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Hi,
since ICS is now for phones and tablets, I was wondering if it would be possible to trick the system (pixel density?) to use the tablet UI on the Galaxy Nexus.
Despite the GN having a tablet-like resolution, it would be unusable out of the box. But hooked to a big screen (TV/monitor) and with a mouse+keyboard, it could be interesting.
What do you think?
pierreburel said:
Hi,
since ICS is now for phones and tablets, I was wondering if it would be possible to trick the system (pixel density?) to use the tablet UI on the Galaxy Nexus.
Despite the GN having a tablet-like resolution, it would be unusable out of the box. But hooked to a big screen (TV/monitor) and with a mouse+keyboard, it could be interesting.
What do you think?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is definitely possible with a custom rom. I don't think you'll have any chance unless you root though.
RTContent said:
This is definitely possible with a custom rom. I don't think you'll have any chance unless you root though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Pixel density is usually modified in the /system/build.prop file which is read only to non-root users. Once you have root access, the pixel density can be modified via root access.
If you don't want to load root access, at least have to oem unlock, but you can also modify this file through a custom recovery as most custom recovery's allow adb to use root access by default.
Hope that helps!
Thanks for the replies!
I was aware about root (not really a problem on GN), but do you think such a tweak, integrated into a mod like CM9, could be done without flashing, or even rebooting? Think about an "tablet mode" which could be launched on the go. Maybe even automatically when plugged with HDMI?
pierreburel said:
Thanks for the replies!
I was aware about root (not really a problem on GN), but do you think such a tweak, integrated into a mod like CM9, could be done without flashing, or even rebooting? Think about an "tablet mode" which could be launched on the go. Maybe even automatically when plugged with HDMI?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Although I don't know about having a CM9 mod style thing, you might be interested in the LCD Density app. It lets you change the density on the fly, without rebooting
case0 said:
Although I don't know about having a CM9 mod style thing, you might be interested in the LCD Density app. It lets you change the density on the fly, without rebooting
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Nice! Did anybody tried on Galaxy Nexus? Haven't mine yet.
I've tried setting my pixel density to 190 but after a reboot all I get is a constant launcher and system.UI FC dialogs.
Edit: I've tried again at 220 and no longer get FC from system.UI(so get navigation buttons and status bar) but they look the same. The stock launcher still FC's but with a different launcher the device seems fully functional with all the stock apps scaling fine.
200 also works and seems to be the smallest I can go.
Thanks! So it seems that changing pixel density isn't sufficient to make the GN detected as a Tablet by ICS, so bad...
I have been messing around with the LCD density settings on a few ICS ROMs for a little while now and after a lot of trial and error, I thought i'd share my experiences. I did some digging and I didn't see a formal write-up on this for our phones so I thought I'd give this a shot. (if anyone feels this has common knowledge and unnecessary, please just let me know and i will delete. also, I never tried this back on GB)
General Info for Beginners:
As you may already know, the standard resolution for our screens is 800 x 480 pixels. This is far below that of HD or even qHD screens. What this means in terms of real world use is that icons and text appear very large. Given our devices have a large 4.5 inch screen, it is arguable that this is not taking full advantage of all the extra screen real estate. While you cannot change the native resolution of a screen, you can do a simple build.prop tweak that can "trick" your phone into thinking that the resolution is much higher via a few simple programs.
How-To Change the Density Setting:
There are multiple programs out there for this purpose but I have found the best results with "ROM Toolbox". Feel free to buy the full version to support the dev but if all you are looking to do is change the density setting, the lite version will do just fine.
1. download and install "ROM Toolbox" from the Google Play Store
2. go to the "Performance" tab
3. click "build.prop tweaks"
4. change the "LCD Density" slider to whatever DPI you like
5. reboot
As mentioned, there are multiple programs out there but from my experience, DO NOT USE "LCD DENSITY MODDER" from the play store. This seems to soft-brick our phones as well as other GSII variants based on other reviews I've read and there does not seem to be a resolution at this time. This caused issues for me on TW-based and AOSP ROMS. It's a shame too, it seems perfect for this task, especially considering it can install a hacked Play Store (more on that later)
To see a more detailed thread on LCD Density Modder, go here (thanks kobridge!): http://forum.xda-developers.com/show....php?t=1570893
What Setting to Choose:
This is matter of personal opinion, but I personally like 190 dpi (stock setting is 240). Many people swear by using 160 dpi but personally the icons and text are too small for my poor eyesight. I suggest starting from about 200 or so and working your way down. Remember, the lower the number, the smaller your icons/text will appear but will also give you more screen real estate
You may also notice that text and icons appear less sharp when messing with these settings. Keep in mind that because you are not truly changing your screen resolution, the translation will not be perfect. Personally, given the natural sharpness of AMOLED screens, i think most people while not be bothered by this or even notice
Some users like elliwigy have reported FC issues when going below 190 DPI. If you want to go lower than this, I suggest you search for the thread that has a modded phone.apk that can help with this issue
Potential Issues and Workarounds:
You will inevitably run into some compatibility issues so here are few final thoughts
Which ROM to use?
TouchWiz-based Roms: All roms based on stock Samsung TW for the E4GT were written with only the native resolution in mind. This means that certain apps will not scale well with a higher resolution and two particular ones come to mind:
- The Phone Dialer: The dialer looks like small box that fills up only a portion of the screen. To resolve, use an aftermarket dialer app like "exDialer" from the play store (thanks tenazrael!)
- TW E-mail App: The TW e-mail app (not gmail) also doesn't scale well. Instead, delete and install the AOSP e-mail apk.
AOSP ROMs: CM9 and AOKP handle the conversion a bit better. You won't run into the dialer or e-mail issue like with TW ROMs but there are still some bugs.
- Certain pictures of contacts may show up as way too zoomed in, i.e. messaging notification pictures or the favorites tab (thanks locoboi187!)
- Other aspects of the OS may become hard to read when scaled down so much, i.e. lock screen add-on buttons (thanks phpracing!)
The Play Store Doesn't Show All Apps? - This is the biggest pain in the a$$ when you mess with the lcd density settings. There is a bug in the play store that prevents you from seeing certain apps when you change the settings away from default.
I have seen a few "hacked" versions of the vending.apk out there that makes the play store think you are always set to 240 but for some reason, this only works for a little while.
Here are the steps to get the market working again:
1. Change LCD Density back to stock (240)
2. Reboot to take effect
3. Clear the data for the Google Play Store AND Google Services Framework
4. Open the Play Store app and you should see everything again
5. Change LCD density back to whatever you like.
6. Reboot
I know this is a bit cumbersome but it's the best solution for now. I haven't quite nailed down what triggers the market to "break" but hopefully you won't have to do this fix too often. In opinion, this annoyance is worth it.
To see a more detailed thread on this topic, go here (thanks kobridge!): http://forum.xda-developers.com/show....php?t=1529227
Everything Looks Too "Stretched Out"? - Having an aftermarket launcher will help with this tremendously. I personally use Apex Launcher and there are some settings you can change to make the proportions look better
1. Homescreen Settings: Change the Vertical and Horizontal margins to medium or large
2. Dock Settings: Same as above.
You may also want to mess with different grid configurations now that you have extra room but i prefer to leave mine at the default 4 x 4
And that's it. I hope this will help you out so that you won't have to go through all the trial and error I did. I promise you, after you do this, it will be impossible for you to go back to the stock resolution (everything looks HUGE)
... and for those who care, here are some screen shots and the stock e-mail app
I've found 190-200 to be the sweet spot for me no matter which rom I use. It's nice, but isn't as nice as native 720p.
Tis a pity pentile was chosen for the GN over samoled+ makes it so one must choose between awesome colors or sweet, tight rez.
heroisnotdead said:
Tis a pity pentile was chosen for the GN over samoled+ makes it so one must choose between awesome colors or sweet, tight rez.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Amen
For those people who are interested - I am currently using LCD Resolution app from the Market store to keep my phone at 200. Anything less bothers me in some way or another.
In regards to the Dialer/Contacts being off center, I use an app called exDialer + exDialer ICS theme which scales perfectly. I then use an app called Holo Launcher which I believe beats Zeam, Go, and Launcher Pro hands down! This also scales perfectly. Finally, I am running the latest Blazer ROM on GB EL29.
The Market bug is very annoying, but I'm continually doing research on how to get past it.
tenazrael said:
For those people who are interested - I am currently using LCD Resolution app from the Market store to keep my phone at 200. Anything less bothers me in some way or another.
In regards to the Dialer/Contacts being off center, I use an app called exDialer + exDialer ICS theme which scales perfectly. I then use an app called Holo Launcher which I believe beats Zeam, Go, and Launcher Pro hands down! This also scales perfectly. Finally, I am running the latest Blazer ROM on GB EL29.
The Market bug is very annoying, but I'm continually doing research on how to get past it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for the dialer tip! I will update OP with this info. This is very useful knowledge. I started using AOSP roms to avoid annoying dialer bug so this may lead me to rethink what ROM i use and go back to TW based
At any lower dpi the messaging notification picture icon looks zoomed on CM9. I tried 160, 180, 195, 200
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda premium
im running cm9 a4 and this worked for me no problems. everything works the contacts and the dialer. not off center to me. i havent really messed around with the store yet but seemed good to me. the only thing i saw that was a little out of place and i dont think it is the tweak is the favorites icons. i use the favorites alot seeing as i only really call the same 6-7 people. does the contact/dialer app fix this?
phpracing said:
im running cm9 a4 and this worked for me no problems. everything works the contacts and the dialer. not off center to me. i havent really messed around with the store yet but seemed good to me. the only thing i saw that was a little out of place and i dont think it is the tweak is the favorites icons. i use the favorites alot seeing as i only really call the same 6-7 people. does the contact/dialer app fix this?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i guarantee you that you'll see my problem listed above. Reproduceable.
Thanks for re-editing.
LCD Modder issue -
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1570893
Market download -
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1529227
elterible said:
... and for those who care, here are some screen shots and the stock e-mail app
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Click to collapse
Is that a galaxy nexus or did you just change the dpi.
Also with the changes. The lock screen add on buttons (top, right, and left options) are very tiny. I didn't even notice them until I took a good look at it. Again don't think this is a problem, just a product of the modification.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda premium
My experience on any rom is phone fc's on any setting below 190 without modded phone.apk.. havent had any issues with market or anything when set to 190 in rom toolbox on any rom.. also if interested in native lcd changing support paranoid android is awesome! Not only does it have tablet mode it also has hybrid mode where you can change global density and even density per app while in hybrid mode
Sent from my SPH-D710 using XDA
thanks for the feedback everyone. again, i will update OP with the info
kobridge - thanks for the links to your posts. i didn't see these but will link in the OP for those who want more info.
Zero Night said:
Is that a galaxy nexus or did you just change the dpi.
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Click to collapse
just changed the DPI (don't own the GN, only E4GT). At the time of the screen shots, i was running CM9a5 with apex launcher set at 190 DPI
I didn't feel like reading the previous post but here's how to fix play store dpi issue. Steps 1 & 2 can be done in either order. Doesn't matter. Just be sure to change dpi before market updates
1) set your dpi
2) uninstall all data and updates to market.
3) reboot phone let play store update.
4) where did my dpi compatability issue go?
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda premium
Shoulon said:
I didn't feel like reading the previous post but here's how to fix play store dpi issue. Steps 1 & 2 can be done in either order. Doesn't matter. Just be sure to change dpi before market updates
1) set your dpi
2) uninstall all data and updates to market.
3) reboot phone let play store update.
4) where did my dpi compatability issue go?
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've tried both OP's solution and your solution, but neither is working, guess I'm one of the unlucky ones. It'll be a pain, but whenever I need to download something from the Play Store, I'll have to sit with 240 dpi for a bit, haha.
lucentflame said:
I've tried both OP's solution and your solution, but neither is working, guess I'm one of the unlucky ones. It'll be a pain, but whenever I need to download something from the Play Store, I'll have to sit with 240 dpi for a bit, haha.
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Click to collapse
What ROM you using?
Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk 2
lucentflame said:
I've tried both OP's solution and your solution, but neither is working, guess I'm one of the unlucky ones. It'll be a pain, but whenever I need to download something from the Play Store, I'll have to sit with 240 dpi for a bit, haha.
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Click to collapse
That's odd. I forgot to mention u gotta wipe Google frameworks also. But its how I fix my issue. It works on cm9 and blazer 4.1
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda premium
Shoulon said:
That's odd. I forgot to mention u gotta wipe Google frameworks also. But its how I fix my issue. It works on cm9 and blazer 4.1
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, the "trick" doesn't work for me either until i wipe google services framework.
On a side note, wipe the google services framework FIRST, then the play store. If you do the GSF last, you sometimes get a weird "server error" when you open up the play store
Sorry if this is in the wrong place - I'm a new member so can't ask questions in the Rom's thread.
This ROM is really great, and works for everything but one aspect. When running the music application Deezer, the application seems to think its running on a tablet, with a really high resolution, (making everything like buttons etc really small) on my HTC One X.
Does anyone know a way to change the dpi of a installed app (and not the OS) as every other app seems to work fine? I've tried changing the dpi setting in the build.prop, but that does nothing to the application, even after a reinstall.
This seems to be only effecting this application when running this rom, and works find on other roms like insertacoin.
Any ideas?
Check the DPI is correct* in build.prop for a start (although i suspect it is).
No way to change individual app DPI though, that I know of.
*320 is stock
Thanks for the reply, I did check, and it is set to that. Its very strange, its almost as if this one app is getting its dpi info from elsewhere, and getting it wrong. All other app seem unaffected.
Rusty! said:
Check the DPI is correct* in build.prop for a start (although i suspect it is).
No way to change individual app DPI though, that I know of.
*320 is stock
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Has anyone managed to permanently change the DPI on Note 2? I have tried two applications from Play and both ended up with the phone hanging on the boot logo. Had to flash the ROM again in order to have the phone working again. My Note is rooted and running Revolution HD.
EDIT: Solved. Edited the build.prop file which had the DPI setting in two separate lines due to a custom ROM - I should guess that the DPI changer applications only edit one line.
The LCD Density lines? What did you change them to? And how're you finding the changes? Any probs at all?
Yes there was the LCD density on two separate lines on the build.prop file. So both of them must be edited.
I changed them to 241, because anything under 240 makes the ADW Launcher show a line on the top of the home screen which is very annoying. I haven't been using the phone much yet so can't really say anything about problems - the only noticeable thing so far is the dialer that looks stupid since it doesn't scale correctly.
Ahh I see. Thanks, let me experiment
I am to believe that Rom toolbox (market) does the Job as well without crashing the rom, doesn't it ? What about s-Note & stuff? It's Not usable anymore, right?
Sent from my GT-N7100 using xda app-developers app
Hopefully we'll see Paranoid Android for Note 2 sometime!
Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2
brooon said:
What about s-Note & stuff? It's Not usable anymore, right?
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Click to collapse
S Note is working fine, the draw area is just smaller than usual.
LadFromWales85 said:
Hopefully we'll see Paranoid Android for Note 2 sometime!
Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Indeed, will be great!
jusutus said:
Yes there was the LCD density on two separate lines on the build.prop file. So both of them must be edited.
I changed them to 241, because anything under 240 makes the ADW Launcher show a line on the top of the home screen which is very annoying. I haven't been using the phone much yet so can't really say anything about problems - the only noticeable thing so far is the dialer that looks stupid since it doesn't scale correctly.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Didn't you get any Samsung keyboard crash? That's my main concern right now, if you don't I want to know why!!!
As for the small buttons is various apps (Samsung apps only, how surprising ) this can be fixed be recompiling the apps with select changes.
Yes the Samsung kb is not working. I'm using a different kb so no problem there.
The main problem now is that the Play Store was working fine until now. I changed the DPI once again and now Play is only showing just a few apps. I changed the DPI back to the one I was using earlier but still the same problem. I cleared the Play data and cache but that did not help.
Pffft, still waiting for the ParanoidAndroid...
Just picked up my new GS3 a couple of days ago. I have been searching for DPI settings. I have changed DPI settings before on my HD2 and Nook Color in system>build.prop. Is that still the method for this phone? I need larger fonts, etc. for my old eyes, and would use 240 on these devices, but the DPI is already set to 320 in build.prop on my GS3.
Can somebody suggest a good setting for me? Also, with these previous devices, certain DPI's had to be used it would throw off the apps available in the market. What are standard settings for GS3?
Thanks for any and all help.
k8108 said:
Just picked up my new GS3 a couple of days ago. I have been searching for DPI settings. I have changed DPI settings before on my HD2 and Nook Color in system>build.prop. Is that still the method for this phone? I need larger fonts, etc. for my old eyes, and would use 240 on these devices, but the DPI is already set to 320 in build.prop on my GS3.
Can somebody suggest a good setting for me? Also, with these previous devices, certain DPI's had to be used it would throw off the apps available in the market. What are standard settings for GS3?
Thanks for any and all help.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Standard settings for DPI on the GS3 is 320. The android market DPIs are 160, 240, 320 and i believe one more. But dont worry about the market issues. Just flash my modded market and it will always work regardless your DPI.
Also, if you are running a Stock ROM, TouchWiz has issues with some modded DPIs so you will just have to use another home launcher instead.
But if you want things bigger, you will need to increase the DPI value. I think 320 is insane lol..
Where do I find your modded market? I don't see it in your signature links. Sounds like what I am looking for.
I am using mrRobinson's rooted stock rom with apex launcher.
NM I just found it. Looks good.
k8108 said:
Where do I find your modded market? I don't see it in your signature links. Sounds like what I am looking for.
I am using mrRobinson's rooted stock rom with apex launcher.
NM I just found it. Looks good.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
-.- *facepalm* sorry for forgetting the link. I feel retarded now... lol glad you found it.
Sent from my SGH-T999 using Tapatalk 2