Best setup for a kid on the Epic4G (solved) - Epic 4G Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

I'm going to give my son my Epic, he's a toddler and he's all about playing on my phone..well, of course I want to disable certain features, password lock settings and play store etc, is there any 'kids corner' like apps or setups that I could use?
I'm on CM10.1 with it right now, one thing he loves doing is dragging apps from the drawer and making folders with tons of the same app in them..lol so want to cut that out, maybe require rolling back to GB where folders were not able to be created..of course having the ability to stop him from dropping shortcuts on the home screen at all would be best..
Any ideas?

Re: Best setup for a kid on the Epic4G
I believe adw launcher has the option to lock the desktop
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Re: Best setup for a kid on the Epic4G
Nova and Apex can do it as well
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Re: Best setup for a kid on the Epic4G
Here's my current issue, if I could get around this I've got the perfect setup..
I want to use a password locker app to lock settings, which I can do, but I cannot lock nova settings, the app does not show up in the list on app lock apps even though it's in the app drawer. Doesn't make sense honestly.
The only other hurdles are disabling the long press home key/recent apps, although if I lock everything but his games it won't matter..just need to lock nova settings and if possible wallpapers, system settings and manage apps both require pin from the menu touch key.
I removed the notification bar and all quick toggles and the dock, going to add all games to desktop and lock it and delete the app drawer icon as well as hide and/or lock all apps like play store etc. Then putting on the otter box and putting some tape around it so he can't open the keyboard. I think he will enjoy having his own phone to play with, he loves the puzzle apps

Re: Best setup for a kid on the Epic4G
luna_c666 said:
Here's my current issue, if I could get around this I've got the perfect setup..
I want to use a password locker app to lock settings, which I can do, but I cannot lock nova settings, the app does not show up in the list on app lock apps even though it's in the app drawer. Doesn't make sense honestly.
The only other hurdles are disabling the long press home key/recent apps, although if I lock everything but his games it won't matter..just need to lock nova settings and if possible wallpapers, system settings and manage apps both require pin from the menu touch key.
I removed the notification bar and all quick toggles and the dock, going to add all games to desktop and lock it and delete the app drawer icon as well as hide and/or lock all apps like play store etc. Then putting on the otter box and putting some tape around it so he can't open the keyboard. I think he will enjoy having his own phone to play with, he loves the puzzle apps
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nova Settings is not an independent app, so...
Sent from HTC Incredible S @ CM10.1

Re: Best setup for a kid on the Epic4G
Hmmmm...no way to lock or hide it...or disable the hardware keys (or at least the menu key)?
I just don't want him fiddling with the settings
Sent from my SPH-L710 using xda app-developers app

Re: Best setup for a kid on the Epic4G
luna_c666 said:
Hmmmm...no way to lock or hide it...or disable the hardware keys (or at least the menu key)?
I just don't want him fiddling with the settings
Sent from my SPH-L710 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A more unpleasant news: even you disable hardware menu key somehow, Nova Settings is still accessible via the app list - 3-dot button on the top right corner
Sent from HTC Incredible S @ CM10.1

AndyYan said:
A more unpleasant news: even you disable hardware menu key somehow, Nova Settings is still accessible via the app list - 3-dot button on the top right corner
Sent from HTC Incredible S @ CM10.1
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, there's no app list button there I can delete the only shortcut to the app drawer. Not sure which version you are running or if you are thinking of ADW or Apex, one of which I do recall has the app list persistent on the homescreen as such. Novaprime does not have that..you can add one, but if I can lock the settings with a pin and lock desktop it will be quite locked down. Amy ROMS that have Navbar added in and disable the hardware keys?

Aha found a way to disable the Hardware keys....
"delete the text in /system/usr/keylayout/sec_touchkey.kl and then save changes in a root explorer app."
Now to figure out how to build a flashable file to replace said file with original file so touchkeys can be re-enabled so I can further modify the device...figure I could get it where I needed it and push a blank file via ADB or use a flashable zip like villianROM theming flash files to disable/enable them from recovery.
I could make a step-by-step once I figure this out, I'm sure there are lots of homeless (deactivated) Epics that would love to be cuddled by some toddlers lol

Well I gave my Epic to my son several months ago and it is still running strong the only thing he's managed to change is the wallpaper (I'm not sure how, but he did it from within the game 'Where's My Water' somehow, that is currently the background).
So step by step what I did was- Downloaded a favorite app blocker tool that requires a PIN to launch apps (the Audio Manager secret app is a great one IMO) and removes them from the app drawer (so far he's not been able to access it once anyway). I have another app locker that prompts with a fake 'Force Close' screen, you have to long-press OK to access the PIN entry dialogue, just another layer of security.
Put Google Play and any other app possibly triggered by a game/link into the 'Locked' section of your app locker.
Install Nova (I have the Prime version, it will likely be required) and in Settings, hide dock with a swipe gesture (I use two fingers rotated counter-clockwise), put 5 pages on the dock.
Place links to the app drawer and the Nova Action Hide/Show Notification Bar on the far right page of the dock (or far left will work as well), to hide the dock, slide over to the far-left page and use your swipe gesture. That way the dock can only reveal the app drawer and Hide/Show Notifications if you use your swipe gesture and then scroll 4 times to the right- something my son is almost certain not to accidentally do.
Next, navigate to the aforementioned folder (/system/usr/keylayout/ or similar) and delete both the menu touchkey line and the search touchkey line in the layout file. This will disable the actions, but will still respond to touch and blink/vibrate.
Remove any quicksettings accessible via notification menu- some apps are still programmed to be in regular view mode instead of fullscreen and a toddler will occasionally be able to access the notification menu- like Netflix, for example. Remove any actions and block any apps that can be triggered from the notification menu.
Finally, set up your desktop with all games and links your child would use and lock it from within Nova settings and lock desktop. You will still be able to access your dock, but you will not be able to add/delete apps or move them around on the desktop without long-pressing the lock icon, which doesn't resemble a button so my son hasn't figured that out yet either. (I'm screwed when he learns how to read, and he already knows his letters so it's only a matter of time now!)
I also used a piece of 3M double-stick adhesive strip (1/8" thick foam) and cut it so it covers both menu/search buttons and leaves home/back exposed- I didn't want him to get frustrated trying to tap the buttons and nothing happens since they still react to touch- I could have hidden the buttons, disabled them, enabled a navbar and only added those two buttons (home/back) but that would take up valuable screen real-estate for his movies and games. Then I finished by installing an OtterBox cover and taping the sides so that the phone will not slide open any longer.
He has access to one main screen and anything the phone can do, at least that he knows it can do, is located on that main screen, and he can't customize anything but the background image, apparently, lol.
It's pretty much like an iPhone now.

Related

ADWLauncher extended dock?

how do I enable extended dock with more options then just phone/browser and app?
You can disable desktop dots which will let you store 4 apps. Additionally, press on the app drawer and scroll up, you can store as many apps as you want in there
that didnt do anything, i just want a more customizable dock like launcherpro has, im not even asking for the scrollable dock like launcherpro has, will uninstalling adwlauncer and installing launcherpro instead screw up CM6 to the point cease to function properly?
This one fooled me too for awhile, but all you have to do is drop an icon on the dock, just like you would move it around a homescreen and it will stick there. Go through the settings to make sure your secondary Action Buttons are enabled and you'll have 4 spaces to drop things onto plus the app drawer at center.
PSULightingGuy said:
This one fooled me too for awhile, but all you have to do is drop an icon on the dock, just like you would move it around a homescreen and it will stick there. Go through the settings to make sure your secondary Action Buttons are enabled and you'll have 4 spaces to drop things onto plus the app drawer at center.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
awesome thank you for the clear explanation!

[Q] ADWLauncher disappears on swipe

I dont think its a CM7 issue, but as the default launcher is ADW, Ill ask here first.
The main dock (with action buttons) gets removed from the screen if inadvertently 'swiped'
When it disappears, it leaves a darkened line across the bottom of the screen. Some random prodding and swiping seems to reinstate it some times, but its a bit flakey.
a) If the desktop is locked - why is this item easily removed?
b) whats the correct action to get it back on screen if its lost?
Any ideas?
Its an annoying feature of adw
Swipe down dock goes off n a new dock where u can put other app shortcut
SWIPE UP to get the main dock back
I dont remember how to disable it
I use LPP
Sent from my MB525 using XDA Premium App
To disable it: Settings > ADW Launcher > UI Settings > Uncheck "Hidden Dockbar". Done.
Hmm that works.
A little counter-intuitive perhaps as its already checked to start with (and the dockbar shows) but unchecking it certainly seems to work! Thanks

Allow any widget to be added to the lockscreen?

I've been searching for a way to allow any widget to be added to my Galaxy Note III lockscreen. I am using TouchWiz 4.4.2. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Sent from my SM-N900T using XDA Free mobile app
madroix said:
I've been searching for a way to allow any widget to be added to my Galaxy Note III lockscreen. I am using TouchWiz 4.4.2. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Sent from my SM-N900T using XDA Free mobile app
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Click to collapse
There is an Xposed module that allows you to add most widgets to your lockscreen. It's called the "Samsung Multiple Widget" module. It also adds back the 'swipe right for camera' option. Thread is here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2363189
Edit: The thread above is the original thread, but the Dev is no longer working on it, so another user picked up where he left off. Thread is here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/xposed/modules/app-samsungmultiplewidgets-kitkat-t2690190
Also, you might want to install the "Notification Mod" as well to get notifications on Touchwiz if you are using a secured lock screen. The way Samsung stopped allowing us to access the notifications when there is a pin/pattern is very annoying.
Let me know if you need any help getting either of those installed (but it's pretty self-explanatory).
Techngro said:
There is an Xposed module that allows you to add most widgets to your lockscreen. It's called the "Samsung Multiple Widget" module. It also adds back the 'swipe right for camera' option. Thread is here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2363189
Edit: The thread above is the original thread, but the Dev is no longer working on it, so another user picked up where he left off. Thread is here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/xposed/modules/app-samsungmultiplewidgets-kitkat-t2690190
Also, you might want to install the "Notification Mod" as well to get notifications on Touchwiz if you are using a secured lock screen. The way Samsung stopped allowing us to access the notifications when there is a pin/pattern is very annoying.
Let me know if you need any help getting either of those installed (but it's pretty self-explanatory).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the reply man.
So I get all that but what i am trying to accomplish is to allow ANY widget to be allowed to be on the lock screen. For example HD widgets official lock screen widgets only has the Glass Gems packages. If I was able to "trick" the system into thinking I was just adding a widget to a home screen, not the lock screen, I would have many more options as to what I can add. Not as concerned about the number of widgets allowed. I was able to do this on the note 2 with some mod, but I don't remember what it was called.
madroix said:
Thanks for the reply man.
So I get all that but what i am trying to accomplish is to allow ANY widget to be allowed to be on the lock screen. For example HD widgets official lock screen widgets only has the Glass Gems packages. If I was able to "trick" the system into thinking I was just adding a widget to a home screen, not the lock screen, I would have many more options as to what I can add. Not as concerned about the number of widgets allowed. I was able to do this on the note 2 with some mod, but I don't remember what it was called.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I wish I could be more helpful. I don't use HD widgets, so I can't test it and see what works. But from looking at the cloud.tv FAQ, it looks like you should be able to get other themes/packages working on the lockscreen. This is what it says:
I can only see the Glass Gems style widgets in my Widget menu. Where are the other themes?
New themes are installed automatically and available for you to use in the app as soon as you've downloaded them from the Play Store. However, you won’t see the new theme style widgets in your Widget menu. The Glass Gems style widget that you see in your widget menu are just examples for each of the widget sizes. Once you've selected a widget size, you’ll be able to switch between themes from inside the app.
How do I change themes after I've picked a widget size?
After you've selected a widget size, tap on the theme name in the top right corner of the configure screen and to reveal the drop down menu. Then tap the theme you'd like to use.
Select new widget themes from the drop down menu (See screenshot below)
Also,
How do I add & remove lock screen widgets?
Deleting lockscreen widgets is really easy. Simply long press on the widget and drag to Remove.
How you'll add lockscreen widgets will differ slightly depending on your device.
For non HTC and Samsung devices:
When viewing your lockscreen swipe left to right starting with the clock until you see the add (+) button.
For most Samsung devices including Galaxy S3 and S4:
First enable lockscreen widgets in your device Settings. Go to Settings, then Lock Screen and check the box to enable Multiple Widgets. Then, when viewing your lock screen, swipe left to right until you see the add (+) button.
Note: Samsung have disabled lock screen widgets with pin or password. If you are using a secure lock screen setting, you won’t be able to use lock screen widgets.
The last part is true only if you don't use the Xposed mod that I posted earlier.
So, it looks like even though you will only see the glass gems widgets, you can still select the different theme/package you want after you have selected the widget size. I hope that helps. And if you already know all this stuff then I apologize.
Is there any way to automatically HIDE the PIN screen? It cut off the widgets, like DashClock. I have to swipe down, look at the widget, then swipe up to bring the pin screen back.
lanwarrior said:
Is there any way to automatically HIDE the PIN screen? It cut off the widgets, like DashClock. I have to swipe down, look at the widget, then swipe up to bring the pin screen back.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, not without disabling it. And for the former try xlocky plugin for xposed, that may allow to use the widgets you want

FireOS tips and tricks

As a long time Android user, I (like most others) had a bit of a hard time getting used to using the Fire Phone's FireOS. Having used the OS for a couple of weeks now, it's not quite so bad once you get used to a few things and learn a few new tricks. Just wanted to start a thread for collecting these types of things that will help others making the transition to FireOS. I'm purposely omitting the fact that google play store can be side loaded whenever possible (sideloading the play store is something I highly recommend everyone with this phone do) so that I can focus on tips and tricks that actually relate to transitioning to FireOS.
Side panels Most everyone at this point is probably aware of the extra info panels that can be accessed by swiping in from the left or right edge of the screen. I have mixed feelings on this myself, as it's used well in some apps (like swiping from the right edge while typing a text message to add pictures), and not very well in other apps (and yet not at all in some apps). Additionally, it's not always obvious if an app does support this feature, or if a certain app will put these options in either the left panel, right panel, or both.
Back Button There is no back button on the Fire Phone. This was a cause of confusion at first. The back button has been replaced with a "swipe up" from the bottom of the screen to go back. This can be a bit finicky at times, but I've found that if I start a short swipe up from the top edge of the home button, it works nearly every time. Additionally, some apps seem to treat this a little differently, as from time to time I will see "back" and "menu" soft-buttons appear at the bottom of the screen when this gesture is used.
Screen Shots You can take a picture of whatever is on the screen by pressing the power and volume down buttons at the same time
App Switcher This is usually accessed on a NORMAL Android phone by long holding the home button. In FireOS, the same is accomplished by double-tapping the home button (the long hold in FireOS brings up voice search). This is the fastest way to switch between apps and gets you around having to navigate the carousel. Also, while in the app switcher, you can swipe individual apps up to kill the process AND remove them from the carousel. I like the Fire Phones implementation here much better than stock Androids. You can double-press the button very fast and this is much less disruptive to workflow while multitasking than pausing for a long press. I think Amazon implemented the switcher and action of the home button beautifully.
Home Button I initially found the behavior of the home button weird. On first press (from a running app), it will take you to the carousel. Additional presses from this point will cycle between the Carousel and the app tray.
App Tray Aside from subsequent presses of the home button, the app tray can be slid up by touching and dragging the bottom row of quick launch icons upward while in the carousel. Likewise, you can continually drag the app tray downward to eventually reach the carousel at the top. It will seem more logical if you picture in your mind that the Carousel sits at the top of the app tray.
Another App Tray annoyance is the lack of alphabetical sorting of apps. While I've found no way to do this automatically, apps can be dragged and dropped in the app tray in any order you like. Apps can either be dragged on top of eachother to create collections (folders), or dragged in between other apps for changing the sorting order. A bit of a pain initially, but pretty easy to keep up with once you get your current collection sorted initially.
Lastly, to get the most from your 4 quick launch icon slots - you can use collections (folders) there as well! This is a feature I'm really using a lot lately to make navigating and the lack of a normal launcher much easier! For example, currently I have the following 4 quick launch collections: "Communication","News","Organize" and "Media". Within the "Communication" collection, I have Phone, Contacts, Messaging, Email, Facebook, Messenger, and Snap Chat. Within the "News" collection, I have Yahoo, Silk Browser and Weather. Within "Oganize" I have Notes, Calendar, and Our Groceries. Within Media I havePhotos, Music, Prime Music, Instant Video, Plex and Netflix. Since using collections in the quick launch area, I find that I rarely ever use the app tray, as my most frequently used apps are right there, easily accessible from the Carousel.
Facebook Mesenger If you're used to using the floating chat heads, and missing them in FireOS, here is a tip. Go to messenger, and enter the settings. Navigate to "Chat heads", ensure the switch is set to "On" and that the "Hide when using apps that take up the full screen" checkbox is NOT checked. For some reason the FireOS launcher/carousel is treated like a full-screen app.
Music Fire phone comes with a "Music" app. But don't confuse this with Amazon's own "Prime Music" app - they are actually two different apps! For those that use the prime music service, do yourself a favor by installing "Prime Music" right from the Amazon App Store. Why this isn't on the phone by default is beyond me!
Cellular usage data As most of us have to keep tabs on our data usage, I find this to be a nice built-in feature (though not the easiest to find). You can set your monthly limit and view current usage under "Settings->Wi-Fi & Networks->See your cellular data usage"
Carousel I'm not a huge fan of the carousel, though I'm finally starting to adapt to it.
EDIT: I'm starting to become a huge fan of the carousel. It has forced me to become organized, and the ability to do simple actions (delete emails for example) without opening an app is just awesome once you get used to it.
There is one cool feature, and that's "pin to front". You can make any number of apps appear at the beginning of the carousel by long-pressing and selecting "pin to front". This has limited utility, as this is only efficient for pinning a few frequently used apps to the front of the list, but still useful once you start using it.
Also, the dragging and dropping apps from the app tray works to replace the default quick launch apps that appear at the bottom of the carousel.
For non-app items (books, music, etc) that appear in the carousel, long-pressing will reveal an addition option of "Pin to app grid", which will pin the book/music/whatever into the app grid for easy access just as if it were an app.
For Pinned items, you can reorder them kind of crudely with a long press and using the "Move to front" option
Status Bar By default, the status bar auto-hides. You set it to always be visible in Settings->Display
Lock Screen This actually has a very little-knows and very cool feature called a "Locket". This allows you to add a number of photos that can easily be accessed from the lock screen. The utility of this isn't immediately obvious, so consider this scenario:
You bump into an old friend in the mall and they ask how your family is doing. Instead of pulling out your phone, getting to the app tray, pulling up the "Photos" app and searching for pictures to show - you can use the locket feature to do this much more efficiently.
To setup and/or access the photo locket feature, from the lock screen, simply swipe from right to left (instead of swiping up to unlock). This enters the photo locket, where you can add more photos, or swipe left and right to view the collection of photos in your locket. It's actually a really neat feature and has some real utility (I can't count how many times I've had to fumble through navigating through my entire photo collection to show pictures of my kids to someone I haven't seen in a while. This really makes it easy)
Silk Browser Another thing I'm not very keen on - though if you plan on using stock FireOS, learning to properly use the app will help.
EDIT: Ok, the browser is growing on me now.
It can be a bit confusing since there is a menu button in the upper-right hand corner, a different menu in the left panel (accessed by swiping in from the left edge of the screen), and other options such as tab switching that are only visible at the bottom of the screen only at certain times. I'll try to detail some of the common functions here:
Bookmarking pages Bring up the page you want to bookmark, then use the menu button in the upper-right hand corner to add the bookmark
Desktop View Use the menu button in the upper right-hand corner and navigate to "Request another view", which will allow you to select the desktop view
Clearing browsing history Access the menu in the left panel, and go to settings, then "Your Data" -> "Clear Browser Data". From here you can clear just history, or anything else such as cookies, etc. You can also clear sites from the history list one at a time by using the left panel menu->History and long pressing the entries you wish to delete.
Tab Management This took me quite some time to figure out. Sometimes I would notice the tab switcher at the bottom of the browser, other times I wouldn't. To make these tab controls visible again, simply start scrolling the current web page back towards the top of the page and the tab controls will appear.
Private Browsing Mode This keeps websites from saving to your history, saving cookies, etc. Like other options, it's not easy to find in the Silk browser. To go into private browsing mode, use the Tab Management above to enter the list of tabs. On this screen you will find the option for private browsing.
Offline Reading One interesting feature that is useful (but poorly implemented) is "Reading Lists", which stories/web pages for offline reading. It's confusing, because you use one menu system to save to the reading list, and yet another menu to access the saved items. To save a page for later viewing, use the menu button in the upper right-hand corner and choose "Save to Reading List". To access the actual reading list to either read, or remove items, use the left panel menu->"Reading List"
Default Search Engine The search engine can be changed from the default (Bing) to either Google or Yahoo by going to the left panel->Settings->Search Engine
Cloud Photos Prime members get unlimited storage for backing up photos. Unfortunately, it's poorly implemented in FireOS and ONLY allows for automatic uploading of ALL new photos at this time. But what if you want to be able to specifically select only the photos you want stored on the cloud? Unfortunately in stock FireOS this isn't yet possible. However, if you have installed the Google Play Store or are familiar with side loading, look for the "Amazon Cloud Drive Photos" app - which oddly enough is published by Amazon for general Android devices, but not available to their own Fire Phone via their own App Store. At any rate, this is how to get around the limitation of the default implementation.
I'd love to hear tips from others and continue learning to use FireOS more efficiently. The tips I outlined above have made this a very usable OS for me, even though I flat out hated it at first. I'll try to keep up adding tips and tricks from others to this master list.
Edited the first post a bit. FireOS is really starting to grow on me and I'm actually more productive now on my Fire Phone than I was on my Galaxy Note II. Amazon still has some work to do on FireOS - but once you get the hang of it its a nice efficient OS
Found another tip. I'll add it here and to the original post:
For non-app items (books, music, etc) that appear in the carousel, long-pressing will reveal an addition option of "Pin to app grid", which will pin the book/music/whatever into the app grid for easy access just as if it were an app.
Thanks. Your tips made a real night and day difference between using Fire phone.
jondecker76 said:
Found another tip. I'll add it here and to the original post:
For non-app items (books, music, etc) that appear in the carousel, long-pressing will reveal an addition option of "Pin to app grid", which will pin the book/music/whatever into the app grid for easy access just as if it were an app.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks JonDecker. Your tips made a difference of actually liking and using Fire phone. Couldn't find such information anywhere else.
Not a problem
After being with the phone for quite some time now, I actually cringe when I have to use my wife's LG G2 for anything. Once you learn a how to use FireOS , it's really pretty good!
Good stuff!!! I personally think that the interface is not that bad... and it is very smooth and quick... i like the phone. No tricks from me at the moment but i will share if i found any ?
Sent from my SD4930UR using XDA Free mobile app
If you have NFC turned on and tap it against your PC (with NFC as well) you can share the whats currently on your phones screen. I found this by accident. The screen shot pop's up in your pc's browser.
Increasing Battery Life
I have found that disabling Dynamic Perspective increases the duration of my phone charge significantly. This can be done by going to Settings (swipe from top) > Display > Configure low motion settings > Dynamic Perspecitve.
I'm glad to see a thread dedicated to this. I'd like to share a review I wrote on this phone a while ago as I feel it adds to the already terrific thread topic.
Below, in no particular order, is a list of things I hated out of the box. Following will be my feelings, along with tips & tricks, on the same items.
1. The Home Screen - I didn't like how the apps were randomly scattered on the home screen. It was difficult for me find what I was looking for.
2. No Google Play Store - I understand the logic behind this from a business prospective. However, from a consumer prospective, there are apps I use on a daily basis that were not available in the Amazon App Store. As bad as this sounds, it means I'd have to change my life style to accommodate this device. One thing that kind of floored me on this is that Google doesn't block the Amazon App store on their OS.
3. The grid - It scrolls up and down, where I've been used to scrolling left to right. Also, there is no way to easily sort the applications by alphabetical order. It simply displays them as they are installed.
4. The lack of soft keys - I've been accustomed to soft keys to open the menu, go home, view recently used apps, and to go back.
5. Notifications - The notification bar doesn't keep a log of icons of notifications. For example, if I get a KIK message it drops down, previews it, and vanished. Unless I open up the notification panel there is nothing to remind you of this. This bothers me as I often don't review them straight away and forget it even happened.
6. Keyboard - There is absolutely no way to install another keyboard. I've been a long time user of Swift Key and I keep find myself hitting the period instead of the space bar.
Due to the above I decided to try to make the phone a bit more what I'm used to. This was easy as I simply had to side load a few apps. This mainly included the apps that were not in the Amazon App Store along with a launcher to replace the Amazon Home screen. After installing several launchers I found one that I was happy with as it permitted me to use custom Widgets. I used it this way for a week or so and was happy to have my old Style back.
Now that I didn't feel held back, or limited by the device, I wanted to give it a go on how it was intended to be used. I changed my default home launcher to the Fire OS launcher. After using it a bit, and exploring it, it's my default launcher with no plans of going back to the standard Android Launcher! Below are the same 6 items listed above, but including how I feel about them now. It will also include what I consider to be tips & tricks, things I wish I knew out of the box.
1. The Home Screen - The use of Dynamic Perspective to access menus is amazing! The apps that are created for this OS have beautiful home screen widgets that I'm not sure I could go with out now. I love the fact I can read SMS messages on the home screen, emails on the home screen, a flip of the wrist shows me the current weather, my upcoming appointment and reminders, and much more. Although there is no easy way to change the apps listed, you can pin apps to the front. So simply pin the app that you want listed last first, and the first app last. This will put them in the order that you'd like.
2. No Google Play Store - As others have mentioned, installing the Google Play Store is very simply on this device. There is no downgrading required. Simply side load a few APK files. I won't go into detail on this as it can be found in a lot of other places.
3. The grid - I don't mind scrolling up and down now. It's second nature now. However, you still can not sort the apps. You must go through the tedious process of moving them one at a time by clicking and dragging it. I did this so they are sorted alphabetically. If I install a new app I now simply drag it where I feel it should be.
4. The lack of soft keys - I'm so used to swiping up now it's odd to use a traditional Android phone's back button! The physical home button works fine, especiall8y now that I discovered the "Quick Switch" menu by double pressing the home key.
5. Notifications - I've toggled all the options regarding notifications in the settings. My original complaint still exists. This was a HUGE set back for me with this device. Luckily, with a lot of trial and error, I found an app that works well for me. It's call NotifierPro Free. I configured it so a bar drops down and stays under the status bar. I also configured it so these notifications remain until I swipe them away. This has been a HUGE help in allowing me to adapt to this device.
6. Keyboard - There is still no way to change the default keyboard, even after side loading one. Amazon told me they made an update to their Kindles which allows the use of changing keyboard applications, so there will be an update that allows the Fire Phone to do the same.
Tips & Tricks / Q & A
1. Switching between running apps quickly.
- To do this simply press the home button twice quickly. You will be presented with a menu called "Quick Switch" where your most recently used apps can be found.
2. How do I quit apps that I'm not using at the moment to extend battery life and free resources?
- If you double click the home button to access the "Quick Switch" menu you can swipe up which will close the app, remove it from the quick switch menu, along with removing it from the cluttered home carousel.
3. Can I group applications together?
- Yes you can! Inside the home menu click and drag an application over another. It will ask you to give the new collection a name and they are then in a group. This is a great way to keep things together and sorted. You can also drag these "collections" into the home screen dock.
4. Any tips for the Camera?
- Yes! I've read about this "best shot" feature, but it didn't seem to do anything for me once I enable it. However, which viewing the photos you already have taken you will have a "best shot" option you can click on. This will show you the 3 photos the camera took, allowing you to select the one that you like the best.
- Burst Feature - The Amazon pages states you can click and hold the camera button to take a burst of photos. This doesn't work for me as it opens up Fire Fly. However, if you press and hold the soft key this feature works.
5. Amazon App Store or Google Play Store?
- I suggest you use the App from the Amazon App Store if available. Some of these apps are created specifically for the Fire Phone and give home screen widgets that the standard app does not support. For example, if you install KIK from the Amazon App Store it allows you to read messages on your home screen, where if you install it from the Play Store it does not.
6. Is the battery really as bad as people say?
- Maybe originally prior to the newest update. The newest update bring out amazing battery life, compared to my old phone at least. I can easily get through an entire day on a single charge. This is under moderate use such as messaging, emailing, browsing eBay, the web, and normal app use. I do not use the device to watch movies or television shows.
As I continue finding things about this phone that I feel are worth mentioning, I'll be sure to update this review. Outside of that, if you have bought this device but initially installed the Google Home Launcher, I strongly suggest you open your mind and give the Amazon Home Launcher a shot. It's truly amazing.
Can you post a link to "notification pro free"? I can't find it in the amazon store and my google-fu is failing me.
ractar28 said:
Can you post a link to "notification pro free"? I can't find it in the amazon store and my google-fu is failing me.
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I'm not sure if it's against any site rules, so I'll PM you.
---------- Post added at 05:46 AM ---------- Previous post was at 05:40 AM ----------
ractar28 said:
Can you post a link to "notification pro free"? I can't find it in the amazon store and my google-fu is failing me.
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Click to collapse
My apologies, and thanks for pointing this out. I had the app name wrong. It's actually NotifierPro Free!
Look at alternative markets or use a website to remotely download apks from the google appstore.
I have 1mobile market installed on my phone and it has it and it works.
Btw. Go Launcher Ex + Go Notifier works for notification badges (unread count at the app icon) and all widgets (you have to pull them onto the screen after every restart though) but has not wallpapers.
I use it, since I disliked the huge bar that Notifier used.
Now it almost feels like normal Android, I just wish I could deactivate the standard lockscreen... I already tried a lot of stuff via ADB, but I guess it needs root for it.
Since I do not want to root my phone as long as there is not notification bar like in stock android, I am fine now.
ractar28 said:
Can you post a link to "notification pro free"? I can't find it in the amazon store and my google-fu is failing me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I like having found this thread, I had my fire phone for about a month now and I still can't get used to not having the back and menu soft buttons. Otherwise I do like the phone quite a bit and that is having to use it along with my Galaxy Note 3 work phone.

UI customization

I just got the LG G4 recently and really getting a kick out of tweaking it. I have DashClock download, and the Appsii for a side bar notification (still tweaking).
Currently I'm trying to figure out how to make my main icons on the bottom of my screen to slide down when not in use, or hide on my screen. I dont want to remove them, just have them slide away and only have the home back page and notification button on the bottom of the screen. Trying to go as clean look as possible without having to install a different launcher, want the least amount of software possible to make it run smoothly. Are there any widgets that make this possible?
Thanks in advanced!
Concept of what I'm trying to achieve.
http://imgur.com/a/eXQgK
Don't think its possible without a launcher or xposed installed. I may be wrong
Sent from my LG-H811 using Tapatalk
That's what seems to be the case, I had Nova Launcher Prime on my last phone so I just reinstalled in on the new phone, haven't figure out how to make the dock auto hide. People say you can make the dock hide with a swipe or gesture, have yet to figure that out.
99problemz said:
Don't think its possible without a launcher or xposed installed. I may be wrong
Sent from my LG-H811 using Tapatalk
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Pizza Thief said:
That's what seems to be the case, I had Nova Launcher Prime on my last phone so I just reinstalled in on the new phone, haven't figure out how to make the dock auto hide. People say you can make the dock hide with a swipe or gesture, have yet to figure that out.
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Could try using gestures in Nova settings if it's a swipe motion. I'm using prime now but I'm old school don't really mess with gestures
Sent from my LG-H811 using Tapatalk
99problemz said:
Could try using gestures in Nova settings if it's a swipe motion. I'm using prime now but I'm old school don't really mess with gestures
Sent from my LG-H811 using Tapatalk
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I was able to figure it out with gestures, it's really cool to make the dock hide like i want now, love it, gives my phone a super clean UI. No junk on the home page, just the soft keys, trying to figure out how to make a side dock or drawer with Nova Launcher now to bring up my apps without having to select the app drawer key that's currently sitting in my hideaway dock. Want to get rid of it there and put icons I deem more functional to my use, currently its phone, contacts, app drawer, messaging, camera. Want it to be phone, contacts, firefox, messaging, camera. But I need a way to get to my apps and so far the only way is thru the app drawer that way. Wanting to keep my home page clean and junk free.
Pizza Thief said:
I was able to figure it out with gestures, it's really cool to make the dock hide like i want now, love it, gives my phone a super clean UI. No junk on the home page, just the soft keys, trying to figure out how to make a side dock or drawer with Nova Launcher now to bring up my apps without having to select the app drawer key that's currently sitting in my hideaway dock. Want to get rid of it there and put icons I deem more functional to my use, currently its phone, contacts, app drawer, messaging, camera. Want it to be phone, contacts, firefox, messaging, camera. But I need a way to get to my apps and so far the only way is thru the app drawer that way. Wanting to keep my home page clean and junk free.
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Click to collapse
Use a gesture from novas settings to open the app drawer

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