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Taffer
Oct 15, 2010


Stanley Goodspeed posted:

For icon packs you can't use those with the stock Google launchers can you? I didn't want to spend a buck to try out that Materialistik pack if it turns out I need to install other stuff on top of it, but it is pretty.

Just yesterday I got materialistik and nova launcher just so I could use it. I've never used a 3rd party launcher but I have no regrets, it's great.





Now I just need a grenade icon that doesn't suck. (sorry I know this isn't exactly the thread for this)

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Taffer
Oct 15, 2010


So Google already has messenger and hangouts, both of which are complete poo poo, and it's plan is to.... Make a 3rd app that supposed to compete with one of the biggest texting/messaging apps out there?

Okay.

Taffer
Oct 15, 2010


Thermopyle posted:

It is if you use Google Voice! There's the option to pick voice call, SMS, or Hangouts.

The Hangouts Chrome extension is pretty awesome like that.

That's part of the problem, though. Hangouts is basically the opposite of something that "just works" like imessage, requiring lots of setup or esoteric things like Google Voice that almost no one has.

Like, I would like to SMS from my computer using something seamless like hangouts, but that would require me to set up Google voice. I'm one of the few people who actually HAS a GV number, but I only use it for voicemail, so using it would require telling everyone I know to change my phone number. It's not worth it.

Taffer
Oct 15, 2010


Daztek posted:

These are really good, Weather Timelime has such a good design

It's also notoriously bad at predicting weather. Like the 3 times already this winter that it's predicted 10in+ (19in once) of snow but through the entire winter we've gotten about 2.

I still put up with it cause basically all I want from it is the temperature on my notification bar, but if you want actual weather forecasts just go to NOAA.

Taffer
Oct 15, 2010


Thermopyle posted:

It has multiple data sources for you to choose from. The best one for me is Forecast.io which is freakishly good.

I did not realize this. Unfortunately it doesn't have the NWS. I was on forecast.io which has been shockingly inaccurate, especially with any kind of precipitation. Before anyone asks, yes my location is accurate. I'll give weather underground a try but I'm pretty disappointed that it doesn't support the NWS.

Taffer
Oct 15, 2010


Red_Fred posted:

I did the same thing as I just wanted F.Lux for Android. Cf.lumen is great, just paid for it last night.

Does it require root? And is it okay on the battery?

I've been wanting an app like this but all the ones I've tried in the past (several) were terrible for a variety of reasons.

Taffer
Oct 15, 2010


vyst posted:

Maybe microsoft will unfuck Swiftkey flow.

If only dreams could come true

Taffer
Oct 15, 2010


Heners_UK posted:

I'm after some minimal and simple ringtones and alert tones that can get me past the full-orchestra-concert-length stuff that comes with any particular phone. Now, Googling this produces either overpriced or otherwise suspicious "free ringtones that will remind you of Crazy Frog, just accept our app's permissions" links.

I'll be honest, I'm turning to you all since I think the App thread will know where to get them. Thoughts?

You could go old school and download MP3's of the sounds you want and apply them manually. That's what I do.

Taffer
Oct 15, 2010


Tiny Chalupa posted:

Hoping someone can point me in the right direction....

I'm looking for a messenger app like Facebook messenger accept, you know, not Facebook due to some people not having that. Just texting isn't an option
Odd I know

I'm using Telegram and it's great. Good media support (yay gifs) and seamless multi-device messaging.

Taffer
Oct 15, 2010


Tots posted:

What's the hot cross platform group chat app these days? Slack maybe? That's marketed towards professional environments though. I'm looking for something that will be good for a hobby-based chat with like 100ish people in it for organizing get togethers, doing quick pulse checks, and general chat.

Seconding Telegram. It'll cover everything you need really well.

Taffer
Oct 15, 2010


XIII posted:

Just stopping in to say I loving hate the new Google apps icons.

What apps changed? Everything still looks the same to me.

Taffer
Oct 15, 2010


Three Olives posted:

Can't wait for another messaging app! *drags slider to yell*

I can't wait to play emoji games with a robot *drags slider to whisper*

Taffer
Oct 15, 2010


Blue Footed Booby posted:

My favorite is still "do you use soap."

Don't forget, this question goes out to thousands of greasy neckbeards.

Taffer
Oct 15, 2010



Now that's more like it. We need more!

Taffer
Oct 15, 2010


ICHIBAHN posted:

Just switched from iPhone to android & wow. This is cool, but different. Please indulge me with these stupid questions, I have googled and investigated on my own but I value your goons' opinion.

Is there an app that allows you to undo typing?
Is there a decent YouTube substitute which will allow you to listen to the video in the background?
Best Reddit app?
Best Twitter app?
Best app for monitoring which app uses how much battery?

Cheers!

Any keyboard... ?
No. You can do this with the youtube subscription, Youtube Red. It's worth it, no youtube ads, ever, on any platform, and it comes with Google Music (essentially identical to Spotify, if you're not familiar)
Sync
Flamingo/Fenix
Don't need one. Check the Android battery screen

Taffer
Oct 15, 2010


Agoat posted:

Google Allo looks really cool but it's yet another messenger app that doesn't have SMS support so I'm just sad about it now.

When will the world finally release their death grip on texting as a primary form of communication

Taffer
Oct 15, 2010


WHAT A GOOD DOG posted:

Textra works just perfectly well and the app is pretty enough and customizable enough to be everything I want in an SMS app. Of course, I really just want iMessage on Android. End-to-end encryption, wide range of users, seemless transition. It's dumb that a single app is the main reason I slightly regretted switching to Android and also that of all the things Apple puts on their phones, THAT is the best. And it's not even that great it's just no frills. :rolleyes:

but with Allo we can make our texts BIGGER

Taffer
Oct 15, 2010


ICHIBAHN posted:

If that actually works holy poo poo

It works just fine. I haven't transferred files to/from my phone via a cable since like... 2010.

Taffer
Oct 15, 2010


Thermopyle posted:

I don't use Twitter, but...i don't see how twitter could be a huge data hog in the first place. It's just small amounts of text.

An enormous portion of tweets have embedded images and videos

Taffer
Oct 15, 2010


Lowen SoDium posted:

Hangouts will stay the Google Voice (and Google Fi) app for 18-24 months. But during that period they will neglect and ignore it. Then they will announce that Google Fi is moving to Allo, then 12 months later Google Voice will move over too but it will be missing some of it's features like group MMS or something.

Around the same time, Google will announce the Jibe/RCS is ready and they will release a new messaging client based on it.

Seriously, I am really hoping that Allo turns out to be Jibe/RCS.

What do Fi and hangouts have to do with each other?

Taffer
Oct 15, 2010


XIII posted:

I just love Google's insistence on splitting things into single purpose apps. Why use Hangouts for data messaging, SMS/MMS, and video calls when you could use Messenger for SMS/MMS, Allo for data messaging, and Duo for video calls? Or when they removed functionality from Drive and made you install apps like Sheets, Slides, Forms, and Docs which then tie back into Drive anyway. I'm sure it has to do with ease of maintaining the apps, but goddamn.

At least the drive apps work well. Can't say the same for the tangled web of messaging apps.

Taffer
Oct 15, 2010


Lowen SoDium posted:

Doesn't Fi use Hangouts for it's SMS and MMS?

No. I got Fi with a new phone and Messenger was default. I kept it that way because messenger actually works, unlike hangouts.

Taffer
Oct 15, 2010


KICK BAMA KICK posted:

Hangouts is the backend for wifi calls, isn't it?

Yeah. Every call comes through my computer before it ever hits my phone.

Taffer
Oct 15, 2010


jyrka posted:

Would using the default google launcher instead of Yahoo! Aviate Launcher make my battery last longer and lower memory usage in a noticeable way?

I doubt anyone has tested that, you'll have to compare it yourself. What do you need a yahoo launcher for?

Taffer
Oct 15, 2010


gradenko_2000 posted:

Thanks, this seems to work very nicely.

My next question is: is there currently a media player that lets you Chromecast the output?

Google music gets local music and can cast

Taffer
Oct 15, 2010


Dr. Video Games 0050 posted:

I really like Duo, as my wife has an iPhone and I don't. It's easy, doesn't require a Google account, and the quality is awesome.

Nobody is complaining about the quality. It's everything else that's a joke.

Taffer
Oct 15, 2010


SMS should have died a decade ago

Taffer
Oct 15, 2010


Check out https://www.materialup.com

A lot of it is impractical or impossible to make after effects experiments, but it's about as material as it gets.

Taffer
Oct 15, 2010


Davoren posted:

Just saw someone in some other thread posting about getting viruses on their phone from a image host, but the op here says not to bother with antivirus. Is this something I just shouldn't worry about then?

You don't need it.

Taffer
Oct 15, 2010


It's completely shocking to me that they'd release a messaging app that doesn't tie in with your google account and can only be used on a single device, and it has to be your phone.

I mean, this is Google so I was expecting it to be awful, but this is really unreal. Who the hell is going to use this over the countless superior alternatives? Among which are other Google messaging apps.

Taffer
Oct 15, 2010


FunOne posted:

The answer to all questions is: Google Assistant.

Why did they build a new messaging platform? Google Assistant integration.

Why doesn't it do end to end encryption? Google Assistant.

Why do they think people will use this over WhatsApp et. al? Google Assistant!

Why can't I desktop in version 1.0? Google Assistant needs GPS!

Why don't you have these other features? Because the version we demo'd at I/O was just a mock up and didn't actually exist, we've been working this whole time to get here damnit. Its a shell for Google Assistant that we'll eventually make in to a real competitor. Maybe. Or something else.


And yeah, many of these complaints are just because we're all nerds. I mean, we're talking about phones on an internet messaging platform.

WhatsApp built a huge community without encryption, without desktop, hell, without web for a long time. Mobile only, no sync. Facebook messenger built its own user base without SMS and just phone sign up as well. Oh, and Snapchat. Oh, and Instagram too.

I suspect that was the argument for going mobile-first to build a decent tick-the-box chat platform around the Google Assistant integration then develop from there those other things.

That being said: What the gently caress is with the SMS integration? I mean, just leave it out if you're not going to even attempt to integrate with anything. I have Fi, just directly connect out to my SMS gateway instead of making another one! gently caress. Also, image compression is set to kill rather than just stun. I'd love a platform with the option to set it to NONE, but still, this is pretty aggressive. And the clean UI gets hosed sending screenshots of the app and other such edge cases.

Still, the direct message popup without install on other Android devices, when it works, is slick as poo poo. And the Google Assistant actually seems like it'd be pretty useful. That and reply suggestions.

Whatsapp began in an SMS only world (as far as the average phone was concerned, anyway). It was the first to do what it did and it did it simply and well. Allo now exists in a world with 100 superior competitors that do everything it dies only better. The only unique thing it has is assistant, which is not going to be enough to get people to switch. Especially since assistant or some form of it is going to be everywhere in android in a year.

Taffer
Oct 15, 2010


Thermopyle posted:

I never have the parking thing NOT work. I'm pretty sure Google notices when you disconnect from your car's bluetooth to make note of where you parked...maybe you guys who have problems with it don't use BT in your car?

My car doesn't have bluetooth, it was always really hit or miss. I think you have to be pretty far from where your car is parked for it to give you the notification automatically. I haven't seen it in months though, I dunno where it went.

Taffer
Oct 15, 2010


NihilCredo posted:

I upgraded from KitKat to Marshmallow and the one thing I really can't stand is the new, Rolodex-like app switcher. Is there a way to actually change it to something flatter? The various app switcher apps on the store seem to just run in the background next to the regular app switcher.

Also, can anyone recommend an app to make the phone act as a PC microphone and/or webcam over Bluetooth (or wi-fi I guess)? The ones I tried had terrible quality and latency.

As with most big interface changes, you should give it a few days before you let kneejerk turn you off it. On the surface most of the UI changes between Android versions usually bothered me a lot, but after a little while using them I like pretty much every change more than the previous way.

Taffer
Oct 15, 2010


E.T. NO HOMO posted:

The apps that allow you to manipulate vibrate patterns (Textra is a good example of this) do so from the in app settings, same as the sounds. There aren't many widely used, first party apps out there that have this feature built in though.

I'd love to see Google build in universal notification management into Android. Where you can go into each app and customize how each separate notification from the app works, sound/light/vibration etc. The apps that attempt to do this (lightflow for example) are notoriously unreliable and don't work for a ton of stuff.

Taffer
Oct 15, 2010


Skarsnik posted:

Lightflow has never been anything but perfect for me and Ive been using it for years??


Use lightflow, it can do sounds, light colour and vibrate patterns. Ignore that dude

I must be cursed. I've tried it across 4 phones over several years and it's always been incredibly unreliable. I want to use it but always just end up uninstalling it due to one issue or another.

Taffer
Oct 15, 2010


E.T. NO HOMO posted:

Dude, I feel you on this, but as someone who used to live in app menus and constantly adjust home screen grids in Nova - I also really appreciate a settings menu in an app like Google Messenger that is super bare bones. The app just works, take it or leave it. This speaks way more to my own lack of self control than anything else I guess, but I seriously don't need the option to change the LED color and vibrate pattern in every app I own because that's all I'd ever do.

Nah what I mean is that it's not a part of any of the apps. An app would set its defaults and then go totally hands off. Then in the device setting (storage network display etc) one of the items would be notifications. From there you could view all the apps that have notifications and customize them as you please. Not unlike Lightflow, just OS level. Then apps could be barebones as you say (I also like this) while having the ability to change something when you want and keeping it all consolidated.

But either way I get where you're coming from, settings bloat is a Real Thing, it's just really annoying when you have 10 apps that use the same sound and same notification LED color and you can't differentiate them without unlocking the device.

Taffer
Oct 15, 2010


LastInLine posted:

Doesn't the problem then become that you get LightFlow's crazy UI complexity?

What would be preferrable is if there were some way for every app's setting menu to call a standard interface from the OS for setting the ringtone, vibration, and LED color if applicable. It should probably contain an Advanced dropdown to set the stuff that's buried in Settings > Notifications now which are Block, Priority, Peeking, and Hide Sensitive Content. That way users don't have to hunt around for where the poo poo is but the developer doesn't have to implement all this poo poo themselves the way they do now.

That would also work. I'd just really like something standardized where I can customize notifications without cluttering the UI of each app with its own different way of dealing with notifications.

Taffer
Oct 15, 2010


Thermopyle posted:

I have a confession. I haven't changed my wallpaper on my last 3 android devices from what the devices came with out of the box.

Disgusting.

Taffer
Oct 15, 2010


Wrist Watch posted:

Does the google keyboard seem...worse w/r/t swiping words lately to anyone else? It feels like it's been on a downwards trend for a while now, where every few words I swipe I have to stop and correct it because it thinks I swiped something completely different.

I've noticed the same thing. I switched to it not long ago over Swiftkey for the swiping, and how I'm pretty sure it's even worse than Swiftkey.

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Taffer
Oct 15, 2010


IAmKale posted:

Here's a weird one: is there an app that will let me pull down the notification drawer and activate Home, Back, and Apps from the middle of the screen? The way I hold the phone one-handed, I can't reach the top or bottom of the screen without repositioning the phone in my hand, or getting my other hand involved (:haw:).

This may or may not be what you're looking for, but Nova supports all kinds of gestures like these and you can do.... almost whatever you want with them. The downside is that they will only work while you're on your home screen, but they're nice.

For example:

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