Database Users

[Q] Bored of the "On Screen Buttons" Nexus 7

Hey guys,
I've had my Nexus for just over a month now and apart from a few minor issues I'm really enjoying my experience with my Nexus.
BUT: One thing that really p*sses me off is the total waste of screen real estate being the "on screen buttons". I can sort of understand the device having as few as possible buttons is pretty cool but when it starts invading your screen size that is NOT COOL.
I have a few questions for google: Why oh why did you make the background for the navigation buttons black?? Why not transparent? Or transparent with a blur effect? Personally I would prefer just transparent with faint white back, home and app switcher buttons. It would make more of the screen available to see.
If I were to root my device, are these things that i could schange in the System or Framework RES folders? Or would it be much more complicated than that (i.e. changing color hex's in .xml files?)?

Search for how to enable the tablet UI. I had to enlarge the font to make things a bit more comfortable for me, but I really do like the true tablet UI.
sikodemon said:
Hey guys,
I've had my Nexus for just over a month now and apart from a few minor issues I'm really enjoying my experience with my Nexus.
BUT: One thing that really p*sses me off is the total waste of screen real estate being the "on screen buttons". I can sort of understand the device having as few as possible buttons is pretty cool but when it starts invading your screen size that is NOT COOL.
I have a few questions for google: Why oh why did you make the background for the navigation buttons black?? Why not transparent? Or transparent with a blur effect? Personally I would prefer just transparent with faint white back, home and app switcher buttons. It would make more of the screen available to see.
If I were to root my device, are these things that i could schange in the System or Framework RES folders? Or would it be much more complicated than that (i.e. changing color hex's in .xml files?)?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

You can make it smaller.
Here's a guide.http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1844878
Beamed from my Grouper

Hmm, nearly, but I still don't understand why the navbar background color has to be black, I just really don't get what the advantage is. It would just make so much more sense if it were see through.

sikodemon said:
Hmm, nearly, but I still don't understand why the navbar background color has to be black, I just really don't get what the advantage is. It would just make so much more sense if it were see through.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Maybe it was carried over from the gnex.
It's black on the gnex to take advantage of the AMOLED screen.
Beamed from Maguro

Hi
sikodemon said:
Hmm, nearly, but I still don't understand why the navbar background color has to be black, I just really don't get what the advantage is. It would just make so much more sense if it were see through.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Presumably it is because it is dead space. Applications don't/can't expand into that area as it is protected. For example if you had an application open to the maximum behind translucent soft buttons, and that application required you to press something towards its bottom edge, you can't as it is now behind the menu buttons.
Ideally the buttons would be below the display and printed onto the touch screen as they are with my HTC One X, presumably they are not for either cost reasons or flexibility of the design.
Regards
Phil

sikodemon said:
Hmm, nearly, but I still don't understand why the navbar background color has to be black, I just really don't get what the advantage is. It would just make so much more sense if it were see through.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'd guess that it doesn't make sense for it to be transparent because there is nothing under the navbar. Its a part of the screen that is separate from the application, if you allowed the navbar to be imposed over the application and transparent then the bottom part of the screen would be unusable in the application because touching it would activate the navbar buttons rather than the applications.
That said on the launcher it would be easy to just extend the wallpaper over the navbar and make it transparent and in apps you could colour the navbar with the average colour of the application background etc, though of course Apple has a patent waiting for that http://www.phonearena.com/news/Appl...xed-video_id34472?ratelimit=-10&sort=threaded

Not true because you can hide the nav bar on certain roms and that space it was using up is definitely usable. Hey OP I forgot what it's called but there's a launcher somewhere based on nothing but gestures so you don't even need a nav bar and you can use that extra screen space you seem to desperately need.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2

sikodemon said:
Hey guys,
I've had my Nexus for just over a month now and apart from a few minor issues I'm really enjoying my experience with my Nexus.
BUT: One thing that really p*sses me off is the total waste of screen real estate being the "on screen buttons". I can sort of understand the device having as few as possible buttons is pretty cool but when it starts invading your screen size that is NOT COOL.
I have a few questions for google: Why oh why did you make the background for the navigation buttons black?? Why not transparent? Or transparent with a blur effect? Personally I would prefer just transparent with faint white back, home and app switcher buttons. It would make more of the screen available to see.
If I were to root my device, are these things that i could schange in the System or Framework RES folders? Or would it be much more complicated than that (i.e. changing color hex's in .xml files?)?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agreed with you. Is there anyone that can port Motorola's Transparent Software Buttons, so it will be better?

slick_rick said:
Not true because you can hide the nav bar on certain roms and that space it was using up is definitely usable. Hey OP I forgot what it's called but there's a launcher somewhere based on nothing but gestures so you don't even need a nav bar and you can use that extra screen space you seem to desperately need.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're both right and wrong. The launcher you're thinking of is probably the PIE launcher available on many custom ROMs, as well as its app equivalent (which I believe is called LMT). But your reasoning as far as hiding the navbar is incorrect. If you hide the navbar on a ROM (or even the way it's done in many games and the YouTube app), the navbar disappears, i.e. it's no longer protecting the screen space that it's not using. Making it transparent would do no such thing, and even if you forced an app to use the space beneath the navbar, you'd wind up with three floating navigation items that would probably conflict with an app's bottom navigation.
Pegasus195 said:
I agreed with you. Is there anyone that can port Motorola's Transparent Software Buttons, so it will be better?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you want to look into custom ROMs, some will allow you to mess around with your navbar icons/actions (the main one I like is the replace Recent Apps with a Last App switcher). Paranoid Android also allows you to change the color (and I believe that includes alpha transparency), including a "chameleon"-style bar that changes color based on the active app's predominant scheme.
Also, to respond to something from earlier: black is better because as a static color, it uses less resources to draw and has the benefit of being power-efficient on AMOLED screens. In addition, while it might look neat, it's pretty well accepted in UI/UX lore that you should keep navigational elements as clearly and visually distinct as possible to make them easier to hit. Shoving white/grey buttons on top of an active-blurred background can create quite a headache.
There's a great example of this in the screenshots of Apple's control center for iOS 7. For some backgrounds, the control center is clearly visible despite the background bleeding through, but on others, you basically can't read the buttons because the blur is too distracting.

Black bar on the top?

Now as many of you have seen, the stock wallpapers appear without the black bar (where you battery, time, etc. is).
But once you use a wallpaper that is not stock, the black bar appears so the wallpaper is black on the top. I tried to search for the place where you can save the stock wallpapers and tried to add mine there. But I couldn't find the place where the Samsung stock wallpapers are stored.
Do you know to make the black top bar disappear? I thought that was one of the improvements from the S3 but nothing has changed (unless you use the stock wallpapers)..

plus 1 on this one
Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

I personally see this as a good thing. The lack of Black background for the status bar looked absolutely disgusting.

I personally don't like it. And I thought Samsung promised to change that (to make the bar transparent). Does anyone know how to do that?

samose said:
I personally don't like it. And I thought Samsung promised to change that (to make the bar transparent). Does anyone know how to do that?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1. I 'm trying to figure that out, too...

What I don't understand (actually I don't understand most of the gaudy crap they've shoved into touchwiz)
is why they've made the status bar (when you CAN see it) this bizarre very dark red/charcoal esque colour, and not just pure black. At least with pure black you could completely hide it or meld it with a dark/nighttime wallpaper or something.
This one is just an eyesore.
WHY samsung WHY????!?! (first world problems.....)

paddylaz said:
What I don't understand (actually I don't understand most of the gaudy crap they've shoved into touchwiz)
is why they've made the status bar (when you CAN see it) this bizarre very dark red/charcoal esque colour, and not just pure black. At least with pure black you could completely hide it or meld it with a dark/nighttime wallpaper or something.
This one is just an eyesore.
WHY samsung WHY????!?! (first world problems.....)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
this not a problem just a bit tiny thing m8! problem a very big is the lag that this has and will fixed soon enough in all countries.. focus at more vital staff. just a friendly advice!

Update: If you get the Nova Launcher 2.1 Beta version you'll actually be able to make the status bar transparent. Plus with Nova Launcher the S4 gets less laggy. Hope that helps!

Look in themes and apps, there is a blue theme with transparent statusbar.

samose said:
Update: If you get the Nova Launcher 2.1 Beta version you'll actually be able to make the status bar transparent. Plus with Nova Launcher the S4 gets less laggy. Hope that helps!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How do you do this? I have nova 2.1 and I don't see a setting for transparent status bar.

Transparent navbar system wide

So as title says, how can i get transparent navigation bar system wide? Please do not offer pie controls or stuff like that, i just want navigation buttons on completely transparent background just like on home screen but system wide. Any ideas?

+1
I'd like this too, especially since I heard about burn-in on oled screens. But mostly I just like the way it looks on my home screen now.
Maybe there's a CMTE or layers theme that offers this?

No one knows? Doesnt sound like such a hard customisation, there are loads of navbar mods, but im yet to find one to do what i want

Yeah would love too see this myself. I'm not sure why Google doesn't have a way to do it as it would make Android look so much better then black bars.

Seems impossible for now, looked everywhere didnt find a solution

I have been looking for a while how to do this myself. It seems like something Google enforced to align the color shift from app to app. Which while is a neat take on style is not my preference. I would much rather have a consistent look and feel but to each there own.
Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

Icons not changing on Oreo

Hey folks!
I've recently updated to Oreo and realized that if I change the icons through the samsung theme store the preinstalled apps(maps,chrome,drive,playstore..) has that same rounded cornered touchwiz crap look and arent changing. On nougat this wasnt a problem,I changed to another icon pack and if the app wasnt themed it would go back to app's default icon. I cant even force the app's default icon(like youtube staying in an ugly white bubble).
Also, I tried turning off icon frames,without luck.The mentioned apps stayed the same
Any advice?

Apperently google apps don't change the frame

That are the beautiful "Adaptive Icons", another great idea of Google. All developers have to include different shapes of icons now, and Google itself is lazy af and just puts a white border around them to match the shape of the other icons. Can only be changed in custom launchers with icon packs unfortunatly...

Gfhoihoi72 said:
That are the beautiful "Adaptive Icons", another great idea of Google. All developers have to include different shapes of icons now, and Google itself is lazy af and just puts a white border around them to match the shape of the other icons. Can only be changed in custom launchers with icon packs unfortunatly...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the explanation.
Hopefuly Google will provide the correct icon pack (same for LinkedIn I've noticed). Those white frames look very bad

I was having the same issue. In past used "Icon Changer". This also stopped working. Strongly recommend using "Adapticon" play store. Can add widgets that act as app shortcuts. On home screen and in dock. I think it will do the trick.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=pl.damianpiwowarski.adapticons[/URL]

Wait, you mean it doesn't just work like it used to? That feels like a step backwards.

mskvsk said:
Wait, you mean it doesn't just work like it used to? That feels like a step backwards.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Technically adaptive icons are supposed to come with built in functionality for notification badges too (vs the add ons that Nova could do if you let it, this would be native to the OS) and that was going to be "their advantage" but yeah, they're so ugly.
Everyone I've seen likes the unique shapes that Android app icons could have. It gave them personality AND it was easier to find an app by sight then it is now. Before you could quickly pick out a well-known app just from its outline. Now we've lost that ability with the loss of icon shapes.
Stupid move on Google's part.

My Android P DP2 Experience

Just wanted to add my 2 cents on the DP2 of Android P.
So far my favorite thing is how fluid it is and how nice the animations are (it's more fluid than Oreo in every way -- animations, scrolling, opening apps, switching windows, etc.) . The animations are especially nice when using the Pixel launcher. You lose certain animations when using 3rd party launchers. I've always used third party launchers since 2011 because stock ones never have the features I want but The Pixel launcher on Android P is pretty dang cool. I still miss options like no widget padding, icon packs, icon and folder resizing, gestures, custom desktop and app drawer spaces, but even losing all that is worth it with how amazing Android P runs with the Pixel launcher.
My battery life was terrible the first 2 days and I was considering going back to Oreo but it seems to have settle down now. I still feel I was getting slightly better battery life on Oreo but I can't say for sure. I know others have said they are getting better battery life on P but so far that hasn't been my experience.
I haven't run into any major bugs and have only experienced a couple minor issues like brief freezing (1-2 seconds and has only happened a few times), and had recent apps freeze up twice but hitting the home button fixes it. I know some have reported a lot of apps crashing but I don't use many apps and haven't had any issues there.
For me it's a DD. Wi-Fi Tethering, calling, texting, bluetooth, and GPS all work with no issues.
I'm not a fan of some of the new UI changes but overall it definitely seems like a good step up from Oreo. I can't wait to see how it develops over the next 6 months.

Nice write up! Agree this P is getting better and better!

I know Facebook isn't the best app in the world, and I'm a beta tester for the official app. I cannot get it to install for the life of me. Very odd errors.. keeps throwing error 504

jbarcus81 said:
I know Facebook isn't the best app in the world, and I'm a beta tester for the official app. I cannot get it to install for the life of me. Very odd errors.. keeps throwing error 504
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't personally use facebook but I just checked it out because of your post and it installed fine. I also logged in and scrolled through it a bit and it worked fine. Not sure why it's giving you issues :/

imucarmen said:
I don't personally use facebook but I just checked it out because of your post and it installed fine. I also logged in and scrolled through it a bit and it worked fine. Not sure why it's giving you issues :/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Could be an issue with the beta... I never thought much about it.

I beta test FB as well, and had issues trying to get the app to install too. I have it installed on my s9+, but couldn't get that one to update, so I found the apk for the version that's on the s9+, and it was able to install on the Pixel 2xl DP2. This leads me to believe it's the FB app itself, and not the phone.

Moostafa29 said:
I beta test FB as well, and had issues trying to get the app to install too. I have it installed on my s9+, but couldn't get that one to update, so I found the apk for the version that's on the s9+, and it was able to install on the Pixel 2xl DP2. This leads me to believe it's the FB app itself, and not the phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Perfect! Now to hunt down the latest beta APK .. looks like 172.0.0.51.93 is the latest version.

I went back to Oreo the same day I flashed P DP2. This was the same day DP2 was released. I don't remember every detail but here are the things that made me go back:
- A handful of apps would simply not work/open. I forgot which ones they were.
- I don't like the way the Quick Settings look.
- I don't like it that the Quick Settings wont open a quick detailed view and instead just open the settings app. Seems minor, but is a step-back if you ask me.
- QS icons in landscape mode are out of place.
EDIT: - Accessing the settings app via notification drawer now requires you to pull down the drawer completely. That's because the gear icon becomes only visible/accessible when it's fully expanded, while in previous Android versions, like O, the gear icon was visible even on a collapsed notification drawer.
I reeeeally love the new sound controls!

very ugly LTE icon

Literally the only thing I don't like is that the gesture bar is still eating up screen space like the nav bar did and WTF on the LTE font/icon. There is no reason to not expand displayed content all the way to the edge of the display and have the pill hover over the content. Also I see no reason for the back button. If swiping in one direction takes you back to the last used app, make swiping the other direction the back button inside an app. Other than that, I much prefer the roundness of the UI seeing the the display corners of my Pixel 2XL are rounded. It just looks more cohesive. I was a huge fan of Flux Ui, so P taking on that styling cue is another plus to me. Also the animations are much better. I haven't tested a full day of usage for screen on time yet without my phone touching a charger at some point, but the fact that I'm consistently getting a 1 to 2 percentage battery drop overnight is already better than any android version I've been on.

nitrous² said:
I went back to Oreo the same day I flashed P DP2. This was the same day DP2 was released. I don't remember every detail but here are the things that made me go back:
- A handful of apps would simply not work/open. I forgot which ones they were.
- I don't like the way the Quick Settings look.
- I don't like it that the Quick Settings wont open a quick detailed view and instead just open the settings app. Seems minor, but is a step-back if you ask me.
- QS icons in landscape mode are out of place.
EDIT: - Accessing the settings app via notification drawer now requires you to pull down the drawer completely. That's because the gear icon becomes only visible/accessible when it's fully expanded, while in previous Android versions, like O, the gear icon was visible even on a collapsed notification drawer.
I reeeeally love the new sound controls!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree on all your points but for me the fluidity and animations more than make up for it. Hopefully some of those things you mentioned get addressed. I definitely do not like the new QS style.
darkoj2007 said:
very ugly LTE icon
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Click to collapse
Agreed. That's is one of the new ui changes I'm not a fan of at all. It looks like it belongs on a phone from 6 years ago. Perhaps they did for people who are far sighted but it would be nice to have the option to use the old little LTE and 3g icons.
AndrasLOHF said:
Literally the only thing I don't like is that the gesture bar is still eating up screen space like the nav bar did and WTF on the LTE font/icon. There is no reason to not expand displayed content all the way to the edge of the display and have the pill hover over the content. Also I see no reason for the back button. If swiping in one direction takes you back to the last used app, make swiping the other direction the back button inside an app. Other than that, I much prefer the roundness of the UI seeing the the display corners of my Pixel 2XL are rounded. It just looks more cohesive. I was a huge fan of Flux Ui, so P taking on that styling cue is another plus to me. Also the animations are much better. I haven't tested a full day of usage for screen on time yet without my phone touching a charger at some point, but the fact that I'm consistently getting a 1 to 2 percentage battery drop overnight is already better than any android version I've been on.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The gesture bar needs some refinement. I hate the back button as well. They need to at least make it have rounded corners and solid to match the rest of the ui. The sharp corners and hollow look really doesn't match and looks awful.
LTE and 3G icons are awful.
For some reason my battery just isn't performing as well on P as it did on Oreo. Especially the AOD -- it chews my battery up. It still easily get through the day with plenty of juice to spare and I work at home and always have a charger handy so it's not a problem.