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How do YOU get to the open apps screen on your Galaxy?

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dylane

Well-Known Member
I've been helping my boss setup his new Blackberry Z10, and one of the features that is really nice on it is the swipe up from the bottom to see all running programs. It is really intuitive and it made me realize that after a few months of use it still isn't natural for me to get to the recent apps screen. A good amount of the time I end up just going back to the home screen and then relaunching the app from the dock.

I have it setup so I can get to recent apps by double tapping the home button (but this only works if I do it kind of slowly, there doesn't seem to be a way to do this where I don't go to the home screen first). I also have it set as an icon in the dock, and as a gesture on the home screen, but obviously those only work from the home screen, which is the one place I least need access to the running apps screen.

So what do you do? Do you have a good way to quickly switch back and forth between programs without having to go to the desktop first?
 
I just long press the home button. Takes me to open apps with an option button on the bottom right to close them all, centre for google, left for ram.
 
Redsurfbus said:
I just long press the home button. Takes me to open apps with an option button on the bottom right to close them all, centre for google, left for ram.
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Do you know if there is a way to switch it so that a short press brought up this screen and a long press took you to the home screen? The long press is just too long to feel natural for something I might do 10 times in a couple of minutes. Comparatively I rarely need to go to the homescreen.
 
dylane said:
Do you know if there is a way to switch it so that a short press brought up this screen and a long press took you to the home screen? The long press is just too long to feel natural for something I might do 10 times in a couple of minutes. Comparatively I rarely need to go to the homescreen.
Click to expand...

If you download and use NOVA Launcher, you can set the quick press on the home button to show your recent apps...but, that only works when you're on the main homescreen.

You can also program gestures, in NOVA launcher, that will bring up recent apps.
 
drexappeal said:
If you download and use NOVA Launcher, you can set the quick press on the home button to show your recent apps...but, that only works when you're on the main homescreen.

You can also program gestures, in NOVA launcher, that will bring up recent apps.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I have both features setup on Holo, but the problem is if I'm on the home screen I really don't have much of a need to go to recent apps, as almost everything I need is in the dock and easier to find since they are always in the same place.

Thinking about it a bit more, what I'd really like is a way to keep the dock visible at all times, like the taskbar in Windows. Any app that can do this?
 
dylane said:
Yeah, I have both features setup on Holo, but the problem is if I'm on the home screen I really don't have much of a need to go to recent apps, as almost everything I need is in the dock and easier to find since they are always in the same place.

Thinking about it a bit more, what I'd really like is a way to keep the dock visible at all times, like the taskbar in Windows. Any app that can do this?
Click to expand...

I personally don't know of any apps that'll keep the dock visible all the time (I'd actually love to be able to do that on Nova Launcher as well), but there are these apps:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/...t#?t=W251bGwsMSwxLDMsImNvbS5mYi5nbG92ZWJveCJd

https://play.google.com/store/apps/...51bGwsMSwxLDYsImNvbS5zY2hpenRlY2guc3dhcHBzIl0.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/...251bGwsMSwxLDEsImtyLmh5YmRtcy5zaWRlcGFuZWwiXQ..
 
This might be something you might be interested in?

SwipePad

SwipePad is a launcher panel overlay. With a single swipe action, you can launch anything from within any app.

It's extraordinarily simple and intuitive to use:
1. Touch down a pre-set edge of the screen;
2. Move your finger towards the center of the screen so the pad will emerge;
3. Release your finger on a specific slot to action.
That's it! This will bring your multitasking to a new level:)

Some notes:
★ A pad can hold a mix of apps, shortcuts, bookmarks, contacts etc. With widgetpad add-on, it can even launch a widget from anywhere!
★ This is not a home app, your home key preference is kept (works with all 3rd party home apps like LauncherPro, ADW Launcher, Go Launcher EX etc.)
★ The app under SwipePad keeps running: no interruption
★ Memory & battery friendly
★ "DIRECTLY CALL PHONE NUMBERS" permission is required by Android system dialer shortcut. So you can set up a quick dial portal, and call your favorite contact with a single swipe.

Ideas and suggestions are welcomed:)
http://swipepad.uservoice.com

You could help with localization: translate the app into your language
[URL]http://crowdin.net/project/swipepad[/URL]
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Thanks for the suggestions. I found an app Dock4Droid yesterday that seems to be similar, but I've fond that I have trouble activating it sometimes. Will take a look at these other apps and see if any of them do a better job. I also stumbled upon a project that tries to bring the WebOS card paradigm to Android, and I might look to try that instead, although that is a bit more of a project.
 
dylane said:
Thanks for the suggestions. I found an app Dock4Droid yesterday that seems to be similar, but I've fond that I have trouble activating it sometimes. Will take a look at these other apps and see if any of them do a better job. I also stumbled upon a project that tries to bring the WebOS card paradigm to Android, and I might look to try that instead, although that is a bit more of a project.
Click to expand...

I'm gonna try Dock4Droid now. Thanks for posting that. Here's the link for those that want to check it out:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/...251bGwsMSwxLDMsImNvbS51cmJhbmRyb2lkLmRvY2siXQ..
https://play.google.com/store/apps/...DYsImNvbS51cmJhbmRyb2lkLmRvY2suZnVsbC5rZXkiXQ..

-EDIT-
I think I'm preferring Dock4Droid now, as compared to the ones I linked above! I have a scrolling dock on NOVA Launcher, which has been such a "must have" for any launcher I've used before...but, with Dock4Droid, I might completely disable the scrolling dock. This app allows for more wallpaper to be seen, you can position the Dock at the bottom of the screen (rather than only right or left side), access it from any app that you're in, and can have shortcuts in conjunction with recent apps.

I can see where someone might have trouble activating it, but that's where customizing the settings comes into play. I don't have any trouble activating the dock and if I want, I can keep my scrolling NOVA dock on there, with Dock4Droid active below it (just have to adjust the activation area so it doesn't affect the apps in my scrolling dock). Amazing.
 
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