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
Related
Looking at the softkeys, where is the Menu key? I see Home, Back, and the new Multitasking key, but no Menu. How can this be? The iOS method of integrating all menu options into the application UI is terrible, and what about apps made before ICS? Lack of a Menu key would make them unusable. I must be missing something here, but I can't see what it might be.
A virtual menu button appears in the form of 3 dots. It can be seen in this photo.
Tung_meister said:
A virtual menu button appears in the form of 3 dots. It can be seen in this photo.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nice catch. Was wondering about that.
Menu items are represented by the 3 vertical dots at the top right corner of apps.
The indication is that new apps should no longer hide their menus, but rather make them intuitive to access in the app's UI.
For legacy apps, we'll probably see a menu button of some type appear along with the 3 softkeys at the bottom.
On my Honeycomb tablet either a button is in the top right corner or another is added to the bottom when menu is needed... I'm guessing HC is a good example of what we'll be getting, and if so I look forward to it
Thanks so much for a useful thread. I was actually wondering about that myself. Glad to know its non-obtrusive and clean
Sent from my GT-I9100 using xda premium
You have lost the search button though. Not all apps will handle this well... I had to tweak an app I was writing because of this (luckily found fairly early during testing on Honeycomb).
Of course for most apps search isn't useful - probably why they removed the dedicated key.
TonyHoyle said:
You have lost the search button though. Not all apps will handle this well... I had to tweak an app I was writing because of this (luckily found fairly early during testing on Honeycomb).
Of course for most apps search isn't useful - probably why they removed the dedicated key.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The idea is if the app needs search in order to function properly, you just put the search button up in the menu bar, just like they're doing with settings buttons.
Otherwise, the google search button is at the top of every homescreen now.
martonikaj said:
The idea is if the app needs search in order to function properly, you just put the search button up in the menu bar, just like they're doing with settings buttons.
Otherwise, the google search button is at the top of every homescreen now.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The menu button happens automatically (technically, since 2.3 android has called onCreateOptionsMenu at activity startup so it knows you need it already).
There simply is no search button in Honeycomb/ICS - you have to stick it on the options menu, the action bar*.. somewhere the user can reach it. That needs code (not much.. respond to 'search' in the options menu by calling onSearchRequested()).. existing apps will simply lose that function if they run on ICS assuming a button exists.
We're not talking about a lot of apps here.. Not much point in a search function in 'Angry Birds' for example. Just something to bear in mind when developing a new app or trying to work out if your favourite app will work without issue on ICS.
Home screen search is totally different.. that searches the global search (emails, contacts, etc.). Different class of app entirely.
* The honeycomb search widgets are really flexible, but of course not available unless you break compatibility with <3.0.
TonyHoyle said:
You have lost the search button though. Not all apps will handle this well... I had to tweak an app I was writing because of this (luckily found fairly early during testing on Honeycomb).
Of course for most apps search isn't useful - probably why they removed the dedicated key.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There are already quite a few phones out there without a search button. My almost 2 years old X10 doesn't have a dedicated search button and i never missed it. The search function is bound to long-press menu at the x10. Given the fact that ICS has a dedicated task switcher button, they could bind the search to long-press home for example. Just an idea though
Sent from my X10i using XDA App
qwer23 said:
There are already quite a few phones out there without a search button. My almost 2 years old X10 doesn't have a dedicated search button and i never missed it. The search function is bound to long-press menu at the x10. Given the fact that ICS has a dedicated task switcher button, they could bind the search to long-press home for example.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hmm.. news to me - I've never seen an android phone without one. Lucky I was doing tablet compatibility testing then
There will probably also be custom roms that put it back (since a custom rom can do anything it likes with the buttons.. change their apparence, colour, hide them completely, make them dance up and down..).
TonyHoyle said:
Hmm.. news to me - I've never seen an android phone without one. Lucky I was doing tablet compatibility testing then
There will probably also be custom roms that put it back (since a custom rom can do anything it likes with the buttons.. change their apparence, colour, hide them completely, make them dance up and down..).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Galaxy series in general (SGS1, SGS2) do not have a dedicated search button. They have just the menu, home and back buttons. However search is bound as a long press to the menu button which I guess won't be possible anymore. Haven't really found search to be that vital (maybe because I don't want to long press the menu button just to bring it up when I can search in other ways)
Since it's purely software, I know for a fact someone will mod in a search key.
Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S3 using XDA Ultimate App
That would be pointless. When search is available, the search box will appear in the menu bar of the app.
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA App
I love everything about the One series, wish they'd used software buttons like ICS is supposed to have.
e.g. on most legacy apps, we'll now have a whole bar just to show the menu button. Thus you have a row for the menu button, and below it another for the capacitive ones. With soft-keys, they get combined and you have more screen space.
Plus software can modify the button bar to put other details and buttons, change orientation etc. Soft-keys are simply better.
ECrispy said:
I love everything about the One series, wish they'd used software buttons like ICS is supposed to have.
e.g. on most legacy apps, we'll now have a whole bar just to show the menu button. Thus you have a row for the menu button, and below it another for the capacitive ones. With soft-keys, they get combined and you have more screen space.
Plus software can modify the button bar to put other details and buttons, change orientation etc. Soft-keys are simply better.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Couldn't disagree more. Legacy apps will be updated over time; physical buttons don't need anywhere near as much power to backlight as an LCD display, and require essentially no processing power to operate. By placing the buttons on the screen, you're requiring an inefficient LCD backlight to light those buttons, wasting processing power on rendering the screen, and not to mention that since those on-screen buttons can't be disabled, you're permanently wasting valuable LCD real-estate (and hence forcing a non-standard screen aspect ratio, since LCD panels are an off-the-shelf part and aren't typically designed to add extra menu bar pixels to the standard aspect.)
This will in not too long provide a better aspect ratio and more on-screen real estate in well-coded apps, doesn't sacrifice any screen real estate over a screen that always has the menu bar because it lacks physical buttons, and it will measurably improve battery life over a display providing the same real estate for apps *plus* a full-time LCD menu bar.
It's a big win, as far as I'm concerned, that is largely misunderstood so far by people not thinking about the bigger picture.
Software buttons can be disabled for more screen real estate.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using xda premium
joshnichols189 said:
Software buttons can be disabled for more screen real estate.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They certainly can't in ICS on tablets, I must admit I haven't tried an ICS phone yet.
Of course they can be disabled, e.g in video playback they go away. And there are ICS api's developers can call to modify the buttons. There are custom rom's that features such as search button to the button bar, which isn't possible with hard buttons of course.
ECrispy said:
...e.g in video playback they go away...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Don't know about on a phone but on a tablet they don't go away they are just replaced with very small dot. So the bar is still there and you still lose the screen space.
I really like hardware buttons, I don't like the "menu" bar but as you said this is for legacy apps so the pressure should be put on the app developers to update their apps inline with ICS.
Like said prev, hardware buttons give more screen, correct aspect ratios, use less power, and in the long run the menu button will become redundant.
ECrispy said:
Of course they can be disabled, e.g in video playback they go away. And there are ICS api's developers can call to modify the buttons. There are custom rom's that features such as search button to the button bar, which isn't possible with hard buttons of course.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They certainly don't "go away" on ICS tablets. The bar is still there, the buttons are just replaced with less-distracting dots.
I love the physical touch buttons on the bottom, rather have them than touch screen ones anyday
Sent from my Desire HD using XDA
Google themselves have said that Android is moving in a direction where there should be no physical buttons. e.g. lets say Jellybean removes/adds a button, now some phones will need to be redesigned for it, just like they had to remove search & menu when moving to ICS. But a phone with software buttons doesn't need to change the hardware. It's more future proof.
I think this kind of change will take a while but eventually it will happen. There are still many people who prefer hw buttons and HTC wanted to accomodate them I guess.
I don't have an ICS tablet, I'd guess the reason is there is enough space on a tablet screen so they don't go away.
I prefer hardware buttons, BUT:
If using soft button means that the phone actually gets smaller,
i choose soft buttons.
ECrispy said:
But a phone with software buttons doesn't need to change the hardware. It's more future proof.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Frankly, future-proofing is meaningless for as long as Google requires that end users go through a carrier and/or a manufacturer to get updates, and in the process guarantees that almost all Android products will be abandoned by the wayside before they've even stopped being sold (and the few that get updates will get them late, if ever.)
I just don't understand why they had to abandon the menu button, it was perfect...
I don't understand why we need a multitask button when you could just keep home pressed for the same result.
I didn't use a GN so won't comment on the software buttons much, I think it could really work if they added options for it in default ics so people who don't use custom roms and such could deal with them as they wish.
as for the menu bar on htc one.. it will eventually have a option to hide it (a V arrow on the bar)
it did in a previous software version but I guess they forgot to add it in the final build
and if you wanted it back all you had to do is keep multitask button pressed
@OP: drop by GNexus forum, there's quite some guys not happy with the screen size they loose with softbuttons. There's even an option on AKOP ROM to disable softbar.
I'm quite happy with hard buttons on One X, I just find stupid the solution HTC found to replace the menu button.
Disabling the soft buttons on the Galaxy Nexus is a commonly requested feature because tons of app developers haven't yet updated their apps to hide them while in full screen, not because of some half-baked idea that the loss of that extra 84 pixels of height somehow detracts from the user experience. Furthermore, the loss of screen real estate doesn't mean anything when 99% of the current apps are configured for the old 5:3 aspect ratio. Lots of old games look funky when you disable the soft buttons, because all the OS does is stretch it to fit.
Soft buttons are better because nobody can make up their minds on the design of the UI, so you might as well just leave it open to customization. Don't blame Google, blame the app developers.
HTC listened...
Maybe HTC listened to the majority of the HTC users and followed through with hardware buttons or maybe it is an HTC thing to keep hardware buttons as to Apple with their Home button.
I just want my search button back... that was perhaps the one (and only )good addition the US carriers made to their devices. IMO.
I can't find the article but an HTC executive was quoted as saying it's necessary to support Sense.
I'm happy they did it. The buttons on the galaxy nexus look like crap, the black isn't black enough to use it for passive buttons.
H-Cim said:
I'm happy they did it. The buttons on the galaxy nexus look like crap, the black isn't black enough to use it for passive buttons.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The.majority of GN roms alow you to change both the brightness and colour of the on-screen buttons so that isn't an issue for most people. I actually prefer them, particularly as you can add or change the configuration of the buttons easily.
Sent from my HTC One X using Tapatalk 2
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
I just had to uninstall this update.
Not only was the grey swipe lines ugly/bland, but long pressing the period key has none of my fav keys I use very often.
Eg.
/
(
)
+
Etc...
LOL
isajoo said:
I just had to uninstall this update.
Not only was the grey swipe lines ugly/bland, but long pressing the period key has none of my fav keys I use very often.
Eg.
/
(
)
+
Etc...
LOL
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes I find it irritating for the same reasons. What did you have to uninstall to get the old one back?
Personally I don't use those keys that much and prefer the new way, but FYI, you can reach these in a relatively simple way by swiping from the 123 key(the one that takes you to the additional characters) and to the appropriate key. When you release your finger it will insert the selected character and take you back to the main screen with letters.
This way it is actually just as simple as if they were on the punctuation key.
retro83: If the google keyboard was installed from the factory(on the system partition), you can go to settings and apps, and choose uninstall update for that app. That way you will return to the version that came with the latest os update.
If it isn't on the system partition, you will have to find the old apk somewhere, but I'm sure that is doable as well.
retro83 said:
Yes I find it irritating for the same reasons. What did you have to uninstall to get the old one back?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you!
Just tried the swiping directly from the "?123" button and that really helps out a lot, I can live without the blue swipe line.
LOL
Guess I just got sooo use to the period button shortcut options and didn't really see the point of removing those extra choices.
Guess Google knows best, just wished they'd told users about the tip you gave.
mortenmhp said:
you can reach these in a relatively simple way by swiping from the 123 key(the one that takes you to the additional characters) and to the appropriate key. When you release your finger it will insert the selected character and take you back to the main screen with letters.
This way it is actually just as simple as if they were on the punctuation key.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for this! The key doesn't even have the "..." on it, so I had no idea and I've been cursing the new keyboard for exactly the same reason. I don't really see how the long-press keys hurt anything in the old keyboard, but knowing this makes it a lot better and I can get used to this.
Well, looks like Google listened to all the poor reviews and the new/latest update adds back all those hold period button short cuts, really helps out left handed Swiper's.
LOL
So, I want my menu button to open up menus again, and not the "overflow" menu. What are my options? Do I have to re-install 10.2 and the 0813 gapps and prevent any of the google apps from updating by backing up their apks and resigning them with ZipSigner? Will the unofficially signed apps even work properly anymore? Is there any way to map the menu button to the "navigation drawer" / "hamburger button?" I've tried searching but haven't found any help.
The first time I tried to hit the button one handed was also the first time I really dropped my S3 (small hands). It finally put a crack in my bezel. I was so proud of that bezel! I know that I can swipe from the bezel to the right to open up the "navigation drawer," but I can only get this to work about a third of the time, and only in Google's own apps. Might as well be the charm bar in Win 8. None of the third party apps I use seem to incorporate this swiping feature either, which is why I'd rather enable the overflow three dot display, and remap the menu button. None of the options in the buttons menu in CM are anything I'd use. I just don't get it. They want to get rid of the menu button because devs hide everything there, but to facilitate it they hide everything off screen in a drawer that I have to use two hands to open?
I wish Google didn't dictate that the Action Bar and on-screen navigation controls are the way "things must be." Especially with no consideration to those of us on legacy devices. I rather like having buttons on the bottom of the phone that don't take up screen real estate. I'd like it even more if the buttons were physical like they were on my Evo 4G, and not capacitive. I even miss the old four button layout. I used all four of them all of the time. Why not have physical + per app customizable on screen buttons? Get the best of both worlds? "Because Matias Duarte has not deemed it so." Sounds like Jonathan Ive or Steven Sinofsky.... If I wanted to be told how to use my phone, I would have bought an iPhone or a Lumia....
On a side note, I am less than enthusiastic about the changes Google has been making with the apps. The fonts got bigger in everything, but especially annoyed me in the Play Store. Whitespace, WHITESPACE EVERYWHERE! So now I only see 5 apps at once, rather than the 8-9 that was in the ICS store. Why have a phone with a huge screen if we're going to make everything giant? And so many apps are following these "best practices." Then again, I detest mobile sites and set my useragent to desktop. I guess I just feel that if I'm carrying a computer in my pocket, it should feel like a computer.