Phone App Default Tab

[Tiggs75]

I'm a former iPhone user, so I understand how simple this question might be. In the Android Kitkat phone app, how do you get the Favorites tab to be the default tab when the app is opened? I honestly can't find an answer anywhere on how to do this.

 

[John Bean]

I don't think you can. It's an annoying "improvement" to the older phone app that no longer allows the user to use it the way they want (I want a dial pad by default) - it's now Google's way or no way :-(

There are better third party diallers in the play store to replace the brain-dead Google offering; that's what I had to do to make it work the way i wanted.

 

[Tiggs75]

That's disappointing. Another "basic" question I have....I notice that the phone and voicemail apps are separate on Android Kitkat. Is there a way/app to combine them? I know Google Voice handles voicemails, but it's a pain otherwise.

 

[John Bean]

I just realised that the default tab on my Google phone app is favourites - like you wanted (I wanted dial pad) - so I'm not sure if we're taking about the same app. I don't have a separate voicemail app either (Nexus 4 KK, "bog standard"). It has no configuration for which tab it starts on but it is configured to handle voicemail.

Which phone are you using? It seems likely that you have some additional non-Google bits in there.

 

[Tiggs75]

I have an LG G2 that I just purchased that's running Kitkat.

 

[John Bean]

Have a look at the app info - long press on the app in the app drawer and drag it to the "App info" that appears at the top of the screen - and see what it says. The standard KK dialler is named "Google Dialler" and is currently at version 1.01.

If yours says something different then it's something LG (or someone else) put on to replace the "official" version I see on my Nexus.

 

[Tiggs75]

The app is named "Phone" and it's version 4.2.14. I don't even see "Google Dialer" on the apps list anywhere.

 

[John Bean]

That would explain it then: you don't have the standard Google KK dialler, although I don't know if yours is the "standard" for LG or was added by another third party.

Perhaps you should ask about it in the forum dedicated to your phone where other users will know more about it than me

 

[Hadron]

Yeah, "Phone" apps are usually modified by the manufacturer, so the G2 forum would be the place to start.

In fact I've never heard of a phone having a separate voicemail app before. I'd guess that is a G2 thing.

 

[chanchan05]

Yep, manufacturer thing. On a Samsung you can have the phone app open to the favorites tab every time.