• After 15+ years, we've made a big change: Android Forums is now Early Bird Club. Learn more here.

We get kit kat!!

For notifications, try an app called Light Flow Lite, it works pretty well for me. I don't get the all white notification bar though - I wonder if there is a way to customize it


SMWAS said:
I tried that. There is no option for picking LED colors for the ones I am using (stock messaging, email, Facebook).
Click to expand...
 
tanware said:
In messaging and hangouts I have the white background. Time to search for a new app, trying textra now.
Click to expand...
I don't like the white background either, so if you find a good replacement, let us know. I also don't like losing Swype, especially since I finally was getting comfortable with it. I'm trying Google keyboard now, but I may have to breakdown and pay for Swype.

I installed Light Flow Lite so I could get my notification colors back. My phone does seem fairly faster now than it was, so that's good.
 
From what I've read... uninstall Swype, then download and reinstall and you should be fine. Let me know if it works please.


Ag76 said:
I don't like the white background either, so if you find a good replacement, let us know. I also don't like losing Swype, especially since I finally was getting comfortable with it. I'm trying Google keyboard now, but I may have to breakdown and pay for Swype.

I installed Light Flow Lite so I could get my notification colors back. My phone does seem fairly faster now than it was, so that's good.
Click to expand...
 
Hey, guys... looking for opinions: I just did the KitKat update and I was wondering if you suggest I definitely do a factory reset too. My phone already seems to be running quicker and more smoothly than it was. I remember doing a FDR after the JB update, and I just don't look forward to getting everything re-downloaded and set back up to exactly the way I had it. :/ But if you think it'll be best...

Thoughts?

Thanks! :thumb:
 
StaceyNash said:
Is anyone's Notification and Navigational Bar translucent like the other kitkat phones?
Click to expand...

It is weird. On the lock screen it is working but once unlocked it is not. apparently the stock launcher does not support this but Nova launcher, and others, do.

Edit; I like the camera icon on the lock screen. It makes this much more of a dual device as you can open to the phone or the camera right off. Getting those shots/videos before could be a pain having to open the phone to get the camera on etc..

FTM I am digging Textra, seems to work well.

Edit 2; I am not sure if I've found a bug but here is a heads up. I installed Nova Launcher and selected as always but found then the bubbles widget that can only run on the home screen launcher was still loading up and running. My suggestion is then go to home screen default launcher and remove all widgets.
 
No more blue 4g/3g icons when data is available? They always white now like the time, etc.? Is everyone elses like this?
And i hate the new pone call viberate pattern.
 
so now there is no way to differentiate between data and no data signal? Or do we always have guaranteed data signal now?
 
Marc_G said:
One issue to figure out: on the lock screen I don't have the sound on/off slide control. That is my main way of silencing the phone or unsilencing it. How to get it back? Tia!
Marc
Click to expand...

Try holding down the power key for a couple seconds and pick vibrate from that popup screen
 
MightyFurcules said:
Hey, guys... looking for opinions: I just did the KitKat update and I was wondering if you suggest I definitely do a factory reset too. My phone already seems to be running quicker and more smoothly than it was. I remember doing a FDR after the JB update, and I just don't look forward to getting everything re-downloaded and set back up to exactly the way I had it. :/ But if you think it'll be best...

Thoughts?

Thanks! :thumb:
Click to expand...

IMHO if it ain't broke, don't fix it! Mine ran fine before the update and while I know now everything has to update and settle in for 4.4.2 for a few days it is still running fine so far.
 
They eliminated the blue for an indication of data signal because they felt few people knew what it meant and the color contrast was bad.
Pull down your notification bar and you will see a small square icon on the top right. That accesses a new quick settings screen. On it you will see the wifi and 4G indicators. Depending on the Carrier they will be a different color if connected or not. On Verizon if they are white you are connected. If they are orange you are not.
Pita if you ask me but at least you can check it if you are having connection issues.

Gs
 
Looks like Swype is gone with the KitKat update. I've seen a lot of complaints about it on other boards. People are suggesting downloading the Google Keyboard app. It has a lot of the same abilities.

- Eric S.
 
This morning my phone started to download the update. It got to 16% and stopped for a few hours. So I reset my phone and when I started it back up and selected "System Updates" it did nothing. Didn't tell me I was up to date, that I need to update... no movement.

So I did a factory reset. Now when I click "System Updates" it tells me I need a Motorola Service account. When I select to set up an account, it hangs at the loading spinning circle and "Communicating with server. Please wait..."

It's been like that for about 30 minutes. Are the servers just severely bogged down or is something wrong?

Thanks in advance for any help.
 
ericsbcn said:
Looks like Swype is gone with the KitKat update. I've seen a lot of complaints about it on other boards. People are suggesting downloading the Google Keyboard app. It has a lot of the same abilities.

- Eric S.
Click to expand...

I tried a few other free Swype apps...Google Keyboard seems to be the best one, imo.

Unless the Swype feature was totally hindering this phone, I don't see why they would get rid of it completely...

With this update, I have noticed my phone performing much better. The voice commands/recognition seems way better and the phone, overall, seems much improved.
 
Still no update.

Now it checks for updates but then says "Checking for updates is not available at this time. Try again later." Sometimes it'll check for a minute or two before giving me the alert and sometimes it's right away. It's been doing that since last night.
 
matbluvenger said:
Still no update.

Now it checks for updates but then says "Checking for updates is not available at this time. Try again later." Sometimes it'll check for a minute or two before giving me the alert and sometimes it's right away. It's been doing that since last night.
Click to expand...

Put it into airplane mode, turn on wifi. See if that connects you. Sometimes that helps trigger access to the update.
 
The good, its faster

The bad, swype is gone, along with a lot of little niceties and polish I miss.


The ugly, it is hideous looking, monochromatic garbage with ugly fonts.


So I downloaded the trial version of Swype from the store, that will get me 30 days, its not the same store keyboard I had, i like what I had better, I guess I will try the Google keyboard,

What can I do about the appearance? The monochrome white has to go, even my notification led has dawned a pointy hat and sheets with eyes, i want my color diversity back!
 
Oh and more on the loss of swype, The play store version cursor keys, and no return key in the new swype for texts, why? I often send long complicated texts, would be nice if they were divided into paragraphs. Who decided I should no longer use paragraphs!?
 
One other nasty surprise, my girlfriend lets her kids draw on the unlock screen, they are 3 and 6, they learn letters numbers etc, this morning that is what they were doing until the phone erased all of her data, apparently now you only get a set number of failed unlocks.

My GF had the launch codes for the nuclear missiles on that phone, i am glad we defaulted to an appropriate level of security, one look at these kids rooms will tell you those kids were bent on world destruction, well, after nap time.
 
It finally went through last night. Played with it a bit this morning before driving a few hundred miles.

PROS:
- Much faster... much much faster

- NO MUSIC SKIPPING! Ever since Google Play Music updated about a year ago I've been getting skippy playback, even on songs that were loaded on the device. It was especially bad when locking/unlocking the screen as well as when I was driving through areas in which my phone would have to search for signal. But the whole drive through central Nevada (usually littered with dead zones) went perfectly smooth.

- The new drop-down menu is pretty nifty.


CONS:

- No built-in Swype. But Google Keyboard does a great job. It'll just take a little bit of getting used to its nuances.

- Where did all of the widgets on the lock screen go? I've tried to get them back on based on what I read online but I've had no luck. I miss having the Messaging and Call selection. Not a huge deal, though.

- I'm bummed that the WIFI and network symbols no longer turn blue when connected, as well as the battery no longer going "Green > Yellow > Red." Again, not a big deal.


Overall I love the update. The pros are certainly more beneficial than the cons are detrimental.
 
I know everyone is ticked about Swype. But wait til you start seeing issues with WIFI and Bluetooth at the same time. FRUSTRATING!!! JellyBean allowed me to run WIFI and Bluetooth AT THE SAME TIME to play music from my home WIFI. With KitKat, you get one or the other. I have a corporate email account as well. After update, that stopped working. Had to uninstall and reinstall the account. I have a Fitbit step counter, that stopped syncing. I had to uninstall/reinstall the app, and it still only syncs WHEN WIFI IS OFF..... UGGGHHHHHH!!! How did Beta testing miss this.... This needs to be fixed or roll me back to JellyBean!!!

beer10t
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom