Home/Launchers

[billyidle]

Is there a way to hide the notification bar?

 

[pc747]

I have home switcher from the market. I am constantly playing around with home apps/ apks. Ima stick with HL1 for awhile, or atleast until something else cool is released.

 

[jsh1120]

I have home switcher from the market. I am constantly playing around with home apps/ apks. Ima stick with HL1 for awhile, or atleast until something else cool is released.

You beat me to it. Home Switcher is very useful if you're experimenting with various homescreen options. It's a simple app that changes the default launcher with a single click.

 

[papy72]

I'll toss in another vote for GDE. It has a 1x4 widget that holds application icons that you can then scroll through, plus the optional themes (I too have the Hero theme and am lovin it).

But if you do try GDE and that widget, just remember this: to delete it you have to long-press on the very left or right side of the screen where the widget is. It doesn't respond to the typical long-press anywhere to drag-n-drop behavior most widgets have.

 

[jsh1120]

I'll toss in another vote for GDE. It has a 1x4 widget that holds application icons that you can then scroll through, plus the optional themes (I too have the Hero theme and am lovin it).

But if you do try GDE and that widget, just remember this: to delete it you have to long-press on the very left or right side of the screen where the widget is. It doesn't respond to the typical long-press anywhere to drag-n-drop behavior most widgets have.

And you beat me to it, too. Just downloaded the HelixLauncher out of curiosity. Five minutes isn't sufficient to make a firm judgment, of course, but I seem to be confirmed GDE guy. I use six of the seven screens for dedicated activities and the seventh as a sandbox for experimenting with other combinations. I've become accustomed to the "cube" effect for the homescreens and am reluctant to give it up.

On the other hand, I've stopped using the 1x4 application dock in GDE. Instead, I use the abcOrganizer to hold groups of applications accessible from a single user-selected icon. Keeps more screen real estate free and allows me to order the apps in popup panel however I like. (I found the alphabetical order imposed by the application dock to be problematic.)

 

[solorca]

Another former home++ guy. Helixlauncher is the best launcher/replacement I've ever used. And if you have a 2.1ROM, it supports live interactive wallpaper.

I have the droidmod 1.0 (which is 2.01 rom, right??) and it supports interactive live wallpapers.

Are you sure about that? I had Droidmod 1.0 and it had live wallpaper, but it wasn't interactive.

 

[tgotch]

I just downloaded to try Helix.

Couple questions:

1. The default home page is extreme left screen. I see no way in settings to make this the middle (e.g. screen 3 out of 5). Can this be done?

2. I have quite a few apps (some just testing - just got the phone). When I long press to add app icons to the screens, I click on "shortcuts" then"applications" and it takes FOREVER for the apps to load. Is there a way to speed this process (other than deleting all my apps )

 

[htbyron]

I am trying out Helix, although so far, there are a few things I like better about GDE. Most notably, I like how the 5 screens keep rotating, so you don't have to go backwards -- you can just keep swiping in any direction to cycle through all of your screens. I also like the customization options in GDE. As far as I can tell, there are fewer ways to get Helix looking and acting the way you want it, and those that are there seem klunky (such as the "Advanced" option to change the shortcuts on the bottom bar).

Atgotch:

1. I also don't see any way to switch the default home page, but with 5 screend, the home seems to be #2 (from the extreme left). Does seem odd.

2. I find the faster way to add an app icon/shortcut to any home screen (in the stock home, GDE, or Helix) is to open the app drawer, then long-press the app you want, and drag and drop to place it on the home screen (if you want it on a different home screen, drag it to one side of the screen until the screen switches).

 

[christim]

I am trying out Helix, although so far, there are a few things I like better about GDE. Most notably, I like how the 5 screens keep rotating, so you don't have to go backwards -- you can just keep swiping in any direction to cycle through all of your screens. I also like the customization options in GDE. As far as I can tell, there are fewer ways to get Helix looking and acting the way you want it, and those that are there seem klunky (such as the "Advanced" option to change the shortcuts on the bottom bar).

Atgotch:

1. I also don't see any way to switch the default home page, but with 5 screend, the home seems to be #2 (from the extreme left). Does seem odd.

2. I find the faster way to add an app icon/shortcut to any home screen (in the stock home, GDE, or Helix) is to open the app drawer, then long-press the app you want, and drag and drop to place it on the home screen (if you want it on a different home screen, drag it to one side of the screen until the screen switches).

1...Helix asks you to remove all apps before decreasing screens. Maybe it should say to do the same when increasing them too. Just slide your apps from what used to be your home screen to what now is your homescreen and you are all set. Longpress and slide the icon to the right edge and sort of hold/push and the screen will scroll, letting you drop it on that screen. It added the extra screens to the far right, is why this occurred.

2..me too

 

[htbyron]

I am trying out Helix, although so far, there are a few things I like better about GDE. Most notably, I like how the 5 screens keep rotating, so you don't have to go backwards -- you can just keep swiping in any direction to cycle through all of your screens. I also like the customization options in GDE. As far as I can tell, there are fewer ways to get Helix looking and acting the way you want it, and those that are there seem klunky (such as the "Advanced" option to change the shortcuts on the bottom bar).

Update: Helix is growing on me. It's fast & I haven't gotten any FCs yet (both unlike GDE!). Two additional thoughts: (1) No need to use the "Advanced" option to change the shortcuts on the bottom bar -- you can move any app icon there when the space is empty (long press any icon on the bar to delete it, then a green button will appear in the empty bar space when you long press an app icon on any screen). (2) The double-tap screen preview is very nice, and may overcome my current preference for GDE's screens that go around the corner (continue scrolling in any direction).

 

[TrueFangz]

I posted this in another thread, but this may be a better place:

I just installed Helix last night. So far so good. Seem's really nice.

When I installed it, I got the usual warning messages. It said something to the effect of it having access to "services that cost you money". What is all of this about?? Also mentioned access to phone calls, and contact list.

Kinda paranoid that this may not be safe?

 

[bubblehead]

Helix

I used Home++ for a long time but was continually getting FC's and it just really slowed down the overall performance of my phone. Tried a couple others including Helix, and paid ones like dxTop and open home, but just couldn't find one that had the features of Home++. After everything the only one I found that came close was Helix. It is definitely faster and not nearly as many FC's. Can you make the icons in the bottom tray smaller to be able to fit more in it?

 

[jsh1120]

I used Home++ for a long time but was continually getting FC's and it just really slowed down the overall performance of my phone. Tried a couple others including Helix, and paid ones like dxTop and open home, but just couldn't find one that had the features of Home++. After everything the only one I found that came close was Helix. It is definitely faster and not nearly as many FC's. Can you make the icons in the bottom tray smaller to be able to fit more in it?

What I've done is use FolderOrganizer to categorize a group of apps into a single shortcut with its own icon. Then I placed the icon on the bottom row of the Helix Launcher.

For example, I have a single icon with a picture of pencil that includes a variety of note taking and document management apps, (e.g. NoteEverything, Sugar Sync, GDocs, etc.), all accessed from a single icon that appears on all seven Helix homescreens.