Develop Bugs

[Q] Minor ICS bug? Launcher default setting...

So it's less of a bug and more of a typo maybe...
I have been playing with different launchers, and when I click my home button I just select a different one and sometimes set it to default and use it for a while to test it out. I'm torn between stock, go, and nova (I just wish Nova had a scollbar in app drawer like GO).
anyways... so when you have no default launcher set, you get to choose it in this little dialog. In the dialog there is a check box to make this action your default for the home button. When you check that box it gives a small popup that says "Clear default in Home Settings > Applications > Manage Applications."
Well, those options are not in the stock ICS 4.0.2 settings menu. I think this is a hold over from Gingerbread or something? Or is this due to one of the Launchers I installed taking over the home button? Anyways... seems like the option used to be in the settings but no longer is in ICS?
*edit: I realize you can change default settings for apps under app settings. The point is that there is no "Clear default in Home Settings > Applications > Manage Applications", unless I am misunderstanding something...

It's there, it's just labeled differently.
Pull down your notification bar and hit the settings button, then Apps, then scroll through your apps to find and select your current default launcher. Scroll down and hit the Clear Defaults button...

Ya, this is true, but its a bit of a hassle to scroll through a long list of apps. Would be much simpler if the settings menu was set up the way language/input is for selecting a keyboard.
But anyways, it's still seems like a typo in the OS to me... they should update the instructions on that popup menu.

its not a typo, I think you're just misinterpreting the wording that the app is popping up.
It's simply telling you to go to "manage applications", find the home app you wish to clear the defaults of, and clear the defaults...
Its not just launchers that can be set as a default (camera, gallery, music, etc. can all have 3rd party apps be defaults). So there is really no point in having a completely separate settings menu just for defaults, when the ability to clear defaults can be managed from the "all apps" menu.

martonikaj said:
its not a typo, I think you're just misinterpreting the wording that the app is popping up.
It's simply telling you to go to "manage applications", find the home app you wish to clear the defaults of, and clear the defaults...
Its not just launchers that can be set as a default (camera, gallery, music, etc. can all have 3rd party apps be defaults). So there is really no point in having a completely separate settings menu just for defaults, when the ability to clear defaults can be managed from the "all apps" menu.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I believe the OP's point is that in ICS, you don't go "Settings -> Applications -> Manage applications", you go "Settings -> Apps" and find the app (in Downloaded or All). So it's a string value for that popup that needs to be updated to reflect the settings menu structure in ICS.

Htc wildfire s (tips and tricks)

Avoid task killers
It is best to avoid task killers such as Advanced Task Killer. Android is designed to automatically pre-load certain applications, even if you don't load them yourself. If it starts to run low on memory, it will smartly unload the oldest running apps automatically.
Manually killing tasks will only mean they get loaded in memory again. Task killers can make the phone slow, laggy, or drain battery life more quickly.
Bookmark a contact on your homescreen
To bookmark a contact on your homescreen, long press on the home screen background and select Shortcuts. Then select Direct dial.
If you call someone regularly this can be useful as you will have a shortcut to them handily placed on your homescreen
Bookmark a web page on your homescreen
To bookmark a website on your homescreen, go into your browser and find the bookmark of the page you want to create a shortcut for.
Then long press on the bookmark and select Add Shortcut to Home.
If you regularly visit certain websites, this can be handy as you will have a shortcut to the site on your homescreen.
Create folders to tidy your Apps
If you find yourself with too many Apps on the homescreen, then you can create folders to organise them.
To start, simply press and hold on an App and drag it over the top of another App. The App should change colour/shape. Then release your finger and the two Apps will be combined into a folder.
You can then drag more Apps into this folder using the same process.
To give your folder a label, simply long press on the folder and you will be able to enter a name.
Double tap for a full stop (period)
While typing emails or notes, you can simply tap the space key twice and the phone will insert a full stop / period
Install new keyboard to improve accuracy
The standard Android keyboard is good, but not great. There are many third party keyboards available which will improve your typing speed and accuracy.
Go to the Android Market and search for 'Keyboard' to see some great alternatives, many of which are more accurate and make typing much easier.
A good one is GoKeyboard.
If you see a warning saying the keyboard will collect all information (including credit cards) just ignore this. This is just a security feature that Android shows for every third-party keyboard that you install.
Accents and special characters
If you want to type non-English letters (eg those with an accent), long-press on the relevant letter. A list of options will appear for you to select.
Access the scientific calculator
To access the scientific calculator, rotate the phone to landscape mode.
The calculator will change to a scientific one
Add email or phone number from text
To add an email or phone number to your contacts from a text message, you can long-press on the email / phone number. Then select Add to contacts
Add widget to the homescreen
To add a widget, go to the homescreen and press the Apps icon (the circle with 6 dots). Then you will see a list of your Apps with the word Apps and Widgets at the top. Press Widgets, then you will be presented with a list of available widgets.
To add a widget, press and hold on it and then position it where you want
Android Easter egg
There is an Easter egg hidden in the Android operating system. To see it, go to your Homescreen, then press Menu - Settings - About phone.
Then tap on the Android version option 5 times and you will get a surprise.
Sometimes it doesn't work, so try a couple of times. By the way don't expect to see an actual Easter Egg. That is just the name given to things hidden inside software or operating systems.
Auto focus the camera
When taking photos or videos, tap the screen where you want to focus on. The phone will automatically adjust the settings to improve the image or video
Bring up more predicted words
If you have word prediction enabled while you are typing, you can long press the middle word that is suggested. This will bring up a menu allowing you to select various other suggested words.
Browse websites in full-screen mode
If you want to browse in full screen mode, without the URL bar at the top of the browser, then you can enable this..
Open the standard browser and press Menu - Settings - Labs. Then put a check mark under Full Screen .
To get access to the browser options (that are now invisible), there is now a neat hidden menu. Slide your finger in from the left or right of the screen. A circular menu will appear with various options.
Capture a still shot while recording video
To capture a still shot while recording a video, simply tap the screen while you are recording.
This will save a still image.
Change keyboards
To change keyboards (if you have additional keyboards installed), you can switch between them by pressing the small keyboard symbol in the top left of your screen. You will need to be in keyboard input mode (i.e. typing something) for this to work.
Note: you need to have more than one keyboard installed for this to work
Change quick response texts
The phone has the ability to send quick response text messages if your phone is ringing but you can't answer it.
To change these, go to your Dialer App - Settings - Quick responses. You can only have 4 of them and you may need to edit existing ones.
Change the backlight screen timeout
To change the backlight screen timeout, go to Settings - Display - Screen. Then choose the screen time out duration.
You can also tell the phone screen to always stay lit when it is plugged in via USB. Go to Settings - Developer Options. Then check Stay Awake.
Change the screen brightness
To change the screen brightness, start from the Homescreen and press Menu - Settings - Display - Brightness.
Then choose the desired brightness setting. You can also select Automatic brightness to let the phone decide for you.
If you have auto-brightness enabled, you can also press, hold and slide the top notification bar left and right. The brightness will increase and decrease accordingly.
Check phone status and battery usage
To find out information about Signal Strength, Network Information, Remaining Battery Time and Battery Usage (by Application), go to your Homescreen - Menu - Settings - About Phone.
Check the firmware version
To check your firmware version, start from the Homescreen and press Menu - Settings - About Phone- software version
This should list your Android version, Build number and Model Number.
Copy files between your phone and PC using WiFi
To copy files between your phone and PC, go to the Android Play Market and download an app called AirDroid.
This is an extremely useful App that connects your phone to your PC wirelessly, allowing you to move files and many, many other things.
Copying iTunes songs to Android
If you have decided to ditch your iPhone in favour of Android, then there is a simple way to take your iTunes music, playlists and album art with you.
Simply go the Android Marketplace and download a Free App called Easy Phone Tunes. You will also need the computer version of the software, so go to http://easyphonetunes.com and download it from there.
Then, when that is done, turn your phone into a USB storage device (this will vary from device to device, but instructions are on the website).
Once your phone is connected to your computer, open the computer version of the software and select your device from the Easy Phone Tunes list. Then follow the instructions to Sync your media
Create folders in your Quick Launch bar
If you have used up all of your Quick Launch spaces, then there is a trick.
Once it is full, press and drag an App from the homescreen and move it over the top of an App in the Quick Launch area. Then release your finger. This will create a folder containing the original App plus the new one. This is a great way to have access to regularly used App
Create shortcut to websites on your home screen
To create a shortcut to a website on your homescreen, go to your browser bookmarks.
Then long press on a site and select Add shortcut to Home
Customise your favourites tray
At the bottom of each homescreen is your favourites tray, which consists of 5 icons. You can customise it by adding icons to the tray. If it's full however, you will first need to remove some.
To remove an icon, simply press and hold an icon. Then drag it to your desktop.
Then to add a new one, simply drag an icon from your homescreen to the favourites tray.
Enable / disable vibrate / haptic feedback when you type
To disable / enable vibrate (also called haptic feedback) when you type or press the screen, go to Settings - Language & input - Settings.
Then uncheck Vibrate on keypress.
Enable sideload of Apps
If you want to install Apps outside of the Android Market (called sideloading), then go to Settings - Security - Unknown sources.
Note: use at your own risk.
Help, I have forgotten my unlock pattern
If you have forgotten your custom unlock pattern, then don't panic.
After 5 unsuccessful tries a button should appear saying 'Forgot pattern'. Press this and you will be asked to enter your Gmail username/password.
The phone will then ask for a new unlock pattern. If you don't have a Gmail account, then you might have to either call your carrier or factory reset your phone.
Hide folders or files
If you want to hide folders or files from being index or displayed, simple put a . (full stop / period) before the file or folder name.
Make volume / music louder
WARNING: Making your volume or music louder can damage your hearing.
Most phones have their volumes limited by local laws to protect our hearing. There is a way to boost your volume however. Go to the Android Market and download an App called Volume+ (Sound Boost). There is also a free version called Volume+ Free.
You will need to root your phone for this App to work.
Make your phone run faster
Here are the top 5 tips to make your phone run faster:
1) Use only essential widgets on your homescreen - each widget consumes memory and processing power which can slow your down your phone.
2) Uninstall apps that you don't use - after awhile your phone can get cluttered as some Apps are designed to always run in the background. If you rarely use an App, then uninstall it to free up memory and CPU resource.
3) Install Apps to your phone memory - if you have an SDCard, always install Apps to the phone memory, which can be accessed faster. If you have Apps on the SDCard, then move them back to the phone memory with an App called Move2SD available from the Play Market.
4) Use Static rather than Live wallpapers - Live wallpapers consume processing power and memory. Unless you really must have them, uninstall them.
5) Kill tasks occasionally - Some Apps will run in the background indefinitely unless you kill them. Most of them won't cause a problem, but it pays to check your running tasks from time to time. Hold down your Home key and check the Task Manager.
One last thing: Don't use Task Killers. Android manages tasks very well and Task Killers just make your phone unstable and can slow it down further
note this guide is mainy to help the people who didnt recieved a manual instructions booklet along with their phone like my country(INDIA)
CREDITS-paarthdesai

help
please help....my wildfire s restarts itself when i get calls,but its ok to when i charge it...it fell in the water. Is there a way to sort this out.

thnx bhai.. can u suggest me some essential apps for android??

I should add something about using task managers. Using task manager is a good thing to free up some ram quickly if required. Some good task managers like ''advanced task manager'' has a feature of ''ignore list'' in which such apps which automatically start or always run in background can be put to exception from getting killed. Indeed, restarting apps consume battery and CPU resources but I am mentioning some tricks for those who want to use task manager and also want better performing phone.
1-Use good task manager which has ''ignore apps'' type feature in it.
2- Utilizing this feature, add ''People'', ''Contacts'', ''Messaging'', ''Settings'', ''Music'' and all other apps which are set to ''auto start'' or always running in background (antivirus, facebook, Whatsapp, Google+, Google maps etc) to exception. In this way, these will not get killed and won't slow down phone while getting restarted.

is this really tips and tricks for wildfire s ?
'coz i cant rename a folder, either deleting an app from recent history

[Q] settings shortcut on tap

I was browsing for 2 days now and still cant find the answer, is there anyway that i can assign a shortcut for a specific option on my phone settings?
Like lets say, i have this RECTANGLE and when i tap it i want it to open WIFI settings, i was thinking of just installing a 3rd party app that allow shortcut but i couldnt find any i tried "settings shortcut" from google play but when i go to zooper and assign shortcut i cant even find the app on zooper shortcut lists?
Thanks a lot guys.

sm-g900h said:
I was browsing for 2 days now and still cant find the answer, is there anyway that i can assign a shortcut for a specific option on my phone settings?
Like lets say, i have this RECTANGLE and when i tap it i want it to open WIFI settings, i was thinking of just installing a 3rd party app that allow shortcut but i couldnt find any i tried "settings shortcut" from google play but when i go to zooper and assign shortcut i cant even find the app on zooper shortcut lists?
Thanks a lot guys.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My Zopper companion app (ZW Utilities) supports enable/disable toggles for Wifi, Data, Bluetooth and Flashlight, if that's what you are looking for. If you just want to open the Settings page for Wifi, you should be able to do that by opening the OnTap action dialog, swipe two times to the right to the "Shortcuts" page, scroll down until you see the "Settings shortcut" option. Tap that and you can select the settings sub page you want to open with a tap on the Zooper module.
Hope this helps you out and happy theming

what i wanted to do is just a simple task, like when i tap on that particular object it opens the WIFI settings, im sorry but i really cant find "Settings shortcut" im using galaxy s5

sm-g900h said:
what i wanted to do is just a simple task, like when i tap on that particular object it opens the WIFI settings, im sorry but i really cant find "Settings shortcut" im using galaxy s5
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't have any experience with the new Samsung devices, sorry. Might be that they don't have this feature in their system. Maybe another Samsung user can help you then.

oh gawd anyway thanks for your help mate

sm-g900h said:
oh gawd anyway thanks for your help mate
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You COULD use Tasker to get the job done. You can literally hard code it to toggle on/off Wifi. Then, when you're done configuring Tasker, hop over to your Zooper widget and just point it to the Tasker profile you just made. Should allow you to toggle when you click on whatever object you place in Zooper. You can also do the same for data toggles, images, etc.
EDIT: I actually forgot that they integrated this. Configure your rectangle then click Module OnTap, scroll two screens over to the right, click "Settings Shortcut" and then chose Wi-Fi. Then back out to your widget, let it update and then click on the rectangle. It SHOULD take you to your Wi-Fi settings page. Hope this helps. :0)

Slipkid08 said:
You COULD use Tasker to get the job done. You can literally hard code it to toggle on/off Wifi. Then, when you're done configuring Tasker, hop over to your Zooper widget and just point it to the Tasker profile you just made. Should allow you to toggle when you click on whatever object you place in Zooper. You can also do the same for data toggles, images, etc.
EDIT: I actually forgot that they integrated this. Configure your rectangle then click Module OnTap, scroll two screens over to the right, click "Settings Shortcut" and then chose Wi-Fi. Then back out to your widget, let it update and then click on the rectangle. It SHOULD take you to your Wi-Fi settings page. Hope this helps. :0)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
well hello back to that suggestion again i really cant find that "Settings Shortcut" thingy i am not sure why can you pls take a look at my video
click here for video url
i uploaded so you can see it clearly sadly i really cant find it.
And yeah by the way i have "tasker" but call me dumb i really dont know how to use it haha so if you say hard code my gawd i am thinking it will be so tough..

sm-g900h said:
well hello back to that suggestion again i really cant find that "Settings Shortcut" thingy i am not sure why can you pls take a look at my video
click here for video url
i uploaded so you can see it clearly sadly i really cant find it.
And yeah by the way i have "tasker" but call me dumb i really dont know how to use it haha so if you say hard code my gawd i am thinking it will be so tough..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hm. You are right. Odd. Give me a few days to do some research, and I'll try get back to you with some sort of workaround.

really? thats really cool thanks a lot

sm-g900h said:
really? thats really cool thanks a lot
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Looks like we may have a solution: http://www.jagwar.de/en/zooper-wifi-toggle/

hi thanks for your research i really do appreciate that however base on my understanding it just creates a toggle where it enable / disable the wifi, what i was trying to do is open a wifi settings.. im not sure if i can do that with tasker.. im really terrible at programming
i will do my own research too, again i appreciate your time
thanks a lot

Oh, I see. Let me continue poking around and see what I can come up with. Unfortunately for you, I don't think it can be done on your phone, seeing as you're missing a vital element to make it work...
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using XDA Free mobile app

yeah its such a shame that a new flagship that is supposed to be more powerful doesnt have this feature.. oh well i hope i can find a work around.
thanks a lot

To use Tasker:
Create a new task;
Enter a name for the task then click the check mark;
From the task edit page click the + at the bottom;
From the select action category list click settings;
Scroll to the bottom of the list then click WIFI settings;
You don't need to make any changes in the action edit page so go back to the task edit page;
Since your going to use the task as a shortcut you need to assign it an icon so click the icon on the bottom right corner (it looks like an app drawer icon);
Select an icon (it doesn't really matter which icon because for your purposes the icon will not display);
Then use the back button to completely back out of Tasker (this will automatically save the task).
From there just setup up your widget to launch a shortcut the task you just created.

sm-g900h said:
I was browsing for 2 days now and still cant find the answer, is there anyway that i can assign a shortcut for a specific option on my phone settings?
Like lets say, i have this RECTANGLE and when i tap it i want it to open WIFI settings, i was thinking of just installing a 3rd party app that allow shortcut but i couldnt find any i tried "settings shortcut" from google play but when i go to zooper and assign shortcut i cant even find the app on zooper shortcut lists?
Thanks a lot guys.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey there, although your request can be managed by Tasker, I feel like you want a quicker/easier alternative. Coding can wait another day.
Download this app from the play store link then enter the OnTap property of your chosen Zooper widget module > Swipe once to the right > Select Wifi Settings from the apps list.
And you're done. Just tap on the module after a minute to let it refresh and you're set.
The free app is under 18kb so hardly resource intensive and more than makes up for the surprising lack of Settings shortcuts on your S5. (Seriously, my Note 2 has these basic shortcuts as does most stock/custom roms. I wonder why it didn't make it to the S5).

I have been equally frustrated by a similar situation. I want a widget that automatically takes me to the battery status.
I had built one before but was being thwarted by the lack of access to this setting. I thought I was crazy in not finding the settings be available. I dont really need a toggle for the wifi, but is there a suggestion for the battery settings?
i suppose I will play around with Tasker to see if I can figure something out, now that I know I am not crazy.

i may have found a quicker solution via a third party...
- install 'anycut' from the play store (icon ooks like a mushroom house)
- when setting up the 'on tap' part, point to 'any cut' under 'shortcuts' and let your mind be blown by the myriad of shortcuts provided, including the elusive wi-fi settings
enjoy

Can't add apps/widgets to Nova launcher homescreen

Hi
I've just done a factory reset on my htc One. Htc backup failed miserably so I'm trying to manually reinstate my apps on Nova Launcher Prime. Long press and hold results in a popup of my homescreens in the background with no option to add apps or widgets. I've uninstalled/reinstalled Nova and checked the homescreen is unlocked but am pretty much out of ideas otherwise.
Any thoughts out there?
Thanks

go into
Nova settings > Desktop > Advanced > Lock Desktop.
That will probably be on so you cant add anything. Turn it off and you should be golden.

Thanks, but desktop lock is confirmed off. It's got to be Nova because I went briefly to sense launcher and long press works fine there.

Warthog01 said:
Hi
I've just done a factory reset on my htc One. Htc backup failed miserably so I'm trying to manually reinstate my apps on Nova Launcher Prime. Long press and hold results in a popup of my homescreens in the background with no option to add apps or widgets. I've uninstalled/reinstalled Nova and checked the homescreen is unlocked but am pretty much out of ideas otherwise.
Any thoughts out there?
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi, Warthog01...
Have you tried this....
Long press on any home screen... all of the homescreens should recede slightly into the background.
Three options should appear at the bottom of the screen...
Wallpapers, Widgets and Settings.
Select the Widgets option.
** To add a widget...
...simply drag one to the home screen.
** To add an app icon, or a selection of app icons...
...locate the shortcut right at the top entitled Apps or Folder. Drag this to a homescreen... It will 'open' and provide you with a list of all of your installed apps.
Check the tickbox of those apps you wish to add. Then press 'Add' to add them directly to the homescreen, or press 'Create Folder' to add them to the homescreen in an untitled folder.
(See attached screenshots.)
Hope this helps.
Rgrds,
Ged.

Hi GedBlake
Whoa! That's different. Must have been awhile since I upgraded Nova as I've been using the old long press for both apps and widgets right up until I did the factory reset yesterday. OK, I've got your widget selection to work, but not having much luck with the apps. When I long press and the homescreens recede, there's no app/folder shortcut at the top. I see the apps/folders shortcut at the top when I click my apps box of dots in the dock, but don't see a way to drag either to a homescreen. What am I doing wrong?
Also, am I the only one who thinks this is a helluva lot more complicated than long press and select app/widget? There must be advantages--right?

Warthog01 said:
Hi GedBlake
Whoa! That's different. Must have been awhile since I upgraded Nova as I've been using the old long press for both apps and widgets right up until I did the factory reset yesterday. OK, I've got your widget selection to work, but not having much luck with the apps. When I long press and the homescreens recede, there's no app/folder shortcut at the top. I see the apps/folders shortcut at the top when I click my apps box of dots in the dock, but don't see a way to drag either to a homescreen. What am I doing wrong?
Also, am I the only one who thinks this is a helluva lot more complicated than long press and select app/widget? There must be advantages--right?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi again, Warthog01...
Your mistake is here...
Warthog01 said:
...
"When I long press and the homescreens recede, there's no app/folder shortcut at the top"
...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
-----
You need to press the **Widgets button**, in order to see the Apps or Folder Shortcut.
It's in the Widget drawer... at the top.
(See additional screenshot).
-----
If you take another look at my second screenshot, you should see it at the top, between Nova Action and Activities. (All of these are Shortcuts, and are dragged to the Homescreen in the same way you would drag a regular widget. And they all behave in different ways when they're dropped onto a Homescreen.)
My third screenshot, is me dragging the Apps or Folder Shortcut to the Homescreen... out of the Widget Drawer, onto a Homescreen.
...and the fourth and final screenshot is it 'opening' and displaying all of my installed apps, and from where I can make my selection of apps that I want to add to my Homescreen.
------
With regard to the changes in the way Nova works...
Nova changed sometime in May of this year, with version 4.x, and with the developer adopting Googles Material/Lollipop design guidelines.
Here are some links of interest worth reading...
http://www.techrepublic.com/article/nova-launcher-gets-material
http://phandroid.com/2015/05/13/nova-launcher-4-stable-update
http://androidcommunity.com/nova-la...update-more-lollipop-sweetness-added-20150514
http://novalauncher.com/beta
Rgrds,
Ged.

Thanks again, Ged. I'm a little slow, but I'm nearly there, I think. One more dumb question ought to crack it! I now see the app drawer and have successfully dragged it to the home screen, but there are only two apps in there! Presumably, I have to populate the drawer with all my apps for them to appear. How do I do that, please?

Warthog01 said:
Thanks again, Ged. I'm a little slow, but I'm nearly there, I think. One more dumb question ought to crack it! I now see the app drawer and have successfully dragged it to the home screen, but there are only two apps in there! Presumably, I have to populate the drawer with all my apps for them to appear. How do I do that, please?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Aha! figured this one out all by myself. I had all my apps except two ticked as hidden. They're back now and I'm in business. Thanks very much for all the assistance--don't think I would have figured this out without you.
Cheers!

Warthog01 said:
Aha! figured this one out all by myself. I had all my apps except two ticked as hidden. They're back now and I'm in business. Thanks very much for all the assistance--don't think I would have figured this out without you.
Cheers!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's great news, @Warthog01... Glad you got it figured out.
Happy to to be of assistance .
Rgrds,
Ged.

I have another issue but don't know where to post it
I have an extensive hierarchy of tabs, folders, and folders inside of folders within my Nova Launcher app drawer setup. I'll just put it this way. I have 380 user apps downloaded, and only about 20 of them are folderless. It is all within 8 tab groups: Apps (contains app store and some stock apps), Web, Communication, Utility, Settings, Productivity, Media, and Misc. I may adjust this later. I'm using the identical red and blue icon packs "Tab Red" and Tab Blue Icon pack with the first four Tabs using only the red icon pack, and the last four only blue. It looks epic and is incredibly useful for finding what I need, but I've now spent a week trying to fix the issues that keep occurring.
I did all that work, taking me hours per day for about a week, and after each reboot, each day, the colors would reset on many of my apps, and every boot requires me to allow SD Card Write Access by moving files in ES File Explorer, or else the apps won't even appear within the app drawer (I figured this out 2 days ago). For some reason, no matter how I try to create a widget, the widgets will not show up, and when I finally get the widgets to finally work after restarting nova launcher and occasionally having to reinstall Nova and restore my backup. Even after taking all these steps, finally fixing the app drawer temporarily, My WIDGETS will require the same process to even appear anywhere. MY TABLET IS NOT ROOTED, and I am afraid to mess anything up (My rooted Note 10.1 2012 was basically rendered useless from lag and then the battery stopped working, so it is a brick that won't turn on/charge). I know there is some Xposed Module that allows users to enable write access by default, and you can use root to make external storage formatted into internal, or make nova launcher a system app, blah blah blah. I'm not going to do anything related to root, so if you know any way to fix this on 5.1.1 without rooting, that would be most appreciated. Basically, I am using my tablet for college and I probably won't root it for the next few years since I can't risk having something happen. If I can't fix this without rooting, then please recommend me a better launcher. I am really mad about these issues after all my efforts. Anyway, if you got this far, thanks for reading this and I hope someone can help.

I'm a newbie to Nova and after much scratching off head with setting up the interface I stumbled onto this thread. Thanks Ged for posting your answers - it's simple when you know how!!

Still can't add widgets to Nova Launcher. I even rooted and converted to a system app (app and prime both as system app). Widgets still won't appear on desktop. Lock Desktop is turned off. At a loss here as it happens both to my Alcatel tablet, my Stylo4.
Same issue, two different platforms.

Question Little dots on Apps missing on new messages

Hi there!
I don't know how they are called in the english original, but on my P6P I really miss the little dots e.g. on the Mail App when there are new messages.
In my options it has this option and it is on, but there aren't any of these dots. I really miss them, cause so you always have to pull down to see where there's something new when you are already using your phone.
Anyone a conclusion for me?

In the GMail app? I can't picture the dots.

That's called "Notification dot on app icon" and can be found in System Settings --> Notifications, down near the bottom.
It can also be turned on and off on a per-application basis by going into the application specific notification settings at System Settings --> Notifications --> App settings --> {whatever}, and switching on/off the option to "Allow notification dot" at the bottom.
But personally, I dislike this "feature". If the application notifies you, then why not click it instead of running around through your menus trying to find the one with the dot?

Thank you for the right name of what I'm looking for
But no I don't run around looking for these dots, I just open the phone and mostly there are WhatsApp or Mail news and I always have to look inside to see if there's anything new when I don't want to swipe down for my notifications.
The Settings are all set, but there are no dots for me!
Don't know if this matters, but I use the Nova Launcher.

ericDraven77 said:
Thank you for the right name of what I'm looking for
But no I don't run around looking for these dots, I just open the phone and mostly there are WhatsApp or Mail news and I always have to look inside to see if there's anything new when I don't want to swipe down for my notifications.
The Settings are all set, but there are no dots for me!
Don't know if this matters, but I use the Nova Launcher.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You need to allow notification access in Nova for the dots or badges to appear. Go into Nova settings > Notification Badges and then tap the message at the bottom of your screen to enable read access to notifications.
You can also check if notifications have been disabled by going into System Settings > Notifications > Device and App Notifications and checking if Nova is enabled or disabled.

The hint with the settings brought me to the solution I think. It seems you need Nova Launcher Prime for the dots