AOKP lets you hide the nav buttons completely, only problem is to use the keys, you have to hold power - and I'm wary of pressing a hardware button constantly.
BUT
I found a neat app called zMooth, which puts a tiny bar on the bottom of the screen to gesture back/home/menu/lock screen.
It doesn't appear to work well on GN yet, just the home/lock works from my testing. But this gives me great hope that once it works on GN, we can get rid of the native nav buttons completely and fully utilize the full screen.
Here's how it looks for me:
http://phota.me/ZFM4
That just seems really unnecessary.
wonshikee said:
AOKP lets you hide the nav buttons completely, only problem is to use the keys, you have to hold power - and I'm wary of pressing a hardware button constantly.
BUT
I found a neat app called zMooth, which puts a tiny bar on the bottom of the screen to gesture back/home/menu/lock screen.
It doesn't appear to work well on GN yet, just the home/lock works from my testing. But this gives me great hope that once it works on GN, we can get rid of the native nav buttons completely and fully utilize the full screen.
Here's how it looks for me:
http://phota.me/ZFM4
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can use LMT Launcher or Button Savior for the galaxy nexus. I use LMT launcher and it works great. You can use the 'pie' navigation that is used in the stock browser for home, back, menu, and recent. I've read that the ones that put overlays on the screen can cause lag.
pwnasaurus said:
That just seems really unnecessary.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
All in the eye of the beholder. I like using the mod and didn't take too long to get used to.
Is there still any way to bring up the virtual keyboard under Chrome (on the new N7 at least), even when you are not on a text box element?
Some sites capture key presses to do various activities, and the inability to use the keyboard is a definite problem.
An example being ajaxterm (implements a remote terminal emulator via javascript and AJAX, quite handy going through overly restrictive firewalls), no keyboard renders the entire thing useless.
Any suggestions?
I'm not sure. The best solution I can think of off the top of my head is to use a custom rom with button mapping. You can set press and hold functions to software keys and hardware (I think).
I'd say a long press on the Recents button to pull up the IME. Typically Back(Hold) is force close, Home(Back) is Search, nothing is assigned to recents(Hold).
That or an app that sits in the notification tray that has a button for IME....
Or again, the quick notification toggles on custom Roms has an IME enable/disable, I think.
Sent from Nexus 7 FHD from XDA Premium HD
So, I want my menu button to open up menus again, and not the "overflow" menu. What are my options? Do I have to re-install 10.2 and the 0813 gapps and prevent any of the google apps from updating by backing up their apks and resigning them with ZipSigner? Will the unofficially signed apps even work properly anymore? Is there any way to map the menu button to the "navigation drawer" / "hamburger button?" I've tried searching but haven't found any help.
The first time I tried to hit the button one handed was also the first time I really dropped my S3 (small hands). It finally put a crack in my bezel. I was so proud of that bezel! I know that I can swipe from the bezel to the right to open up the "navigation drawer," but I can only get this to work about a third of the time, and only in Google's own apps. Might as well be the charm bar in Win 8. None of the third party apps I use seem to incorporate this swiping feature either, which is why I'd rather enable the overflow three dot display, and remap the menu button. None of the options in the buttons menu in CM are anything I'd use. I just don't get it. They want to get rid of the menu button because devs hide everything there, but to facilitate it they hide everything off screen in a drawer that I have to use two hands to open?
I wish Google didn't dictate that the Action Bar and on-screen navigation controls are the way "things must be." Especially with no consideration to those of us on legacy devices. I rather like having buttons on the bottom of the phone that don't take up screen real estate. I'd like it even more if the buttons were physical like they were on my Evo 4G, and not capacitive. I even miss the old four button layout. I used all four of them all of the time. Why not have physical + per app customizable on screen buttons? Get the best of both worlds? "Because Matias Duarte has not deemed it so." Sounds like Jonathan Ive or Steven Sinofsky.... If I wanted to be told how to use my phone, I would have bought an iPhone or a Lumia....
On a side note, I am less than enthusiastic about the changes Google has been making with the apps. The fonts got bigger in everything, but especially annoyed me in the Play Store. Whitespace, WHITESPACE EVERYWHERE! So now I only see 5 apps at once, rather than the 8-9 that was in the ICS store. Why have a phone with a huge screen if we're going to make everything giant? And so many apps are following these "best practices." Then again, I detest mobile sites and set my useragent to desktop. I guess I just feel that if I'm carrying a computer in my pocket, it should feel like a computer.
So, I don't know 'bout you, but I use my S2 in landscape mode more often than not and find it a bit awkward using the capacitative buttons on the side for navigation. I've used the recommended app on nearly every device I've owned but never have I found it more useful than on this tablet vs. anything else. The app is called Button Savior and it puts three pages of (configurable w/ pro version) navigation buttons on your screen. There are some cool themes with the free version and the pro version allows you to add an HD theme pack (see screen shot - that one's called Liquid Metal 2). It rarely gets in the way of screen content, but just hitting the circled X at the top collapses the panel into a small tab with an arrow that has configurable size and transparency. Of course there are other methods for soft key navigation but I'm a big fan of Button Savior, and to summarize... I would recommend it!
*As I mentioned there are other "soft key" solutions for navigation, but I find the above mentioned app the most convenient/intuitive. I actually have a few installed myself but don't really use them unless I need a particular function that Button Savior lacks (such as "kill app"). As you can see in the screen shot, I have a navbar courtesy of Gravity Box. For some reason though, the keys are only present in portrait mode, when I don't really need them. What's up with that? Anyways, I also use LMT (the actual app, not the Gravity Box version because it's much more configurable), but a lot of apps have slide-out menus from the left (these days...) which interferes with triggering it sometimes. However, using the LMT app, you can basically add whatever you want such as scripts and other such fanciness; I use it mostly for "kill app" whenever (rarely) something's non-responsive. Anyway, I can upload the apk if anyone wants it, but there's probably a newer version so you might be better off tracking it down. Here's a Play Store link for Button Savior: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.smart.swkey&hl=en Check it out!
Sorry to be the party pooper, but all these solutions (LMT, Button Savior etc.) are not the real deal.
The only real convenient solution is GMD Gesture Control.
For any action you can think of (including Tasker actions etc.) you can freely configure gestures and the screen areas in which the gestures are recognized.
All the other solutions need too many actions to trigger an event, and/or they take up screen estate.
hasenbein196601 said:
Sorry to be the party pooper, but all these solutions (LMT, Button Savior etc.) are not the real deal.
The only real convenient solution is GMD Gesture Control.
For any action you can think of (including Tasker actions etc.) you can freely configure gestures and the screen areas in which the gestures are recognized.
All the other solutions need too many actions to trigger an event, and/or they take up screen estate.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I like GMD too. I have GMD S-pen Control and have used it on all of my Note devices. I've found that I prefer soft key solutions though for the following reason: I tend to set up GMD and use it for a while, then take a break from using it for whatever reason, then tend to forget most of the gestures that I set up.
GMD is definitely awesome, IME it just needs to be used consistently though. I might give Gestures a try as it might be more practical than S-pen control
Er, how about simply NOT intermittently stopping using GMD???
You must admit that your reason for not using GMD is quite hilarious
(And, additional tip: Use the gestures wisely and don't add too many gestures - then you won't be confused )
I use GMD on all my devices now for years (so unrootable devices won't ever be bought by me), and it's second nature...
hasenbein1966 said:
Er, how about simply NOT intermittently stopping using GMD???
You must admit that your reason for not using GMD is quite hilarious
(And, additional tip: Use the gestures wisely and don't add too many gestures - then you won't be confused )
I use GMD on all my devices now for years (so unrootable devices won't ever be bought by me), and it's second nature...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
LOL :laugh: I think it has to do with the S-pen. Normally I just go through periods where I use it more or less. I think that it'd be easier with gestures.
Pie controls works amazing. It's on the app store
James.Markham0757 said:
Pie controls works amazing. It's on the app store
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agreed I have Button Savior set to trigger on the right side of the screen which I use mostly for "simple" navigation (although it has many more functions... 3 pages that you can scroll through) and PIE set to trigger on the left side. I mostly use PIE for more complex functions that I have mapped to long presses. I like Button Savior because the pro version looks nice with the HD themes, is completely unobtrusive, and faster and slightly easier to trigger than PIE even if collapsed. PIE definitely comes in handy if I ever need to kill an unresponsive app or something like that :good:
A better solution to Button Savior is already built into the Tab S2. It is called Assistant Menu. Go into Settings, Accessibility, Dexterity & Interaction, Assistant Menu then turn it on.
tsg2513 said:
A better solution..
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Click to collapse
I'd agree that the already *build in* navigation assistant is better but, NO. You cannot change the background color (it is snow white). You cannot change the color of the floating navigation assistant button nor does it auto hide itself.
All other suggested apps need *root*. :x
I use this. It's simple and no root. I just need back, home and recent, but you can set more. Its completely transparent. The app is called "all in one gestures" and free.
tsg2513 said:
A better solution to Button Savior is already built into the Tab S2. It is called Assistant Menu. Go into Settings, Accessibility, Dexterity & Interaction, Assistant Menu then turn it on.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This seems to be gone with the Nougat update...
I found a much better one,
Handy Soft Keys Pro.
Small, ultra fast, no ads and with fade out feature.
I discovered pie controls back with my g3 in 2014. Loved it, easiest way to swap between apps IMO. I really enjoy them and wanted to see if there was any other side launchers or "pie" style controls that people are using? Also for those who don't know if you double tap the recent app soft icon "square" on your phone you can quickly and easily swap between the 2 most recent apps.
I now also use pie controls. Though I use them as navigation controls because sometimes it's difficult for me to reach the navbar buttons at the bottom. I like that I can swipe from the edge and pull the notifications down instead of pressing the navbar button.
I recently started using Meteor Swipe. I put all my most used apps there instead of in pie controls because I find apps are easier to reach from the edge and feels more organised. I also included Tasker shortcuts that toggle Bluetooth, WiFi, and Autorotate so I don't have to reach for the quick settings up top (though I also have these set up in pie controls as long presses).
Oh! And Meteor Swipe also has floating widgets! I find this very useful with Unified Remote as i often use it to control my PC media. I don't like having a persistent Unified Remote notification controls.
Yeah I really like Nougat's double tap Recent Apps button to switch to last app.
I've used many pie apps from root to no root and this app won me over hands down the best
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.de_studio.recentappswitcher.pro