Develop Bugs

ICS 4.0 & All the Little Things! [undocumented features]

Just wondering for those of you who have the device already, have you guys found some neat features/tricks using 4.0 that haven't been documented or heavily advertised?
I would love to make a list of these features for other users to explore...
Lets get this started
List:

Reserved........

I know it's documented,but it was still a surprise to me - you can now finally delete apps straight from the app drawer, by dragging them just as if you were going to place them on the desktop,but then putting them in the recycle bin on the top.

No affiliation with apple. Or siri.
Sent from my samsung gt i9250 which is in the wrong country.

Nobody's talking about the search app. It's way better than the one in Gingerbread. Much easier to find stuff in your phone : music, app, sms, docs, etc. The old one was returning web search suggestion in 90% of the result... useless.
Search in browser let's you edit suggestion if you want to add something to it. But we lost popular web site suggestion

Just read it on Pocketnow but you can make folders in the favourites bar. Apologies if obvious.

When in the stock browser and you change orientation, tap the screen to make it rotate.

gambiting said:
I know it's documented,but it was still a surprise to me - you can now finally delete apps straight from the app drawer, by dragging them just as if you were going to place them on the desktop,but then putting them in the recycle bin on the top.
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Click to collapse
You can do that on stock fascinate.
Sent from my SCH-I500 using xda premium

mkropf said:
You can do that on stock fascinate.
Sent from my SCH-I500 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
which runs TouchWiz, so it's not stock Android

Rotate the phone to the right whilst in any stock app (so the speaker grill and front camera are on the right). Notice that the back, home and task switch buttons have moved to the top of the screen so that they stay on the right.

When using an ics app hold down on an icon in the action bar to get a description of what it does
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk

Not heavily advertised, but it should be:
The quick control in the browser. Almost the same as on honeycomb. Activate it in the labs settings of the browser. Love it!

appelflap said:
Not heavily advertised, but it should be:
The quick control in the browser. Almost the same as on honeycomb. Activate it in the labs settings of the browser. Love it!
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Click to collapse
NICE find! Thanks!

This is known about, however you said undocumented and I haven't a single document for the Nexus/ICS apart from on one which came with the phone,telling me how to fix the battery.
Hold the volume down and power key, and you take a screen capture. Which is very handy on occasions
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA App

If you tap the volume button which makes the volume bar appear, you can then press the icon to the left of the volume bar and it toggles between ring and vibrate.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk

In settings/about phone. Tap repeatedly on the android version number (4.0...) then a little android appears. Keep ur finger on it and it grows into a screen animation.
If u didn't know about this,I guess u r now thinking this is a joke. Or is it?

Need someone to test; try swiping the web pages up/down using 2 fingers
, is it a feature or a glitch?

Stea1thmode said:
Need someone to test; try swiping the web pages up/down using 2 fingers
, is it a feature or a glitch?
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Click to collapse
what's supposed to happen?

You can use the front facing camera to record in 720p hd

NexusDro said:
what's supposed to happen?
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Click to collapse
I thought it scrolled page by page. try by flicking with 2 fingers.

Lightning Launcher???

U guys tried out LL yet?? Its pretty impressive as in speed and how different it is..im rockin wit it for now

Was reading this thread:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1523859 and there was a mention of lightning. So I am trying it now. Seems to be a completely different approach to launchers. Kinda liking it. Not sure if it is just the "newness" but i am going to stick with it for a bit and see. Really like the approach except would like to see a horizontal and vertical options for the home screen. I would definitely recommend people to give it a shot.
Sent from my SPH-D700 using Tapatalk

Looks interesting, think I'll give it a try.
Edit..Hmmm. this is really different. Can't figure out a way to add any widgets except their own ones, can't figure out a way to add dock items. Not for me. uninstalling

There is no dock.
Have to spend a dollar on the LL widget add on. (There's always a catch)
I still like the creative concept. Been using it for a couple of hours and is taking some time to break the traditional launcher layouts. Still haven't defaulted it though as i do like GO Launchers features. Time will tell.
Sent from my SPH-D700 using Tapatalk

I like it. Nice and simple. Thanks for pointing it out.

Yeah thanks for mentioning this, I'm using it now too..
Kinda disappointed at the $.99 cost to use widgets outside of his, but otherwise it's pretty cool, definitely not like the other launchers I've used
Sent from my SPH-D700 using XDA

I like the concept behind it using next to no RAM. Otherwise though I'm just not feeling it.
Sent from my SPH-D700 using Tapatalk

Thanks for everyones feedback..i thought it was different..u know how we are..gotta try to it all to find the best!! Im bout to throw this beta cm9 on so i might come back to it lol...happy rooting!!

OK, my mind is now officially blown. Lightning Launcher has turned my Android world upside-down.
With Froyo and GB, I happily used LauncherPro - Had to have my scrolling dock and nothing else really mattered. On CM9, I experimented with Zeam (my favorite dock--smooth scroll instead of paged) and Nova (really nice-lots of options-but IMHO the dock wasn't as good as Zeam) and Go (blecch-too many links to commercial sites for me). I'm now on CM10 and tried Trebuchet (blah), Apex (really nice-a lot like Nova) and was using Zeam, then Holo HD (nice-a lot like Nova and Apex). I still missed the smooth-scrolling, scaled-down icons in the Zeam dock, though.
Today, I went on a quest for the "perfect" launcher and ran across a really good thread on the Experia S forum that lays-out all the launcher options -->here
For no particular reason, I decided to try Lightning. Holy #@$%! It is sooo different from the rest (and no dock either, but I'll see if I can do without it). It's a whole new way of approaching launchers - no pages, no grid if you don't want it, no sizing limitations, free rotation of elements, just one big zoomable scrolling page. I'm sure there are a lot more options to explore. I just haven't gotten around to it yet. And I CAN put my old favorite widgets on there without an additional paid app. The possibilities are seemingly endless. There's a 10 minute video demonstration of Lightning in the Play Store that sucked me into loading and trying it.
Just wanted to share this with all of you fellow Epic users - I now have a new toy that will keep me occupied for hours and hours :laugh:. Lightning might be cooler than Android, itself.
Al

Clean and simple. I dont like the fact all your apps seem to be right on top of each other though
Figured it out. Make less columns in the app drawer.

I can't seem to find it where do you get it.
Sent from my SPH-D700 using xda premium

bigboose1234 said:
I can't seem to find it where do you get it.
Sent from my SPH-D700 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Its in the play store. Just search "lightning launcher" and it should be the first one.
Sent from my SPH-D700 using xda app-developers app

I just downloaded this and noticed a few things that others may find useful.
First, the any widget addon is free
Second, a dock effect can be achieved by pinning the items you would otherwise place in a dock bar. First, press the home key to center the screen (or you might pin an item off-screen, making it useless). Then long-press to enter editing mode (or menu->customize). Then position your chosen icon where you would like to stay (relative to the physical screen). Then long-press the icon and select customize. From there, go to common item settings and scroll down to the pinned option. Click the ball to turn it green, then check the box. Now the icon will stay in place as you scroll and zoom, just like a dock. The only problem (or feature, depending on perspective) I've found is that pinning an icon at the bottom of the screen in portrait mode will cause it to be off-screen in landscape mode - it will take some experimentation to get things just right. A similar problem exists for the right side of the screen in landscape, causing the icon to be off-screen in portrait. Basically, the position is based on the top left corner, so you could make a dock along either of those sides without issue, as long as they are not longer than the short side of the screen (you'll see what I mean, if my description isn't clear enough)
Sent from my SPH-D700 using xda app-developers app

styles420 said:
I just downloaded this and noticed a few things that others may find useful.
First, the any widget addon is free
Second, a dock effect can be achieved by pinning the items you would otherwise place in a dock bar. First, press the home key to center the screen (or you might pin an item off-screen, making it useless). Then long-press to enter editing mode (or menu->customize). Then position your chosen icon where you would like to stay (relative to the physical screen). Then long-press the icon and select customize. From there, go to common item settings and scroll down to the pinned option. Click the ball to turn it green, then check the box. Now the icon will stay in place as you scroll and zoom, just like a dock. The only problem (or feature, depending on perspective) I've found is that pinning an icon at the bottom of the screen in portrait mode will cause it to be off-screen in landscape mode - it will take some experimentation to get things just right. A similar problem exists for the right side of the screen in landscape, causing the icon to be off-screen in portrait. Basically, the position is based on the top left corner, so you could make a dock along either of those sides without issue, as long as they are not longer than the short side of the screen (you'll see what I mean, if my description isn't clear enough)
Sent from my SPH-D700 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the report, styles. I'll give that method a try.
This Lightning Launcher has some amazing capabilities but is pretty complicated to navigate all the settings and options. Still worth the effort for me, tho -- it's fun to learn new stuff.
Al

arschend said:
Thanks for the report, styles. I'll give that method a try.
This Lightning Launcher has some amazing capabilities but is pretty complicated to navigate all the settings and options. Still worth the effort for me, tho -- it's fun to learn new stuff.
Al
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Click to collapse
It is an interesting concept with a lot of potential, but there are still some blatant rough edges... for example, using a wallpaper image or any transparency will cause the icons to streak and leave trails while zooming and panning. It can be considered a neat effect, but basically the screen doesn't truly redraw - each frame is just drawn on top of the existing one, so you need to use a solid color bg at with absolutely no transparency to cover the previous frame and eliminate the trails. I'll be keeping my eye on this launcher though
Sent from my SPH-D700 using xda app-developers app

Hmmm...I just tried this with one of my standard wallpapers from my gallery and had no issues whatsoever. Everything scrolls and zooms above the wallpaper layer, although scrolling wallpaper would be nice.
FWIW, I'm running stock CM10, 9/26 nightly.

Had it on my nexus s....it was the slim roms base launcher
Sent from my SPH-P100 using Tapatalk 2

OscarTangoMike said:
There is no dock.
Have to spend a dollar on the LL widget add on. (There's always a catch)
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Click to collapse
You can fake a dock:
- Create a folder
- Insert phone, browser etc in it and arrange it
- Keep the center of the screen free from other widgets
- Set folder settings not to close, if an app was startet
Now you have permanently (as long as you don't click on free space of the desktop) a dock in the middle of your screen.

Yes, a dock (even a scrollable one) is very easy to set up = create a panel at the bottom or on the side, add icons (with AllApps icon as menu launcher), pin it. You can have it scrolling sideways like Nova, or up/down, all inside the "dock" panel.

Anyone having problems with Nova Launcher?

Very difficult to move icons on the home screen

Don't wait for the icons to "let go". Just long press and move Em. If you wait too long it will act like you let go.. Kinda hard to explain.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Xparent SkyBlue Tapatalk 2

rockky said:
Very difficult to move icons on the home screen
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Click to collapse
Noticed this. The only way i've found is to flick it away from the original position super fast and only then it lets me move it around and between homescreens.

rockky said:
Very difficult to move icons on the home screen
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Click to collapse
This is due to nova launchers speed to be honest. The trick is to watch as soon as the icon begins to glow and then move it quickly. takes a little practice but its a learnable skill
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2

Nova JUST released an update fix

rockky said:
Nova JUST released an update fix
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
[email protected] said:
Beta APK:
Nova Launcher Beta APK
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That should be it.

Hahaha the little things that make a difference eh? It's easy to tell when we can move this on our phones because of the haptic feedback. I came to google the issue (thought perhaps my digitizer was defective, but it was okay everywhere else) glad to find this and the beta apk, cheers!

In nova settings there is an option to update which fixes all problems with nova. Just download and install apk for the win!!!

I am trying Nova.... I can't seem to get icons to show up "in the center" of the "icon area". I have screen set to 7 x 7 (I sure wish Nova had more rows), and when an app icon appears in it's space it is top justified, but widgets seem to be centered, so nothing lines up. I also like no margins, but the icon area also covers the dock, leading to problems. Does buying Pro fix this? Back to GO for me.

[Q] How do I turn off the blue pull tab app drawer??

I searched but didn't see anything on this.
There is a blue pull tab thing on the left hand side of my screen. I want it gone, but can't find out how to get rid of it.
Thanks!

There's a ton of threads already on this. ..
To show/hide hold the back key for a couple of seconds
Sent from my GT-N7100 using xda app-developers app

Thanks. Guess I didn't know what to call the damn thing to search for it correctly.

bleclair said:
Thanks. Guess I didn't know what to call the damn thing to search for it correctly.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It allows you to access the multi-window feature of the NII, for accessing 2 apps at the same time.

To be fair its not a particularly well advertised feature and with little to no instruction a lot of people won't know what it is for.
But it is for split screen mode.
You can drag apps to the top of bottom part of the screen from that bar to run two apps side by side.

Is there a fix or a way to lock the menu button while typing a message?

It's kind of annoying actually that everytime I am typing a message, a part of my palm touches the menu button and the menu window pops up and while typing fast it gets in the way and I push all sorts of stuff. Sometimes the back button also does the same thing too. For the longest time I couldnt figure out what kept popping up. I have on numerous occasions been in the middle of an important long text or email and the whole message was accidentally deleted. Has anyone else experienced this annoying issue? Any fix?
Oh and is there any way to remove the little white dots that are on your home screen....you know the ones that tell you which one of your home screens you are in? They take up a lot of space and you can fit 4 more apps in its place.

Fix the button presses with a case.
Fix the homescreen indicators by getting a new launcher.

Aerowinder said:
Fix the button presses with a case.
Fix the homescreen indicators by getting a new launcher.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How do I get a new launcher. Right now Im running Denomination 4.1.1.Can I add a new launcher to that or do I need a new Rom? I still like how it slides to a new screen going left and right, just want to get rid of the white dots.

Yep. Just get one from the play store. I'm partial to Nova.

Aerowinder said:
Yep. Just get one from the play store. I'm partial to Nova.
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Click to collapse
Wow, yea Nova is cool. Any idea why my weather widget is missing when I use the Nova launcher?

Not sure what weather widget that is because I haven't used TouchWiz in months. I personally use WeatherBug.
Nova is great. So many options. Free, too.

Ill give that one a try. The one that comes stock with the big clock numbers.....idk whatever. Thanks a lot for the help.
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda app-developers app

Aerowinder said:
Not sure what weather widget that is because I haven't used TouchWiz in months. I personally use WeatherBug.
Nova is great. So many options. Free, too.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Accuweather
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda premium

Apex launcher is worth trying.
|When Emotion Goes Up, Logic Goes Down|

Apex and Nova are about the same, but I like Apex better because of the infinite app drawer scrolling.
I can't figure out how you're holding your phone to be able to touch those buttons while typing - do you have either very large or very small hands ? If there's no software solution (I would wonder how that would implement since you need to be able to use the "back" key at any time while typing if you need to get rid of the keyboard when you're done - and there's no way for it to know if you're "done" unless perhaps there was a special on-screen key, but that seems like it would have to be built into the keyboard software itself), a case or using portrait view when typing might be a good idea.

Lol, I have normal sized hands. Its more the menu button then anything else. While texting, I hold the phone in the landscape position with both hands with my index fingers curled around the top corners. Sometimes the skin on my palm right below the index finger creeps over and barely touches the menu button. Its really annoying actually after typing a long message and losing the whole thing.
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda app-developers app

The same thing happened to me. Having a case on the phone acts as a buffer, you can't accidentally hit the buttons anymore. People still carry $600 phones around without a case?

No, I have a case, but its the one that slides into another case with the clip, I forgot what its called. Got it from tmobile when I bought this phone. I guess a different case woukd solve the problem, but I like my case, too bad.
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda app-developers app

Damn, I still cant get Apex or Nova to use my stock weather widget. Everything else is there except my cool weather widget.
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda app-developers app