Develop Bugs

Launcher Reviews

ADW.Launcher
So, after trying out a few Home Launchers, I have settled upon ADW.Launcher. I must admit, I didn't think anything would be able to replace Helix Launcher, but ADW has all of the speed, eye candy, tweaks, and features that I am loving right now! I also love the feature of Tag Home, which has labels for your different apps when you open the drawer, so I do wish it had that. But aside from that one feature, everything else on ADW OWNS!!!
- It can have up to 7 screens (9 would be great though).
- You can hit nexus style buttons on the bottom to flip to the next screen, instead of sliding with your thumb across the screens (which sometimes hits icons and launches them instead of sliding, I guess because our screens aren't the most sensitive anymore - always happened to me, so I appreciated this navigation option. Does anyone else have this problem? Or needing to swipe a few times to get it to go to the next screen?).
- Since we don't have multitouch, we can't pinch-to-zoom out on our home screen to preview all of our screens. ADW overcomes this via TWO Preview methods:
Method 1: When you hit the home button from any of the screens, or...
Method 2: You can preview JUST the screens to the left or right of whichever screen you are on at the moment, by holding down on the nexus style buttons on the bottom-left or bottom-right, flanking the dock
- The animation of the screens sliding left and right looks awesome.
- You can choose either Galaxy Spica S style navigation of your apps, or the 3-D Fly-In (which I prefer), when you open the drawer. Unfortunately, no option for just sliding the drawer up I don't think.
- You can choose which of your 7 screens (or 5 or 3, whatever) you want to be your "Home" screen (very cool!).
- Customizability:
-you can adjust the speed that you change screens
-you can adjust the "overshoot"
-you can adjust the speed of the Fly-In when opening drawer
-you can adjust the tint of the docked icons
-you can adjust the size of the docked icons
-you can hide the app titles
-you can show or hide the background screens when apps or the app drawer is open, and also adjust the shading of them
-You can customize almost everything!!!
- There are still more features that I haven't discovered yet
I found the creator's thread here, he's an xda member of course
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=645550
And a Youtube video here of many of the customizable features:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5gRgpuQE_k
I just installed ADW.Launcher from the Marketplace.
Please feel free to leave your Home Launcher reviews in this thread if you like! Tell us why you have chosen what you have, and which features are particularly important to you and why. Hopefully this will help people or newbies to be able to weed out the less useful or non-working launchers. Maybe I'll start a poll too

Reserved. Just because I've always wanted to be in a position where I can "reserve" posts like devs lol.

Thanks for the post. Id like to see some reviews of the other launchers in this thread.

Launcher Pro is Good As Well. 2.1 only though

thebulletfromhell said:
Launcher Pro is Good As Well. 2.1 only though
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How about a review?

Just tried it out for myself. Great launcher. The only thing I miss from Helix is the double tap to preview. The button isnt super hard though. ill have to make my way to the dev to suggest

blindguyinanorgy said:
Just tried it out for myself. Great launcher. The only thing I miss from Helix is the double tap to preview. The button isnt super hard though. ill have to make my way to the dev to suggest
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Which launcher are you talking about? If it's Launcher Pro, then yeah, I agree with you, that's why I went back to Helix, and since then have stuck with ADW. I love the preview!!

helix had preview with double tap on background. preview does rock

[APP][LAUNCHER] TasKarou Launcher Overlay

Tired of moving your fingers up/down your tablet to switch applications? Try out TasKarou!
TasKarou is a multitasking launcher overlay.
Taking inspiration from the 'Quick Controls' feature in the android browser, TasKarou provides a multitasking layer on top of a launcher on tablets.
By swiping anywhere on the left or right edge of your tablet screen, you can activate TasKarou's UI.
It gives you access to a quick, smooth, and intuitive interface to facilitate app launch, transition, and management for the user
The user interface brings a more responsive, and enjoyable level of interaction to your tablet.
Notes:
To use TasKarou, set it as the default home launcher, and from TasKarou's settings, select the actual home launcher you want to overlay.
TasKarou user interface is then triggered by swiping from either the left of right edge of your tablet screen, while still allowing access to the overlaid home launcher through the home button.
The app is also available in the android market.

nice app, but how do i use the browser controls? when im in the browser and put my finger to the side the taskarou menu opens...

kendong2 said:
nice app, but how do i use the browser controls? when im in the browser and put my finger to the side the taskarou menu opens...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's not possible to use both at the same time, since both controls rely on the user touching the edge of the screen.
If you have an idea on how I could get around that issue, I'm all ear.

ne0fhyk said:
It's not possible to use both at the same time, since both controls rely on the user touching the edge of the screen.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
that sucks, because it basically makes the browser unusable.
ne0fhyk said:
If you have an idea on how I could get around that issue, I'm all ear.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
some ideas from the top of my head:
- disable taskarou menu completely when in browser
- disable one side of the screen (permanently or when in browser)
- disable the upper/lower/middle half of the screen (permanently or when in browser)
on another note, the notification HAS to go. at least make it optional.
that being said, i really do like the concept of the app :good: i found myself regularly swiping in from the screen edges when not in browser, and then being disappointed that nothing happened.

kendong2 said:
that sucks, because it basically makes the browser unusable.
some ideas from the top of my head:
- disable taskarou menu completely when in browser
- disable one side of the screen (permanently or when in browser)
- disable the upper/lower/middle half of the screen (permanently or when in browser)
on another note, the notification HAS to go. at least make it optional.
that being said, i really do like the concept of the app :good: i found myself regularly swiping in from the screen edges when not in browser, and then being disappointed that nothing happened.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for your suggestions. I have a few other ideas along with the ones you suggest that I will try to integrate, and test in the following days.
In the meantime, I updated TasKarou to also support android phones. I duplicated this thread in the 'Android Apps and Games' section to make it more visible: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1984010

I like this. Definitely a nice addition to my current launcher.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda app-developers app

Definitely slick in some aspects. Can't say I really like it as it messes with my LMT set up and takes up more RAM on top of it.
There's a lot to be done like distinguishing different "hotspots" and designating right side only or left side only. Overall though I really enjoy the transitions and how the menu auto-switches based on which choices you're hovering over. Very intuitive choices too that I agree with about which things go where.
Looking forward to the potential this holds in the future. I may just abandon my LMT setup if done right.
Edit: And of course the ability for users to add/edit the options, potentially switch the color for mere superficial reasons. Something like my screenshot.
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using Xparent Cyan Tapatalk 2

ne0fhyk said:
It's not possible to use both at the same time, since both controls rely on the user touching the edge of the screen.
If you have an idea on how I could get around that issue, I'm all ear.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Maybe ask SwipePad's developer.
(I'm not being sarcastic)

Really useful. Love the idea, but it does cause a few conflicts with apps that rely on swiping from the sides of the screen. Having said that, when I set the margin to 13 pixels I can use the Dolphin browser (for example) without too many issues by not swiping from the outer edge, but by placing the finger a little more away from the edge and then swiping inwards. Other apps are less forgiving.
What about a button in the notification area, which is visible at all times anyways?
EDIT:
If swiping has the preference, then it would be more logical to align the available programs/tasks to the side from which was swiped. Swiping and selecting can be done with one hand then, regardless of which hand was used to swipe with.

The recents button is useless, I never use it, ever.
I'd like the option to use this instead and just disable the side activation altogether.

Nice idea. However on TF101 after getting the quick control moving the finger to one of the options too fast causes the quick controls to disappear. I have to move the thumb really slow in order to select any option. Hopefully, this will be fixed soon:fingers-crossed:.

ppl get over it, the man is trying to make ur life simpler, so if u don't like some stuff about the app then tell him your opinions in a decent way so he can make a proper development for the app instead of trashing it, otherwise f*** off

I like this!
1. I only see it from the right edge in portrait.
2. Might have a user selected area(s) for its swipe. This would allow those with conflicts to fix them. There is a similar app on Play which just gives a row running/recent apps icons which is not a bad interface. I found its use of the bottom obtrusive.
3. The home key does not go home in the base browser (I am using Trebuchet on a CM10).
4. There is a difference between "running" and "recent" (exited, cached, and still available.) !!
Long press of home gives a vertically tiled thumbnail view of both.
Taskarou shows only icons of running apps, not recent.
Taskarou should show both, either in two panes or in one with some distinction?, i.e. frame around one or the other. I sort of like having the thumbnails and they could be tiled or cascaded. If cascaded, should be focus-able, if tiled, scroll larger view like the app list. Best eliminated the number of apps option or make that for the pane (but that would be scroll-able for more). Cascading the main webOS motif. Flick down to kill?

mosta_9741 said:
ppl get over it, the man is trying to make ur life simpler, so if u don't like some stuff about the app then tell him your opinions in a decent way so he can make a proper development for the app instead of trashing it, otherwise f*** off
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
First of all, as far as I can see, no one is trashing his app. So maybe lower your tone a bit and at least pretend to be able to communicate in a proper way.instead of telling people to "F-off".
The developer probably appreciates the feedback as he responds to it. Feedback (be it positive or negative) is valuable for both him and the app he works on. The end product can benefit from any kind of feedback as it points out flaws and strong points, and it can give the developer some different perspectives and experiences from different users and from different devices.
The day a developer stops listening to his/her targeted market is the day the product will begin its downfall.

Hey man, I just noticed that you dont have a video demo on google play... would you like one? I can do some switches with a background music... may I do it and you decide after if use it or not?

360porcento said:
Hey man, I just noticed that you dont have a video demo on google play... would you like one? I can do some switches with a background music... may I do it and you decide after if use it or not?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That'd be cool, thanks.

Was having issues on my Nexus 7 running SmoothRom 4.1.2. Updated to 4.2 and no more disappearing quick controls as soon as my finger leaves the border. To get them to stay I had to leave my finger there for at least 1.5 seconds. Now all is well. Really liking it. I look forward to extended and customizable menus
Update:
Scratch that. Conflict was gesture control. Had it set to consume events in starting zone. So a touch on the edge first went to gesture control. Just an iD10t error.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda premium

ddlooping said:
That'd be cool, thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are you the the same guy as the OP?

360porcento said:
Are you the the same guy as the OP?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No but it'd cool regardless as I'd be interested in seeing it in action.
(the app that is)

360porcento said:
Hey man, I just noticed that you dont have a video demo on google play... would you like one? I can do some switches with a background music... may I do it and you decide after if use it or not?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would loved one, that'd be greatly appreciated... thanks! (i am the op)

can we talk touchwiz for a minute?

I think touchwiz has come a long way. It really adds alot to stock android in my opinion, and im not just talking about the s pen additions.
The dialer, the whole phone app in general, all the motion settings...
What I want to talk about are issues that people have with touchwiz in general, meaning, reasons that you would jump ship to a custom rom, and I'd like to see if anyone would have solutions to these issues.
Ill give you a few examples of my own experiences.
1) I need to have a battery percentage in the status bar. So when youre running any rom worth its salt, there's an option for that. I was going through the settings on the note 2 and there it was, built into the touchwiz settings... im curious to know when this was added because im pretty sure it wasnt there in gingerbread.
2) I like the additions to the stock player but to me, its still not functional enough, I at least need a screen lock. When I mentioned this in a post, someone pointed out that screen lock is built in now, all you need to do is press the power key when playing a video and it locks the screen.
3) I remember someone posting about how on this phone, the calls and messages show up in the call log and how annoying that is. I just looked for a second and realized that theres a way to change that. When youre in the call log, you hit menu then view by.
I think we could all benefit from learning about the other "hidden features and functionality" in touchwiz. For example, I still have an issue with the stock video player that you cant easily fast forward by dragging like other players and there doesnt seem to be any options or preferences built it...

What I want from Touchwiz is wallpaper scrolling and the option to change the screen grid. Other than that, it has really improved a lot and I'm pretty much comfortable using it now.

most touchwiz doesn't work for me because I work in a 240dpi environment and touchwiz doesn't scale well in it. not even the Samsung keyboard loads, it just FCs. I use different launcher, different dialer. stock kernel is not too battery friendly...I got almost 2 days usage with jedi master 2 rom with normal usage (yes, it's touchwiz based but wherever I can change it I do).
why would I jump ship?
- better environment scaling in 240dpi
- better/longer battery life
- faster operations

lennie said:
most touchwiz doesn't work for me because I work in a 240dpi environment and touchwiz doesn't scale well in it. not even the Samsung keyboard loads, it just FCs. I use different launcher, different dialer. stock kernel is not too battery friendly...I got almost 2 days usage with jedi master 2 rom with normal usage (yes, it's touchwiz based but wherever I can change it I do).
why would I jump ship?
- better environment scaling in 240dpi
- better/longer battery life
- faster operations
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1 on Jedi... I consider myself an "advanced" user and stock touchwiz is not quite there yet but if you add Jedi's rom and Nova launcher then it makes the experience much better imo... I don't mess around with dpi settings as I will just wait for a rom that will customize that to my liking. We are lacking in the development department right now but as soon as it picks up there should be lots of great options for us...:fingers-crossed: And as far as scrollable wallpapers... I just download Zedge & an app called wallpaper changer and I have on demand scrollable wallpapers in Nova!

mottyengel said:
I think touchwiz has come a long way. It really adds alot to stock android in my opinion, and im not just talking about the s pen additions.
The dialer, the whole phone app in general, all the motion settings...
What I want to talk about are issues that people have with touchwiz in general, meaning, reasons that you would jump ship to a custom rom, and I'd like to see if anyone would have solutions to these issues.
Ill give you a few examples of my own experiences.
1) I need to have a battery percentage in the status bar. So when youre running any rom worth its salt, there's an option for that. I was going through the settings on the note 2 and there it was, built into the touchwiz settings... im curious to know when this was added because im pretty sure it wasnt there in gingerbread.
2) I like the additions to the stock player but to me, its still not functional enough, I at least need a screen lock. When I mentioned this in a post, someone pointed out that screen lock is built in now, all you need to do is press the power key when playing a video and it locks the screen.
3) I remember someone posting about how on this phone, the calls and messages show up in the call log and how annoying that is. I just looked for a second and realized that theres a way to change that. When youre in the call log, you hit menu then view by.
I think we could all benefit from learning about the other "hidden features and functionality" in touchwiz. For example, I still have an issue with the stock video player that you cant easily fast forward by dragging like other players and there doesnt seem to be any options or preferences built it...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi OP,
If u go to Settings -> Display and if you select Display Battery Percentage, it'll show you the battery percentage in the notification bar.
I'd like a better home screen layout. 5x4 is a GINORMOUS waste of space.
Sent from my SGH-T889 using xda app-developers app

achusaysblessyou said:
Hi OP,
If u go to Settings -> Display and if you select Display Battery Percentage, it'll show you the battery percentage in the notification bar.
I'd like a better home screen layout. 5x4 is a GINORMOUS waste of space.
Sent from my SGH-T889 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i guess i wasnt clear, i found it, but i never knew it was there... and the homescreen layout... use a different launcher..

The only thing I missed from a custom launcher are:
1) can't change the icon grid, would like a 5x5 at least.
2) can't lock the home screen. Hate it when I accidentally moved stuff after having it setup perfectly the way I want it.
Also it would be great if we can select which app the page buddy brings up.

The only thing that really pushed me away from TouchWiz is that you can’t move the “Apps” button in the dock. I can’t reach the button when holding the phone in my left hand, one handed.

I really hate the lock screen. I was running a ROM with AOSP JB lock screen on my previous phone. I use the lock screen music controls all the time.
On Touchwiz lock screen if you use the basic swipe lock, you get the quick apps at the bottom, but the music controls don't show up at the top (at least not for Spotify or DoggCatcher). I can turn on pattern unlock, then it will show the lock screen music controls, but I lose the quick apps (I find it useful to access Google Search or Camera from lock screen).
The only solution to get both is to use pattern unlock with swipe gesture. This gives me the swipe lock screen with quick apps at the bottom, then when I swipe it gives me the pattern unlock with music controls at the top. WAY too many steps to access these two features that apparently can't be on the lock screen at the same time.

Can't say I often log in just to reply to a thread here, I'm more of a lurker. But I definitely feel the need to contribute to this.
I actually just returned my Note 2 (with the intention of getting an unlocked Nexus 4 in a couple days) and one of the major reasons was TouchWiz.
I hate it. Hate hate hate it. I hate the notification bar customizations. I hate that they've taken something as wonderful as power toggles in the notification bar and so badly butchered them. The entire notification pulldown is a crowded clusterfk compared to vanilla Android (full disclosure: I'm a long time vanilla Android user through Nexus devices/AOSP ROMs). The low DPI for a phone with such a big screen is damn absurd. I feel like I'm using my 37" computer monitor at 1280*1024. The TouchWiz customizations to the settings UI is just as bad or worse than Sense. If anything the Note 2 should be using the default Android tablet settings UI. The TouchWiz lock screen is a step up in customization from vanilla Android, but I still think it's ugly as all hell. Most of it is fluff that doesn't add any function or aesthetics. Not specifically TouchWiz related, but I loathe that they moved the back button from the left side of the screen as in vanilla JB to the left side via a capacitive hardware button.
I don't hate ALL of Samsung's tinkering. S-Voice was actually a phenomenal surprise and I'm going to dearly miss it. I could actually reliably send text messages with it without ever so much as glancing at the phone. Voice recognition was fantastic and it covered basic phone features better than vanilla Android's default abilities.
What I would really LOVE to have is a Note 2 without the hardware buttons, running AOSP with S-Voice and the S-Pen apps. Perhaps one day if there's a stable CM release where I can install extracted APKs for the Samsung apps I may get another one. Until then I'm going to stick with the Nexus line. TouchWiz really is that bad IMO.

... at least TouchWiz is a lot better than one of the first versions of it with the Behold II *shudders* I used one of those for a week.

hittingsmoke said:
Can't say I often log in just to reply to a thread here, I'm more of a lurker. But I definitely feel the need to contribute to this.
I actually just returned my Note 2 (with the intention of getting an unlocked Nexus 4 in a couple days) and one of the major reasons was TouchWiz.
I hate it. Hate hate hate it. I hate the notification bar customizations. I hate that they've taken something as wonderful as power toggles in the notification bar and so badly butchered them. The entire notification pulldown is a crowded clusterfk compared to vanilla Android (full disclosure: I'm a long time vanilla Android user through Nexus devices/AOSP ROMs). The low DPI for a phone with such a big screen is damn absurd. I feel like I'm using my 37" computer monitor at 1280*1024. The TouchWiz customizations to the settings UI is just as bad or worse than Sense. If anything the Note 2 should be using the default Android tablet settings UI. The TouchWiz lock screen is a step up in customization from vanilla Android, but I still think it's ugly as all hell. Most of it is fluff that doesn't add any function or aesthetics. Not specifically TouchWiz related, but I loathe that they moved the back button from the left side of the screen as in vanilla JB to the left side via a capacitive hardware button.
I don't hate ALL of Samsung's tinkering. S-Voice was actually a phenomenal surprise and I'm going to dearly miss it. I could actually reliably send text messages with it without ever so much as glancing at the phone. Voice recognition was fantastic and it covered basic phone features better than vanilla Android's default abilities.
What I would really LOVE to have is a Note 2 without the hardware buttons, running AOSP with S-Voice and the S-Pen apps. Perhaps one day if there's a stable CM release where I can install extracted APKs for the Samsung apps I may get another one. Until then I'm going to stick with the Nexus line. TouchWiz really is that bad IMO.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I find it entertaining that you mentioned you are an avid vanilla android user, then explain how you run custom roms. *boggle* Enjoy the on screen buttons taking up real estate, 16gb of total memory, and yearning for the s-pen. Btw, something as simple as go launcher could allow you to set up plenty of things you want, to include a 5x5 icon set.
I could go on and on, but to be honest, I don't think it will be long for you to realize you are making a mistake. *cough* battery

mdt73 said:
I find it entertaining that you mentioned you are an avid vanilla android user, then explain how you run custom roms. *boggle* Enjoy the on screen buttons taking up real estate, 16gb of total memory, and yearning for the s-pen. Btw, something as simple as go launcher could allow you to set up plenty of things you want, to include a 5x5 icon set.
I could go on and on, but to be honest, I don't think it will be long for you to realize you are making a mistake. *cough* battery
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
He does have a point with a lot of that stuff, particularly the lock screen music control. I just don't understand why it's so hard to add it just under the weather, or as a small bar just above the other lockscreen targets at the bottom of the screen. That's the most frustrating thing for me, as most the the other stuff he mentioned can be changed, and if it can't I'm willing to overlook it for a while because of all the added features this phone brings.

I have been using power amp for music since my DroidX2 back when we yearned for an eq... so its always been there for me (the lock screen music control).
Everything mentioned can be addressed. That's the beauty of android; customizing your android experience. What people have become is lazy because roms do it for you.
Sent from my SGH-T889 using xda premium

mdt73 said:
I find it entertaining that you mentioned you are an avid vanilla android user, then explain how you run custom roms. *boggle*
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How so? AOSP ROMS are pretty well vanilla with very minor tweaks. Nothing like horribly reskinned menus at every turn. *yahtzee*
I use ADW EX to do a hell of a lot more than add icons to my home screen. Changing the launcher can only do so much to fix a horrible complete OS reskin.

hittingsmoke said:
How so? AOSP ROMS are pretty well vanilla with very minor tweaks. Nothing like horribly reskinned menus at every turn. *yahtzee*
I use ADW EX to do a hell of a lot more than add icons to my home screen. Changing the launcher can only do so much to fix a horrible complete OS reskin.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Only thing that looks skined on my phobe now isctge lockscreen, and im sure I can fix that with a lock screen app. Otherwise my launcher is now ADW, my notification bar is themed blue with circle battery and stock JB settings/clear all buttons. No brightness bar in notification window either. In all honesty there is not much mire I was able to change on my Galaxy Nexus that I cant on here, visually. In the options department Samsung has done a wonderful job and I currently dont miss anything from AOKP other then the widget popups on nav bar (would love to hold say menu button to get that on here)
Sent from my SGH-T889 using Tapatalk 2

[Q] Pattern/Pin Lock with Widgetlocker?

I was given Widgetlocker by a friend (He gave me a 10$ Google Play Gift Card) yesterday. I noticed that Widgetlocker doesnt have a Pattern or Pin Lock option on it, and I get my stock lockscreen on my Galaxy S3 immediately afterwards, which seems incredibly redundant.
Don't get me wrong, the application is great, and I haven't had any issues aside from this so far.
Is there any way to force Widgetlocker to use a pattern or pin lock? Or alternatively is there a way to add a camera shortcut on the stock touchwiz lockscreen?

You probably have to disable the stock lock screen for it to not show up after, or maybe a setting on widget locker, and I think the only way to get a camera shortcut is to use ripple on stock lockscreen
Sent from my SGH-T999 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

serio22 said:
You probably have to disable the stock lock screen for it to not show up after, or maybe a setting on widget locker, and I think the only way to get a camera shortcut is to use ripple on stock lockscreen
Sent from my SGH-T999 using Tapatalk 4 Beta
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well that bites. I suppose I will live without it, Its not like it takes me more than 1-5 seconds to draw my pattern/pin anyway.

Its really like that for a reason.
If you can access the camera w/o using your pin/pw/pattern, it makes using the security features pointless.
From camera you can open gallery/messaging and from there you can get to your contacts and dialer. So if someone stole or found your phone they'd have unsecured, easy access to most of your stuff.
Sent from my SGH-T999L using xda premium

DocHoliday77 said:
Its really like that for a reason.
If you can access the camera w/o using your pin/pw/pattern, it makes using the security features pointless.
From camera you can open gallery/messaging and from there you can get to your contacts and dialer. So if someone stole or found your phone they'd have unsecured, easy access to most of your stuff.
Sent from my SGH-T999L using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I use lightning launcher ultimate (which has lock screen) and after clicking an app, it displays the stock pattern screen, then takes you to your shortcut, thereby security is still useful, choppy!

sonatamartica said:
I use lightning launcher ultimate (which has lock screen) and after clicking an app, it displays the stock pattern screen, then takes you to your shortcut, thereby security is still useful, choppy!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually WidgetLocker works this way too.
Enable pin/pattern on phone and ensure the option in Widget Locker to disable the stock screen is not checked.
Completely remove the swipe to unlock button and don't replace it. You'll have a blank WidgerLocker lock screen with a clock.
Long press and add apps and widgets. Change security to lock screen immediately. Power power button. Click a widget on homescreen. You'll be prompted to enter the pin/pattern! You have access to all your apps on the locker screen, with pin/pattern security simply by disabling the slide to unlock button. You're welcome (albeit months and months late.)

DocHoliday77 said:
Its really like that for a reason.
If you can access the camera w/o using your pin/pw/pattern, it makes using the security features pointless.
From camera you can open gallery/messaging and from there you can get to your contacts and dialer. So if someone stole or found your phone they'd have unsecured, easy access to most of your stuff.
Sent from my SGH-T999L using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I realize this thread is old but I feel compelled to contribute my .02 for the benefit of those like me who's search for help on this topic leads them here.
It seems to me the OP is simply pointing out the fact that Widgetlocker doesn't offer a PIN or pattern unlock feature like those found in most other lock screen replacement apps. IMHO this a CATASTROPHIC omission by the devs of what I believe is an otherwise-outstanding app! I mean it -- I LOVE this app! The fact that something so simple and avoidable is keeping me from being able to use it pains me gravely. To be clear, yes, it appears WL can be set to give deference to system PIN/pattern security as mentioned in another post but someone please explain to me how doing this doesn't defeat the point of installing the app in the first place!
I agree that there are potential security concerns in having lock screen shortcuts bypassing the pin/pattern lock; I however disagree that such a thing necessarily "makes using security features pointless." Let's be frank. Some of us have much bigger security concerns than worrying about who might be snooping through our pictures or contact lists, but even in the event that such things are the aggregate of one's sensitive "stuff" there are ways to achieve essential functionality without turning over the keys to one's deepest, darkest secrets. One could, for example, simply download a basic camera app without a gallery link, or a standalone dialer app with a null (or decoy) contact list. With a bit of hackery one needn't even give up the comfort or utility of full-feature apps in this regard. Failing this, there are still plenty of other apps one might want quick and unfettered access to which do NOT pose an inherent security risk (i.e. music player, flashlight, weather, stopwatch/timer, calculator, universal remote, fruit ninja, etc.). What's the point of having shortcuts/widgets on the lock screen if you have to unlock your device to access them? Why not just use the shortcuts/widgets on the home screen if you're going to go to the trouble to make an effort commensurate to that end anyhow?

Allow any widget to be added to the lockscreen?

I've been searching for a way to allow any widget to be added to my Galaxy Note III lockscreen. I am using TouchWiz 4.4.2. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Sent from my SM-N900T using XDA Free mobile app

madroix said:
I've been searching for a way to allow any widget to be added to my Galaxy Note III lockscreen. I am using TouchWiz 4.4.2. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Sent from my SM-N900T using XDA Free mobile app
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There is an Xposed module that allows you to add most widgets to your lockscreen. It's called the "Samsung Multiple Widget" module. It also adds back the 'swipe right for camera' option. Thread is here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2363189
Edit: The thread above is the original thread, but the Dev is no longer working on it, so another user picked up where he left off. Thread is here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/xposed/modules/app-samsungmultiplewidgets-kitkat-t2690190
Also, you might want to install the "Notification Mod" as well to get notifications on Touchwiz if you are using a secured lock screen. The way Samsung stopped allowing us to access the notifications when there is a pin/pattern is very annoying.
Let me know if you need any help getting either of those installed (but it's pretty self-explanatory).

Techngro said:
There is an Xposed module that allows you to add most widgets to your lockscreen. It's called the "Samsung Multiple Widget" module. It also adds back the 'swipe right for camera' option. Thread is here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2363189
Edit: The thread above is the original thread, but the Dev is no longer working on it, so another user picked up where he left off. Thread is here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/xposed/modules/app-samsungmultiplewidgets-kitkat-t2690190
Also, you might want to install the "Notification Mod" as well to get notifications on Touchwiz if you are using a secured lock screen. The way Samsung stopped allowing us to access the notifications when there is a pin/pattern is very annoying.
Let me know if you need any help getting either of those installed (but it's pretty self-explanatory).
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Thanks for the reply man.
So I get all that but what i am trying to accomplish is to allow ANY widget to be allowed to be on the lock screen. For example HD widgets official lock screen widgets only has the Glass Gems packages. If I was able to "trick" the system into thinking I was just adding a widget to a home screen, not the lock screen, I would have many more options as to what I can add. Not as concerned about the number of widgets allowed. I was able to do this on the note 2 with some mod, but I don't remember what it was called.

madroix said:
Thanks for the reply man.
So I get all that but what i am trying to accomplish is to allow ANY widget to be allowed to be on the lock screen. For example HD widgets official lock screen widgets only has the Glass Gems packages. If I was able to "trick" the system into thinking I was just adding a widget to a home screen, not the lock screen, I would have many more options as to what I can add. Not as concerned about the number of widgets allowed. I was able to do this on the note 2 with some mod, but I don't remember what it was called.
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I wish I could be more helpful. I don't use HD widgets, so I can't test it and see what works. But from looking at the cloud.tv FAQ, it looks like you should be able to get other themes/packages working on the lockscreen. This is what it says:
I can only see the Glass Gems style widgets in my Widget menu. Where are the other themes?
New themes are installed automatically and available for you to use in the app as soon as you've downloaded them from the Play Store. However, you won’t see the new theme style widgets in your Widget menu. The Glass Gems style widget that you see in your widget menu are just examples for each of the widget sizes. Once you've selected a widget size, you’ll be able to switch between themes from inside the app.
How do I change themes after I've picked a widget size?
After you've selected a widget size, tap on the theme name in the top right corner of the configure screen and to reveal the drop down menu. Then tap the theme you'd like to use.
Select new widget themes from the drop down menu (See screenshot below)
Also,
How do I add & remove lock screen widgets?
Deleting lockscreen widgets is really easy. Simply long press on the widget and drag to Remove.
How you'll add lockscreen widgets will differ slightly depending on your device.
For non HTC and Samsung devices:
When viewing your lockscreen swipe left to right starting with the clock until you see the add (+) button.
For most Samsung devices including Galaxy S3 and S4:
First enable lockscreen widgets in your device Settings. Go to Settings, then Lock Screen and check the box to enable Multiple Widgets. Then, when viewing your lock screen, swipe left to right until you see the add (+) button.
Note: Samsung have disabled lock screen widgets with pin or password. If you are using a secure lock screen setting, you won’t be able to use lock screen widgets.
The last part is true only if you don't use the Xposed mod that I posted earlier.
So, it looks like even though you will only see the glass gems widgets, you can still select the different theme/package you want after you have selected the widget size. I hope that helps. And if you already know all this stuff then I apologize.

Is there any way to automatically HIDE the PIN screen? It cut off the widgets, like DashClock. I have to swipe down, look at the widget, then swipe up to bring the pin screen back.

lanwarrior said:
Is there any way to automatically HIDE the PIN screen? It cut off the widgets, like DashClock. I have to swipe down, look at the widget, then swipe up to bring the pin screen back.
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No, not without disabling it. And for the former try xlocky plugin for xposed, that may allow to use the widgets you want