing between apps on your desktop.
Screenshots:
1) Trigger icon
2) Recent apps list
3-5) Settings pages
(tested on NexusOne / Kang-o-rama 1.2 T1 (CM7.n13 / GRH78C / Android 2.3.2))

CircleLauncher (widget)
App Name: CircleLauncher (v.1.5.2, @AppBrain)
Developer: db-ware
Price: ~$1.37 (free, limited version here or @AppBrain)
As mentioned previously, I have a lot of apps. One of the problem with having a lot of apps is running out of room on your homescreens for app shortcuts. There are various widgets out there that propose a variety of solutions to this problem, but they often leave you with tiny, almost unusable icons. This would have been fine in the days where the trackball reigned supreme, but this is the oh-tens. It has to be finger-friendly.
One true solution that I stumbled across the other day is called CircleLauncher. What it does is really very simple, but it does it very well. It allows you to create a single widget to group similar applications together (I've used location-themed apps and clock-based apps in my example). Tape the 1x1 widget, and a lightweight menu appears to launch your apps. Pretty standard, but this menu is laid out (by default - you can change this in the settings) in a ring around the icon. As you slide your finger or thumb around the ring, the currently selected application icon grows to make selection a bit easier.
Note that CircleLauncher includes other layout types (configurable from the widget's config menu, which you access by selecting the widget and then press-and-holding the center) including horizontal and vertical lines. I was also very pleased with the way that the widget's application menu adapts to its position on the screen - stick it in a corner, and your full selection of apps will be displayed within a 90-degree pie slice.
Obviously, a menu such as this is a bit limited to a relatively low number of apps (more than 9 or 10 and the ring will be just too cluttered to be functional), but if you need to have quick access to just a few more apps from your homescreen, this should do the trick. Since there is a free version available, why not give it a shot and see if this widget can help you to organize your home screen a bit?
Verdict: An easy way to combine several app shortcuts into one.
Screenshots:
1) Plain widgets (labeled GPS and Time) - you can dress them up a bit more if you are artistically inclined.
2) One widget opened showing the full selection ring.
3) The corner widget open showing the adaptation to the position.
4) One icon expanded while my finger hovers over it.
5) Settings menu
(tested on NexusOne / Kang-o-rama 1.2 T1 (CM7.n13 / GRH78C / Android 2.3.2))

Keep going mate

gruzman said:
Keep going mate
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I surely intend to! Just have to figure out which app to post next
Thanks for the encouragement though. It is appreciated to know at least someone is reading over all this mess!

SwipePad Beta [APP]
App Name: SwipePad Beta (v.0.7.5, @AppBrain)
Developer: Conduction.mobi
Price: FREE
Keeping on the theme of "apps to help you access your apps", we come to SwipePad Beta. Similar in some regard to Clutch, this app also gives you "hot corner" functionality. Use the settings menu to establish what corners (or regions) you want to be active, and then slide your finger from a specified region to the center of the screen. Hold it for just a moment, and a 3x4 grid of application shortcuts magically appears. You can, of course, fully customize what applications should appear on this grid by simply pressing your finger on an empty square or by holding your finger over an existing icon until it is highlighted. The hot corners/region and swipe gesture should work pretty much any time that the screen is unlocked, and is a great way of quickly launching a new app without returning to your home screen.
The application offers to integrate task managing application by the same developer (which is a paid app) that I haven't tried out yet. Personally, I've got plenty of other ways of killing apps at this point - particularly once the function gets built into Clutch.
SwipePad is very nicely polished and quite responsive. It does what it does quite well. My only issue with it is that I just don't use it very frequently. I almost forget that it is there; I must be thoroughly conditioned to launching apps from the home screen. It's free, though, so give it a whirl and see if it can further help to optimize the way you launch apps from within other apps
Verdict: Clever use of hot-corners to gain quick access to up to 12 user-defined apps; non-intrusive to the point that you might forget to use it.
Screenshots:
1) SwipePad in action. Note that putting a link to SwipePad on your SwipePad gives you a quick way to access the settings screens.
2) SwipePad settings, with the hot corners highlighted in red at the bottom.
(tested on NexusOne / Kang-o-rama 1.2 T1 (CM7.n13 / GRH78C / Android 2.3.2))

is there a video demonstrating the use of Clutch? I want to watch it before paying for it.

Deff fav'ing this. Am looking forward to all reviews
(*is thinking about getting clutch)
Epic is as Epic does

Nice! Thanks bro!

waichung said:
is there a video demonstrating the use of Clutch? I want to watch it before paying for it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I imagine there should be a video somewhere on the youtubes. Let me know if you find one and I will add it to the post. I'm about to go into work so it will be another 12 hours before I have access to the full internet, but I will look then if you haven't found anything.

Very good! Thanks

Keyboard Manager [APP]
App Name: Keyboard Manager (v.1.1) Keyboard Manager (v.1.4)
Developer: ne0fhyk
Price: FREE $1.99
NOTE: This app requires root!!
It took me quite a while, but I finally weened myself away from requiring a physical keyboard on a mobile device when I got my NexusOne. With the multitude and variety of available software keyboards available for Android, I haven't really missed the physical keys. The only annoyance at this point is that I find keyboards that work great for one-handed operation in portrait orientation, like Swype or 8pen (if you're in the mood for adventure and don't really care how long it takes to get a message completed ), but are next-to-worthless for dual-thumb landscape input. With a physical keyboard, you'd just slide that bad boy out and away you go. For those of us with only a touchscreen and maybe a few additional buttons, it can be a bit of a chore to manually change the selected input method each time we rotate the device. If only there was a way for the device to read my mind and select the appropriate keyboard.....
As luck would have it, XDA member ne0fhyk has provided us with a solution to this difficulty, in the form of his Keyboard Manager application. Simply select what keyboard you want to use in each orientation (I use Swype for portrait and SwiftKey for landscape), and the app will handle the tedious business of choosing the appropriate input method. It's that easy, and it works.
Mostly. The app is a bit of a hacked solution, and requires root permissions to be able to get around the Android security feature which prevents applications from changing the input method. Installation is not always straight-forward (instructions are available in the first post of the application thread, and it may cause a few software keyboards to force-close if you change orientation while the keyboard is displayed. The current version (1.1) has come a long way from the previous releases in terms of usability, stability, and reliability, and I haven't had any major issues with it. I highly recommend that you give this application a shot and see if it will help you out with your input needs.
Update (2/23/11): Keyboard Manager is no longer available for free, but is now installable from the Android Market. The now-current 1.4 version has fixed most of the install issues and should be a very easy set-up for you. If you run into any issues with the purchased version, please contact the developer - he helped me solve issues specific to my device, and the application works like a charm now.
Verdict: A functional hack to auto-select the appropriate software keyboard based on device orientation.
Screenshots:
1) The optional persistent notification icon. Activating the notification will give you quick access to the Keyboard Manager settings page, and I recommend you leave it enabled until you get things set up the way you want. After that, disable the persistent notification at your own risk (the persistent notification keeps the process in the foreground and prevents Android from terminating it).
2) Settings screen
3) Selecting which keyboard to use
4) Demonstrating that the app has automatically selected Swype for portrait...
5) .... and SwiftKey for landscape.
(tested on NexusOne / Kang-o-rama 1.2 T1 (CM7.n13 / GRH78C / Android 2.3.2))

Shift Puzzle Game [GAME]
App Name: Shift Puzzle Game (v.1.2, @AppBrain)
Developer: Handmark
Price: $1.99 (Free ad-supported version here or @AppBrain let's you try out 15 levels; full version features 40 additional levels and no ads)
The Shift Puzzle Game is a tasty Android port of the ever-popular SHIFT game by Armor Games, which you can play free in your Flash-enabled browser at the Armor Games website. If you're not familiar with the original (as I wasn't until I found this app just an hour ago), then let me fill you in on the skinny.
Shift is a new take on the classic adventure-puzzle platformer game. Your mission is to get from point A to point B, dodging whatever nasty traps and obstacles may be in your path. The twist is the ability for you to literally shift the game universe upside down. White becomes black, up becomes down, and you find yourself walking on the flip side of the surface you were just standing on. You can (and will) use this clever maneuver repeatedly in order to successfully navigate each challenging level. Not quite tracking? It can be rather tough to explain... Hopefully the screenshots below will help clear it up (or go play the flash version for free here).
This implementation for a touchscreen device is phenomenal. The controls are large and appear on either side of the landscape display - and you don't even need multitouch. Just tap the left arrow to move left, the left-up diagonal to jump left, and the SHIFT button at the top to do that groovy shift thing. The gameplay is engaging, and the levels can be quite challenging (and quite addictive). The game is worth trying out (the free version) solely for experiencing the joy that is puzzle-solving by twisting the fabric of the universe, and you might just get hooked enough to purchase the full version. It would be two bucks well spent.
Verdict: Quickly becoming my latest Android gaming addiction.
Screenshots:
1) Main menu
2) First level
3) First level - SHIFTED!
4) It gets twisted!
(tested on NexusOne / Kang-o-rama 1.2 T1 (CM7.n13 / GRH78C / Android 2.3.2))

This is a little off topic but is anyone attempting a Tor app?
Sent from my SGH-I897 using XDA App

jinsfch said:
This is a little off topic but is anyone attempting a Tor app?
Sent from my SGH-I897 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just slightly off topic, but no worries.
A quick search on AppBrain found Orbot: Tor On Android. Impressive, since Android still doesn't have proper proxy support on its own...

Can't find clutch video on youtube...
Btw,i think swipepad is better than it as swyping from the bottom is easier than from the right
Sent from my Nexus One using XDA App

waichung said:
Can't find clutch video on youtube...
Btw,i think swipepad is better than it as swyping from the bottom is easier than from the right
Sent from my Nexus One using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I looked for Clutch videos as well and was disappointed to see that there aren't any. I may try to shoot a video once I get home from the desert in a few weeks (hopefully).
You can change the position of the Clutch region to really any spot on the screen. And I don't really see the two as competing anyway as they have entirely different purposes: Clutch gives you quick access to your recently-executed apps, while SwipePad offers a fixed menu of apps for you to launch.

codesplice said:
I looked for Clutch videos as well and was disappointed to see that there aren't any. I may try to shoot a video once I get home from the desert in a few weeks (hopefully).
You can change the position of the Clutch region to really any spot on the screen. And I don't really see the two as competing anyway as they have entirely different purposes: Clutch gives you quick access to your recently-executed apps, while SwipePad offers a fixed menu of apps for you to launch.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The likely alt-tab function of clutch is really fantastic but does it show the recently-executed apps or the running apps? I use swipepad together with the virtual task switcher which allows switching among the running tasks. These 2 apps are completely free and no need to paid $1 for the "swipepad: tasks". But I prefer quick accessing recent tasks to showing those apps running at the background.
Sent from my Nexus One using XDA App

waichung said:
The likely alt-tab function of clutch is really fantastic but does it show the recently-executed apps or the running apps? I use swipepad together with the virtual task switcher which allows switching among the running tasks. These 2 apps are completely free and no need to paid $1 for the "swipepad: tasks". But I prefer quick accessing recent tasks to showing those apps running at the background.
Sent from my Nexus One using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The set {recently-executed} apps includes the subset {running apps}. The default behavior of Android is to show all recently-executed apps under the Recent Apps functionality, regardless of whether those apps are still running or have been terminated. I thought that Visual Task Switcher behaved the same way, but based on the application page it does appear to only display currently-running apps. Personally, I prefer to see recent apps (with a visual distinction between those that are still running and those that have been terminated), as I often end up re-launching the same app over and over; of course, you could also just pin a shortcut to those frequent apps to SwipePad. We all operate our devices in different ways, so either option is of course valid.
Visual Task Switcher (at least the last time that I used it) tended to make my phone lag significantly for whatever reason; I did use it for quite some time though, and was pleased with its functionality as a complete Recent Apps replacement (after configuring the long-press home trigger to launch it via CyanogenMod settings). Also note that the free version includes ads (which may contribute to the lag I was experiencing?) while the full version will set you back $1.99.

App suggestion

So, I was wondering if there's any app that will add "quick controls" do the Android UI, just like in the default ICS browser, place your finger in the edge of the screen and the options pop up.
For people with physical home button devices, it'd be really helpful to have a quick control action to go back to home screen, and/or open the recent apps list.
I think it'd make things faster and more ergonomical. Besides, it'd still reduce wear on the physical buttons.
So, is there any app like this available right now?
Or if any developer decides to make this, I'd sure as hell pay for it, among many other people.
Cheers

All I did was google "quick controls": https://play.google.com/store/apps/...wsMSwxLDEsIm9yZy5jaWVsYS5xdWlja2NvbnRyb2xzIl0.
Also: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.hoopajoo.android.SoftKeys&feature=search_result

GermainZ said:
All I did was google "quick controls": https://play.google.com/store/apps/...wsMSwxLDEsIm9yZy5jaWVsYS5xdWlja2NvbnRyb2xzIl0.
Also: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.hoopajoo.android.SoftKeys&feature=search_result
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey there,
While I was lazy enough not to take a look at those, you can clearly see that those aren't really polished enough to fit my description.
Is the quick control feature of ICS browser actually possible to be ported to the Launcher UI?
I mean, the same layout, but with different actions. I'd suggest "Open recent apps list" (top button), Homescreen (middle) and "Close app" (bottom)

I thought you were just referring to the UI in general (an app that can run in overlay mode), not the launcher.
Well, there's this alternate launcher that might fit your needs: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.mobilemerit.wavelauncher&hl=en
Some of the relevant features:
✓ The wave can contain any application or shortcut you can add to your home screen.
✓ 'Recents Mode' will show you 12 recently used-apps
✓ Can be enabled by swiping from the bottom, left side or right side of the screen (See the 'calibrate' screen)
✓ Plugins infrastructure.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
EDIT: I actually liked it, so I decided to try it. You can also widgets to it, which is neat (the widgets popup on your screen and can be dismissed). If you have any doubts/questions/want specific screens, ask me.

Android Jelly Bean tips, tricks and hints

1. Say "Google" to search
If you're in America, you can open Google Now and say "Google" followed by your query to search the net. If you're not in America, you can trick Android into thinking you are. Open the settings on your device, choose "Language and input", then switch Google Voice Typing's language from "Automatic" to "English (US)". Next go to Google Now's settings and again change the language to "English (US)". You should see "Search or say Google" in Now's search bar. Faking an American accent: optional.
2. Now settings
You can open now in two ways - either swipe up from the Home icon, or swipe the lock icon up when the screen is locked. When you first start it, Now will run through the basics of what it does, and even show you some example cards. In Now's settings, you'll find each card has its own notifications settings, which apply to both the Now homescreen and the Notification shade. Standard means that new cards are accompanied by a ringtone and vibration, Low priority places them at the bottom of the list without any notification, and off, well, turns them off altogether.
3. Talk to Google Now
Google Now also includes Siri-like functionality, supplying spoken answers to your inane questions. Try things like, "what time is it in Kuala Lumpur?", "when's Tom Cruise's birthday I want to send him a card?", "how do I get home?" or "will it be sunny tomorrow?" and Now will speak the answer back at you or search the web for relevant pages.
4. Get more Google Now cards
Google Now presents relevant information such as weather and places on "cards". To begin with it may be a little sparse, but searching the web from any device will give you more. Just make sure your web history is enabled: visit history.google.com, hit the settings cog and ensure that Web History is on and not paused. Next, search Google for favourite football teams, planned flights and destinations and the relevant cards will pop up automatically.
5. Notification Shade
We previously referred to it as the "pully-down menu thing", but apparently it's officially called the "Notification Shade". Niftily, certain notifications in the shade can be expanded by sliding two fingers outwards on them, giving you an overview of the subject headers in your email inbox, for example. Moving two fingers inwards on a notification neatly contracts them, too.
6. Rotation lock
You're sitting on a plane watching a vid in horizontal orientation. Suddenly, the plane banks sharply to the left and - oh no! - the video changes orientation. This worst-case-scenario can be avoided by tapping the rotation lock in the Notification Shade, which keeps the screen in its current orientation. Tap it again to unlock the rotation.
7. Turn notifications off
Install enough apps and the notification bar at the top of your Android device becomes the digital equivalent of an unending stream of ticker tape. In fact, Airpush is an entire advertising company that makes money in this way. Fortunately, each and every app you install in Jelly Bean has the option to turn this off. Go to its info page under Apps, uncheck the box labelled "Show notifications" and enjoy your empty notifications bar.
8. Equalise your music
The ability to adjust those all-important bass and treble settings has been sorely missed on Android devices - so much so that a bunch of apps have been made to enable it. It's fixed in Android's stock music player, though. Open a music file in the stock player, hit Settings then choose Equaliser. Here you'll find manual sliders, a load of presets and bass and 3D effects. Unfortunately it doesn't work for the whole device, but it will give your tunes a little more oomph.
9. Rearrange your home screens
Long-press on any icon or widget on your homescreen and you can move it around, and other icons and widgets will shift out of the way to fit it in. Bigger widgets can also be resized by long-pressing and releasing them, and then dragging the circles that appear on the edges. It's actually quite fun and satisfying. We just spent three hours doing nothing but this.
10. Fling to remove
Homescreen app clutter (surely the worst of all types of clutter) can be quickly and easily defeated. Long-press an icon or widget, then fling it upwards and it'll ascend into shortcut heaven. This won't uninstall the app, though - it'll still reside in your app drawer.

FYI, the original article that you copy and pasted this from, lists 50 tips and tricks...
(Copying and pasting articles is bad mmmkay?)

Features of Nougat

Android 7.0 Nougat is rolling out now, starting (as usual) with Nexus devices and eventually moving on to other phones. The new OS is loaded with new features and refinements, each one improving upon the overall Android experience. Some changes, such as bundled notifications, are quite obvious. Then there are the less visible changes, such as a new multitasking shortcut. Follow along as we take a look at what’s new in Google’s latest mobile OS.
Daydreams become screen savers
With Google repurposing Daydream as the namesake for its VR platform, a new name was needed for the previous Daydream feature. That new name is Screen Saver, which makes so much more sense than Daydream did in its previous incarnation. Android screen savers still work in the same fashion as they always have.
Quicker multi-tasking
You can now double-tap the recent apps button to quickly switch between your two most recently used apps. For example, say you’re in Gmail but need to look something up in Chrome to include in an email. You can open Chrome, find and copy a link, then double-tap the recent apps button and your device will switch back to Gmail.
Use two apps at same time
Samsung users have long had access to using apps in a split-screen mode. With Nougat, Google is officially adding support for multi-window support to all Android devices running Android 7.0. To activate multi-window mode, long-press on the recent apps button. Whichever app you’re currently using will go to the top of the screen (on a phone, or to the left on a tablet), with a list of recent apps shown along the bottom. Select the second app you want to use from the list. Drag the divider to resize the app windows, or to maximize either of the active apps.
View two Chrome tabs
It took Apple an entire year to introduce split-screen tab viewing in Safari for iPad users, but Google did it at the same time it introduced multi-window to Android. When using Chrome in multi-window mode, tap on the Menu button and select they super handy option of “Move to other window.” It’s fully acceptable to point and laugh at iOS users if you feel the need.
Drag and drop text, images when in multi-window mode
When using two apps at the same time, you can drag-and-drop text between the two windows. Highlight the text, then long-press on it until the text begins to float. Drag it to a text field in another window, and let go. The same goes for sharing images between two apps, assuming they’ve been updated for the latest of Google’s wares. Magical, right?
Finally, the lock screen gets a wallpaper of its own
It only took way too many years, but the day has finally come: You can now set a wallpaper specific to your home screen, and a different one for your lock screen. The process to accomplish the once unthinkable feat hasn’t changed much—after selecting an image to set as a wallpaper, you’re shown a new prompt to select where the image will live.
Clear all recent apps
Google added a Clear All button to the recent apps list, only it’s a bit hidden. Instead of placing it at the bottom of your screen when viewing your recent apps, you need to scroll to the top of the list where you’ll find the handy Clear All text. Tap on it, and all apps are closed out. When you’ve closed all your recent apps, a new icon is displayed letting you know there are no recent items.
Where did that APK come from?
Android Nougat will now keep track of where an app was installed from. Open Settings then Apps and tap on any listed application. Scroll to the bottom of the page, where you’ll see the source of the app’s installation. For example, if it was installed from the Play Store it will say as much. If it’s something you side loaded, it will state something along the lines of “Installed from Package Installer.”
New installer animation
Speaking of installing applications outside of the Play Store, you’ll find a fancy new installer animation when sideloading an APK. It’s a subtle change that won’t have a dramatic impact on your day-to-day use, but it’s not a bad looking change either. Who doesn’t like seeing the Android bot whenever possible?
Bundled notifications
Have you ever posted something on Facebook, only to have your notification tray blown up with alerts of likes and comments? Me neither, but for those who have you’re going to love bundled notifications. Once an app updates for Android Nougat, it can opt to have all of its notifications bundled into one alert. Slide down on the respective notification to reveal the rest of your alerts for that particular app.
Reply with speed
You can now reply to messages from apps like Facebook Messenger, Hangouts, or Messenger directly from the notification. Of course, this means you can hold a conversation without having to bounce between a messaging app and another app. It’s important to note, this isn’t limited to messaging apps. Twitter apps, for example, could add the ability to reply to mentions
Notification importance setting
You can now set the importance level of an app’s notifications to fit your specific use of that app, including allowing an app to ignore your DND settings. With a long-press on a notification, you can view the current importance level. Tap on More Settings where you can turn off the default automatic setting, and adjust its interruption level. As you move the slider, a brief explanation will detail each alert type.
Data saver
Tired of paying for data overages? When using an Android Nougat device, you can enable Data Saver to restrict specific apps from using data in the background. Under the Data Usage menu, open Data Saver and turn it on. You can then go through a list of apps installed on your device, and enable background data for each one you want. Otherwise, apps will only gain access to a cellular data connection when you’re actively using it.
Quicker quick settings
When swiping from the top of the screen with one finger, you will see a row of quick setting shortcuts just above any pending notifications. Tap on an icon to enable or disable features such as Wi-Fi, open Battery settings, or turn on the Flashlight. It displays the first 5 items in your quick settings, so if you reorder those, you'll change what appears here.
Tiles are so in right now
You can now add multiple Quick Setting options to your device by viewing your Quick Settings panel and tapping Edit. You can still tap on tiles to edit a setting or interact with it. Alternatively, you can still long-press on a tile to disable or enable a feature if applicable. Third-party developers now create apps that live only within a Quick Settings tile.
Easier Settings app navigation
When navigating through the Settings app, now you can quickly hop between various sections using the hamburger menu on the left side of your screen (or by dragging in from the left edge). Settings are broken down into the same categories as the main list, but using the slide-out menu eliminates the need to tap the back button, scroll, then select another setting category.
Suggested settings
When you open the Settings app your device will offer some recommendations for various settings and features you should set up. For example, upon initial setup Settings recommended I set up Screen lock, add en email account, set up “OK Google” commands, and change the wallpaper. Tapping on a suggestion will open the proper settings pane or app. Alternatively, you can tap on the overflow menu to hide an item from the list.
New Emojis
Android Nougat includes the latest and greatest Emoji approved by the powers that be, including bacon! Beyond the latest and greatest emoji baked right in to Android, you’ll also notice Google has reworked most of the emoji included on its mobile devices. Smiley faces now have a more human look and feel to them.
Cancel button for app downloads
Ever start to update or download apps from the Play Store, only to remember you’re on a cellular connection or your battery is about to die? You can now cancel downloads directly from the download notification, instead of having to tap through each item in the Play Store. Slide down the notification, tap cancel and your data bucket is safe.
Keyboard shortcut helper
Using a physical keyboard with a tablet like the Pixel C adds a level of convenience and mobile computing appeal to the tablet. However, learning and remembering each apps’ keyboard shortcuts can be a chore. With Nougat, you can press Search + / to view a list of shortcuts for the app you’re currently using.
Thanks for reading #Nougat

Thread closed.
The Flash
Forum Moderator

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