Android Apps - Samsung, The Good and The Bad

[Joe_Linux]

I'd like to start a thread on not only the Apps from the Markets, but the Samsung system software.

One App that I installed yesterday, is called "CircleLauncher". It's a fantastic App that makes your device much easier to use because you can organize your App Launcher Icons into logical groups. It is quick and responsive and works very nicely on the 5.0.

https://market.android.com/details?i...launcher&hl=en

Along with this idea, I would like to say that I don't like the launcher bar on the bottom of the 5.0 because you are stuck with the Apps that Samsung has decided that you should use. It would be really a nice feature if you could put the CircleLauncher apps on that bar. I have a friend that has a Verizon Driod phone and that person is able to change the launcher icons on the bottom bar. Unfortunately on the Samsung implementation it seems as though you cannot.

Does anyone know how to modify the bottom bar short of rooting the device?

[CrowdAds]

[notlofty]

Yup, it's actually a very easy process!
All you have to do is install a new launcher from the Market! Tho I don't know how a new Launcher app will interact with your Circlelauncher.
The main problem with this is deciding which launcher to use. The two most popular ones seem to be launcherpro and go launcher ex. LauncherPro seems to be faster but requires you to buy a paid version to unlock all the customization features. Go Launcher EX gives you loads of different options to play with and customize and that's the one that I use.

[MagicCripple]

+1 for LauncherPro

I use LauncherPro... The free one works just fine. I would highly recommend it. I have not tried Go Launcher EX, But will try that out too.

[Joe_Linux]

Launcher Pro worked for a while including the Circle Launcher Widgets, but then Launcher Pro crashed and lost all the work I had put into it, so it doesn't seem like a viable option. Many of the launchers in the Market don't work with the 5.0.

[gotok]

Originally Posted by Joe_Linux

{snip}
Does anyone know how to modify the bottom bar short of rooting the device?

1. From the home page, press the Apps button on the bottom bar.
2. Scroll to a non-full apps page
3. Press Menu (lower left), then the edit option.
4. Drag one of the icons on the bottom bar up to the apps page to remove it from the bar.
5. Drag an icon from the apps page to the bottom bar to add it.
6. When done, Press menu and save.

[TexasRockbox]

We have a winner!

[Joe_Linux]

Originally Posted by gotok

1. From the home page, press the Apps button on the bottom bar.
2. Scroll to a non-full apps page
3. Press Menu (lower left), then the edit option.
4. Drag one of the icons on the bottom bar up to the apps page to remove it from the bar.
5. Drag an icon from the apps page to the bottom bar to add it.
6. When done, Press menu and save.

Works like a charm. Where or how did you learn that trick? I put the brightness control, GrooVe IP, and Folder Player on as my "sticky" apps. I wonder what people feel is the best or most important choices?

[Goucham]

I live in the Caribbean so [stupid and arbitrary] region based restrictions are nothing new. I bought my (US) Galaxy Player 4 to use primarily as a podcast player so the fact that the Market works at all is a pleasant surprise.

There are location restricted apps but if you are just using the Market app on the device you might not even miss them because it hides anything unavailable to you. If you try to direct-link to an app with a restriction, they tell you why you are unable to download it.

There is at least one quirk I've run into that, although can be worked around, I hope gets resolved in the next Market update. When I tried to download a 41MB+ game called Wind-up Knight, I got an error saying that I had insufficient storage. This is clearly not the problem on a device where the first gig hasn't even been consumed yet. After hitting a few message boards, it would seem that this current version of the Market app has issues with larger downloads on some devices.

The workaround involved reverting to the stock Market app that shipped with the device by clearing the data and removing the automatic update from the Application menu. In order to do the installation before the automatic update kicked in again, I had to initiate the download from the web-based Android Market before signing into the Market app on the Galaxy Player.

Long story short, the installation was successful and the game works great on this device. Definitely a lot 'fiddlier' than it should have been but I'm a PC guy so I'm used to it.

[iJimaniac]

Originally Posted by gotok

1. From the home page, press the Apps button on the bottom bar.
2. Scroll to a non-full apps page
3. Press Menu (lower left), then the edit option.
4. Drag one of the icons on the bottom bar up to the apps page to remove it from the bar.
5. Drag an icon from the apps page to the bottom bar to add it.
6. When done, Press menu and save.

I knew that !
I must say I agree that launcher pro is the best!

[bbaasje]

Originally Posted by gotok

1. From the home page, press the Apps button on the bottom bar.
2. Scroll to a non-full apps page
3. Press Menu (lower left), then the edit option.
4. Drag one of the icons on the bottom bar up to the apps page to remove it from the bar.
5. Drag an icon from the apps page to the bottom bar to add it.
6. When done, Press menu and save.

Thanks man, I'm new to android, and wondered what to do with the bad, haha
cloudskipper is on 1 now, great player.

[heavenlyabyss]

Interesting, I'm very new to android as well. =o I am still lost as to which apps I should check out. I had an Apple product for 3-4 years and just switched over because it was a better deal to me. I really love the customization of Android so far..there are so many neat ways to customize your little device. >w<;

[tcat]

+1 GO Launcher