Trying to permanently switch from iOS to Android, but....

[CheapyD]

So I'm trying to make the jump to Android but the one thing I am looking for in an Android device is the ability to toggle Silent/Loud mode whenever I please.
All iPhones have the ability to do that with the physical switch that it has on the side but I have yet to see that on an Android phone (from the ones I've looked at).

For me it's the most handy and useful hardware feature that I use 24/7 because I can access it the fastest in any emergency situation without having to take my phone out of my pocket and that's what's stopping me from getting an Android device.

Does anyone know of an Android phone that has that hardware feature?

 

[gtbarry]

With most Android phones you just hold the volume button down to silence. Or long press the power button to get an option for silent OR vibrate mode

 

[CheapyD]

With most Android phones you just hold the volume button down to silence. Or long press the power button to get an option for silent OR vibrate mode

Can you hold the volume rocker down while the phone is in Sleep mode (basically while you're not looking at the phone)?

 

[icekoob]

Tested on my Nexus 4, and no you can't. In theory, a tweak for rooted devices might be able to change that. I don't know of any though.

 

[CheapyD]

If there isn't any Android phone that has that feature I think that would be something great to add in the future.

I've always found myself talking to professors or managers and forgetting to set my phone on Vibrate; in those cases, inconspicuously, I just go to my phone in my pocket and flip the switch and that's it.

 

[dan330]

i have a Samsung s3... rooted with custom ROM.

if the phone rings...options to silence
1. flip upside down.
2. push power button
3. push the volume button


other options:
get an app like "tasker" tell it..
1. when you are on a particular carrier tower (towers that covers the school)
2. at a gps location
or
3. during a time of day

tasker will silence the phone...
then turn it back on as you leave the area

 

[chanchan05]

Tested on a Samsung phone:

Default lockscreen can't do this.

You need Widgetlocker installed with the option "Allow Volume Keys" enabled. Press power button then hold down the volume key. The phone will vibrate to tell you it's in vibrate mode.

So yes, you can silent/vibrate the phone in your pocket without looking at it. Two buttons though plus you need an app. Also, Apple has a patent for it's design incorporating the mute switch, so not sure how that pans out for Android devices.

 

[!on]

Go in settings, look for notification bar, add buttons (such as, ringer / vibrate toggle), there are other options there also. Then just swipe the notification bar down to access the toggle buttons that you added.

 

[admob]

on htc phones, as soon as you pick the phone up it goes to a much quieter volume, and a someone has already said, flip it upside down and it goes to silent.. isnt this as handy as pressing the mute button... could i just suggest turning the volume down when you're in any situations where you dont want to be disturbed.... i personllay would nt consider this a deal breaker... but each to their own...

 

[bjacks12]

I use Trigger. As soon as my phone connects to the wifi at school, work, or church, my phone goes into silent mode. It's a real life saver.

Between that and the Widgetlocker feature, I think Android has a lot to offer you.

 

[Stuntman]

So I'm trying to make the jump to Android but the one thing I am looking for in an Android device is the ability to toggle Silent/Loud mode whenever I please.
All iPhones have the ability to do that with the physical switch that it has on the side but I have yet to see that on an Android phone (from the ones I've looked at).

For me it's the most handy and useful hardware feature that I use 24/7 because I can access it the fastest in any emergency situation without having to take my phone out of my pocket and that's what's stopping me from getting an Android device.

Does anyone know of an Android phone that has that hardware feature?

There is no hardware feature at least on the Samsung Galaxy S3 that does this. What I would have to do is hold down the power button. In addtion to options of turning off my phone, I also get options to mute sounds, turn on vibrate or set sounds to normal.

I can also offer you a software solution if your phone doesn't have this feature from the power button. I use Volume Widget: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.leepstudios.VolumeWidget

Place this widget on your home screen and you have 3 different volume profiles which you can set by tapping on the widget. I configure one for sleep, one for normal and one for loud. When I go to bed, I just tap on the widget and all notifications are turned off while the ringer and alarm is still on. The normal and loud are self explanitory.

What you can do is configure one of the sound profiles as silent, so your phone doesn't make any sound and the other two as whatever you wish. You will have to take out your phone.

Both of these options require you to do more than flick a switch, but it is more flexible than a hardware switch that does one specific thing. The trend at least with Android phones is to move away from hardware buttons. The Nexus devices, for example, doesn't have a hardware button for home. They instead have a software home button. The same thing can be said for shutter buttons. My last phone has a camera shutter button to take a picture. Now, you take a picture with the software buttons on your phone instead or even via voice command as is the case on my SGS3.