Kitkat was supposed to have Camera access on lock screen

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devsk

Senior Member
Dec 14, 2008
2,074
770
I thought that 4.4.2 was properly implementing the Lockscreen widgets where the access to things like Camera is provided so that you can quickly record a photo/video without having to enter your PIN or pattern but when you need to actually see those images, you will be asked to enter PIN or pattern. That's how it works in all phones (at least my wife's HTC One).

How come we can not get this feature in S4? I thought this is what they fixed in 4.4.2 but I am still not able to select Lockscreen widgets if I use PIN or pattern.
 

diptenkrom

Senior Member
Nov 19, 2010
214
22
Edge Of Sanity
I thought that 4.4.2 was properly implementing the Lockscreen widgets where the access to things like Camera is provided so that you can quickly record a photo/video without having to enter your PIN or pattern but when you need to actually see those images, you will be asked to enter PIN or pattern. That's how it works in all phones (at least my wife's HTC One).

How come we can not get this feature in S4? I thought this is what they fixed in 4.4.2 but I am still not able to select Lockscreen widgets if I use PIN or pattern.

not sure about pin or pattern, but i have a camera icon in bottom right of my screen and it opens straight to camera...
 

devsk

Senior Member
Dec 14, 2008
2,074
770
not sure about pin or pattern, but i have a camera icon in bottom right of my screen and it opens straight to camera...

You see that icon only because you are not using the secure access lock like a PIN, password or pattern lock.

One of the advertised features of the 4.4.2 on Samsung S4 was to bring the Camera icon to the Lockscreen. Wasn't it?
 

brian117

Senior Member
Feb 22, 2011
769
333
Cleveland, OH
You see that icon only because you are not using the secure access lock like a PIN, password or pattern lock.

One of the advertised features of the 4.4.2 on Samsung S4 was to bring the Camera icon to the Lockscreen. Wasn't it?

Technically they DID bring it to the lockscreen. You just have to have your lock screen set on a specific unlock method. It's actually kind of obvious why the camera icon is only on the swipe method. All the other methods require extra security and a bigger layout for the number pad/keyboard/and pattern circles. Plus if you're going to have that kind of extra security in locking your phone, it's dumb to be able to bypass that with a camera widget. Somebody can get ahold of your phone and load the camera up without even unlocking the device and easily go through your gallery. And who knows you might be able to get to your homescreen by hitting home from within the camera app after loading it. Then the person has full access to your phone.

Personally I don't see the big deal of 4.4 having a camera icon on the lockscreen. You were always able to add shortcuts to your lockscreen so why not just add your camera app to one of those shortcuts? Meh.
 
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devsk

Senior Member
Dec 14, 2008
2,074
770
Technically they DID bring it to the lockscreen. You just have to have your lock screen set on a specific unlock method. It's actually kind of obvious why the camera icon is only on the swipe method. All the other methods require extra security and a bigger layout for the number pad/keyboard/and pattern circles. Plus if you're going to have that kind of extra security in locking your phone, it's stupid to be able to bypass that with a camera widget. Somebody can get ahold of your phone and load the camera up without even unlocking the device and easily go through your gallery.

Personally I don't see the big deal of 4.4 having a camera icon on the lockscreen. You were always able to add shortcuts to your lockscreen so why not just add your camera app to one of those shortcuts? Meh.

Wait...I think you are confused. The ability to add widgets to the lockscreen was always there since 4.2. You just had to move to this insecure method of "swipe to unlock". This is not new in 4.4.2.

What was supposed to be new in 4.4.2 update for Samsung TW was what has been a feature in almost all phones since 4.2, and that is to do it securely i.e. allow opening the camera app and allow to take photos and record video but don't provide access to the gallery or the phone. When the user wants to access anything inside the phone, he/she has to enter the PIN/password/pattern. That's how it worked in any sane phone circa 2012/13.
 

brian117

Senior Member
Feb 22, 2011
769
333
Cleveland, OH
Wait...I think you are confused. The ability to add widgets to the lockscreen was always there since 4.2. You just had to move to this insecure method of "swipe to unlock". This is not new in 4.4.2.

What was supposed to be new in 4.4.2 update for Samsung TW was what has been a feature in almost all phones since 4.2, and that is to do it securely i.e. allow opening the camera app and allow to take photos and record video but don't provide access to the gallery or the phone. When the user wants to access anything inside the phone, he/she has to enter the PIN/password/pattern. That's how it worked in any sane phone circa 2012/13.

Yeah I am aware it's been available since 4.2. I get what you're saying now, my bad.
 

Vigz

Senior Member
Sep 16, 2012
179
47
If you are rooted, you can try an Xposed module called Samsung Multiple Widgets. This allows you to access the camera if you are on a PIN unlock screen. I've had success on 4.3. The module, for me, isn't working correctly on 4.4.2. You can try it yourself.
 

devsk

Senior Member
Dec 14, 2008
2,074
770
If you are rooted, you can try an Xposed module called Samsung Multiple Widgets. This allows you to access the camera if you are on a PIN unlock screen. I've had success on 4.3. The module, for me, isn't working correctly on 4.4.2. You can try it yourself.
That module is broken and its dev has been saying "anytime" now for sometime. He is a busy guy! So, I don't expect that to change.

That was the reason why I was excited about KK update for TW, hoping that Samsung will finally do it. But alas, no luck!