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I'm looking for an app that can enable & disable wifi at certain times of the day/days of the week etc.
Basically so that while I'm working, my wifi is switched off to preserve battery power, but when I'm out at lunch or home in the evening the wifi is on automatically.
I looked around the site at things like wifiprofiles app, and monsterwifi app etc but unless I missed something I don't think they allow shedules for when wifi automatically switches on & off do they?
Sorry if I'm being thick or missed another option!
you should check out phoneAlarm Pro -- I've been using this for years, it is a powerhouse of control for all sorts of things -- profiles (automatically switchable) include WiFi on/off as well as Data, Ringtones, Volume, Backlight, customizable alerts, etc. I could go on and on... this is my one and only "must have" app!
oh, and of course it's skinnable! you can find plenty of skins and support in the pocketmax.net forums...
Thanks for that. Installed the demo version.
In theory it's spot on, but in practise I can't get the automatic (scheduled) profile switching to work.
I set a time for it to swap from 'Out of hours' to 'Work' and noticed my phone still shows as having the ringer on even though I set the Work profile to be silent etc.
What I don't understand is the relationship between the profiles in this software and the profiles that the phone uses normally.
Ie when installed, I can't see anything that illustrates what profile this software thinks it is currently using, just the usual volume/ringer icon at the top of the screen.
If I change the system volume with the hardware volume button for instance, does this directly influence what profile gets used on Phonealarm? Or should Phonealarm disable the system related profiles/volume control etc?
Me = a bit confused!
yeah, it can get a bit daunting at times cuz it does so much...
can I assume you're on WM 6.5 and Manila/Sense? back in the day, phoneAlarm ran as a Today screen app (still can) -- but now with 6.5/manila it can run as a 'background host' -- so you don't really see it unless you call it up. you can have an Icon 'stick' to the taskbar, but I keep mine hidden and have a key shortcut to bring up "paHost". now, depending on the skin used, you can see what profile is active as well as alarms, status, time, weather, etc...
basically, the profiles 'overtake' the WM settings -- they're still there, just set by phoneAlarm. for example, you can still change the volume as usual, but on the next profile change it will be reset per the profile's settings.
the profile schedules and the custom email/sms alarm are probably the most difficult to understand (or to get working as you'd expect) -- I would recommend downloading the 'user guide' -- it explains things far better than I could here.
lastly -- get familiar with the forum! the FAQ and Support threads cover just about everything, and "Penguin" (the developer/moderator) is really very responsive to everyone's questions and/or needs.
maybe an example would be helpful...
here's how I do it -- when I arrive at work, I plug my HD into a cradle at my desk and it (usually) stays there all day. the ActiveSync connection triggers the "work" profile, which sets volumes/tones, turns on bluetooth headset, etc. etc.
now once I unplug it -- it switches to "car" profile, as I'm (usually) now on my way home. note the "on end" setting in screenshot #2.
when I get home, I manually switch to "home" profile. this would be where you could get into location-based rules -- from gps, cell tower, etc. -- to automatically know you're home, but I don't have them set up at the moment.
then, it will switch to "night" mode at 10:00pm, turning off bluetooth, data, lowering volume & screen brightness, etc. etc.
when I get to work the next day we start all over again. (also note weekdays, as in you could do something different on the weekends)
I hope this helps you -- I think once you get the hang of it this is a truly awesome app. I'll be happy to answer any specific questions you have if I can. Good Luck!
Thanks for the assistance mate.
I think I've got the hang of it now after your posts and looking at the manual (I should have learned by now!). There's a few bits I'm not 100% certain about but it's mainly doing what I want and looks promising.
The phone is guzzling battery power since I installed it but I think I have found why. I have found that the wifi logo is visible all the time but red instead of blue, and previously this was not the case. I notice in the settings it describes toggling 'wireless lan' on or off but not perhaps in the same way as going into comm manager and selecting Wifi on or off. Not sure how I can get round but I need to make it turn off properly as it's burning my battery like the clappers!!
I like it though apart from teething problems!
I wanted to start a thread that focused on automation idea's and how to execute them and NOT about troubleshooting apps or why you can't get any NFC tags to format etc...
There is already a thread dedicated to that here :
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1359057
So assuming there is a demand, please discuss any automation like:
-What you have done with your NFC tags
-What have you done with the app Tasker, NFC Task Launcher or any other automation app/scripts.
-Dream Idea's, like I want to have my house make a pizza and have it ready when I get home, but I don't know how to do that. anyone?
I'll try to keep a Table of Contents and link directly to useful idea's as we go.
Some useful links so far:
Tasker Guide thread by skulk3r
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=890596
NFC Task Launcher info by krohnjw:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=980741
Reserved...
Nice thread! I use these every day!
NFC Task Launcher:
1) Tag on my laptops - Enable WiFi HotSpot, Set password and SSID, Disable Bluetooth if on, disable sync.
2) By my Door - I use a Home and Away Profile.
Away is triggered first and Disables WiFi, Enables 3G/4G, Enables Vibrate mode.
Home is triggered on second tap - Enables WiFi, Connects to my SSID, Disables 3/4G, Full Volume, Enable Sync if it was off, Launch gmail app to pull e-mails.
3) A small tag on my BT Headset - Enable BT and Connect to the headset. (When the headset is connected Tasker launches Rdio). Second tap disable BT and Tasker closes Rdio if open still.
Tasker:
1) If I am Near Cell ID by my house or friends house enable WiFi.
2) If SSID is near connect, if not disable WiFi.
3) Maps opens enable GPS, disable when closed.
4) When BT Headset connects open Rdio set media volume to 7
5) When wired headset is plugged in open Rdio set media to 11. (for the car XD)
6) When charging is pluged in set brightness to full, Max Ring volume, Enable WiFi if it's off, Enable Sync, Launch E-Mail for refresh.
7) When charged Vibrate for 30 Secs + Audio alert.
8) Proximity sensor Locks screen.
9) Long press search enable BT.
10) From 23:00 to 07:00 Dim screen to lowest setting, Vibrate mode, launch clock.
I can export them if anyone wants to use them!
Nice job! You should export those and attach them here anyway. Even if someone doesn't need exactly what you have done the profiles could be a really good learning tool. Really nice job on some of those.
I am trying to have interactions with specific programs using tasker without much luck. What I would love to do is turn my TV on and go to my DVR using the Google TV app when I place my phone on the coffee table with a nfc sticker.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA App
Ive got a 'beacon for android' coming in the mail. when it gets here im hoping to hide a nfc card in the arm rest of my couch so when i put the phone down it will turn on the tv and will launch to the universal remote part of the dijit program.
Im thinkin all that might take some work tho. Also i would love to be using iRule/GC-100-12 or the logitech revue/harmony but cant afford to set those systems up.
I also have another NFC card on my desk so when i put my phone down it starts my computer (Using NFC launcher and tasker).
One idea i would love your opinons on is, can tasker determing if a microusb plugged in is a charger or computer or MHL/HDMI connection? i would love for my gallary or emulation to pop up when i plug it into a tv
unknownkwita said:
Ive got a 'beacon for android' coming in the mail. when it gets here im hoping to hide a nfc card in the arm rest of my couch so when i put the phone down it will turn on the tv and will launch to the universal remote part of the dijit program.
Im thinkin all that might take some work tho. Also i would love to be using iRule/GC-100-12 or the logitech revue/harmony but cant afford to set those systems up.
I also have another NFC card on my desk so when i put my phone down it starts my computer (Using NFC launcher and tasker).
One idea i would love your opinons on is, can tasker determing if a microusb plugged in is a charger or computer or MHL/HDMI connection? i would love for my gallary or emulation to pop up when i plug it into a tv
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wait... are these possible?
I would love a 'Morning TV' tag:
Launch Google TV app
Turn on TV
Turn on Speakers
Change to channel 70 (ESPN)
Open __ url
I'd pay someone to make that for me.. and many others.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
itsjusttim said:
Wait... are these possible?
I would love a 'Morning TV' tag:
Launch Google TV app
Turn on TV
Turn on Speakers
Change to channel 70 (ESPN)
Open __ url
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
its entirely possible, just takes alot of apps and hardware.
1. NFC Card launches the particular activity in the universal remote app (dijit/irule/harmony/etc) this may require tasker.
2.Remote app performs its functions.
2.1.connects via BT/WIFI to a controller (these can emit IR/RF/rs232/TCP)
2.2.the controller sends out all the commands to all the devices, alot of this will need to be programmed in your remote app
3. NFC launcher/tasker then launches the app activity that shows you the remote.
There is alot of stuff to get your head around in controlling a home theater because there are so many differant ways of doing the same thing. How you make all this work will depend on your current system and how much your willing to spend.
For example some tv's come with HDMI-CEC (look it up on wiki), this feature allows the tv to turn on the av receiver over the hdmi cable and swap it to the correct input when you change sources.
when it comes down to it the android app is the easiest part of the system to set up, even if its the most featureless.
Well the Google TV app acts as a remote. Is there a way to record touch actions on top of opening apps? If so it should be easy as its just a few buttons to turn on everything and get to the right channel, would just be amazing if it can all be automated.
- GSM Galaxy Nexus
x942 said:
Nice thread! I use these every day!
NFC Task Launcher:
1) Tag on my laptops - Enable WiFi HotSpot, Set password and SSID, Disable Bluetooth if on, disable sync.
2) By my Door - I use a Home and Away Profile.
Away is triggered first and Disables WiFi, Enables 3G/4G, Enables Vibrate mode.
Home is triggered on second tap - Enables WiFi, Connects to my SSID, Disables 3/4G, Full Volume, Enable Sync if it was off, Launch gmail app to pull e-mails.
3) A small tag on my BT Headset - Enable BT and Connect to the headset. (When the headset is connected Tasker launches Rdio). Second tap disable BT and Tasker closes Rdio if open still.
Tasker:
1) If I am Near Cell ID by my house or friends house enable WiFi.
2) If SSID is near connect, if not disable WiFi.
3) Maps opens enable GPS, disable when closed.
4) When BT Headset connects open Rdio set media volume to 7
5) When wired headset is plugged in open Rdio set media to 11. (for the car XD)
6) When charging is pluged in set brightness to full, Max Ring volume, Enable WiFi if it's off, Enable Sync, Launch E-Mail for refresh.
7) When charged Vibrate for 30 Secs + Audio alert.
8) Proximity sensor Locks screen.
9) Long press search enable BT.
10) From 23:00 to 07:00 Dim screen to lowest setting, Vibrate mode, launch clock.
I can export them if anyone wants to use them!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, I personally would love to use about 2/3 of those commands. Can you export those for the rest of us?
itsjusttim said:
Well the Google TV app acts as a remote. Is there a way to record touch actions on top of opening apps? If so it should be easy as its just a few buttons to turn on everything and get to the right channel, would just be amazing if it can all be automated.
- GSM Galaxy Nexus
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So far I haven't found a way. It would be awesome for more than just google tv. If tasker, or another 'macro' type program could be set to record touches on the screen based on location coordinates or something. Like a mouse macro program on a pc. That would allow all sorts of things. For example all of this would be reality with this one hurdle:
1) When I approach my home using tasker, open my ADT app and disable the alarm in my house
2) Open my garage door with HTN app.
3) Turn the lights on with the HTN app.
4) Walk inside, and using a NFC sticker, trigger a welcome home message from my denon reciever app (hooked up to speakers throughout the house) and start some jazz music. Of course set my phone profile correctly, and maybe turn the google tv on and navigate to the cheesy firplace app.
All of this is easy, with one macro app that is the missing link.
There are apps out there that use your cell tower to turn your wifi on/off when you enter/leave your home/cell tower. you'd be surprised how accurate it is and how it doesn't drain your battery. They do other things like control gps/bluetooth/etc.
and their free and dont require purchase of tags. You could easily do this exact thread with just the app below.
They might not be able to turn your tv on, but for quality automation, you should check em out.
For one I highly recommend, try Llama in the market. Free too!
https://market.android.com/details?...t#?t=W251bGwsMSwxLDEsImNvbS5rZWJhYi5MbGFtYSJd
btw, I am not affiliated with llama in any way. Just love this app and many of your comments reflect that you would love this.
igl007 said:
So far I haven't found a way. It would be awesome for more than just google tv. If tasker, or another 'macro' type program could be set to record touches on the screen based on location coordinates or something. Like a mouse macro program on a pc. That would allow all sorts of things. For example all of this would be reality with this one hurdle:
1) When I approach my home using tasker, open my ADT app and disable the alarm in my house
2) Open my garage door with HTN app.
3) Turn the lights on with the HTN app.
4) Walk inside, and using a NFC sticker, trigger a welcome home message from my denon reciever app (hooked up to speakers throughout the house) and start some jazz music. Of course set my phone profile correctly, and maybe turn the google tv on and navigate to the cheesy firplace app.
All of this is easy, with one macro app that is the missing link.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes! Now we just need someone smart who can create this for us. Honestly if someone made this, the possibilities of NFC would be endless.
.
kegman913 said:
There are apps out there that use your cell tower to turn your wifi on/off when you enter/leave your home/cell tower. you'd be surprised how accurate it is and how it doesn't drain your battery. They do other things like control gps/bluetooth/etc.
and their free and dont require purchase of tags. You could easily do this exact thread with just the app below.
They might not be able to turn your tv on, but for quality automation, you should check em out.
For one I highly recommend, try Llama in the market. Free too!
https://market.android.com/details?...t#?t=W251bGwsMSwxLDEsImNvbS5rZWJhYi5MbGFtYSJd
btw, I am not affiliated with llama in any way. Just love this app and many of your comments reflect that you would love this.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
We don't really need location profiles as we can just use an nfc tag to set any automation we want... right?
- GSM Galaxy Nexus
itsjusttim said:
Yes! Now we just need someone smart who can create this for us. Honestly if someone made this, the possibilities of NFC would be endless.
.
We don't really need location profiles as we can just use an nfc tag to set any automation we want... right?
- GSM Galaxy Nexus
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well we still need them a little. For example, I go to the same grocery store each week. So I like to have it that when I arrive, it connects to their wifi and launches the Grocery IQ app. Then it sends a text message to my wife saying "I just arrived at Wegmans, if there is any last minute items to get add it to Grocery IQ now."
alicious said:
Yes, I personally would love to use about 2/3 of those commands. Can you export those for the rest of us?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Will do! I have to recreate them (my HTC Amaze had them and I forgot to export before doing a reset). I should have them up tonight!
x942 said:
Will do! I have to recreate them (my HTC Amaze had them and I forgot to export before doing a reset). I should have them up tonight!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks. I'll keep a look out for them
X942 - you didn't forget about us did you?
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
I used to use Locale, until it just ate up too much juice on my phone. One nice thing I could do with it is change my Google Voice settings based on my location. I had it set to disable my desk phone if I wasn't at work, and to enable it when I arrived at the office. Can you do something like this via NFC? IIRC Tasker is compatible with Locale plugins, so I could just use that.
kimboinatl said:
I used to use Locale, until it just ate up too much juice on my phone. One nice thing I could do with it is change my Google Voice settings based on my location. I had it set to disable my desk phone if I wasn't at work, and to enable it when I arrived at the office. Can you do something like this via NFC? IIRC Tasker is compatible with Locale plugins, so I could just use that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I totally agree with you about locale
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
x942 said:
3) Maps opens enable GPS, disable when closed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How did you get it to allow Tasker to control GPS? It tells me this functionality is not allowed on my Nexus...I am trying to enable it in Actions -> Misc -> *GPS
Do you on a ROM that has disabled the restriction that does not allow access to GPS?
**** UPDATE ****
Ok, did some more searching and found this...
http://www.reddit.com/r/tasker/comments/nk6m2/use_secure_settings_to_enable_gps_and_other_fun/
NFC Task Launcher
EDIT: My Questions were answered on a different board.
On my BlackBerry, I could tell the thing to turn off/on the attenna at certain times. This allowed me to disable notifications at night and resume them when I got up.
If there isn't one, is there one for sound? Sometimes I forget to turn it off and woken up multiple times due to incoming messages at night.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk
gksmith said:
On my BlackBerry, I could tell the thing to turn off/on the attenna at certain times. This allowed me to disable notifications at night and resume them when I got up.
If there isn't one, is there one for sound? Sometimes I forget to turn it off and woken up multiple times due to incoming messages at night.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you have some tech/application savvy, then get Tasker in the Marketplace for a couple bucks. It's like a custom feature development program; basically it lets you establish 'profiles' i.e., conditions under which certain 'tasks' are triggered, then the tasks themselves.
So for example, you would create a profile called 'Sleepy Time'; you could set that profile to activate when you hit a toggle switch, or you can even set it to turn on at a pre-specified hour. Hell, you can even set it to turn on at a pre-specified hour unless you have an active data session running.
The possibilities are somewhat limitless, but that's why I recommend it for more savvy users, because you have to 'build' the profiles and tasks manually (it's not very difficult, but it's not like your one-and-done single-purpose apps). Also, some folks post their purpose-specific pre-built profiles on the developers wiki for others to use.
Same goes for sound. You can have it disable all sounds except your alarm clock starting at a certain hour, you can even program it to disable all sounds unless you receive a call from, e.g., your wife/girlfriend/mistress.
Other than that, Juice Defender (also marketplace app), also has customized profiles for night, etc. and is much easier to configure (though you are more limited on WHAT you can configure). You need the Ultimate (paid) version for access to the most granular optimizations (e.g., disable all data synchronization between 1:30AM and 6:30 AM unless the screen is on, auto-disable my wi-fi when I'm not home, etc.).
As a recovering Blackberry user, I can empathize with some of your withdrawal symptoms. If you do end up with Tasker, PM me and and I will send you a copy of the profiles/tasks I built to replicate the Blackberry 'Sound Profiles' feature using a one-touch widget.
Juice defender, a couple bucks on the market saves your sleep. A few profiles and your set plus good training to get you started for the future. The extra battery life is just sauce for the goose
So I want to use the tectile in my car. The setting is simple, I want to tap the tectile and my N2 will change into the drive/car mode.Also I want it to go back to normal mode when I get out of the car, do I need to set up another tectile for that?
The tectiles don't have a switch mode or toggle mode? I know nfc task launcher can make switches & toggles but I'm not sure of the tectiles app
So I'm using NFC Task Launcher and I set it to Drive Mode. And it works. But I noticed the settings will remain the same even when I tap it again. So in other words, I would need 2 tectiles, one to get it to drive mode and another one to get back to normal mode? That would be stupid and a waste.
When you select drive mode, does it give you the option to turn it on, off or toggle?
Edit: I see it does give you the option to toggle it. Select that option when writing to the tag. Should do the trick
im pretty sure you would have to make it 2 separate tiles because 1 tile changes what you want changed and every time you touch that tile, it'll do that until you change it yourself or use a different tile. your phone doesn't stay connected to the tectile, it just reads the comand and executes
eurohomie said:
im pretty sure you would have to make it 2 separate tiles because 1 tile changes what you want changed and every time you touch that tile, it'll do that until you change it yourself or use a different tile. your phone doesn't stay connected to the tectile, it just reads the comand and executes
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah. I figured it out by playing with it. I guess it's a way for them to make more money.
safeplayer22 said:
So I'm using NFC Task Launcher and I set it to Drive Mode. And it works. But I noticed the settings will remain the same even when I tap it again. So in other words, I would need 2 tectiles, one to get it to drive mode and another one to get back to normal mode? That would be stupid and a waste.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you are using the current version of NFC Task Launcher, you hit the plus to add a new tag.
Select New Tag.
Add Enable Car Dock {Driving Mode?}
Swipe the screen to the left to create a Switch Tag and hit the Add a Task button.
Add the Disable Car Dock. {Driving Mode?}
Save and write.
Now the first time you do it, it will enable and the second time it will disable it.
I just created one to do just that.
If you have trouble, I can do screenshots in more detail.
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using Tapatalk HD
pbelcomp said:
If you are using the current version of NFC Task Launcher, you hit the plus to add a new tag.
Select New Tag.
Add Enable Car Dock
Swipe the screen to the left to create a Switch Tag and hit the Add a Task button.
Add the Disable Car Dock.
Save and write.
Now the first time you do it, it will enable and the second time it will disable it.
I just created one to do just that.
If you have trouble, I can do screenshots in more detail.
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using Tapatalk HD
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's pretty much what I did. I've written 3 tags so far. One for home, one for car, and one for office.
The one for home turns off gps, turns on wifi, sets sound profile to normal, loudest ring tone, enables auto-sync, and sets the brightness down to 20%. It also disables the lockscreen because frankly I don't need the lockscreen around the house.
The one in the car turns off wifi, turns on BT, turns on GPS, disables auto-sync, turns brightness up to 80%, sound profile normal, loudest ring volume.
And the one in the office turns off wifi, turns off BT, turns off GPS, disables auto-sync, brightness to 20%, sound profile vibrate.
This thing is just super fun. I have to think of more places I can put these tags on. I'm thinking of putting one in the bathroom to automatically turn on npr in the morning.
With NFC Task Launcher, there is "two tasks" so you can set 2 tasks with one tag. It's exactly what I wanted!
So I just set one for the office where: 1st Task: Ringtone and Notification goes to vibrate only. 2nd Task: Ringtone & Notification goes to level 5. So when I get into the office, I would tap it once and it will go into office mode, then when I leave the office, I tap it again and it will go into the "2nd Task"!
Also found out that you cannot use NFC while the screen is off! That's stupid. So I searched and found this but reading it tells me that it does not work for the N2.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1709586
Edit: ok found this thread and it might work with screen off:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1999569
Hey everyone! I just got an XZ1C myself a few days ago, and I'd like to share a few of the little quality of life changes I personally use to make the everyday experience with this phone more to how I like it. I figured maybe everyone could contribute a few ideas here and there to help other users deal with things they might be frustrated with, but not know a solution for.
A couple of notes - I gave up the root life a while ago, so all of these solutions are non-root! Also, some of these apps are paid apps (though they might have lite or free versions). Sorry! But as a software developer myself, I have the obligation to pay it forward when I find a nice app.
So here goes!
Making the volume keys default to Media Volume:
Having owned a Samsung phone before, this is one of the things I miss most in almost any other Android phone. But, as they say, there's an app for that! There's a very simple app called Media Volume Only (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=catchpower.gogo.mediavolumeonly&hl=en), which binds your volume keys to Media by default. It asks for Call permissions to see if you're in a call, where it will then bind the volume keys to call volume. Otherwise, it will always be Media, which is great!
However, that means there isn't a super easy way to changing your ring volume, unless you first press the volume key to bring up the sliders and hitting the down arrow to show the rest of the sliders....which brought me to:
Re-adding the missing Ring/Vibrate Mode switch to quick switches:
I am using Central Europe .374 + US oem file to get Fingerprint+VoLTE on T-mobile; I'm not sure if it's because of the CE1 region or whatever else, but I couldn't find any button in the quick settings that would just toggle the phone to ring mode, vibrate mode or silent.
To remedy this, I use Shortcutter (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.leedroid.shortcutter&hl=en). This allows you to enable a ton of different switches in the quick settings dropdown, though some of them may not work properly without root and only with other phones. After installing Shortcutter, swipe over to the "Pull-Down" tab, then hit "System Setting Tiles". In this list, scroll down and you'll find "Ring Mode". Turning this switch on will put the Ring Mode icon into the box of icons you can edit your quick settings with. Finally, pull down your quick settings, click the pencil icon to modify the quick settings and scroll down to find Ring Mode.
This way, it's easy to switch the phone to silent before going into a movie, or a meeting at work.
Fixing the crazy stock backlight control:
The stock backlight is a little crazy right now. It jumps around when the room is dark and it does not transition smoothly. A great app for controlling backlight is Lux (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.vito.lux&hl=en). It even allows you to keep different profiles and define exactly how bright you want the screen to be in any lighting situation, and it will keep a map of your selections for you! You can control all sorts of variables, like how quickly it will transition, if it should only transition given what % of lighting change, so on and so forth. It's really very powerful and useful. I haven't had any trouble with the XZ1C display since installing Lux, which I've used on previous phones as well. Highly recommend this one! There's a free version called Lux Lite (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.vitocassisi.luxlite&hl=en), but I've never tried it so YMMV.
Alternative for No Double Tap to Wake (or not having Ambient Display):
This is another one I have almost always used on phones that aren't Nexii/Pixel or Motorola. Gravity Screen (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.plexnor.gravityscreenofffree&hl=en) gives you a ton of different ways to automatically wake up the phone to the lockscreen. I find that using ONLY the Proximity Sensor setting to turn ON the screen (and turning everything else off) has negligible effect on the battery, and maintains extreme usefulness. With just that setting, when my phone is on the desk I can poke the phone where the proximity sensor is (as if I one-tap it) and it will wake up. If I take the phone out of my pocket, the phone turns on and is already waiting for me by the time I look at it. Super convenient!
UPDATE: Another user (quack3d) mentioned the app WaveUp(https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.jarsilio.android.waveup) which does exactly how I have Gravity Screen set up. If you want just that, this seems to be a great and simpler alternative! Thanks!
If you want more options, it has all sorts of other things like turn on by motion, etc. etc....I personally don't use those though, so I can't vouch for how well they work.
Double Tap to Sleep
I'm pretty sure you have to pay for this one, but Nova Launcher Prime (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.teslacoilsw.launcher.prime&hl=en) is an incredible launcher, and it allows you to specify custom gestures on the desktop. The gestures can trigger all sorts of things, one of which is Screen Lock. If you select the Time-Out method of locking the screen, it will work with fingerprint unlocking.
Custom Auto-Rotation Switching:
Normally, I don't like auto-rotation. I use my phone a lot in bed (lying sideways), but I still want to use it in portrait. So, I prefer to have my phone default to NO auto-rotation. That being said, it's annoying when you pull up a funny gif or the photo album or youtube and you want to just flip your phone over to watch a video. Sure, you can drag down the quicksettings and flip that switch, but there's a better way! That's where Automate (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.llamalab.automate&hl=en) comes in! Automate allows you to program your phone to do just about anything (especially if you have root) based on custom triggers.
In Automate, if first select "More flows..." and search for a script called "Auto Enable Rotation" by the author Anthony Beaumont. Once you download this script and run it, it will present you with 2 options, either to "start" the script service, or to "modify" the list of apps. You'll want to "modify" the list of apps and start a new one. To this, you can add apps such as Album, Youtube, Twitch and whatever else you want to watch in landscape mode. Finally, once that's done, stop the script and start it again, but this time select "start". (You can also select in the 3 dot menu to have this script run at start-up. Highly recommended!) Now, when you open Album/Youtube/Twitch etc. the phone should automatically flip to auto-rotation.
Enter all your app and website passwords automatically with fingerprint:
For better or for worse, I keep all of my online passwords saved in Lastpass. It turns out that once you have an account and saved passwords, Lastpass has an incredible app (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.lastpass.lpandroid&hl=en) that can pop up over Chrome and just about any other app on your phone that can fill in the username/password fields for you using your fingerprint! It doesn't work for all the different browsers out there (I just use Chrome), and there may have been a pay wall for the in-app password filling, I forgot (sorry!). That said, it's super convenient to head to any site and just tap the fingerprint to log in.
Additionally, if you're a Lastpass user already, they also have a Lastpass Authenticator (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.lastpass.authenticator&hl=en) that works in place of the Google Authenticator (you can add Google Authenticator 2factor sites to the LastPass one), which is IMHO superior because the keys are linked to your account rather than to the physical phone. Also, if you have LP Authenticator + the Chrome addon on your PC/Mac, on some sites you don't even have to enter the Authenticator number, you can just press "approve" on your phone to get into the website on your PC. Awesome!
Send links from your PC to phone or phone to PC
Ever read something on your PC and wish you could link it to your phone super quickly and not have to go through emailing it to yourself? I use Pushbullet (Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.pushbullet.android&hl=en PC: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/pushbullet/chlffgpmiacpedhhbkiomidkjlcfhogd?hl=en), which allows you to directly link webpages from PC to phone and vice versa. Additionally, if you give it the permissions, it can hook up your phone's notifications to your Windows notifications (not sure about mac), including allowing you to read and send SMS from your PC. I believe it also has file transfer capabilities, but I don't use it.
I think that's it for now...I'll add more when I think of them. These are just a few of the mods I run which makes using the phone more effortless and enjoyable; please, feel free to add more and I'll add them to the list if there's something you want to share! Hope this helps someone out there!:highfive:
maidguitar said:
Re-adding the missing Ring/Vibrate Mode switch to quick switches:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Alternative implementation that I use: Add a toggle on the home screen to quickly switch between Ring/Vibrate/Silent modes
First install Media-Mute [free & ad-free]. What this app does is automatically mute the media volume whenever the ringer volume is also muted, which applies to both Vibrate mode and Silent mode.
For some reason, since Android 4.x Google has decided that Silent mode should only apply to the ringer, instead of silencing everything that can make sounds out of the speaker. Media-Mute fixes that.
Next, install Silent Mode Toggle [free & ad-free], then add the widget on the home screen. Switching modes is now super easy, just tap on the toggle.
What I really appreciate about this app is that it allows customization to the toggle order. For example, I never use the vibrate mode, so I can set it to toggle between Ringer > Silent only.
As a bonus, it also lets you use your own custom icons for the toggle, super cool and makes it possible to perfectly complement your home screen layout.
Hide the annoying "running in the background" notification that comes with Android 8.0
With Android 8.0 Oreo, Google thought it would be a great idea to permanently remind you of any background processing currently running in the form of an impossible to dismiss notification.
While the intention was well meaning, the execution leaves a lot to be desired.
Thankfully, there's an app for that! Just install this cleverly named app Hide "running in the background" Notification [free & ad-free], problem solved!
Vibrate phone when call connects, ends
Yet another app to the rescue! VibCall [free & ad-free] brings this useful feature found on some OEM phones to any compatible Android device.
Basically, your phone will vibrate once to let you know that a call has connected, and twice when a call has ended. It's something that once you've used, you wonder why it's not baked into the Android system as a default option.
Add a fingerprint (Smart Lock) compatible screen lock toggle on the home screen
So Sony has unilaterally decided to remove double tap to sleep feature with no sign of bring it back. But I still want to turn off the screen and lock the device by tapping on the screen instead of waiting for the system to hibernate or hitting the power button.
The OP listed a paid solution which brings back double tap to sleep, but for those looking for a free alternative, this is the solution I'm currently using - Smart Screen Lock Pro [free & ad-free].
It's not a double tap anywhere convenience, but a toggle that is better than nothing, and most importantly it's compatible with fingerprint unlock. I've tried numerous screen off apps in the Play store, and this is the only one that I was satisfied with.
IMPORTANT: Take the time to carefully read and follow setup instructions, it's necessary for it to work properly due to OS restrictions. Once it's setup correctly, simply add a shortcut on the home screen and tap it to lock.
It's worth mentioning that it's not a true "instant" screen off and lock, but without root this is probably the best solution we'll get.
Non-root ad blocking
Ads are a necessary evil for the current economics of the Internet, but aside from the annoyance factor, they eat up precious mobile data, plus there's also very real security risks with ad networks, potentially hogging your phone's resources and draining the battery.
Whatever the argument, if you do decide to block ads, there are quite a lot of ad blockers to choose from.
Personally, I use dns66 [free & ad-free]. In my experience, it's very lightweight, and I haven't seen any ads in my browser or apps.
It does have its quirks though, sometimes downloads fail, such as OTA update or file in browser, for one reason or another (the author says it's a bug with the Android OS itself, see linked post).
But it's easy to workaround, just temporarily disable dns66 by tapping pause on the notification, and download again. After download has completed, tap the notification again to resume.
By the way, this is also the main reason I installed the hide background notification app.