The Quest for the Ultimate Experience (Solutions to Some Pixel Problems)

[roweboat56]

My 1st smartphone was a Palm Pre Plus (webOS), I got an Android next but Went back to WebOS with an HP Veer. ... Really liked how they implemented gestures properly a DECADE before anyone else. Was using Moto phones for nearly 8 years, really loved the Active Display & Moto Actions (camera flip & chop chop flashlight).

With my Moto Z2 Force dying and Moto basically making garbage or something ridiculously overpriced *cough*RAZR*cough* ... had to look elsewhere.

Got a Pixel 5 a few days ago. I hadn't experienced Android 9 or 10, so 11 is a bit step up from Oreo.

Always on display is pretty cool, not as good as Active Display, but better than the old Ambient Display.

Double tap power button to launch camera will work, although not as cool as flipping (I know 3rd party apps exist to mimic gestures, but I'm trying to keep phone as clean as possible for endurance)

Fluid Navigation Gestures can mimic proper Navigation - I'm sorry but the built in Pixel Navigation needs a lot of work. The Swipe up and hold for recent apps is very frustrating to use.
(Here is a solution to removing the 3 button Nav bar on Android 11 with terminal: https://www.reddit.com/r/Android/comments/irs1eb/hiding_the_3_dot_navigation_bar_on_android_11_root/)
(For reference, I disabled the left swipe bar. Kept the right swipe as a back button [the one idea I like of Google's], Right Swipe bottom edge -> Recent apps; Left Swipe bottom edge -> Back; Swipe up bottom edge -> Home [Just as it was on WebOS and Moto One Touch Nav]

Various Apps allow for "chop chop" for flashlight. Still testing which one is the best solution.

And Many thanks to @Tulsadiver For his work on the ancient 3Minit app to work with Pixel 5 /4a etc. https://xdaforums.com/pixel-5/themes/3minit-battery-3minit-clock-t4177835 He also has a flashable Magisk module to remove Nav bar https://xdaforums.com/pixel-5/themes/clock-mods-remove-navbar-mod-t4177829

With those mods, Battery can be changed to similar to Gravitybox Ring battery style and clock can be moved to center or right (the left clock is very annoying).

Just sharing a few things I've come across many different places. Some of this really just writing here for myself for memory and sharing if it'll be helpful for anyone else.

Cheers!

 

[somnambulantdead]

I bought a cheap Moto G7 Power and realized how much I deeply missed some of Moto's little tweaks. Chop and twist are big ones that I miss constantly. Still trying to get an app that implements it half as well. I'd really, really love if we could get a ring battery indicator around the hole punch to reclaim lost space and move the clock. Another killer feature that the Moto had me convinced was just another part of Android was scrolling screenshots. Deeply disappointed when I went to use it on the Pixel with a newer OS and it was missing.

 

[Davey Dual Sim]

Why are you finding the swipe up hard to use?

Sent from my Pixel 5 using Tapatalk

 

[roweboat56]

I bought a cheap Moto G7 Power and realized how much I deeply missed some of Moto's little tweaks. Chop and twist are big ones that I miss constantly. Still trying to get an app that implements it half as well. I'd really, really love if we could get a ring battery indicator around the hole punch to reclaim lost space and move the clock. Another killer feature that the Moto had me convinced was just another part of Android was scrolling screenshots. Deeply disappointed when I went to use it on the Pixel with a newer OS and it was missing.

Yeah I hear ya. The Active Display / Moto Display was great too. At least on the Moto X / X2, after that it wasnt as good but still better than what any other manufacturer has developed.

I've seen the app "energy ring" which does this, but the dev hasn't added support for Pixel 5 yet (it's been added for Pixel 4a, so I'm hoping support will come soon).
With Magisk and tweaks by Tulsadiver, the clock can be moved to the right, it looks much better.

 

[roweboat56]

Why are you finding the swipe up hard to use?

Sent from my Pixel 5 using Tapatalk

The swipe up is fine, it's the swipe up + HOLD that bothers me. doesn't feel fluid or natural. One motion should control one action only.

 

[Davey Dual Sim]

The swipe up is fine, it's the swipe up + HOLD that bothers me. doesn't feel fluid or natural. One motion should control one action only.

Interesting, I'm finding it one movement , move up from bottom, then the hold is less than s second

Sent from my Pixel 5 using Tapatalk

 

[spikeydoo2006]

The swipe up is fine, it's the swipe up + HOLD that bothers me. doesn't feel fluid or natural. One motion should control one action only.

If you swipe up from the bottom about ½cm you don't need to do the hold action. It automatically loads the recent apps screen for me. Any higher and it'll take you back to the home screen without holding.

 

[PuffDaddy_d]

I just use Button Mapper to turn my volume button into a flashlight toggle when the screen is off. Much faster and works more often than the chop gesture. You can customize other stuff too wtih it. A nice all-in-one app.