Enabling ICS virtual softkeys bar - HTC One X

Hello. Physical soft buttons (back, home, multitasking) on my HOX are not working anymore, I am sure it's a hardware problem but now I really cannot send it back to HTC as it will take forever, so I think I will fix it myself (at least try) as soon as spare parts start being sold and after I see some disassembly tutorials on the internet.
But with no physical buttons the phone is really hard to use, so I decided to unlock and root to be able to use button savior. However I am not completely satisfied with it as the multitasking button for button savior simply won't work and other buttons are a bit laggy.
So I ask... is there a way to enable the ICS native softkey bar while keeping sense 4.0?
Alternatively, do you know other apps such as button savior but with the multitasking button working properly on ICS?
Thanks!

if i remember correct, we must edit some code in framework-res.apk
framework-res.apk\res\values\bools.xml
Code:
<bool name="config_showNavigationBar">true</bool>
some tweak info from HD2 here http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=20604062&postcount=2

thanks. Never really done any modding before, I guess time has come to learn something new

I do not know where is the problem with one x
I just got new one but soft keys not work

Related

How do the hard touch buttons work on ICS?

By that I mean, the E4GT has the four Gingerbread-based buttons always on the bottom--settings, home, back, and search. ICS only has three, IIRC, as the home and back got merged or something. And the icons changed.
My question is, what happens to the GB buttons on ICS roms, since the buttons themselves are stuck at the bottom of the phone? Do they retain their GB functionality or do they work like their ICS equivalents?
If Ice Cream Sandwich is installed on a device that makes use of physical navigation buttons, the on-screen navigation bar disappears and the hardware buttons are used. Long-pressing Home brings up multitasking, Menu brings up the options menu, etc.
(Copied from an ICS sticky in the GN forums)
No changes made on ICS. The same button works as same way as GB.
The behavior of the button has been changed a little but the same concept and same operation.
Depending on the launcher, it may work a little differently because the launcher actually control the buttons.
If any button does not work properly, please provide more details about it. We will check it out.
If you want the onscreen buttons, you will have to enable them by decompiling the framework.apk, then open /res/values/bools.xml, find "config_showNavigationBar" and set to true
It is set to false for all phones but the gnex

[Q] possible to remap hard keys?

Hi,
I use the menu key a whole lot more than multi task. How hard would it be to remap the multi task key to act like a menu key? Is it even possible?
Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk
If the apps is according to the new ICS look, Holo I think the theme is called, then the menu button is on the top right of the screen.
Seems to me it would be a hassle to press a button on the bottom right and then move youre finger to the top right to actually use the menu.
On apps not yet fitted for ICS I can understand what u mean, however this problem should hopefully be almost gone within not too long.
Would love to remap the useless.most recent programs button to act as a google search button, much like a long press on menu on my s2 does...
There are several threads about this. Here is one: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1480130
I just got my One X, so haven't tried anything myself.
But being able switch songs with the volume buttons while locked is what I'm looking for.
A must when you're outside in heavy rain or snow.

[Q] Okay, honesty please.

I picked up the ATT One X, I'm loving it. I'm not one of those folks that feel a need to root my phone, so that bootlock thing doesn't bother me. What does, however, is when I download a launcher, there's a little black bar that acts as a menu button. I can't seem to get rid of it.
Should I return the phone, wait for the S3, or is anyone aware of how to work around stuff like this?
A dev will need to copy the same procedure used on the Tegra version to remap the Recent Applications to a Menu key (and put the Recent Applications on a long press of the Home key). If there's no physical menu button, ICS requres that there be a legacy three dot menu.
On ICS phones without hardware buttons, that three dot menu shows up on the right of the Back/Home/Recent Apps software buttons and isn't so intrusive since that space is already "wasted".
And that will require root at the very least, but more likely a custom recovery, which will require an unlocked bootloader.
Showt3k said:
I picked up the ATT One X, I'm loving it. I'm not one of those folks that feel a need to root my phone, so that bootlock thing doesn't bother me. What does, however, is when I download a launcher, there's a little black bar that acts as a menu button. I can't seem to get rid of it.
Should I return the phone, wait for the S3, or is anyone aware of how to work around stuff like this?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Honestly? You are just looking for an excuse to switch phone.
All those launchers are not tweaked for ICS. I believe you are talking about the black bar at the bottom?
Sense is not that bad. But a lot of people will ask you to try APEX. This one works with ICS *without* the annoying black bar. And it's smooth though it still has some weird behaviours (to me) which may not affect you.
Showt3k said:
I picked up the ATT One X, I'm loving it. I'm not one of those folks that feel a need to root my phone, so that bootlock thing doesn't bother me. What does, however, is when I download a launcher, there's a little black bar that acts as a menu button. I can't seem to get rid of it.
Should I return the phone, wait for the S3, or is anyone aware of how to work around stuff like this?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you're talking about the three dot settings bar at the bottom, it appears in apps not fully updated for ICS. Samsung will have to handle the issue somehow, I don't think anyone's commented on their approach yet. ICS is still on 5% of Android devices so it might be a while before everything you use gets updated. The GN doesn't have hard buttons and uses a different approach to handling what's displayed and how.
BarryH_GEG said:
If you're talking about the three dot settings bar at the bottom, it appears in apps not fully updated for ICS. Samsung will have to handle the issue somehow, I don't think anyone's commented on their approach yet. ICS is still on 5% of Android devices so it might be a while before everything you use gets updated. The GN doesn't have hard buttons and uses a different approach to handling what's displayed and how.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Samsung handled the issue by including the same hardware key set up found on the S2, including a menu key. That is why nobody has commented on their approach! Will be a non issue on GS3 but will continue to plague HTC's new line up, which all sport the same capacitive buttons.
Regards.
lynxboy said:
Samsung handled the issue by including the same hardware key set up found on the S2, including a menu key. That is why nobody has commented on their approach! Will be a non issue on GS3 but will continue to plague HTC's new line up, which all sport the same capacitive buttons.
Regards.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So they replaced HTC's "recent apps" with a "menu" key that pops up settings? What does long pressing the h/w button do? I kind of like the recent apps button because the image is large enough to read without maximizing the app when you're trying to toggle for phone numbers and such. Samsung's solution's a waste once apps start behaving correctly unless it provides some other function too.
BarryH_GEG said:
So they replaced HTC's "recent apps" with a "menu" key that pops up settings? What does long pressing the h/w button do? I kind of like the recent apps button because the image is large enough to read without maximizing the app when you're trying to toggle for phone numbers and such. Samsung's solution's a waste once apps start behaving correctly unless it provides some other function too.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, they just maintained the same layout as the GS2, which means a menu button, a home button, plus a back button (in that order). They are not following the new ICS convention.
.
Closed, please read the forum rules and post in proper section

The massively annoying 3 dot menu at the bottom of everything...

This is the one thing that really annoys me about the One X!
Is it easy to fix and remove, will doing so (rooting) affect future OTA updates?
Any guides for it anywhere? Thanks in advance.
the problem is that remove it all together will make some apps unusable as sometimes you need the menu
I guess the best think would be to map the mutlitasking button to the Menu key instead, then remove the 3 dots
or make a floating 3 dot icon in the corner
somehow...
Me and another XDA member we talking about this yesterday. I'm wondering if it's because we have physical buttons vs the Gnex that has screen buttons. In addition, there is no physical "menu" button anymore (I'm coming from an Inspire 4G which had one) so they needed to put it somewhere for functionality. It also probably depends on the App. For example, Gapps like Google+ has the three dots in the top right corner of the screen with everything else. We'll just have to wait for app developers to adopt this idea since we don't have on screen buttons.
Dtguilds said:
This is the one thing that really annoys me about the One X!
Is it easy to fix and remove, will doing so (rooting) affect future OTA updates?
Any guides for it anywhere? Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think that it affects the OTA updates.When i wanted to update from 1.28 to 1.29 the 1.29 update kept stopping and i didn't know why.After i found an old 1.28 nandroid backup i've restored it and after that the 1.29 update worked.So i think that the OTA updates don't work if you have mods installed allready,so my advice is to make a nandroid backup of the stock rom without any mods on it in case the OTA doesn't work (like in my case).
I've used a fix found on these forums to remove the 3-dot menu and replace the "multitasking button" with a menu button. The phone has been a LOT more enjoyable for me now
Requires root though.
This has been discussed to death. You can modify it to disappear when a small arrow is clicked, you can kill it off and remap to the multitasking button with multitasking mapped to a long press. These require root and modification.
The menu button is indeed displayed because we have hard buttons, normally it would share the space with the back, home and recent apps.
The thing that worries me is that I'm not sure that app developers will make the change because on handsets without hard buttons (most of them) it doesn't seem out of place at all next to the back, home and recent apps buttons.
I have been talking to the writers of Dolphin browser about it and they do intend to integrate the menu function in to their UI. The best thing we can do is give apps low scores and reviews which mention the issue on our HOX's but even that may not get the devs to take it on.
It is a minor issue but an irritating one none the less. I actually wish we didn't have the hardware buttons, or, that we had a menu button, which clearly in NOT obsolete in ICS, that'd be a quick solution for everyone but we do, so we must hope the devs change their apps. I will root after a month or two if nothing is changing and remap to the recent apps button but that is the only temptation to root for me at the moment.
farnsbarns said:
I actually wish we didn't have the hardware buttons, or, that we had a menu button, which clearly in NOT obsolete in ICS, that'd be a quick solution for everyone but we do, so we must hope the devs change their apps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I couldn't agree more. I do prefer hardware buttons vs onscreen buttons but now I really see the pros to having on screen buttons and wish they became the norm for all ICS devices. More Fragmen... I can't bring myself to say it...
otakonx said:
Me and another XDA member we talking about this yesterday. I'm wondering if it's because we have physical buttons vs the Gnex that has screen buttons. In addition, there is no physical "menu" button anymore (I'm coming from an Inspire 4G which had one) so they needed to put it somewhere for functionality. It also probably depends on the App. For example, Gapps like Google+ has the three dots in the top right corner of the screen with everything else. We'll just have to wait for app developers to adopt this idea since we don't have on screen buttons.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In fact, we do have screen buttons. If you try and test your touchscreen (Developer Options in Settings), you can see that the lower part of the screen is also responsive to touch. Therefore, I assume I'd be possible to strap a small part of the lower bar with buttons, to a menu-button-function. You just can't see the button, but I'd be still there.
i don't mind the button at all....am i the only one?
yeah its annoying aswell.. although i do not want to root just yet.. only had HOX for a week.
So i take it, this affects off phone with hard buttons... and that the GSIII will be fine as they have a menu button instead of a back button? (if thats what i see in the screenshots)
So it really only the HTC ones that will look rubbish on.?
Dtguilds said:
This is the one thing that really annoys me about the One X!
Is it easy to fix and remove, will doing so (rooting) affect future OTA updates?
Any guides for it anywhere? Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes there is ! wait till the app you are using becomes ICS truly compatible...
Yeah, I really don't see HTC's thinking here.
You have to understand that it's part of the ICS design style to have the 3 dot menu somewhere in your app. Those apps that pull up the black bar on the bottom like that, aren't designed properly for ICS.
However, HTC decided to go with hard buttons rather than using a full action bar all the time, but they decided to leave out the menu button, so now you get the silly action bar with just the 3 dot menu button on apps that aren't properly designed to the ICS standard. In a perfect world, everyone would upgrade their apps and this wouldn't be an issue. In a realistic world, HTC made a design decision that's sure to be obnoxious for quite a while to come.
I agree though, the best thing to do is write your app developers and ask them to upgrade their app to fit the ICS style guide with the 3 dot menu in the app somewhere so this doesn't have to pop up. Other than that, you can do some mods to get rid of it, change functionality, or be able to hide it, but all of those could result in loss of some kind of functionality of the phone.
even if the Design guide for ICS is to use the 3 dots and no Menu button... it still make no big deal to have a Menu button key as most of the time you want to go in to the program options, so the button as a quick way to it.
the multitask button is useless.. its just so pointless to have and could easily have been a long press on another button.
and a few times i have seen Youtube have the 3 dots at the bottom, usually i think when its launched from a link in the browser.
any ho.. very annoying and once thing too look forward to when rooted (although not for a long time yet)
kazgor said:
even if the Design guide for ICS is to use the 3 dots and no Menu button... it still make no big deal to have a Menu button key as most of the time you want to go in to the program options, so the button as a quick way to it.
the multitask button is useless.. its just so pointless to have and could easily have been a long press on another button.
and a few times i have seen Youtube have the 3 dots at the bottom, usually i think when its launched from a link in the browser.
any ho.. very annoying and once thing too look forward to when rooted (although not for a long time yet)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree. I wish they'd just keep the 4 capacitive buttons. I don't want an action bar like on the GN, I definitely don't want an action bar JUST for the menu. If no one has done it by the time I get my phone, I may look into making the multitask button a menu button on click and multitask on long click. I think it's been replaced, but I don't think it's been replaced with a long press to still get to multitasking. I would like to keep that feature if at all possible since I've become to accustomed to it.
I wonder what will happen with all the 2.3 devices that get ICS later, will the also get the 3 dots + there hardware Menu button or no 3 dots?
kazgor said:
I wonder what will happen with all the 2.3 devices that get ICS later, will the also get the 3 dots + there hardware Menu button or no 3 dots?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think nearly all 2.3 devices have a hardware menu button, so they wouldn't get that.
I recommend that you root your phone, pick a custom rom and enjoy the HOX as it was meant to be.
Faster, smoother and no 3 dots.
The OTA updates are not an issue as all you need to do is revert to stock and flash an RUU to get the latest Radio and Hboot.
Then, reflash the custom rom again.
Voiding the HTC warranty is why I pay insurance.
Just my opinion
Just noticed this mod: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1582506
It does remap the recent apps, and to home which, honestly for me is a better spot since I'm used to Samsung devices that have the task manager mapped to home long press in pre-ICS versions and is the task switcher in ICS builds. Looks like the best solution to me. Didn't notice before that it did that. I'm still browsing around and seeing what you guys have done so far.
I don't know why people get their panties in a wad over this. The Galaxy Nexus has the same issue, only worse since that bottom bar is ALWAYS there. The SGS3 wont be the bees knees when in 6 months when its hardware menu button doesn't do anything in most apps.
Sent from my HTC One X using XDA
NO, the gal nex has a soft menu, so the 3 dots appears dynamically in the row of buttons and there is no extra screen taken up punching you in the face

Activate softkeys navigation on any stock rom

Hi, I found you can activate softkeys on any stock rom by modify the build.prop value below
- Need root and use BuildProp Editor to edit
- Searh for words: qemu.hw.mainkeys=1 and change 1 to 0 it activates the softkeys.
- Save the changed and Reboot, your hardware key will still working as well
- The softkeys function is same to the hardware keys you can long press for screenshot, turn on camera etc
I don't know how to turn off the hardware key yet, if anyone know you can share it.
You can disable the hardware button in Settings/Accessibility/Virtual Button Control.
Just thought I'd add a little tidbit to this topic that I found after a dropped my LePro3 and lost home and back hardware key function. With the app Handy Soft Keys I now have (as the name suggests) really handy software keys. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=ca.yesoft.handysoftkeys&hl=sv (There's an ad-free pro version available as well). No root required. I don't think it has the full functionality of the hardware buttons with long press, but I just needed the basic ones and if that's what someone else needs as well, well, it's there.
And by the way, if you don't want to go through settings etc hardware keys can be turned on/off easily by pressing power and volume up at at the same time.

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