http://phandroid.com/2015/03/06/htc-one-m9-sense-7-custom-navigation-bar/
It's not very customisable, but it's better than nothing, kinda.
It's not very customisable, but it's better than nothing, kinda.
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Customisable Nav Bar and related ui topics
- Thread starter El Presidente
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- htc one m9
So no legacy menu button? 
I'm sure there will be with the right ROM 
Actually as someone who doesn't have large hands the ability to rearrange the buttons and move the ones I use most a bit closer will be worthwhile on a phone this size (just add a fourth button at the far end).
Actually as someone who doesn't have large hands the ability to rearrange the buttons and move the ones I use most a bit closer will be worthwhile on a phone this size (just add a fourth button at the far end).
I map a long press on my multitasking button for screen off. Saves having to constantly press the power button. The article says that the new screen off button saves reaching for the power button for people with small hands. The power button is at the midpoint of the chassis lol.
Yeah, adding a screen off button doesn't seem important on the M9 - maybe when Sense 7 hits the M8 it will be more useful.
(I have a long press on home mapped to the legacy menu button. Works better for me than trying to work out whether a particular app uses 3 dots or 3 lines and what corner they've put it in, or indeed what I have to do to make the thing visible in some apps. Multitasking is a double tap of that button.)
(I have a long press on home mapped to the legacy menu button. Works better for me than trying to work out whether a particular app uses 3 dots or 3 lines and what corner they've put it in, or indeed what I have to do to make the thing visible in some apps. Multitasking is a double tap of that button.)
I never really understood, beyond marketing and people too lazy to rtfm, why the original recent apps function in Android - a home long-press - was replaced by a button.
In full circle, you've swapped out the missing menu button for where recent apps used to be. (Notwithstanding that the M7 has two buttons while not rooted.)
Meh, I use 5 down there and they're all sporting long press actions as well. So, ummmm, root ftw, etc etc.
In full circle, you've swapped out the missing menu button for where recent apps used to be. (Notwithstanding that the M7 has two buttons while not rooted.)
Meh, I use 5 down there and they're all sporting long press actions as well. So, ummmm, root ftw, etc etc.
Didn't HTC have a funky nav bar configuration with the M7?
The M7 had 2 (yes, 2!) capacitative buttons. I don't recall any software navbar. It did however come with some ability to overload the buttons out of the box, and of course using custom ROMs you have more options (e.g. swiping across that button has another function for me).
The irony is that the phone I had previously, the Desire, didn't have a multitasking button - as Early says, you used a long-press on home for that. So I'm curious as to why I didn't keep that, since it was what I was used to when I started using the M7, but of course I can't remember now. My best guess is that I used menu more than multitasking and a long press is simpler and more reliable than a double tap, so I prioritised it that way. Since the home button is on the right of the M7 and the left of the Desire, and I was moving from 4 buttons to 2, I'd have been retraining the muscle memory anyway so historic associations probably didn't matter very much (incidentally I'm typing this on a keyboard whose layout does not correspond to what's printed on the keys - works perfectly for me, confuses the hell out of other people).
What I realise, typing this, is that I can't for the life of me remember what the "search" button on my Desire did - what I do know is that it wasn't used for searching! I may have to go turn it on to find out...
The irony is that the phone I had previously, the Desire, didn't have a multitasking button - as Early says, you used a long-press on home for that. So I'm curious as to why I didn't keep that, since it was what I was used to when I started using the M7, but of course I can't remember now. My best guess is that I used menu more than multitasking and a long press is simpler and more reliable than a double tap, so I prioritised it that way. Since the home button is on the right of the M7 and the left of the Desire, and I was moving from 4 buttons to 2, I'd have been retraining the muscle memory anyway so historic associations probably didn't matter very much (incidentally I'm typing this on a keyboard whose layout does not correspond to what's printed on the keys - works perfectly for me, confuses the hell out of other people
).What I realise, typing this, is that I can't for the life of me remember what the "search" button on my Desire did - what I do know is that it wasn't used for searching! I may have to go turn it on to find out...
The old HTC search was for context sensitive search - it worked in any app with the function, especially HTC apps. You could use it to search People for example.
The search button add on I have courtesy of the ViperOneM8 rom doesn't support context sensitive search - forcing more reliance on the menu button first in order to expose the search in browsers, Tapatalk and a lot more.
The irony of everyone rejoicing when HTC (and by then Samsung) had "caught up" with Google and dropped the search button still makes me shake my head.
Of course, now you can gesture, swipe up from a soft home key to get Google Now, that's like a search, or Google Search if you turn Google Now off. Of course, that's still not context sensitive search but everyone has been led by the press to believe that all change is good, that was an innovation, and Google somehow became UI experts - a myth that continues to this very day.
Meanwhile, for those who don't need, want, or can stand that home swipe gesture, there is a cure - provided by an intrigued high school student as his first app. I hope he goes on and becomes filthy rich.
Check out "Swipeup Utility"
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.AdrianCampos.swipeuputility
The search button add on I have courtesy of the ViperOneM8 rom doesn't support context sensitive search - forcing more reliance on the menu button first in order to expose the search in browsers, Tapatalk and a lot more.
The irony of everyone rejoicing when HTC (and by then Samsung) had "caught up" with Google and dropped the search button still makes me shake my head.
Of course, now you can gesture, swipe up from a soft home key to get Google Now, that's like a search, or Google Search if you turn Google Now off. Of course, that's still not context sensitive search but everyone has been led by the press to believe that all change is good, that was an innovation, and Google somehow became UI experts - a myth that continues to this very day.
Meanwhile, for those who don't need, want, or can stand that home swipe gesture, there is a cure - provided by an intrigued high school student as his first app. I hope he goes on and becomes filthy rich.
Check out "Swipeup Utility"
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.AdrianCampos.swipeuputility
^OT, but swipe up is great (at £0.67, I heartily encourage folks to get the pro version) I've mapped it to open my camera from anywhere.
We're talking about customizing the navbar so I don't see the OT part...
PyroSporker
Android Expert
(This might travel into Off Topic territory. read: Power Button Alternatives?)
I don't understand it even one little bit. The power button was perfect on the Harman Kardon M8 in my opinion. Good placement with great tactile feel. I get that some people don't like it there but why oh why HTC must you continue the power button "musical chairs"! Almost every major release over the past 3 or 4 years they have moved the power button or changed something about it. A little consistency would go a long ways. Over reacting every year is not ok.
If you opt to have a 'screen on gesture' and a 'screen off' software button, and you didn't substantially increase the screen size or the height of the device, then why move the hardware key at all!? 2 wrongs don't make a right.
I'm one that will not participate in using their 'screen on gesture'.
Besides the 'screen on' gesture, does anyone have any good suggestions for screen on alternatives (that won't drain the battery, and even one better don't require a Google Play application download)?
I'd like to avoid using that wretched side button as much as possible. I'm content with using the new built in 'screen off' software button option. Too bad you can't utilize that small area of the navbar behind the blacked out screen as an always awake boundary to turn on the phone as well...
Am I going to have to carry a small soft sided magnet and use the magnet sensor to wake my phone?
They should have added the software functionality OR moved the location of the power hard key. NOT do both.
I actually think the power off softkey will be very useful and popular for many folks that will be using the M9. If they added the option specifically for M7 or M8 users that won't opt for the M9 upgrade then they added the option for the completely wrong reasons.
I don't understand it even one little bit. The power button was perfect on the Harman Kardon M8 in my opinion. Good placement with great tactile feel. I get that some people don't like it there but why oh why HTC must you continue the power button "musical chairs"! Almost every major release over the past 3 or 4 years they have moved the power button or changed something about it. A little consistency would go a long ways. Over reacting every year is not ok.
If you opt to have a 'screen on gesture' and a 'screen off' software button, and you didn't substantially increase the screen size or the height of the device, then why move the hardware key at all!? 2 wrongs don't make a right.
I'm one that will not participate in using their 'screen on gesture'.
Besides the 'screen on' gesture, does anyone have any good suggestions for screen on alternatives (that won't drain the battery, and even one better don't require a Google Play application download)?
I'd like to avoid using that wretched side button as much as possible. I'm content with using the new built in 'screen off' software button option. Too bad you can't utilize that small area of the navbar behind the blacked out screen as an always awake boundary to turn on the phone as well...
Am I going to have to carry a small soft sided magnet and use the magnet sensor to wake my phone?
They should have added the software functionality OR moved the location of the power hard key. NOT do both.
I actually think the power off softkey will be very useful and popular for many folks that will be using the M9. If they added the option specifically for M7 or M8 users that won't opt for the M9 upgrade then they added the option for the completely wrong reasons.
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I got nothing.
So, double tap to wake isn't for you then, nor any of the others?
Can't tell about the M9 yet, obviously, but on my HTC LTEvo I used the proximity sensor for screen on / off. Worked great, no power hog.
Check out "Proximity Screen Off Lite"
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.itsme4ucz.screenoff
Not sure exactly what you're asking though tbh.
So, double tap to wake isn't for you then, nor any of the others?
Can't tell about the M9 yet, obviously, but on my HTC LTEvo I used the proximity sensor for screen on / off. Worked great, no power hog.
Check out "Proximity Screen Off Lite"
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.itsme4ucz.screenoff
Not sure exactly what you're asking though tbh.
But there's your answer. Quite a lot of people didn't like it there, and said so. If you are refining the design, you deal with the complaints, and if that means moving something that you moved last year, you do it.
I don't know how I feel about the M9's button yet because I've not held one, but it's certainly somewhere were I can reach it while using the phone one handed (the uncertainty is whether I'll press it inadvertently). I can't do that with an M8 (or even my M7) without shuffling the phone down my hand.
I can't comment on the M9 (obviously), but my current handset (the Xperia Z1) has its power button mid right and it's placed perfectly. With handsets getting bigger, I don't understand why more manufacturers don't put the power button there tbh.
I'm in the aged minority that uses both hands for my phones - plus it's probably a habit from the slider days.
I saw everyone laughing and poking fun at a Phandroid video using two hands and calling the guy an unwashed gorilla. (Which, I don't know, is a compliment in some corners but I digress.)
Anyway - I've tried my phone one handed from time to time since then. I don't like it, it's very uncomfortable - except to swipe down with my thumb and voice dial my M8.
I've also taken to using an ink pen/stylus. Handy for writing everywhere and my brat-like fingers don't cover up things.
So, I'm not sure about the power button on the side, I always have fingers or a piece of hand there.
And I think it's perfectly cromulent to rename the thread to encompass the greater ui/power discussion rather than enforce the topic so I'm doing it.
EP, you started the thread so change it back if you disagree.
Edit - done. And I respected your UK spelling for customizable so don't say I never met you halfway.
I saw everyone laughing and poking fun at a Phandroid video using two hands and calling the guy an unwashed gorilla. (Which, I don't know, is a compliment in some corners but I digress.)
Anyway - I've tried my phone one handed from time to time since then. I don't like it, it's very uncomfortable - except to swipe down with my thumb and voice dial my M8.
I've also taken to using an ink pen/stylus. Handy for writing everywhere and my brat-like fingers don't cover up things.
So, I'm not sure about the power button on the side, I always have fingers or a piece of hand there.
And I think it's perfectly cromulent to rename the thread to encompass the greater ui/power discussion rather than enforce the topic so I'm doing it.
EP, you started the thread so change it back if you disagree.
Edit - done. And I respected your UK spelling for customizable so don't say I never met you halfway.
Whatevs.
tl;dr.
And whoever changed the title of my thread spelt customizable wrong.
tl;dr.
And whoever changed the title of my thread spelt customizable wrong.
But seriously, I do tend to use my phone 2 handed too, but it's generally always in my right pocket so the power button is perfectly placed so that I can remove from pocket and turn screen on in one, fluid, ninja like movement. If it's on the table etc, I can do the same thing turning it on that way.
HTC gestures to wake - my favorite, hope the M9 has them.
Although - who doesn't love a good ninja move when available.
Although - who doesn't love a good ninja move when available.
The Phandroid video showed a "hide the nav bar" button as one of the extras you can add (with a swipe to bring it back). Don't know what other options it will have.
