I have A Pixel 2 XL. It is up to date with all patches installed. No custom ROM. I am using Nova Launcher.
About a week ago, a persistent floating circular search icon appeared on my home screen. As I swipe from screen to screen, the icon goes with each screen.
When I tap the icon, it expands to to a transparent search bar showing the bing icon. I can type into the search bar, but it does not link to any search engine. It does nothing. I can type in another search term with the same result.
When I tap the arrow at the end of the search bar, it reverts back to the circular icon.
I can move the icon around the screen. If I tap and hold the icon, instead of giving me the opportunity to delete it like with any other icon, nothing happens.
I've deleted all Microsoft products except Office, refreshed the cache, run AVG Antivirus, and still nothing.
Nothing obvious shows in the Apps and Notifications area.
I'm wondering if it's related to Nova Launcher, but I can't see anything obvious in the settings.
I'm totally mystified.
Any ideas?
Alright, so here we go.
First I'd like to state that any antivirus on Android isn't a bad idea per-se, but with Play Protect it is pretty pointless. All apps are verified upon downloading them from the Play Store. Apps like AVG and Avast are renown for collecting data that they shouldn't be and add a lot of unnecessary features on top. You wanted an antivirus right? Not some app that can also detect through deranged means when your password is being used?
If you want something more effective (totally not an antivirus though), there is SD Maid. It will remove any files that are left behind by other applications, and clear out deprecated databases that are no longer being used. That's all it has ever done, and why I went out of my way to support the developer in their initiative.
Now, on to that bing search bar. I'd imagine that if the only MS app you have installed is in fact office, it may very well be the source of it all. Another possibility is an invasive application that might have been installed after allowing the installation of unknown sources.
Are there any apps you installed outside of the Play Store?
i dont have nova laucher, but i got the same problem.
this search-floating-icon, is always on top of all apps. it can not be deleted/hide.
i got this problem from yesterday,
since i installed some non reputable apps on google play
I have never installed an app outside the play store. Thanks for the detailed answer.
anonymous2312 said:
i dont have nova laucher, but i got the same problem.
this search-floating-icon, is always on top of all apps. it can not be deleted/hide.
i got this problem from yesterday,
since i installed some non reputable apps on google play
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm sorry about your problem, but I'm glad it's not just me.
PeekRhol said:
I'm sorry about your problem, but I'm glad it's not just me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think this is malware / virus.
open google play store, click the uninstall button in any application that you have installed.
this search-floating-icon automatically disappears, as if it was also uninstalled.
then 30 minutes laters its appear again..
dammmn @#$%^&
I have the same problem on my samsung tablet and I share your frustration. I think it comes with the software upgrade...chrome version xxxxx143. The icon temporarily disappear when you do an apps force stop but it comes back again. I have chrome on my other android devices but not this latest problem.
Can you post a screenshot of this thing?
Figured it out
Faced the same problem. It was an app Free VPN proxy master com.free.fast.master.unblock.proxy.vpn
After its removal button disappeared
Related
Question:
I searched high and low with no helpful results. I am running (place your favoite ROM here) and updated it to the latest release. I would like to have Google Maps Navigation as my default for driving directions. Before this update, Google Maps Navigation was one of the choices in the Complete action using selection. Now since the update, it no longer shows as an option. I did nothing different with the update and I restore all my apps from Google so nothing there has changed. How do I add the Navigation function of Google Maps App to the Compete action using list?
Chargerdude70 said:
Question:
I searched high and low with no helpful results. I am running (place your favoite ROM here) and updated it to the latest release. I would like to have Google Maps Navigation as my default for driving directions. Before this update, Google Maps Navigation was one of the choices in the Complete action using selection. Now since the update, it no longer shows as an option. I did nothing different with the update and I restore all my apps from Google so nothing there has changed. How do I add the Navigation function of Google Maps App to the Compete action using list?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Go to settings->apps->[what ever app you need (in this case maps and navigation)] and press clear defaults. This will remove the defaults saved in your phone, the next time you perform a task that can be done with both apps (like clicking on an address in your browser) it should ask you which app to use as your default.
Not sure if that helps, but if it does please slap that thanks button
aeppacher said:
Go to settings->apps->[what ever app you need (in this case maps and navigation)] and press clear defaults. This will remove the defaults saved in your phone, the next time you perform a task that can be done with both apps (like clicking on an address in your browser) it should ask you which app to use as your default.
Not sure if that helps, but if it does please slap that thanks button
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for the reply but I tried that already with no results. This seems to be something else.
Hi Folks
Sometimes when some apps update from the play store their shortcuts disappear from the home screens (if I have paced one there), the app itself will still be present and correct in the app drawer, but there are empty spaces on the home screen where their shortcut was before the app was updated.
Their seems to be no rhyme or reason to when or which apps have there shortcuts removed. Some will go several updates with no change then suddenly they're gone, others do it every time they update and some never do it.
Is there a reason for this behavior? Is there a way to prevent it or at least understand when it will happen?
Sometimes I don't realise the shortcut is missing until sometime after several app updates and then I'm flicking through my home-screens and there is a blank where there shouldn't be and I'm wondering what app I had there...
This is with a stock HOX with the most recent android/sense.
Thanks
As far as I know it should not remove the icons from the Home screen if the app is just updating. It's possible some update actually remove the original application and install the new update such cases it may remove the shortcut from the Home screen since there is an uninstall process happening after the installation.
As a long time Android user, I (like most others) had a bit of a hard time getting used to using the Fire Phone's FireOS. Having used the OS for a couple of weeks now, it's not quite so bad once you get used to a few things and learn a few new tricks. Just wanted to start a thread for collecting these types of things that will help others making the transition to FireOS. I'm purposely omitting the fact that google play store can be side loaded whenever possible (sideloading the play store is something I highly recommend everyone with this phone do) so that I can focus on tips and tricks that actually relate to transitioning to FireOS.
Side panels Most everyone at this point is probably aware of the extra info panels that can be accessed by swiping in from the left or right edge of the screen. I have mixed feelings on this myself, as it's used well in some apps (like swiping from the right edge while typing a text message to add pictures), and not very well in other apps (and yet not at all in some apps). Additionally, it's not always obvious if an app does support this feature, or if a certain app will put these options in either the left panel, right panel, or both.
Back Button There is no back button on the Fire Phone. This was a cause of confusion at first. The back button has been replaced with a "swipe up" from the bottom of the screen to go back. This can be a bit finicky at times, but I've found that if I start a short swipe up from the top edge of the home button, it works nearly every time. Additionally, some apps seem to treat this a little differently, as from time to time I will see "back" and "menu" soft-buttons appear at the bottom of the screen when this gesture is used.
Screen Shots You can take a picture of whatever is on the screen by pressing the power and volume down buttons at the same time
App Switcher This is usually accessed on a NORMAL Android phone by long holding the home button. In FireOS, the same is accomplished by double-tapping the home button (the long hold in FireOS brings up voice search). This is the fastest way to switch between apps and gets you around having to navigate the carousel. Also, while in the app switcher, you can swipe individual apps up to kill the process AND remove them from the carousel. I like the Fire Phones implementation here much better than stock Androids. You can double-press the button very fast and this is much less disruptive to workflow while multitasking than pausing for a long press. I think Amazon implemented the switcher and action of the home button beautifully.
Home Button I initially found the behavior of the home button weird. On first press (from a running app), it will take you to the carousel. Additional presses from this point will cycle between the Carousel and the app tray.
App Tray Aside from subsequent presses of the home button, the app tray can be slid up by touching and dragging the bottom row of quick launch icons upward while in the carousel. Likewise, you can continually drag the app tray downward to eventually reach the carousel at the top. It will seem more logical if you picture in your mind that the Carousel sits at the top of the app tray.
Another App Tray annoyance is the lack of alphabetical sorting of apps. While I've found no way to do this automatically, apps can be dragged and dropped in the app tray in any order you like. Apps can either be dragged on top of eachother to create collections (folders), or dragged in between other apps for changing the sorting order. A bit of a pain initially, but pretty easy to keep up with once you get your current collection sorted initially.
Lastly, to get the most from your 4 quick launch icon slots - you can use collections (folders) there as well! This is a feature I'm really using a lot lately to make navigating and the lack of a normal launcher much easier! For example, currently I have the following 4 quick launch collections: "Communication","News","Organize" and "Media". Within the "Communication" collection, I have Phone, Contacts, Messaging, Email, Facebook, Messenger, and Snap Chat. Within the "News" collection, I have Yahoo, Silk Browser and Weather. Within "Oganize" I have Notes, Calendar, and Our Groceries. Within Media I havePhotos, Music, Prime Music, Instant Video, Plex and Netflix. Since using collections in the quick launch area, I find that I rarely ever use the app tray, as my most frequently used apps are right there, easily accessible from the Carousel.
Facebook Mesenger If you're used to using the floating chat heads, and missing them in FireOS, here is a tip. Go to messenger, and enter the settings. Navigate to "Chat heads", ensure the switch is set to "On" and that the "Hide when using apps that take up the full screen" checkbox is NOT checked. For some reason the FireOS launcher/carousel is treated like a full-screen app.
Music Fire phone comes with a "Music" app. But don't confuse this with Amazon's own "Prime Music" app - they are actually two different apps! For those that use the prime music service, do yourself a favor by installing "Prime Music" right from the Amazon App Store. Why this isn't on the phone by default is beyond me!
Cellular usage data As most of us have to keep tabs on our data usage, I find this to be a nice built-in feature (though not the easiest to find). You can set your monthly limit and view current usage under "Settings->Wi-Fi & Networks->See your cellular data usage"
Carousel I'm not a huge fan of the carousel, though I'm finally starting to adapt to it.
EDIT: I'm starting to become a huge fan of the carousel. It has forced me to become organized, and the ability to do simple actions (delete emails for example) without opening an app is just awesome once you get used to it.
There is one cool feature, and that's "pin to front". You can make any number of apps appear at the beginning of the carousel by long-pressing and selecting "pin to front". This has limited utility, as this is only efficient for pinning a few frequently used apps to the front of the list, but still useful once you start using it.
Also, the dragging and dropping apps from the app tray works to replace the default quick launch apps that appear at the bottom of the carousel.
For non-app items (books, music, etc) that appear in the carousel, long-pressing will reveal an addition option of "Pin to app grid", which will pin the book/music/whatever into the app grid for easy access just as if it were an app.
For Pinned items, you can reorder them kind of crudely with a long press and using the "Move to front" option
Status Bar By default, the status bar auto-hides. You set it to always be visible in Settings->Display
Lock Screen This actually has a very little-knows and very cool feature called a "Locket". This allows you to add a number of photos that can easily be accessed from the lock screen. The utility of this isn't immediately obvious, so consider this scenario:
You bump into an old friend in the mall and they ask how your family is doing. Instead of pulling out your phone, getting to the app tray, pulling up the "Photos" app and searching for pictures to show - you can use the locket feature to do this much more efficiently.
To setup and/or access the photo locket feature, from the lock screen, simply swipe from right to left (instead of swiping up to unlock). This enters the photo locket, where you can add more photos, or swipe left and right to view the collection of photos in your locket. It's actually a really neat feature and has some real utility (I can't count how many times I've had to fumble through navigating through my entire photo collection to show pictures of my kids to someone I haven't seen in a while. This really makes it easy)
Silk Browser Another thing I'm not very keen on - though if you plan on using stock FireOS, learning to properly use the app will help.
EDIT: Ok, the browser is growing on me now.
It can be a bit confusing since there is a menu button in the upper-right hand corner, a different menu in the left panel (accessed by swiping in from the left edge of the screen), and other options such as tab switching that are only visible at the bottom of the screen only at certain times. I'll try to detail some of the common functions here:
Bookmarking pages Bring up the page you want to bookmark, then use the menu button in the upper-right hand corner to add the bookmark
Desktop View Use the menu button in the upper right-hand corner and navigate to "Request another view", which will allow you to select the desktop view
Clearing browsing history Access the menu in the left panel, and go to settings, then "Your Data" -> "Clear Browser Data". From here you can clear just history, or anything else such as cookies, etc. You can also clear sites from the history list one at a time by using the left panel menu->History and long pressing the entries you wish to delete.
Tab Management This took me quite some time to figure out. Sometimes I would notice the tab switcher at the bottom of the browser, other times I wouldn't. To make these tab controls visible again, simply start scrolling the current web page back towards the top of the page and the tab controls will appear.
Private Browsing Mode This keeps websites from saving to your history, saving cookies, etc. Like other options, it's not easy to find in the Silk browser. To go into private browsing mode, use the Tab Management above to enter the list of tabs. On this screen you will find the option for private browsing.
Offline Reading One interesting feature that is useful (but poorly implemented) is "Reading Lists", which stories/web pages for offline reading. It's confusing, because you use one menu system to save to the reading list, and yet another menu to access the saved items. To save a page for later viewing, use the menu button in the upper right-hand corner and choose "Save to Reading List". To access the actual reading list to either read, or remove items, use the left panel menu->"Reading List"
Default Search Engine The search engine can be changed from the default (Bing) to either Google or Yahoo by going to the left panel->Settings->Search Engine
Cloud Photos Prime members get unlimited storage for backing up photos. Unfortunately, it's poorly implemented in FireOS and ONLY allows for automatic uploading of ALL new photos at this time. But what if you want to be able to specifically select only the photos you want stored on the cloud? Unfortunately in stock FireOS this isn't yet possible. However, if you have installed the Google Play Store or are familiar with side loading, look for the "Amazon Cloud Drive Photos" app - which oddly enough is published by Amazon for general Android devices, but not available to their own Fire Phone via their own App Store. At any rate, this is how to get around the limitation of the default implementation.
I'd love to hear tips from others and continue learning to use FireOS more efficiently. The tips I outlined above have made this a very usable OS for me, even though I flat out hated it at first. I'll try to keep up adding tips and tricks from others to this master list.
Edited the first post a bit. FireOS is really starting to grow on me and I'm actually more productive now on my Fire Phone than I was on my Galaxy Note II. Amazon still has some work to do on FireOS - but once you get the hang of it its a nice efficient OS
Found another tip. I'll add it here and to the original post:
For non-app items (books, music, etc) that appear in the carousel, long-pressing will reveal an addition option of "Pin to app grid", which will pin the book/music/whatever into the app grid for easy access just as if it were an app.
Thanks. Your tips made a real night and day difference between using Fire phone.
jondecker76 said:
Found another tip. I'll add it here and to the original post:
For non-app items (books, music, etc) that appear in the carousel, long-pressing will reveal an addition option of "Pin to app grid", which will pin the book/music/whatever into the app grid for easy access just as if it were an app.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks JonDecker. Your tips made a difference of actually liking and using Fire phone. Couldn't find such information anywhere else.
Not a problem
After being with the phone for quite some time now, I actually cringe when I have to use my wife's LG G2 for anything. Once you learn a how to use FireOS , it's really pretty good!
Good stuff!!! I personally think that the interface is not that bad... and it is very smooth and quick... i like the phone. No tricks from me at the moment but i will share if i found any ?
Sent from my SD4930UR using XDA Free mobile app
If you have NFC turned on and tap it against your PC (with NFC as well) you can share the whats currently on your phones screen. I found this by accident. The screen shot pop's up in your pc's browser.
Increasing Battery Life
I have found that disabling Dynamic Perspective increases the duration of my phone charge significantly. This can be done by going to Settings (swipe from top) > Display > Configure low motion settings > Dynamic Perspecitve.
I'm glad to see a thread dedicated to this. I'd like to share a review I wrote on this phone a while ago as I feel it adds to the already terrific thread topic.
Below, in no particular order, is a list of things I hated out of the box. Following will be my feelings, along with tips & tricks, on the same items.
1. The Home Screen - I didn't like how the apps were randomly scattered on the home screen. It was difficult for me find what I was looking for.
2. No Google Play Store - I understand the logic behind this from a business prospective. However, from a consumer prospective, there are apps I use on a daily basis that were not available in the Amazon App Store. As bad as this sounds, it means I'd have to change my life style to accommodate this device. One thing that kind of floored me on this is that Google doesn't block the Amazon App store on their OS.
3. The grid - It scrolls up and down, where I've been used to scrolling left to right. Also, there is no way to easily sort the applications by alphabetical order. It simply displays them as they are installed.
4. The lack of soft keys - I've been accustomed to soft keys to open the menu, go home, view recently used apps, and to go back.
5. Notifications - The notification bar doesn't keep a log of icons of notifications. For example, if I get a KIK message it drops down, previews it, and vanished. Unless I open up the notification panel there is nothing to remind you of this. This bothers me as I often don't review them straight away and forget it even happened.
6. Keyboard - There is absolutely no way to install another keyboard. I've been a long time user of Swift Key and I keep find myself hitting the period instead of the space bar.
Due to the above I decided to try to make the phone a bit more what I'm used to. This was easy as I simply had to side load a few apps. This mainly included the apps that were not in the Amazon App Store along with a launcher to replace the Amazon Home screen. After installing several launchers I found one that I was happy with as it permitted me to use custom Widgets. I used it this way for a week or so and was happy to have my old Style back.
Now that I didn't feel held back, or limited by the device, I wanted to give it a go on how it was intended to be used. I changed my default home launcher to the Fire OS launcher. After using it a bit, and exploring it, it's my default launcher with no plans of going back to the standard Android Launcher! Below are the same 6 items listed above, but including how I feel about them now. It will also include what I consider to be tips & tricks, things I wish I knew out of the box.
1. The Home Screen - The use of Dynamic Perspective to access menus is amazing! The apps that are created for this OS have beautiful home screen widgets that I'm not sure I could go with out now. I love the fact I can read SMS messages on the home screen, emails on the home screen, a flip of the wrist shows me the current weather, my upcoming appointment and reminders, and much more. Although there is no easy way to change the apps listed, you can pin apps to the front. So simply pin the app that you want listed last first, and the first app last. This will put them in the order that you'd like.
2. No Google Play Store - As others have mentioned, installing the Google Play Store is very simply on this device. There is no downgrading required. Simply side load a few APK files. I won't go into detail on this as it can be found in a lot of other places.
3. The grid - I don't mind scrolling up and down now. It's second nature now. However, you still can not sort the apps. You must go through the tedious process of moving them one at a time by clicking and dragging it. I did this so they are sorted alphabetically. If I install a new app I now simply drag it where I feel it should be.
4. The lack of soft keys - I'm so used to swiping up now it's odd to use a traditional Android phone's back button! The physical home button works fine, especiall8y now that I discovered the "Quick Switch" menu by double pressing the home key.
5. Notifications - I've toggled all the options regarding notifications in the settings. My original complaint still exists. This was a HUGE set back for me with this device. Luckily, with a lot of trial and error, I found an app that works well for me. It's call NotifierPro Free. I configured it so a bar drops down and stays under the status bar. I also configured it so these notifications remain until I swipe them away. This has been a HUGE help in allowing me to adapt to this device.
6. Keyboard - There is still no way to change the default keyboard, even after side loading one. Amazon told me they made an update to their Kindles which allows the use of changing keyboard applications, so there will be an update that allows the Fire Phone to do the same.
Tips & Tricks / Q & A
1. Switching between running apps quickly.
- To do this simply press the home button twice quickly. You will be presented with a menu called "Quick Switch" where your most recently used apps can be found.
2. How do I quit apps that I'm not using at the moment to extend battery life and free resources?
- If you double click the home button to access the "Quick Switch" menu you can swipe up which will close the app, remove it from the quick switch menu, along with removing it from the cluttered home carousel.
3. Can I group applications together?
- Yes you can! Inside the home menu click and drag an application over another. It will ask you to give the new collection a name and they are then in a group. This is a great way to keep things together and sorted. You can also drag these "collections" into the home screen dock.
4. Any tips for the Camera?
- Yes! I've read about this "best shot" feature, but it didn't seem to do anything for me once I enable it. However, which viewing the photos you already have taken you will have a "best shot" option you can click on. This will show you the 3 photos the camera took, allowing you to select the one that you like the best.
- Burst Feature - The Amazon pages states you can click and hold the camera button to take a burst of photos. This doesn't work for me as it opens up Fire Fly. However, if you press and hold the soft key this feature works.
5. Amazon App Store or Google Play Store?
- I suggest you use the App from the Amazon App Store if available. Some of these apps are created specifically for the Fire Phone and give home screen widgets that the standard app does not support. For example, if you install KIK from the Amazon App Store it allows you to read messages on your home screen, where if you install it from the Play Store it does not.
6. Is the battery really as bad as people say?
- Maybe originally prior to the newest update. The newest update bring out amazing battery life, compared to my old phone at least. I can easily get through an entire day on a single charge. This is under moderate use such as messaging, emailing, browsing eBay, the web, and normal app use. I do not use the device to watch movies or television shows.
As I continue finding things about this phone that I feel are worth mentioning, I'll be sure to update this review. Outside of that, if you have bought this device but initially installed the Google Home Launcher, I strongly suggest you open your mind and give the Amazon Home Launcher a shot. It's truly amazing.
Can you post a link to "notification pro free"? I can't find it in the amazon store and my google-fu is failing me.
ractar28 said:
Can you post a link to "notification pro free"? I can't find it in the amazon store and my google-fu is failing me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm not sure if it's against any site rules, so I'll PM you.
---------- Post added at 05:46 AM ---------- Previous post was at 05:40 AM ----------
ractar28 said:
Can you post a link to "notification pro free"? I can't find it in the amazon store and my google-fu is failing me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My apologies, and thanks for pointing this out. I had the app name wrong. It's actually NotifierPro Free!
Look at alternative markets or use a website to remotely download apks from the google appstore.
I have 1mobile market installed on my phone and it has it and it works.
Btw. Go Launcher Ex + Go Notifier works for notification badges (unread count at the app icon) and all widgets (you have to pull them onto the screen after every restart though) but has not wallpapers.
I use it, since I disliked the huge bar that Notifier used.
Now it almost feels like normal Android, I just wish I could deactivate the standard lockscreen... I already tried a lot of stuff via ADB, but I guess it needs root for it.
Since I do not want to root my phone as long as there is not notification bar like in stock android, I am fine now.
ractar28 said:
Can you post a link to "notification pro free"? I can't find it in the amazon store and my google-fu is failing me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I like having found this thread, I had my fire phone for about a month now and I still can't get used to not having the back and menu soft buttons. Otherwise I do like the phone quite a bit and that is having to use it along with my Galaxy Note 3 work phone.
For some time now when I open Google it freezes then a pop-up says "Google is not responding, close app, wait, send feedback". Sometimes if I select wait it runs but usually it happens again.
I cleared the cache and now I get a different message "Launcher 3 is not responding, close or wait"
Does anyone know of any solution please
clear the data of the following apps
google
google play services
your launcher (what ever the name of it maybe)
then restart your phone
Thank you. Launcher 3 isn't listed in the apps. It's down as the Home app under configure apps. I'm on Android 7
Calomax said:
Thank you. Launcher 3 isn't listed in the apps. It's down as the Home app under configure apps. I'm on Android 7
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Make sure you have pressed the 3 dots on the top right corner & select show system - so you can also see system apps in the list
You can always just install and use a different launcher - I recommend evie launcher (playstore)
Thank you, I didn't know you could do that. I cleared the cache on Launcher 3 (which is my stock launcher) but it didn't make any difference. So I installed Evie. I now have to open Google from a shortcut and it still doesn't respond, but if I select Wait it does respond eventually.
When I refer to Google, I think I mean Google Now which opens stories connected to things I've looked at.
Calomax said:
Thank you, I didn't know you could do that. I cleared the cache on Launcher 3 (which is my stock launcher) but it didn't make any difference. So I installed Evie. I now have to open Google from a shortcut and it still doesn't respond, but if I select Wait it does respond eventually.
When I refer to Google, I think I mean Google Now which opens stories connected to things I've looked at.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Clearing data is different from clearing cache - its within the same menu options though in app settings
Sorry, I misread your post. I'll try it again.
I wish I'd read your post properly the first time. I've done it now and it seems to be working properly now. Thank you.
That's the problem I kept having.. Click on:
Settings, Apps, Show System, Launcher 3, Force Stop, Storage, Clear Data.
*It will delete your home screen icons, so you'll have to re-add them onto your home screen again.
Sent from my Moto G (5) using XDA-Developers Legacy app
With the introduction of Android 11, Task Changer no longer functions. I despise Android's native iOS-style task switcher. If I wanted my phone to function like an iPhone with iOS gesture garbage and UI copycats I would have bought an iPhone. It's especially annoying when I open the switcher to swipe away the current app only to realize it automatically scrolled to an app beside it and I've instead swiped away the app I wanted to switch to instead closing the current one. Not only does this do the exact opposite of what I wanted, it makes things even worse because I now have to reopen the app I wanted to switch to. Depending on what that is, text fields, progress, etc can be lost and require several minutes to restore. Blah blah you get the picture. It sucks. Many people must agree with me or Task Changer wouldn't exist as a first party app, let alone at all.
Tl;dr and the actual question, Is there anything out there that can be used to substitute the functions of Good Lock's Task Changer until Samsung updates it to work with the latest software? I've looked but I haven't been able to find anything. In addition to this question I've noticed that the navigation gestures don't work at all 70% of the time and require the gesture hint lines to be enabled in order for them to work reliably. Is this related to Good Lock not being updated which would otherwise smooth that out, or is it a general software bug? I only ask because I've had Good Lock's Task Changer active ever since the S8+ Pie update, which was two phones ago, so I've avoided the stock task switcher like the plague until now.
Wait a bit as Samsung should update it soon.
Any more I don't update any OS I like and if I do it's only after lots of positive feedback exists.
Still happily running Pie and W7X64, lol.
blackhawk said:
Wait a bit as Samsung should update it soon.
Any more I don't update any OS I like and if I do it's only after lots of positive feedback exists.
Still happily running Pie and W7X64, lol.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I used to rock the same boat. I have no idea why I strayed from that methodology this one time but I regret it. Maybe it was the notification history feature, but that's definitely not worth it considering a lot of things are now broken. Honestly with everything that's wrong with it it feels like I was given a beta version of the OS someone marked as stable only because it doesn't kernel panic. Not being able to reliably use the iOS-style navigation gestures that were forced upon me is a pretty big deal. You'd think people testing the software would realize that the single most used - and arguably most important - thing in the OS (back, home, and task switcher swipe-up gesture) doesn't work properly.
WiggleCat said:
I used to rock the same boat. I have no idea why I strayed from that methodology this one time but I regret it. Maybe it was the notification history feature, but that's definitely not worth it considering a lot of things are now broken. Honestly with everything that's wrong with it it feels like I was given a beta version of the OS someone marked as stable only because it doesn't kernel panic. Not being able to reliably use the iOS-style navigation gestures that were forced upon me is a pretty big deal. You'd think people testing the software would realize that the single most used - and arguably most important - thing in the OS (back, home, and task switcher swipe-up gesture) doesn't work properly.
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Android has the Windows Syndrome bad... mixed in with the Apple Swine Flu
Try One Handed Operation+, lol if it loads the new OS that is. It's gestures are reliable.
Low battery, resources use and rock solid stable.
I'm also very frustrated.
When bringing up the app switcher there is no longer an "apps" button that pops up a list of my installed app icons which I can then long press on and drag to open them in split screen, pop up view, or just open them regularly. It's just a blank screen now with only the apps I have open on it. Was that a feature of Good Lock's Task Changer too? I absolutely need that back. Multitasking is a nightmare and a half without it.
WiggleCat said:
When bringing up the app switcher there is no longer an "apps" button that pops up a list of my installed app icons which I can then long press on and drag to open them in split screen, pop up view, or just open them regularly. It's just a blank screen now with only the apps I have open on it. Was that a feature of Good Lock's Task Changer too? I absolutely need that back. Multitasking is a nightmare and a half without it.
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No, that was a feature of the normal app switcher. I personally don't like the goodlock one. I'm glad I'm on an S10 and still get options lol.
I couldn't agree more with OP. I get that some people want this unproductive annoying deck of card recent apps design, but why on earth isn't there more layouts to choose from in the settings somewhere. I've usually used custom ROMs, and most of them had these settings (I mostly used slim recents and I loved it), but not recently due to some apps' aggressive anti root, anti custom rom policies like banking apps, f***Ing snapchat, etc. I was so happy when I found out about Nice Lock, but then Sammy nagged about updating and I did it to my not-so-big surprise it messed up everything. Sorry I have no good answer here, just had to agree and ventilate.
Task changer is now an option in the Home Up app. Updated today.
But it's not working on my Note 10+ running latest firmware.
DejanSathanas said:
Task changer is now an option in the Home Up app. Updated today.
But it's not working on my Note 10+ running latest firmware.
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I got an update also, and Task Changer now shows in Home Up, but when I click it says to download update. But I just downloaded the update...so idk what's happening.
Fatmonk8 said:
I got an update also, and Task Changer now shows in Home Up, but when I click it says to download update. But I just downloaded the update...so idk what's happening.
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Seems like a error "fix" to task changer.
I downloaded Home up, from apkmirror website Saw 2 x versions available, with today's date.
Installed second update (Version: 2.0.01.11 (200100011)... as it stated there was a fix for Task changer that was force closing.
Big disappointment, as there is only really 2 new options. The normal list one, and the extra ones
Grid and Stack.
Good luck.
DejanSathanas said:
Task changer is now an option in the Home Up app. Updated today.
But it's not working on my Note 10+ running latest firmware.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
See my post below.
Try the updated version up Home Version: 2.0.01.11 (200100011)
Should work now as the updated version fixes Task changer that was force closing.
Just downloaded it. What happened to all the choices? There's only 3 now. I had liked the grid view where I can swipe up and down. Now I can only swipe right.
willcor said:
See my post below.
Try the updated version up Home Version: 2.0.01.11 (200100011)
Should work now as the updated version fixes Task changer that was force closing.
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I downloaded the 2.0.01.11 and still with the same problem. Please download the latest One UI home market place update.
android-incredible said:
I downloaded the 2.0.01.11 and still with the same problem. Please download the latest One UI home market place update.
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In my case I've sideloaded Home up module, from apkMirror website, the updated version of Home up ....version..... " .11" and my task changer is working ok.
See screenshot
Good luck
After sideloading the .11 update it still tells me to install the One UI Home Market update. So Home Up's Task Changer isn't working either.
WiggleCat said:
After sideloading the .11 update it still tells me to install the One UI Home Market update. So Home Up's Task Changer isn't working either.
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head inside google search bar and one ui home latest version scroll down until you see al version and download Samsung One UI Home 12.1.01.15
android-incredible said:
head inside google search bar and one ui home latest version scroll down until you see al version and download Samsung One UI Home 12.1.01.15
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Click to collapse
This worked, but as someone pointed out earlier there are only three options for the task changer which don't even change the layout at all. Unfortunately this isn't useful, as it only moves the recent apps closer together or shrinks them. For now I guess it's back to waiting for the task changer app itself to be updated.
WiggleCat said:
This worked, but as someone pointed out earlier there are only three options for the task changer which don't even change the layout at all. Unfortunately this isn't useful, as it only moves the recent apps closer together or shrinks them. For now I guess it's back to waiting for the task changer app itself to be updated.
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Knowing samsung, I'm afraid that this is it. And it seems to only work reliablywhen you actually use them as a home screen, I use Nova launcher
friguy3 said:
Knowing samsung, I'm afraid that this is it. And it seems to only work reliablywhen you actually use them as a home screen, I use Nova launcher
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Click to collapse
Fine Lock says Task Changer will be updated in March.