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Does it takes a genius? Android 3g shortcut ;)

Z

z0rs

Lurker
I want, and I have for a while been willing to, disable and enable DATA (2g, 3g, whatever) with a long press of the search button. And I mean only long-pressing it, NOT opening an app with it and disable it from the app (doesn't make any sense, otherwise one would press the HOME button and disable it from a widget there).
Why didn't anyone think of such a great thing??? Or did they?
 
You can get a on/off switch for mobile data onto your home screen,

Just open Widgets > Settings > Mobile network then just place it where ever you like on your home screen and then you can turn off/on mobile data simply by pressing the widget once.

Hope that helps.
 
Thank you for your contribution: but it is actually what I am doing and would like to improve. This method allows to go out of opera mini, disable 3g and lock the screen in 3 clicks. (home - 3g widget - lock screen)

I am dreaming to do it in 2 clicks: disable 3g long pressing the search button, and locking the screen. This has the very good advantage that you can do this not looking at the screen, and it is fundamental for me because most of the time I can only use a phone for 2 minutes or less to browse. If I had 3g always on my battery would deplete considerably and my pants would go on fire with radiations, uselessly I add!

I wonder why no one ever though of this.
 
Not sure which phone you have, but if you are rooted you could write a script that toggles your data connection and then map that to the search key (or any other key for that matter).

The only other option would be for someone to create an app that toggles data on and off and have the ability to map the function to the search key like handcent's ability to map "Quick Compose" to the search key.

Not sure if that helps, but it's all I got.
 
If you want it that bad then you'll have to write an app that does it :) It will have to run as an intent listener if I remember correctly for the whole time the phone is on waiting for that button press.

Then everyone in the same position as you will be able to download your fabulous app that everyone has been waiting for
 
z0rs said:
...Why didn't anyone think of such a great thing??? Or did they?
Click to expand...

Someone DID think of your idea - YOU did. Unfortunately for you, and the community as a whole, that's where it ended. You could do yourself and everyone else a favor by taking your idea and doing the right thing with it - turn it onto an app! There are plenty of developers out there getting great ideas and turning them into great apps. Why not join their ranks?
 
I wish I could but unfortunately I am no developer and my life is headed in quite a different direction, I know it would require too much time to create something that could work, with endless bugs though that I wouldn't be able to solve (because I definitely am no coder!).

I have an htc hero which is not rooted.
 
It's actually really tricky. I looked into it briefly because I wanted a single click widget to do it rather than open the settings page.

Switching between 3G and Edge-Only requires using APIs not in the SDK, which would be fine but it also requires a permission that is either system or signed (I don't recall) only, meaning you'd have to flash it like a ROM rather than download it from the market.

I end up deciding it wasn't worth more time investigating. Sorry that's not what you wanted to hear.
 
kevin@teslacoilsw said:
It's actually really tricky. I looked into it briefly because I wanted a single click widget to do it rather than open the settings page.

Switching between 3G and Edge-Only requires using APIs not in the SDK, which would be fine but it also requires a permission that is either system or signed (I don't recall) only, meaning you'd have to flash it like a ROM rather than download it from the market.

I end up deciding it wasn't worth more time investigating. Sorry that's not what you wanted to hear.
Click to expand...

I am sorry but I meant switching 3g completely off (and back on), not switching from 3g to 2g and viceversa.
 
Adamx said:
uh, having 3g on isn't going to do anything bad, wtf. You are too paranoid imo.
Click to expand...

I have 2 good reasons for this:
-battery life (yes, if data connection is turned off the phone is using MUCH less battery).
-when you keep your phone in a pocket of your pants, your fertility (aka your balls) is/are much happier if you don't have a very powerful radio always on a few centimeters away from them.
 
z0rs said:
I am sorry but I meant switching 3g completely off (and back on), not switching from 3g to 2g and viceversa.
Click to expand...

That's the same thing. 2g is what calls are made over when you turn 3g off. the net wont work when the phone is in 2g mode.

If you want to turn off 2g as well, then the setting you're after is aeroplane mode, which you can probably access by holding the power button down. Just remember, no calls, texts etc.
 
uzetaab said:
That's the same thing. 2g is what calls are made over when you turn 3g off. the net wont work when the phone is in 2g mode.

If you want to turn off 2g as well, then the setting you're after is aeroplane mode, which you can probably access by holding the power button down. Just remember, no calls, texts etc.
Click to expand...

4g = WIMAX
3g = UMTS, HSDPA
2g = GPRS or EDGE

I cant still be in 2g and making calls and sending sms's.

I don't need an airplane mode, but the no data connection mode you can toggle with any mobile data widget.
 
I believe you can do this (or something very similar) using Tasker. From what I see Tasker still does not handle long pressing search button, but it does handle camera button. And also switching on/off mobile data. So I think it should work for you.

Generally, Tasker is fantastic thing. I use it (amongst other things) for managing my phone profiles (home/office/outdoors/night), and it works very well. What's even better, it's still free (at least for some more time).

Not available through Android market, but you can find it here - Tasker for Android

Hope this helps!
 
HTC Sense UI has a widget to do that. I use 2.1, and I don't believe that Android has a native widget to turn 3g on and off. I think it has one for WiFi though.
 
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