One terrific usability enhancement the new icon indicators bring is the ability to
use App Shortcuts and Action Launcher's Shutters (which reveal an app's widget) on the same shortcut:
There's just a few problems with getting it implemented properly: we need more devices that can
use App Shortcuts, and we need more developers who are willing to enable it.
Not exact matches
Belanger also wrote about the
shortcuts you can
use on Chromebooks, which include adding
apps, searching more quickly and typing in caps lock (since there's no caps lock button).
Zapier, in a nutshell, makes connections between
apps and software so that you can
use shortcuts to save time.
You can even
use the S Pen to do gesture
shortcuts called Quick Commands on the screen to open
apps, make calls, send text messages, and more.
While
using your phone to get Zen is generally not recommended,
apps that provide
shortcuts to calming you down and improving your mood are the exception.
A new controller includes volume and seek forward / back controls for the audio system;
shortcut buttons for fast access to the most frequently
used apps such as Audio, Phone, Navigation (if available) and Home; and a large center dial to operate primary features of the most frequently
used apps, scroll menus and lists and select other
apps to be displayed.
This secondary display can be on while the main display is off and can be
used for showing notifications, the weather, the time / date,
app shortcuts and more.
You can
use keyboard
shortcuts from the home screen, BlackBerry Hub, or the Phone
app.
The Droid Charge comes with a bunch of
apps, but in my humble opinion, Samsung and Verizon should instead
use shortcuts to the Android market.
An alternative I've found is a bit of a
shortcut: Tapping and holding a recently
used app provides an «App Info» opti
app provides an «
App Info» opti
App Info» option.
The Walkman
app has a brand name that still manages to inspire nostalgia, but it's a modern player for locally - stored music, with large easy - to -
use controls and everything from visualizer to a
shortcut option that lets you search for lyrics, music videos, and artist info across the web.
We wish there were an option to add
shortcuts to frequently
used apps on the lock screen, which is already available on the Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 10.1.
I especially miss the microSD slot (especially if only 500 MB is available for sideloaded content), plus the page turn buttons (I didn't
use them as intended, but instead as
shortcuts to
apps after I rooted the device).
There's a also the clever Guest mode, accessed
using the
shortcut near the
apps drawer link at the top - right of the screen.
This can be programmed to launch an
app, or
used as a
shortcut to a specific function.
Actually reading books in Cloud Reader is a pleasure, and you'd be hard - pressed to tell that you aren't
using a native
app, especially if you place a
shortcut to the web
app on your iPad's home screen, which launched the reader in a chrome-less, full - screen browser.
Keyboard
shortcuts on the KEYone are tied to the BlackBerry Launcher
app though, so if you are an Android tweaker and want to
use a different Android launcher altogether on the KEYone you are going to lose some of that functionality.
BlackBerry PlayBook 101: Adding a home screen
shortcut on the BlackBerry PlayBook BlackBerry PlayBook 101: Changing the wallpaper on your BlackBerry PlayBook BlackBerry PlayBook 101:
Using BlackBerry
App World on the PlayBook
It acts just like the pattern or PIN unlock, so you can still
use lock screen
shortcuts - you just have to deal with security before your
app opens.
You can
use the OS without knowing the
shortcuts, but it's a rough experience: you'll spend a ton of time going to and from the Start Screen, launching and re-launching
apps.
We didn't find much sign of lag in general
use, but you will find that sometimes your BlackBerry grinds to a halt and will need resetting, either by the alt + caps + delete
shortcut, pulling the battery or
using an
app to reset it during the night on a regular basis.
Similar to iOS, users can
use this area to create folders for
app shortcuts and documents.
Using this
app, you can create custom home screen icons and
shortcuts for native, third - party, and system
apps.
It can display
app shortcuts and toolbar icons, it can detect stylus input, it can be
used as a trackpad, and it can detect gestures like pinch - zooming.
If you
use the universal search (tap the search button at the bottom - right of the phone), you can search everything in the phone, including
apps,
shortcuts, contacts, and... emails.
For example, swiping down from the top gives you access quick access to system
shortcuts, regardless of whether you're
using an
app or on the home screen (pictured above).
Google's support pages for the Pixel C show a whole lot of keyboard
shortcuts for the most -
used Google
apps.
If you have any trouble with how to navigate the
app with keyboard
shortcuts or controls, you can
use the «Help» section.
Homescreen icons can be customised to whatever your most -
used apps, functions and web
shortcuts are, while the full menu is easy to organise into folders.
On the second home screen to the left is a
shortcut box with some commonly
used apps such as Chrome browser, Google Photos and the camera.
These are the mind - mapping
app iBlueSky, useful for writers but also other users, and Wikipanion, which provides
shortcuts for people
using Wikipedia.
Customers can personalize and
use lock screen
shortcuts to quickly access their four favorite
apps.
Pressing the N button below the screen brings up a
shortcut menu you can
use to navigate to your library of content, go to the B&N online store, search your device, browse and shop for
apps, surf the web, or view settings.
However, it'll always provide you with a
shortcut to the console's Settings menu, which sits below the top entries with a black background (these refer specifically to the
app you're
using) and alongside the coloured options at the bottom, which are general options for the console.
If you
use AutoHotKey (Windows) or TextExpander (Mac), you can add timestamps in other
apps (the F5
shortcut only works in Notepad on Windows), and set up
shortcuts for your frequently - billed tasks.
Using it you can preview images, magnify image details and access
shortcut menus for some of the standard
apps.
You can also
use different tile sizes, allowing you to view live tile information on a larger tile or fit many more
app shortcuts on a single screen.
Whether you want to call a specific contact with one tap, keep your phone unlocked when you're at home or work, launch the camera in a flash to quickly capture the perfect moment, or search for an
app while in a rush, here are some of the best
shortcuts built into Android that you're probably not
using.
The UI offers a few
shortcuts that can be
used to launch
apps, open camera when the phone is locked.
- Lockscreen
shortcuts: — added additional slot — added option for scale correction - QuickSettings management: — added option for Haptic feedback (vibrate on tile press)-- QuickAppTile:
use default theme for launcher dialog — Moto: improved scaling of Signal tiles (WiFi, Cellular)- Battery settings: — percent text in status bar is now independent of existing stock percent text — added master switch for battery settings - Recents: added option for always visible Clear All button (non-OOS only)- Actions: improved killing of foreground
apps — kills only what's really visible to the user — removes killed task from the recents panel - Screenshot:
use native method if available (e.g.
uses OnePlus screenshot on OOS)- GB's
App Launcher: added option for choosing theme - Media: allow volume keys skip track for music playing remotely - Fixed app init on FBE devices for lockscreen shortcuts and QuickApp tile - Improved handling of explicitly triggered SystemUI restarts - Updated Chinese (Simplified) translations (thanks to liveasx)- Updated Turkish translations (thanks to Fatih Firin
App Launcher: added option for choosing theme - Media: allow volume keys skip track for music playing remotely - Fixed
app init on FBE devices for lockscreen shortcuts and QuickApp tile - Improved handling of explicitly triggered SystemUI restarts - Updated Chinese (Simplified) translations (thanks to liveasx)- Updated Turkish translations (thanks to Fatih Firin
app init on FBE devices for lockscreen
shortcuts and QuickApp tile - Improved handling of explicitly triggered SystemUI restarts - Updated Chinese (Simplified) translations (thanks to liveasx)- Updated Turkish translations (thanks to Fatih Firinci)
They're useful for quickly opening
apps, enabling options, or as a series of
shortcut commands when your keyboard is out of the way, or if you're busy
using the battery - free stylus, which supports 4,096 pressure levels.
Features list: Call Recording Auto call recording 4 Ways Reboot (Reboot, Recovery, Hotboot, Download) Full Color / Transparency customization for Status bar and Notification drawer elements Secure Samsung Keyboard Option to keep «Add Call» button with Call recording menu Disable Camera shutter sound (+ Screen Capture) Skip Music with Volume buttons Save Call Logs View Enable Keyboard Symbols Enable Hangouts Calls trough cellular Enable Camera while calling Unlimited and Customizable Multi-View support Bypass Exchange Lock check Notification Panel Customization Long Home key behavior Long Back key to kill
App (+ white list) Disable increasing ringtone Messaging Tweaks (raise limits and conversion) Disable Scrolling cache Enable Full rotations White / Colored Circle Battery Transparent Notifications panel Customize Clock format and size Customize Battery text helper size Customize Quick Settings buttons number per row Collapse Quick Settings after toggle 2 line formatted date on the panel header Dark themed Multi-Window Disable Boot sound Customize Two line date header format White / Black Email
App background (Supported on some devices) Transparent Quick Settings buttons background Default hidden SMS logs Add Call button to Logs and Contacts list Disable Accounts icons on Contacts list Custimize Wifi AP Clients number Disable Launcher page rotation Add Exit button to browser SMS Automatic input mode Disable Call number formatting Enable unlimited Contacts joining Enable Gallery Rotation trough button Set default Browser view to Desktop Hide Wireless charging popup Hide Full Battery Notification Clock position Status bar (Hide, Left, Right, Center) NFC behaviors (UN / Locked on Screen ON / Off) Hide Headset icon and notification bar Disable TW DVFS Blacklist for Application where you want to disable DVFS when it's default enabled Hide Smart Stay, Alarm, NFC icons on status bar Launcher: Enable Scroll wallpaper and Hide Dock labels Disable Wake Home button
Use separate Address field on Contacts Add Fast PIN unlock (to be
used with caution) Added SMS sent time details Enable Screen ON options on Messaging
App Disable low Battery warning Add custom carrier label on notification label Set low Camera battery level Change System Holo Dark / Light background Acces hidden Lockscreen
shortcuts menu Disable SEAndroid / Knox notifications and container Disable volume control sound Disable low battery sound Auto Disable Knox notifications when Knox
Apps are installed Set SELinux to Permissive mode on boot ScreenShot and ScreenRecord (Requires Busybox) on Power menu CM Numeric Circle battery Screen Off animation (CRT / Fade) Expand all notifications Disable Temperature check on Camera recording and Flash Enable Heads up notifications (Optional ongoing notifications and display delay customization) Support SHealth and Private mode (Disable secure storage on both
Apps) Disable Battery and USB cover warning And much more to come
I hate the look of stock folders, and I love the fact that a Cover is essentially a folder with a
shortcut to the most
used app — while still looking clean on the home screen.
Next, if you have a 3D Touch - enabled device, such as an iPhone 7, you can
use 3D Touch quick action
shortcuts on the Home
app icon to quickly access favourite scenes.
The system also animates interactions with the icons and also
uses the icons in
shortcuts, the Settings
app, the sharing dialog, and the overview screen.
Just press Alt + / on your keyboard while you're
using any
app, then you'll get a list of all the available keyboard
shortcuts.
There aren't many
shortcuts or gestures that can be
used with the fingerprint sensor, but one that is actually pretty handy is
using the fingerprint sensor as a shutter button when in the camera
app.
Controlling any of those devices and setting up notifications is straightforward via the Wink companion
app, which is far easier to decipher and
use than the SmartThings
app, with a clean, modern dashboard for direct access to devices and sensors as well as especially handy user - created
shortcut buttons to frequently
used actions.
While on the screen brightness issue, you can also
use the «background tint» option in the wallpaper to ensure that the
app and
shortcut icons stand out more prominently and do not get lost in the wallpaper.