Cannot Properly Reassign Phone Button

[hinky]

Tried to use Button Shortcut app to reassign the camera and search keys for phone function. Long press should launch voice dial and phone app. No such love. Press and hold key for phone results in:

Sorry! Activity Phone (in process android.process.acore) is not responding.

If you hit "wait" it does work but why bother. By that time you could have done the 2-3 keypresses and a swipe it may take to just get to the stupid phone function. Motorola is dumber than a bag of bricks. Hopefully we'll be able to reassign the button

 

[640k]

not sure why reassigning buttons and getting unexpected results is a fault of Moto. if you go through the normal procedures, everything works properly, right? sounds to me like the button reassigning app doesn't do its job very well.

 

[hinky]

not sure why reassigning buttons and getting unexpected results is a fault of Moto. if you go through the normal procedures, everything works properly, right? sounds to me like the button reassigning app doesn't do its job very well.

It's Moto's fault that they were idiot enough to NOT include a phone button ON A PHONE!!!!

Yes, I can search all different ways. I can take a wickedly poor camera shot and have a dedicated button for that. I can have a home button that holding it down is the multitasking (better assigned to the menu button) but it doesn't aut launch voice dialing or the phone application.

No, none of these. In order to use the phone I have to turn on the phone from the top, hit the home screen button, make sure that I've used at least TWO of my few spaces (not condensed enough) to include both the phone app and voice dialing, press those buttons, and then make a menu selection if I use voice dialing as to which entry (if it popped up) works. Genius.

On the iPHone (or many) you hit the main button or phone button to get to the PHONE screen when in a call or to voice dial. I have NO WAY to hang up a call easily and properly, except to hope that for some idiotic reason I have to drag down the notifications bar to see a phone message to choose that message to launch the phone app. For voice dialing it's hold the home button and voice dialing launches (genius... right?) and you speak the input and then the phone will repeat it as it does what you want so you know how the phone wants your contact spoken. In addition, if I say "call so and so on mobile" it does that. It doesn't give me all the choices for a contact. It is the worst implentation of voice dialing I have seen since the 20th century. And it also takes FOREVER for voice dial to figure out what you're saying to the point where you wonder if what you spoke even registered (no input indicator like on google voice search.)

Seriously... the person who designed the phone should be fired without a pension. I can't imagine much stupider than this. I love the phone because it does more than my iPhone but there was no reason to design this phone so poorly that I'm trying to find apps to just get the phone part to work efficiently as a phone should.

 

[640k]

not sure why reassigning buttons and getting unexpected results is a fault of Moto. if you go through the normal procedures, everything works properly, right? sounds to me like the button reassigning app doesn't do its job very well.

It's Moto's fault that they were idiot enough to NOT include a phone button ON A PHONE!!!!

Yes, I can search all different ways. I can take a wickedly poor camera shot and have a dedicated button for that. I can have a home button that holding it down is the multitasking (better assigned to the menu button) but it doesn't aut launch voice dialing or the phone application.

No, none of these. In order to use the phone I have to turn on the phone from the top, hit the home screen button, make sure that I've used at least TWO of my few spaces (not condensed enough) to include both the phone app and voice dialing, press those buttons, and then make a menu selection if I use voice dialing as to which entry (if it popped up) works. Genius.

On the iPHone (or many) you hit the main button or phone button to get to the PHONE screen when in a call or to voice dial. I have NO WAY to hang up a call easily and properly, except to hope that for some idiotic reason I have to drag down the notifications bar to see a phone message to choose that message to launch the phone app.

Seriously... the person who designed the phone should be fired without a pension. I can't imagine much stupider than this. I love the phone because it does more than my iPhone but there was no reason to design this phone so poorly that I'm trying to find apps to just get the phone part to work efficiently as a phone should.

still not moto's fault. blame google. it's a google experience phone, just like the N1. the N1 doesn't have send/end buttons either.

fwiw, the search icon also accepts voice input, to which you can voice dial from.

 

[Backnblack]

And you do have 30 days to decide if the Droid works for you.

 

[JCo352]

When you bought this phone you knew it didn't have a dedicated call button, maybe you should have gotten an eris. Thats the beauty of Android they have a selection of devices you can choose to fit your needs. Don't blame Motorola for you choosing their phone.

 

[hinky]

WHAT A BUNCH OF RATIONALIZING FANS!!!!!

Of course I can bring the phone back. I know it's a "Google Experience PHONE" but MOTOROLA IS A PHONE COMPANY. THEIR JOB IS TO TELL GOOGLE ABOUT THE BEST WAY TO MAKE A PHONE FOR PHONE USAGE.

It is a DUMB DESIGN. You can rationalize from here until Uranus why it's not a defect but it is a MAJOR DESIGN DEFECT. It is something that unfortunately you will have to live with if you are on the Verizon service and NEED a phone that has a hardware keyboard and a touchscreen.

Quite frankly, if Palm wasn't so stupid to build a tiny touchscreen phone with weak build and no plan for survival past 2010, I'd have jumped on the Palm Pre and Web OS in a second without ever looking at Android. There are no other choices for a keyboard and touchscreen until Blackberry comes out with theirs end of 2010.

Until that time, Motorola or SOMEONE should come up with a viable solution how to get back to the main screen, hang up calls easily, etc. Reprogramming any of the hardware buttons should not be impossible - why in the world would I only have an option to reprogram the hardware keyboard that must be flipped out but not the buttons on the device itself?

Rationalizing why it's a great phone, etc. is not solving the problem that apparently many people have - getting to the phone/voice dial functions quickly. Using the solution provided by another person is not working, unfortunately. Maybe SOMEONE might have a good solution how to reprogram the camera button so focus/shoot is either handled solely by the software on screen or via the keyboard when open and reprogramming short and long camera button for phone and voice dialing - a common use when using a PHONE!!!!

 

[640k]

WHAT A BUNCH OF RATIONALIZING FANS!!!!!

Of course I can bring the phone back. I know it's a "Google Experience PHONE" but MOTOROLA IS A PHONE COMPANY. THEIR JOB IS TO TELL GOOGLE ABOUT THE BEST WAY TO MAKE A PHONE FOR PHONE USAGE.

It is a DUMB DESIGN. You can rationalize from here until Uranus why it's not a defect but it is a MAJOR DESIGN DEFECT. It is something that unfortunately you will have to live with if you are on the Verizon service and NEED a phone that has a hardware keyboard and a touchscreen.

Quite frankly, if Palm wasn't so stupid to build a tiny touchscreen phone with weak build and no plan for survival past 2010, I'd have jumped on the Palm Pre and Web OS in a second without ever looking at Android. There are no other choices for a keyboard and touchscreen until Blackberry comes out with theirs end of 2010.

Until that time, Motorola or SOMEONE should come up with a viable solution how to get back to the main screen, hang up calls easily, etc. Reprogramming any of the hardware buttons should not be impossible - why in the world would I only have an option to reprogram the hardware keyboard that must be flipped out but not the buttons on the device itself?

Rationalizing why it's a great phone, etc. is not solving the problem that apparently many people have - getting to the phone/voice dial functions quickly. Using the solution provided by another person is not working, unfortunately. Maybe SOMEONE might have a good solution how to reprogram the camera button so focus/shoot is either handled solely by the software on screen or via the keyboard when open and reprogramming short and long camera button for phone and voice dialing - a common use when using a PHONE!!!!

hinky, at this point i'm going to have to ask that you please calm down.

a little research would tell you that Google had a large part in designing the A855. you knew that the phone lacked these physical buttons when you purchased it. if you can't get the application to do what you want, you should try emailing the developer to see if they can help you with your situation.

with that said, i've had no problems or complaints multitasking between a phone conversation and doing anything else on my phone. the controls are plain and simple, they react efficiently and effectively and the phone does what i want.

do you need help understanding how to switch between tasks while on a phone call? maybe we can tackle that problem since the lack of physical buttons is not something that anyone can solve.

 

[JCo352]

WHAT A BUNCH OF RATIONALIZING FANS!!!!!

Of course I can bring the phone back. I know it's a "Google Experience PHONE" but MOTOROLA IS A PHONE COMPANY. THEIR JOB IS TO TELL GOOGLE ABOUT THE BEST WAY TO MAKE A PHONE FOR PHONE USAGE.

It is a DUMB DESIGN. You can rationalize from here until Uranus why it's not a defect but it is a MAJOR DESIGN DEFECT. It is something that unfortunately you will have to live with if you are on the Verizon service and NEED a phone that has a hardware keyboard and a touchscreen.

Quite frankly, if Palm wasn't so stupid to build a tiny touchscreen phone with weak build and no plan for survival past 2010, I'd have jumped on the Palm Pre and Web OS in a second without ever looking at Android. There are no other choices for a keyboard and touchscreen until Blackberry comes out with theirs end of 2010.

Until that time, Motorola or SOMEONE should come up with a viable solution how to get back to the main screen, hang up calls easily, etc. Reprogramming any of the hardware buttons should not be impossible - why in the world would I only have an option to reprogram the hardware keyboard that must be flipped out but not the buttons on the device itself?

Rationalizing why it's a great phone, etc. is not solving the problem that apparently many people have - getting to the phone/voice dial functions quickly. Using the solution provided by another person is not working, unfortunately. Maybe SOMEONE might have a good solution how to reprogram the camera button so focus/shoot is either handled solely by the software on screen or via the keyboard when open and reprogramming short and long camera button for phone and voice dialing - a common use when using a PHONE!!!!

If you dislike the phone that much return it, simple as that...

 

[hinky]

If you dislike the phone that much return it, simple as that...

Reading really helps understand the problem, unlike your suggestion. Thanks for stating the incredibly obvious.

 

[hinky]

a little research would tell you that Google had a large part in designing the A855. you knew that the phone lacked these physical buttons when you purchased it. if you can't get the application to do what you want, you should try emailing the developer to see if they can help you with your situation.

Nowhere did I ever read about Google telling Motorola to specifically not include a call button. I apologize but I didn't receive the memo from Motorola or Google.

with that said, i've had no problems or complaints multitasking between a phone conversation and doing anything else on my phone. the controls are plain and simple, they react efficiently and effectively and the phone does what i want.

do you need help understanding how to switch between tasks while on a phone call? maybe we can tackle that problem since the lack of physical buttons is not something that anyone can solve.

The problems are simple:

(1) How do you use hands free voice dialing without having to look at the phone several times?

(2) How do you pick up a call without having to look at the phone? I'm not sure there is a way.

(3) How do you simply pull up the call screen by pressing a button to get you there?

(4) How do you simply get back to the phone application screen instantly?

 

[JCo352]

If you dislike the phone that much return it, simple as that...

Reading really helps understand the problem, unlike your suggestion. Thanks for stating the incredibly obvious.

Your welcome, but it also helps to ask a question and not rant about how crappy the phone is

 

[640k]

The problems are simple:

(1) How do you use hands free voice dialing without having to look at the phone several times?

there are several approaches to this, but both voice dialing approaches require you to look at the phone (long-press search button, vs. vd app).

another approach is to use a BT headset that works with favorites, a few have been mentioned on the site.

also, for example, i have a car with nav that allows me to control my phone from the nav. i can select who to call and what to do with the call from that screen.

when using VD or the search button, try saying, CALL (name) MOBILE. it should dial the number as soon as it recognizes your command. the search button works for lots of things, including navigation.

but as far as making calls, you have to make complete sentences and not hesitate during your command.

long press search key, "CALL MIKE SMITH MOBILE" and the call is made.

(2) How do you pick up a call without having to look at the phone? I'm not sure there is a way.

BT solves this, otherwise you have to slide the answer button. iPhones are exactly the same way.

(3) How do you simply pull up the call screen by pressing a button to get you there?

if not on a call, opening the phone app will take you directly to the dial pad. while on a call, it depends on where you are. you can long-press the home key to bring up the task manager and switch to the phone app. you can drag the notification panel down to return the the call in progress, or you can open the phone app and select "return to call in progress."

(4) How do you simply get back to the phone application screen instantly?

i don't know if there's an instant solution, but each one of the methods i posted above will take care of that. you can also setup shortcuts on the keyboard that will launch the phone app.

my WinMo phone wasn't any easier to use. although i had physical buttons to get back to the call, getting out of the call to do anything else was cumbersome.

 

[Sam]

not sure why reassigning buttons and getting unexpected results is a fault of Moto. if you go through the normal procedures, everything works properly, right? sounds to me like the button reassigning app doesn't do its job very well.

It's Moto's fault that they were idiot enough to NOT include a phone button ON A PHONE!!!!

Yes, I can search all different ways. I can take a wickedly poor camera shot and have a dedicated button for that. I can have a home button that holding it down is the multitasking (better assigned to the menu button) but it doesn't aut launch voice dialing or the phone application.

No, none of these. In order to use the phone I have to turn on the phone from the top, hit the home screen button, make sure that I've used at least TWO of my few spaces (not condensed enough) to include both the phone app and voice dialing, press those buttons, and then make a menu selection if I use voice dialing as to which entry (if it popped up) works. Genius.

On the iPHone (or many) you hit the main button or phone button to get to the PHONE screen when in a call or to voice dial. I have NO WAY to hang up a call easily and properly, except to hope that for some idiotic reason I have to drag down the notifications bar to see a phone message to choose that message to launch the phone app. For voice dialing it's hold the home button and voice dialing launches (genius... right?) and you speak the input and then the phone will repeat it as it does what you want so you know how the phone wants your contact spoken. In addition, if I say "call so and so on mobile" it does that. It doesn't give me all the choices for a contact. It is the worst implentation of voice dialing I have seen since the 20th century. And it also takes FOREVER for voice dial to figure out what you're saying to the point where you wonder if what you spoke even registered (no input indicator like on google voice search.)

Seriously... the person who designed the phone should be fired without a pension. I can't imagine much stupider than this. I love the phone because it does more than my iPhone but there was no reason to design this phone so poorly that I'm trying to find apps to just get the phone part to work efficiently as a phone should.

More stupid.

 

[Corinacakes]

jello anyone?