I thought I'd start a thread to post the top (best) things to do with your AT&T HOX+ on a stock ROM.
Unlock Bootloader, Install CWM Recovery & Root
In order to be able to do many of things listed here, you will need to have root access to your phone. Follow the following thread to unlock and root your phone. By unlocking your bootloader, you'll be able to install custom ROMS down the road if/and when you want.
How-To Thread - Credit goes to hasoon2000
Disable AT&T Crap-ware
The one and only time I'll give kudos to Apple is that they don't let the carriers load up their phones with preinstalled crap-ware. Sadly, not the case with Android. So, you're left with manually having to disable them. Luckily you only need to it once.
Below is the list of Apps to disable (unless you actually want to use any). Simply go the Settings > Apps > All and select Disable for each app.
AT&T Code Scanner
AT&T Family Map
AT&T Hot Spots
AT&T Locker
AT&T Messages
AT&T Navigator
AT&T Ready2Go
Device Help
Facebook (sorry, Google+ user)
Internet (if you use Chrome only)
Live TV
ME Infiltrator
NOOK
YPmobile
Enable Tether (on AT&T)
Obviously you should have a legit tethering plan with AT&T [chuckle], but you can easily bypass their check and enable it on your HOX+ utilizing the stock wifi tethering app (no need for 3rd party apps).
How-To Thread - Credit goes to 911jason
Disable AT&T ANNOYING Boot Animation
The AT&T boot animation is just annoying, loud and obnoxious. With this little tweak, you can disable it and just have the HTC stock boot animation enabled.
How-To Thread - Credit goes to sixcarnage
Disable Automatic AT&T WiFi Hotspot
Nothing annoys me more than being close to a Starbucks (or any AT&T Hotspot locations) and being forced to connect to their WiFi, only to get crap to zero connection and then having to disable WiFi on your phone and forgetting to turn it back on later. URGH. Not to mention LTE is blazing fast in comparison.
How-To Thread - Credit goes to spyz88
Use Google Voice for Voicemail
Whether you use Google Voice all the time or not, you can have your phone use its VM option instead of AT&T's. I prefer it because I have an easy archive of all my VMs, easier access from anywhere, and obviously having them transcribed for me.
Normally you can select your VM carrier through the Google Voice app on your phone, but obviously AT&T blocks this. Instead, all you have to do is dial the following:
Activate:**004*1XXXXXXXXXX#, where is Xs represent your 10-digit Google Voice number
Deactivate: ##004#
Replace Default Keypress Sounds
The stock HTC keyboard is decent, but fails horribly at swipe predictions and is very limiting. You have many options out there for 3rd party keyboards, and of course the stock Android JB 4.2 keyboard with swipe. For me, I found Swype Beta to be the best in terms of layout, swipe predictions and other cool little features.
The problem with Swype (or stock Android 4.2 keyboard) is that it uses the keypress sounds found under /media/ui which HTC never bothered to update from the days of Android 2.0. Needless to say they're horrid.
If you find yourself wanting to use either of these keyboards, you can easily extract the keypress sounds from the HTC keyboard APK and use them instead by copying them over to /media/ui.
What you'll notice is that Swype doesn't have a volume control for the keypress sounds, and they're set to UBER high. What I did is take the sounds from the HTC keyboard APK and then used Audacity to reduce the gain by -13 and that gives you a perfect level.
For Swiftkey fans, unfortunately the keypress sounds are stored inside of their APK, it doesn't use the system default.
I didn't post the sounds because I presume they're copyrighted by HTC, so you'll need to get them yourself...very easy.
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Got More?
Please add any other useful tweaks that I might have missed (or that I...or others...don't know about). Just keep in mind two things:
Tweaks must work on HOX+ STOCK AT&T ROM
and…tweaks only, no apps
.
Related
Is anyone aware of a location-aware app to enable and disable the lock screen? I'd actually prefer to trigger it based on WiFi availability, but I'd consider other location schemes.
Via e-mail, I have potentially sensitive business information on my phone.
However, I primarily work from a home office which makes the code-based lock screen a minor hassle. (I don't use the pattern, the finger marks on the screen make it too easy to guess.)
So obviously I'd love it if my lock would kick-in when I head to lunch or need to physically visit the "real" office or whatever -- but not when I'm at home.
Any ideas?
I've no suggestions but I've thought of the exact same thing. I'd love for it pattern lock when I'm anywhere but my home.
I would even pay for that app.
I would recommend looking into Tasker. I haven't personally used it, but I have heard many great things about it. On their website it lists some examples of what you can use it for, one of them is changing phone settings based on location. You can download a free 7 day trial from their website. It costs 3.49 GBP direct from their website or 3.99 GBP in the market.
tasker. dinglisch. net (I can't post links to outside websites, remove the spaces)
Forgot all about Tasker. Good idea.
I've used Setting Profiles to do the same.
When I'm at work the pattern gets set, but when I'm at home, it's not on.
I just downloaded Settings Profiles, but none of the security settings can be adjusted in a profile (at least, not in the Lite version). I'd prefer something more straightforward like that, but none of the profile apps I checked have that setting available.
It appears Tasker can do this with the aid of a plugin:
http://groups.google.com/group/tasker/browse_thread/thread/35f0c3d6dcf4a644/964318b8f77810fc
Haven't tried it yet, though.
Ah. Apparently this is never going to be possible as of 2.2 and higher.
Google blocked programmatic access to the Secure Settings provider as of Froyo.
<sigh>
First we lose GPS control. Now this. Hell, by the time Android 4.0 is out, we'll probably have to check with the Google front desk just to place a call.
(Yes I understand why... but it seems like they could provide some kind of authorization mechanism in case, you know, we pesky old users consciously decided to give access to those settings to a particular application...)
It wouldn't be difficult to add a way for a service or application to communicate
with the lock screen, like Settings can choose which lock screen to display.
the application would at least have to be installed to /system/app but may
have to be signed with the same key as the ROM, if that is the case then
files could be used instead of the system settings db.
this would only protect from a casual attack like some nosy person picking up the phone
and browsing through your stuff, Odin is the ultimate root kit, so a prepared attacker could
probably get what they want in 5-10 min.
Yeah, but vulnerability to ODIN is going to be the case no matter what. I'm a lot more worried about "Some Random Idiot in a Bar" than I am about the several hundred people across the country who can actually use ODIN well enough to go all Wargames on my phone.
Hello,
I've seen a couple of threads regarding WL on here and also through general Google search, but I'm still not able to do what I want with this, nor to determine if it's possible.
I'm using the rooted version of the latest NC system, so I believe I have Froyo, but I'm not sure about the Android names. Anyway, I want to have a lock screen where I have access to a couple of frequently-used, non-threatening applications, and then require entry of the lock code to get general access to the normal launcher (I'm using Launcher Pro). For example, I go to a lot of foreign language conversation groups. I'd like to be able to access the off-line dictionary directly from the start up screen without entering a code, but - obviously - keep contacts, etc behind the security screen.
So ... I installed WidgetLocker and put some of those apps on the screen, but - despite having fiddled with the settings for hours - I can't get it to not ask for the security code for my apps (like offline dictionary) on the WidgetLocker screen. The ONE exception to this is Owner Info. That one app will launch from the WidgetLocker screen and display my personal info without requesting a security code. But I can't get that to work for the others where I want that (like offline dictionary, but also a radio station and some other selected apps).
Can anyone help me to either:
a) Tell me which settings I need to do this?
or
b) Let me know that this isn't possible?
Thanks much.
Hello,
I'm practicably legally blind and reading emails/SMSs and text in games is damn near impossible for me.
I've got the Samsung Ace and I've found an app to switch the answer slider with a big-ass button, I'm using WP_Clock (Which was mentioned here, thanks!) to see the time and date.
I've rooted and tried a few font resizers but none worked and the ones that did only worked on the English font (most of my phone is in Hebrew).
Does anyone have any idea how can I deal with this, other than getting Android eyes
Oh, one more thing:
I've used Total Recall and CallRecorder to record my calls, both record me fine but the other side through the mic, any idea if there are other apps that can record both sides at the same quality?
May all who read this post be touched by his noodly appendage,
Sam.
EDIT:
Oh yeah, My doctors told me it'll be easier to read white text on a black background, so I downloaded a few of those modified apps (Gmail and DropBox). If you know of any others, I'd appreciate a mention.
Noob to android!!
On my Samsung GT 5570, there is an accessibility option under "options", with text to speech features. But looks like the phone has to download several components. Have not tried them, will try them out if you are interested.
Running Gingerbread 2.3.3 (but it was there in froyo 2.2.1 Africa version too).
Saw that option on my run-through of the device (saw isn't exactly the word...)
Not that comfortable using an actual magnifying glass on your cellphone.
Can't stand that thing, that's why I'm posting, looking for something a bit more comfortable like resized fonts and such.
Thanks for trying though, appreciate your assistance!
Using accessibility features in Android
Ok. I have a Samsung GT S5570, "mini".
I have upgraded from 2.2.1 Froyo to 2.3.3 Gingerbread.
To enable accessibility features, more specifically, text to speech, you need to go into two options,
1, Settings > Voice input and output
2. settings > accessibility
I cannot remember which one I opened first, but the phone asked me to enable data downloads / background sync as I entered both menus. ("Always on GPRS" - if you are new to android - especially were using Nokia phones so far).
Once the data is downloaded, go to #1. First entry is "Listen to an example". You can change the language and speed of text to speech engine in other menu options below. At the bottom, I have and entry, which says "engine" and underneath, "PicoTTS". This means required data and text speech engine are installed on the phone.
I guess the available languages are dependent on the ROM you use - you probably need to have the African ROM. (Hope somebody will correct me here).
Here is how to actually enable the phone to read the screen,
Settings > Accessibility > Talkback.
Just enable Talkback. That is it.
Again, I appreciate your help but as I've said, I'm not too comfortable with the TTS and prefer, as long as I have other options, not to use it.
If anyone has any other apps in mind, I'd love to know.
Otherwise, The built in TTS has been checked and discarded, thank you.
First off, I apologize if this has been covered before in a thread. I spent about a half hour searching for my answer and was not able to either find it or understand which answer I was looking for.
I have in Taiwan a:
S3 GT-I9300
4.1.2
I9300XXELLA
3.0.31-899179
Rooted
No custom rom
(not sure what else you guys need to know)
I was simply curious if someone would point me in the right direction for the following problems. I use reverse tethering quite often with my smart phone as my office does not have WIFI and I enjoy watching sports games on my phone or listening to the radio broadcasts. I have a plan with a 5GB data limit and the video will eat that up pretty fast. So, whenever I use reverse tether, want to check for available wifi, or do any USB/Blue tooth tethering I have to go two or three menues deep into my settings and it's a tad annoying.
Is there a way I can customize the top drop down menu to replace some of the UI icons with ones that I actually want to use such as, "enable usb tether" or "see available wifi signals" or "turn on wifi hotspot?" I could remove Blocking Mode, or AllShare Cast as I never use them.
While I'm able to root phones (easy enough) I'm pretty clueless about custom Roms, how to use them, which ones are good, how to keep my phone protected when using them etc. There is such a huge amount of information about customizing the S3 on these forums, I just didn't know how to wade through it all to get the one customization that I want.
Again, sorry if I couldn't find the threat where this was discussed, and if there is a thread that answers this question well, I would appreciate someone pointing me in the right direction.
Cheers!
Not 100% sure, but maybe have a look into JKay Delux (you have to find the version for your firmware though). Otherwise another option could be to create a shortcut for your home screen via tasker that brings you directly into that menu.
chrismast said:
Not 100% sure, but maybe have a look into JKay Delux (you have to find the version for your firmware though). Otherwise another option could be to create a shortcut for your home screen via tasker that brings you directly into that menu.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Does tasker allow you to create shortcuts for any phone command? If so, that might be what I need.
Drschplatt said:
Does tasker allow you to create shortcuts for any phone command? If so, that might be what I need.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
if I am not wrong, most of them yes. At least it lets you control most of the functions (if you add Secure Settings PlugIn even more.)
I hope this is an acceptable to place to ask generic questions, there doesnt seem to be a general/off topic section anymore, but rather seems to be device specific only.
Ive been using Windows Mobile/Phone since prob 2009 (HTC Touch Pro on Sprint). Now that T-Mobile is shutting off their 3G network in July, im being forced off of my Lumia 950 since it cant do VoLTE without a registry hack for IMS registering that i only ever got to work once. The main reason ive held out for so long, is the Lumia's did everything i wanted them to do and without extra apps etc.
Ive got my Nokia 8.3 pretty much set up the way i want and all the Microsoft apps and such on it so that it kinda feels more like a Lumia than a Samsung, but im still having issues finding the answers to some nagging bits.
Now for some questions:
1. Is there really no way to have the prox sensor default to Speakerphone during a call when its not next to your ear? The only answer ive found is "Tasker this, Tasker that" and i think its bullcrap that something so basic isnt part of Android, if its supposed to be so much better than Windows Phone/Mobile. I used my Lumia almost exclusively as a speakerphone cause it was just that good.
2. This is a REALLY annoying one, especially coming from Windows, why cant OneDrive integrate into the apps? Ive tried having folders available for Offline use and still cant access anything in them in any app save for the Onedrive app. Any article i find on this only tells you about the OneDrive app, but not how to get it integrated properly into Android. Or, is this even possible? I have thousands of pics in various folders, mainly for meme access, so i dont have to carry them solely on a device or SD card. But, i dont want to have to go to OneDrive first, then find the image, download to the phone, go back to the app i was in and then wait for the image to show up 5 mins later for use.
3. Loading files into Ringtones doesnt make them available for apps outside of the stock sounds for that app?
4. More incremental control over volume? Im used to the 1-10 ringer and 1-30 "all other sounds" control, but Android seems to be set at like 25%, 50%, 75%, 100%, or some other 'non single integer" increment. And its maddening that app sounds/notifications are so much louder than actual media voice/music/video sounds, but are tied together.
I think thats all i have for now. Thanks in advance.
Bumo?