Why do launchers kill Sense widgets ?

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Zorachus

Senior Member
Dec 15, 2010
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Lombard, IL.
I just got my M8 recently, love this phone :) Rooted it, and installed InsertCoin ROM, battery life is off the charts excellent, almost as good as my old Note 2. Anyways, I tried the stock launcher for a few days, and it's very smooth and fast, but missing very important features I have gotten so used to with Nova Launcher, and I am shocked these type of settings just aren't baked into the Android OS by default already;

#1: Custom grid size, I typically go 5 x 5, and sometimes 4 x 6, but NEVER the default 4 x 4 size, and I don't understand why Android sticks with 4 x 4 as the default grid pattern with 5" + screen phones being the norm now ? Why isn't grid size an option in the system settings on all Androids phones now ?

#2: Swipe screen controls, I always use the swipe down anywhere on screen to pull the notification shade down. So I don't have to reach all the way up to the top and pull down, I can just swipe down anywhere on the screen, and that will pull the notification shade down.

But by adding a Launcher, I use the Sense widgets :crying: I never understood that one. Why would the widgets disappear as an option, but all other widgets are still there. With Google and even HTC putting some apps on the Play Store, why doesn't HTC put the Sense 6 Clock and Weather widget up on the Store, and the Calender Widget. But it totally sucks I lose some of those really cool Sense features by going to a different launcher, and I think some of these launcher features should be part of the OS by default anyways. Why isn't adjusting the grid size a standard option yet in the OS ?

So, how many of you either run stock Sense, or install a different launcher ?
 
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BenPope

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Dec 20, 2007
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Maybe it's because those things are a trademark of HTC and giving them to everybody would dilute their brand.

And you can use Sense x Toolbox (6 due very soon) to change grid size if you're rooted and with xposed.
 

Zorachus

Senior Member
Dec 15, 2010
4,007
836
Lombard, IL.
Maybe it's because those things are a trademark of HTC and giving them to everybody would dilute their brand.

And you can use Sense x Toolbox (6 due very soon) to change grid size if you're rooted and with xposed.

Ok thanks. Where can I download this Sense X Toolbox ? I looked on the PlayStore not there, is it an .apk I install ? And then I also need to install Xposed framework too ?
 

BenPope

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Dec 20, 2007
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Well, it's Sense 5 Toolbox for Sense 5 and Sense 6 Toolbox for Sense 6 (not released yet).

You can get it through xposed or the Android Revolution thread (probably second post).
 
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Zorachus

Senior Member
Dec 15, 2010
4,007
836
Lombard, IL.
Well, it's Sense 5 Toolbox for Sense 5 and Sense 6 Toolbox for Sense 6 (not released yet).

You can get it through xposed or the Android Revolution thread (probably second post).

Can I just install xPosed on my One M8 that is rooted and play with that ? Or must I have this Sense Toolbox thing too ? And I am guessing Sense 5 Toolbox is not for our M8, but only for the older m7 ? So do I need to wait for the Sense 6 toolbox to be released before even using xPosed ? Or I think I read about an alpha version of Sense 6 toolbox ?
 

BenPope

Senior Member
Dec 20, 2007
3,896
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Excuse me, it's sometimes hard to keep up with which device forum I'm in.

xposed is a framework for creating mods, it's does nothing on it's own.

The alpha version does everything I want it to, but I haven't tried the grids, I don't expect it to work properly due to the softkeys. I expect it to be released around this weekend. If you can find the spreadsheet, you can check what works.

Or there might be another xposed mod that will work.
 
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    Maybe it's because those things are a trademark of HTC and giving them to everybody would dilute their brand.

    And you can use Sense x Toolbox (6 due very soon) to change grid size if you're rooted and with xposed.
    1
    I just got my M8 recently, love this phone :) Rooted it, and installed InsertCoin ROM, battery life is off the charts excellent, almost as good as my old Note 2. Anyways, I tried the stock launcher for a few days, and it's very smooth and fast, but missing very important features I have gotten so used to with Nova Launcher, and I am shocked these type of settings just aren't baked into the Android OS by default already;

    #1: Custom grid size, I typically go 5 x 5, and sometimes 4 x 6, but NEVER the default 4 x 4 size, and I don't understand why Android sticks with 4 x 4 as the default grid pattern with 5" + screen phones being the norm now ? Why isn't grid size an option in the system settings on all Androids phones now ?

    #2: Swipe screen controls, I always use the swipe down anywhere on screen to pull the notification shade down. So I don't have to reach all the way up to the top and pull down, I can just swipe down anywhere on the screen, and that will pull the notification shade down.

    But by adding a Launcher, I use the Sense widgets :crying: I never understood that one. Why would the widgets disappear as an option, but all other widgets are still there. With Google and even HTC putting some apps on the Play Store, why doesn't HTC put the Sense 6 Clock and Weather widget up on the Store, and the Calender Widget. But it totally sucks I lose some of those really cool Sense features by going to a different launcher, and I think some of these launcher features should be part of the OS by default anyways. Why isn't adjusting the grid size a standard option yet in the OS ?

    So, how many of you either run stock Sense, or install a different launcher ?
    1
    Well, it's Sense 5 Toolbox for Sense 5 and Sense 6 Toolbox for Sense 6 (not released yet).

    You can get it through xposed or the Android Revolution thread (probably second post).
    1
    Excuse me, it's sometimes hard to keep up with which device forum I'm in.

    xposed is a framework for creating mods, it's does nothing on it's own.

    The alpha version does everything I want it to, but I haven't tried the grids, I don't expect it to work properly due to the softkeys. I expect it to be released around this weekend. If you can find the spreadsheet, you can check what works.

    Or there might be another xposed mod that will work.
    1
    Here is the Sense 6 Toolbox thread, which includes a Google spreadsheet explaining which things work on HTC One M8. I've used it on Sprint M8 and seems good so far.

    http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=2705270