Forgive me, I haven't played with much Android customization beyond the options in Nova Launcher since my Skyrocket days, and I haven't done any coding since the late 80's in BASIC and tiny bit of PASCAL so compiling custom stuff isn't something I'm interested in. What I want is the look of minimalist launcher were I can control the name of the app, for example "Internet" for my browser, whichever it may be, and have a list of half a dozen similar text shortcuts on my home screen.
There are several minimalist launchers out there that have the look of what I want, but I cannot change the name of the app- the minimalist launchers which do allow me to change the name of the app have other crap on the screen (like the alphabet on the right hand side representing the app drawer) which I do not want. I'm thinking the simple solution here is for me to create a widget (shortcut) with a simple text icon and it just launches the app I link to it. And no, I haven't named any of the dozen or so of launchers I have been trying out of respect to the hard word the dev's put into them. Not trying to call anyone out here, just looking for a back door into my weird solution. I'd be perfectly happy with a simple launcher which allows app re-naming and text shortcuts, but I think the proper direction is a widget which just acts as an app shortcut.
Something like this:
Internet
Phone
Voicemail
Text
Internet
Navigation
And a simple swipe up for the rest of the app drawer. I am a very light user, I hate 'social media,' don't use my phone for video streaming or any of that stuff and will be running a de-Googled Nexus 5 on Oreo that will only leave my desk on those occasions which I foresee the need for an actual mobile device on my person that day.
Yeah yeah, my next cake day is the big Five-Oh. Shoot me.
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I was playing around with the HTC bookmark widget earlier, and noticed widgets can be dragged up and down. Are there any widgets available that act as a blank overlay for the homescreen, which can also scroll vertically to view more widgets and shortcuts? This can be helpful to access more on each homescreen and provided no one else knows about the vertical scroll, hiding a few "work documents" .
sanamkan said:
I was playing around with the HTC bookmark widget earlier, and noticed widgets can be dragged up and down. Are there any widgets available that act as a blank overlay for the homescreen, which can also scroll vertically to view more widgets and shortcuts? This can be helpful to access more on each homescreen and provided no one else knows about the vertical scroll, hiding a few "work documents" .
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how long have you had your phone again?
just about everyone knows about scrollable widgets.
and no you cant make a homescreen vertically scrollable.
1. You are being a ****.
2. He didn't ask about scrollable widgets.
3. Yes its possible it would just require some heavy knowledge and coding.
I wasn't announcing that widgets could scroll, I was providing an example. Nor did I ask if it was possible to make the homescreen scroll. What I'm asking IS possible. I was only asking if it already exists.
sanamkan said:
I wasn't announcing that widgets could scroll, I was providing an example. Nor did I ask if it was possible to make the homescreen scroll. What I'm asking IS possible. I was only asking if it already exists.
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I haven't seen anything like that and I understand what you are asking. You would need to go to the android app dev section to see if someone will take A TON of time to make a full screen vertical scrolling widget that you can place other widgets in.
Would it be impossible to look at bookmark widget's code as a basis? As for integrating shortcuts into a widget, I could probably try and contact the dev of Multi icon. That should take care of the major concerns, right?
I dont know if you could make a widget that lets you host other widgets or shortcuts. but there are 2 options that may work for you
one is the folder system, you can make folders to keep your app shortcuts in, but they will not allow you to nest widgets inside of them.
another option is to use a secondary launcher like launcher pro or ADW launcher, and when you want to access the shortcuts or widgets that are in that launcher you can open it up. then you can set one of the launchers to be the default when you hit the home button, or have it ask you each time you hit it.
just my 2 cents, but don't give up on the widget inside a widget idea, im sure a bunch of people would like to have that ability
Teksu said:
I dont know if you could make a widget that lets you host other widgets or shortcuts. but there are 2 options that may work for you
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The program/shortcut integrated in a widget is performed perfectly on the Multi icon widget. Pre-existing widgets in the widget haven't been included, but the dev has begun creating specialty widgets. I do recommend checking it out.
Teksu said:
another option is to use a secondary launcher like launcher pro or ADW launcher, and when you want to access the shortcuts or widgets that are in that launcher you can open it up. then you can set one of the launchers to be the default when you hit the home button, or have it ask you each time you hit it.
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I've tried QuickDesk, which keeps your current launcher, but enables a popup homescreen when you double tap the home button. It's not the smoothest process by any means, and somehow makes HTC Sense pop up in your home button long press. If you know of any better attempts at this, I'd like to see how those work as opposed to this one. It may be simpler than eventually having to create a new one, right?
Actually, being able to pull up or down on the home screen to activate something like quickdesk would be pretty cool. QD kinda sucks having to double tap on it, and the response is laggy because the button is getting confused as to what it's supposed to do.
as far as I know, the only Launcher that provides vertical scrolling functionality is HTCSense. It also provides the EditText widget as a RemoteView.
**in Android world, a "widget" is any GUI object, really. While the widgets we talk about adding to a Home screen is really called an "AppWidget"**
Its all about how the Launcher handles and behaves with RemoteViews.
For a Launcher to allow one of its AppWidgets to contain and run another AppWidget, that Launcher would have to provide a huge heap of new RemoteViews and surrounding functionality...or, the AppWidget container would have to somehow import the child AppWidget App and run it internally (not possible I think!).
There's a chance that MIUI (a new Chinese Launcher) provides AppWidget-within-Folder functionality. It may then expose custom RemoteViews and API interfaces to allow AppWidgets to be developed to do similar things
Hey everyone!
I'm a huge fan of the Zune Home launcher, I love its look and interface. The one thing I really miss though is access to a few widgets. I don't use too many, but I'd really like to be able to use Power Control along with a couple others.
If you aren't familiar with Zune Home, its just one screen with a scrollable list of sections (email, internet, photos, apps) and a side column of your favorite apps. There's no room for widgets here (nor would I want them right there on the main screen) and its only the one screen, no left or right aux screens.
A workaround I thought of is somehow putting a shortcut or app in the quick launch that leads to a page of widgets. I tried searching around for "widget page app" and many versions of that idea, but as you might guess, it's really hard to search for.
Any ideas?
tl;dr Is there any app that simply brings up a blank page that you can fill with widgets?
Thanks!
try searching the market for powerstrip or quickdesk or smart-taskbar
QuickDesk is absolutely perfect! Thank you!
I have been looking for a standalone app that looks functions like the stock app drawer, but with customizable icons+shortcuts that I can link to from the homescreen; this would be similar to App Organizer or Folder Launcher, which you can do the same thing with, but then apps are displayed in list view. I would just like a snapping "icon view" vertical app drawer.
The goal is to be able to use a quick, lightweight launcher such as Zeam, and be able to change the icons and link to this app instead of the stock one. I feel this would be a solution for many others who don't need or want a full featured homescreen and just want to be able to get a custom look.
This would also save an enormous ammount of time for those (like me) who have attempted to Meta/Ninja-morph or resign market apps and spent a rediculous ammount of time trying to change that one giant orange square icon that throws off the otherwise clean custom look of your drawer.
I love ADW Ex, but it can get really bogged down with multiple widgets. LauncherPro can hide apps from the drawer and have homescreen shortcuts, but that is a pain as well. Other possible featurs could be horizontal/vertical/4d/etc. and custom arrangement, keeping in mind that the main goal is to keep it from eating up resources. Anybody?
(maybe this thread should be moved, thnx)
I know Im not the only one
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=12791471#post12791471
here you go i found it
https://market.android.com/details?id=xxbcn.AllAppsOrganizerFreeB
dislplin01 said:
here you go i found it
https://market.android.com/details?id=xxbcn.AllAppsOrganizerFreeB
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Doesn't allow custom icons
I've created and collected game icons with a "black plate" theme ever since my first Android phone. I've also tinkered with dock icons and come up with a look I like. I decided there might be someone else out there who is as particular as I am about the way my icons look if they're on a homescreen.
I use Folder Organizer from the Play Store to create single homescreen icons that pop up a window for multiple apps. This is very helpful for games. I have 30 or so...but don't want to scroll through all of them. So I group them by something in common (finger swiping, emulator, etc). Here is what it looks like for me. Screenshot
Here are my game icons. Screenshot
Download Spearoid Game Icons
Also, I use LauncherPro. I've tried them all, and always come back. One thing I love, is the swipe options on your dock icons. Especially for web-browsing. Here you can see my dock icons and the reason why I'd take up one of my 5 spots with a Browser shortcut given LauncherPro's swipe feature. Screenshot
Here are my dock icons. Screenshot
Download Spearoid Dock Icons Personally, I think the clear ones are the best-looking.
If you end up using my game icons and wish I had a game icon for a game you play that I don't, feel free to mention the game title in this thread and I'll see if I can add it to the mix!
UPDATE: So my gaming icons are the neatest, tidiest collection I have, but here are the icons I've used for my apps that are not game-related. Some I just re-sized from the internet, some I made on my own. Screenshot
Download Spearoid Misc Icons
Those are some nice icons, don't have a lot of games so not much use to me though. Are these usable on home screen also or just in folders? I'm currently using Lightning launcher, not as modifiable as Launcher Pro, Go launcher, etc but it is lite and fast. For me the others just seem to bog down after awhile.
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spearoid said:
I've created and collected game icons with a "black plate" theme ever since my first Android phone. I've also tinkered with dock icons and come up with a look I like. I decided there might be someone else out there who is as particular as I am about the way my icons look if they're on a homescreen.
I use Folder Organizer from the Play Store to create single homescreen icons that pop up a window for multiple apps. This is very helpful for games. I have 30 or so...but don't want to scroll through all of them. So I group them by something in common (finger swiping, emulator, etc). Here is what it looks like for me. Screenshot
Here are my game icons. Screenshot
Download Spearoid Game Icons
Also, I use LauncherPro. I've tried them all, and always come back. One thing I love, is the swipe options on your dock icons. Especially for web-browsing. Here you can see my dock icons and the reason why I'd take up one of my 5 spots with a Browser shortcut given LauncherPro's swipe feature. Screenshot
Here are my dock icons. Screenshot
Download Spearoid Dock Icons Personally, I think the clear ones are the best-looking.
If you end up using my game icons and wish I had a game icon for a game you play that I don't, feel free to mention the game title in this thread and I'll see if I can add it to the mix!
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Click to collapse
Not really a gamer, so doesn't do a whole lot for me. But thee workmanship is excellent. Good job.
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thanks for the kind words TXWolf1980.
As for the question from KJW979, these are just .png files. Any program that allows you to change the icon of a shortcut should allow you to use these....launchers and organizers like the folder organizer app I mentioned.
I've updated the OP to include icons for my apps that aren't for games. They are more random so I didn't think to upload them.
Does anyone know of a launcher app that will organize and re-organize your desktop by the way you use it? Maybe some AI, but I will maybe settle with reorganization based on usage. Like if I haven't used hangouts for a week it will demote that app and replace it with Whatsapp or what ever it is I am using most from that type/category of apps. Maybe it sees that whats app has become more important to me than hangouts and promotes it to the home page. It would be great if there was some AI that learned my habits. For example. Maybe it knows that I use UBER on Weekends to get home from bars, so after 10PM on weekdays it moves UBER to my home screen. There just has to be something better than static home screens with self managed folders all over the place.
There was a launcher that had something similar to what you're describing. You could set up multiple screen layouts and it would change depending on the situation (work, home, day, night etc).
Arrow Launcher and Yahoo! Aviate Launcher seem to such mechanics. Don't know how well they work in the real world though.