[Q] [MOD] Replace menu button with recents - Galaxy S III Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

Since Android 4.0, Google has declared war on the menu button and all devices come out with Recents - Home - Back buttons.
Samsung for some reason decided to move forward with the menu button.
Would it be easy to remap the left capacitive button and make it show the recents instead of the menu action?

Does it really bother you that much to keep the hardware-button pressed down for like 1 second to display the 'Recent' list?

d4fseeker said:
Does it really bother you that much to keep the hardware-button pressed down for like 1 second to display the 'Recent' list?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It bothers me, that much

It bother me that much as well - it's just slow.
I think I'd prefer the mod to be double-click home button though, since I rarely use S Voice and it's no hassle to find and click the icon for it whenever I want to use it.

This bothers me too
Would be nice to have it on the menu button. Even an app/shortcut on the homescreen for it would be nice.
I wonder also if there is a way to limit the recent lists as well, if I don't check it sometimes the list can be massive - would be nice to limit this to like 5 items or something.
Olywa

Anyone who used the CM10 on screen nav buttons, knows how much better it is to have the recents key available on a beast like the sgs3.
I wish we could change it but I am afraid this will never be possible on a samsung rom

jastonas said:
Anyone who used the CM10 on screen nav buttons, knows how much better it is to have the recents key available on a beast like the sgs3.
I wish we could change it but I am afraid this will never be possible on a samsung rom
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
open up Generic.kl in /system/usr/keylayout
change
key 139 MENU
to
key 139 APP_SWITCH
that should work

graffixnyc said:
open up Generic.kl in /system/usr/keylayout
change
key 139 MENU
to
key 139 APP_SWITCH
that should work
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's half working. It does work as APP_SWITCH but Android doesn't recognize the lack of the MENU button so it's doesn't show the settings buttons that are needed in most applications.

cm10 has implemented the button remap feature. now you can easily change the menu button long press to recent apps in cm10

jastonas said:
That's half working. It does work as APP_SWITCH but Android doesn't recognize the lack of the MENU button so it's doesn't show the settings buttons that are needed in most applications.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, how do we let android recognize lack of menu button?
Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2

wednesday13 said:
Yeah, how do we let android recognize lack of menu button?
Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you disable the hardware buttons, it just does.

jastonas said:
If you disable the hardware buttons, it just does.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Damn, I guess I have to sacrifice without menu button
Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2

Related

[Q] Best multitasking switcher?

I've tried nearly every multitasking switcher on the market and I still cant find one that works correctly. Is there a switcher that goes to ADW on single tap home and goes to the switcher on either long press or double tap?
heres a list of what I've tried (issues are in parentheses)
powerstrip (too small, single tap access)
Quickdesk pro (doesn't work, makes screen flash black and go crazy)
perfect task switcher (single tap access, wonky)
MultiTask Manager (single tap access)
TaskOS (no home button setting)
Underground (takes over the screen, isn't really a task switcher,ugly list)
Appswipe (clunky, ugly, paid to set to home button)
Softkeys- Would be awesome, if I could get the settings to work as advertised (see below)
Prehome (best task switcher BUT single tap access)
Softkeys:
Softkeys has an option for setting single tap home (ADW) and then an option for long press home (PreHome). This would be the perfect solution, but for some reason the long press home doesn't work no matter what I do. Any Ideas?
The Ideal task switcher for me would be anything simple (a bar or box with icons) that could be brought up with double or long click home. If you know of any I'd love to try them out.
I would like to figure this out as well. Haven't seen anything about it around here
Sent from my LogicPD Zoom2 using XDA App
motitas said:
Softkeys:
Softkeys has an option for setting single tap home (ADW) and then an option for long press home (PreHome). This would be the perfect solution, but for some reason the long press home doesn't work no matter what I do. Any Ideas?
The Ideal task switcher for me would be anything simple (a bar or box with icons) that could be brought up with double or long click home. If you know of any I'd love to try them out.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Softkeys works for me, I have it set for single tap home and double tap softkeys. I don't believe Softkeys supports long button presses, I think that option is referring to the virtual home button that Softkeys presents on screen when called up.
thecubed said:
Softkeys works for me, I have it set for single tap home and double tap softkeys. I don't believe Softkeys supports long button presses, I think that option is referring to the virtual home button that Softkeys presents on screen when called up.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, it does not support long press on the physical button, that would be nice... As said above, it's a long-tap on the Home button on the popup.
Any ideas if we are using button Savior instead of soft keys?
Sent from my LogicPD Zoom2 using XDA App
motitas said:
I've tried nearly every multitasking switcher on the market and I still cant find one that works correctly. Is there a switcher that goes to ADW on single tap home and goes to the switcher on either long press or double tap?
heres a list of what I've tried (issues are in parentheses)
powerstrip (too small, single tap access)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Powerstrip does single or double tap. I currently have mine setup with ADW EX. Single tap to Homescreen and double tap to invoke.
I might use power strip then, is there a way to make it larger? As for the long press on home, hopefully we'll see cm on the nc
EDIT:
I got powerstrip working pretty well, but as I said before I wouldn't mind it being slightly bigger, also the "recent apps" folder has a few issues of its own. When a large game (or grooveshark) is in the recent apps and you try to launch it you get an "activity no found" error.
I found PreHome to work best.
I have the physical button mapped to PreHome, then when have PreHome open SoftKeys.
I like button savior. It pull the last 6 apps that u have used when you long press the soft home button.
seeddemon said:
I like button savior. It pull the last 6 apps that u have used when you long press the soft home button.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
........as does softkeys..
Try swipepad beta... I dig it.
Works from anywhere in an app or not
Sent from my LogicPD Zoom2 using XDA App
You may want to check out Taskswitcher (free). Once set up it uses single press on physical home key to invoke recent apps list and allows you to set up your own home app for double tap. Long press is not supported I don't think. If anyone knows of apps that allow setting long press actions (recent apps or otherwise) please share. I did notice in the DEV forum that someone made a custom Froyo version with custom home button behavior including long press so maybe someone could share how to set that up in 2.1 if thats possible.
seeddemon said:
I like button savior. It pull the last 6 apps that u have used when you long press the soft home button.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for this tip! I replaced SK with BS a day or two after rooting, and had no idea this functionality was built into BS!
If you turn off the sk service check mark you can double press the nook button and still use bs
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rbebber said:
If you turn off the sk service check mark you can double press the nook button and still use bs
Sent from my LogicPD Zoom2 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
SK Service?
What is this and where do i find it.
seeddemon said:
SK Service?
What is this and where do i find it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
SK Service is the SoftKeys service. If it's running, you get a curly arrow in a circle that allows you to bring up the home, back, menu, and search buttons. It should be installed by default if you autonooter. Otherwise, it's available in the Dev section of the forum.

So now with Ice Cream Sandwich the menu button is useless ?

What do you think google is going to do with the menu button on the actual devices? Make it the contextual menu button or make it the multitasking button? the multitasking button would be nice imo
I can see them keeping the function for the "legacy devices"
The contectual buttons will prolly not show up on hardware button devices.
Like the people above me said, its probably gonna be contextual on new phones, and still work with "old" touch keys..
Sent from my GT-I9100 using xda premium
can be used like camera button
HotlipsH said:
The contectual buttons will prolly not show up on hardware button devices.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's what I'm thinking for SGS2... In the end, bottom menu does what real button does only. Nothing extraordinary...
and what about the multitasking button, an onscreen button?
Chad_Petree said:
and what about the multitasking button, an onscreen button?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think that the developers or carriers should hide that part of the launcher in this device. Because if you are going to use your sgs2 for at least 2 years, i will be mad seeing every time the software and hardware button at the same time
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bigcvm said:
I think that the developers or carriers should hide that part of the launcher in this device. Because if you are going to use your sgs2 for at least 2 years, i will be mad seeing every time the software and hardware button at the same time
Sent from my GT-I9100 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Im sure there will be no onscreen buttons for "home" and "back" but what will happend with the "recents apps" button?
Recent apps = hold the home button, just like how it already works.
Actully there is no devices with ice cream sandwitch for smartphone so it's difficult to judge
Z4muZ said:
Actully there is no devices with ice cream sandwitch for smartphone so it's difficult to judge
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lol you are right
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Does the Galaxy Nexus even have a menu button? No, the menu buttons are onscreen (they differ with each app).
My guess is that the menu button on our GS II will be the multitask button.
It would be awesome if the existing hardware buttons will be like the ICS on-screen nav buttons with one difference: menu button will open multitasking tool. After all, the existing "menu" icon won't look to bad to be interpreted as "multitasking."
That's if and only if the ICS on-screen buttons are always just the three: back, home, and multitasking tool. This way, GS2's hardware buttons won't really make the device outdated. Just something that doesn't rotate landscape. No biggie. Even arguably better in some cases.
Yes but why can't we keep the menu button! I like it, It keeps the screen clean of crap do we really want to turn into the Iphone with software buttons for everything... And On screen is just stupid, Sure then can rotate and the menu button could appear in old apps when it is needed but menu is a part of android... I don't want to click a gear on the app to open the menu when the button did that fine. If Samsung / CM don't implement 4.0 in such a way that menu means menu then I will personally develop a rom that does, Multitasking should be long press of home... That is how we already view recent apps. It just works better.
epichappy said:
That is how we already view recent apps. It just works better.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And you are sure of that, how?
It isn't even released yet, you can't really judge >.>
Any news here?

[Q] Saving our beloved physical home button

Is there a way you can hard-coded, let say the left capacitive button to act as a home button when you long-pressed it? especially on ICS roms that for let say you want to see the recent apps(home button long-pressed) alternatively you'll just long-press the left capacitive button = profit?
My home button is being quirky nowadays(6 months owner) and I don't want to bring it to Service Center just to repair that.. The problem is not groundbreaking(not yet) but this will save me in the future and probably others will so
It's not exactly what you want, but maybe Button Savior will do for you?
I think capacitive buttons are more likely to stop working than the physical buttons. My friend has a motorola Milestone and his back button stopped working in a month. Dont know if it is a bug
Sent from my GT-P7500 using XDA Premium
Still need to use home-button I'm in CM9 right now and the home button is really ****ed-up especially when I'm multitasking and I really love how ICS implement the task-switching/killing "Recent app"
srivas95 said:
I think capacitive buttons are more likely to stop working than the physical buttons. My friend has a motorola Milestone and his back button stopped working in a month. Dont know if it is a bug
Sent from my GT-P7500 using XDA Premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well that's a different phone but maybe that can apply to ours. What I mean is that sometimes my home button when I long press and then released it, it double registers the pressing so it's like you pressed again the home button
I am also looking forward for a solution to this. As I also want as much as possible not to use the home button. I quite feel that somehow it is already degrading. Showing press results that are not what I specify. Like for example clicking does 2 clicks thus entering 2 directories in CWM.
Button Savior could have been perfect if the recent apps it shows is the firmware's version. It shows its built-in recent apps instead.

remapping hardware touch buttons

Ok, so I've read about how you don't get the ICS quick change/recently used apps button on the new SIii.
Questions 1 is there a way to remap the Menu button so that is does the quick change feature?
2 is there a way to then, the double tap home button feature to get GOOGLE Voice Search/Actions?
3 is there a way that I can add on screen ICS buttons like on the Galaxy Nexus? And then make the hardware home button do something else?
Do I need apps? Rooting?
Thanks!
You need to root. You can turn on software keys with the AOKP rom but you cannot disable the hard keys.
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You can disable the capacitive buttons, but you cannot re map them from what I have found
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Do you know how to disable the hardware keys?
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i would rather have the task manager open when you hold and press on the back button. the menu button when u hold give u the google search, but on the back button when u hold nothing happens. it would be only logical to apply the task manager to this button when pressed down and held for a a few seconds
Hey I have heard that NOVA launcher pro allows you to customize some of the these short cuts on the phone.
Sent from my Incredible.
Aw yeah.
I do not have the phone yet, but I believe holding the home button will bring up the recent apps. This is how it's been for previous android versions before they made a dedicated button for the galnex
that's how it works for my Dinc, on gingerbread and ics
funkpod said:
2 is there a way to then, the double tap home button feature to get GOOGLE Voice Search/Actions?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Long pressing Menu button actually go to google search
ronak47 said:
Do you know how to disable the hardware keys?
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Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. open /system/usr/keylayout/gpio-keys.kl
2. add # to the beginning of the line of the key you want to disable
3. reboot
in the same file you can remap power key to home key for example
remember to make backup before editinf the file
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bordikun said:
Long pressing Menu button actually go to google search
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thanks!
google search, or the voice to text?
funkpod said:
thanks!
google search, or the voice to text?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
both the voice and text search. push the microphone on the searchbarto activate voice search
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Thanks, nice !
Maybe this phone won't be so bad after all ...
Sent from my Incredible.
Aw yeah.
labbe- said:
1. open /system/usr/keylayout/gpio-keys.kl
2. add # to the beginning of the line of the key you want to disable
3. reboot
in the same file you can remap power key to home key for example
remember to make backup before editinf the file
Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi mate,
I've now managed to disable to capacitive buttons.... anyway to disable the light for them as the light still comes on even though they are not enabled and not working
Thanks in advance.
OK so I've managed to get my set up... if anyone wants my set up as per my screenshot then drop me a pm and I shall help you out.
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ronak47 said:
Hi mate,
I've now managed to disable to capacitive buttons.... anyway to disable the light for them as the light still comes on even though they are not enabled and not working
Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Go to Settings/Display under general you will see Touch Key light duration. Options include 1.5 Seconds, 6 seconds, Always off, and always on!
labbe- said:
1. open /system/usr/keylayout/gpio-keys.kl
2. add # to the beginning of the line of the key you want to disable
3. reboot
in the same file you can remap power key to home key for example
remember to make backup before editinf the file
Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
is there a way to stop the home button from waking the device also? (so only the power button wake the device up)
I wonder if you guys can enlighten me. My goal is to have the Home key under the screen function as the power button, and have the normal power button (on the right side of the phone) function as Home (without waking the device). I want this because I'm always unintentionally hitting the power button when I pick up the phone.
I was able to get the Home button to function as power by changing key 116 to 172 in sec_powerkey.kl. However, now the normal power button doesn't do anything. I tried swapping POWER with HOME in sec_keys.kl, but that doesn't seem to do anything.
Any tips on how to give my power button a function now?
timp123 said:
I wonder if you guys can enlighten me. My goal is to have the Home key under the screen function as the power button, and have the normal power button (on the right side of the phone) function as Home (without waking the device). I want this because I'm always unintentionally hitting the power button when I pick up the phone.
I was able to get the Home button to function as power by changing key 116 to 172 in sec_powerkey.kl. However, now the normal power button doesn't do anything. I tried swapping POWER with HOME in sec_keys.kl, but that doesn't seem to do anything.
Any tips on how to give my power button a function now?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Check this out bro:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2022024
Let us know if it helped...

Can we change capacitive buttons Nexus style?

I'm not looking for soft keys, I want to change the buttons on the bottom of the phone to do different things. Like this (nexus layout):
Left Menu Button ---> Back Button
Middle Home Button <---> Home Button
Right Back Button ---> Recent Apps (multitasking)
Is this possible?
Many custom Roms support this
Sent from my GT-I9300 with a BIG
http://lmgtfy.com/?q=galaxy+s3+remap+buttons
slaphead20 said:
http://lmgtfy.com/?q=galaxy+s3+remap+buttons
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is the best answer ever.
xD
Those are terrible answers....
Anyway, if I manage to do what I want with the buttons then there's no more "menu button".
Will apps automatically have the "3 dot" menu or will there be no menu at all?
In light of the fact that the links I provided you with (even if it is in a humorous manner) are of no interest to you, I don't really see I can do anything else for you
It is easy, just edit some files
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leeznon said:
Those are terrible answers....
Anyway, if I manage to do what I want with the buttons then there's no more "menu button".
Will apps automatically have the "3 dot" menu or will there be no menu at all?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's could be a problem.
1. Change to AOSP
2. Keep menu button and long home for recent
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