How To Improve User Experience ? (Drawer and Recent tabs)

Hi everyone.

As a technolover I have needed to end the relation with my LG G6 (4yo) due to the batery life. As ecololover I have decided to buy a FP4.

I have some issue to get my User Experience perfect.

I would love to :

  • Create folders and pages on the drawer. I don’t know how people may like to get just all apps by alphabetical order and search anytime an app…
    I was used to that on my previous phones so I really need it. Even drawer apps don’t do that as I expect. I am close to get Nova Launcher to do it

  • Get recent tabs as a vertical scroll I find it much more convenient to find a recent tab.

  • Also I will remove the Google search bar but some topics already exist on that

Enjoy your FP4

Welcome to the Fairphone community.

Why do you need folders and pages in the App drawer? That’s just an alphabetical list. But your favorite Apps can be managed on the home screen. There are the folders and pages.

Where do you use tabs? In your internet browser? Which one?

I guess he’s talking about the recent apps view. I fear it is not easy to change because it is part of the Android core, not part of the launcher.

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Thank you for your answer guys,

I need folders and pages in App drawer because I am used to be organised. When I go hom (home screen) I just get some fast app on folders.
But if I need a specific app I go to a page and then a folder (as if you go to a room (page) to get a specific tool (app) in a specific shelf (the folder))

It get no sens for me to get all my apps in the same page because to find one I never know where it is as I install and remove apps every week. So it’s very long for me to go to the app with alphabetical order instead of personal order.

On my homescreen I like to be epurate and have 2 pages, one with the clock and specific apps (mails / sms / photo and call) the second one for the calendar and notes. That’s it

For tabs I was thinking about the recent apps view exactly Discotu36.

I know it’s not so easy and why does Android 11 get it ? I don’t know xD

You need another Launcher then. Nova would be a good start, I suppose. Just search for it in the Play Store.

Best wishes,
Thomas

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lawnchair reborn launcher could be a good start.

the reborn version from IzzyOnDroid f-droid repo. Not the one from original f-droid repo.

You have to include the IzzyOnDroid Repo to f-droid.

The original one is the unmaintained version from 2019. the Izzy version is the reborn one from 2021 and maintained.

Advantage to nova, etc… it’s free and FOSS :wink:

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Instead of going into folders, you can just use the search function to find an app easily.

Overall for sure we can contactsupport for every tiny little feature request and some might be implemented. however at the end my opinion is, that systems change or are diffently set up through different companies, and although consistency is nice, we have to adopt and cope with changes, and some might turn out to be better as before.

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I fully agree, Fairphone should stay with the clean vanilla Android system. If they try to mimic every single variation that for example LG, Samsung, Huawei or whoever put in their UIs, it would be a complete mess.
For me it’s fine like it is. The home screen is made for my personal arrangement of apps, in the drawer I can find them all, if I want.

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Can’t you do the same with home screen pages? So that you put on home screen page 3 those apps that you would put onto drawer page 1?

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Thank you Teezeh, I will try that soon :slight_smile:

I am trying Lawnchair I will try this one if you say it’s better and FOOS :slight_smile:
Thank you for the tip :stuck_out_tongue:

Not useful, sorry even if your way to use your phone is convenient, it’s not mine. I am not asking to change the Fairphone OS which is Android, but the Android, Fairphone is not the issue. The change is to use a Fairphone. LG is not making phone anymore as HTC to my regrets.
Android is going to iOS easier to use and less personal, that’s different from before when you could personalise everything.

@Icanus, I think this answer is also adapted :wink:

It’s the solution I am thinking also, but it’s not really the same. Doing this is making the home screen overcharged and making my Android being a iOS…

I know I am complicated ! but in 2021 not been able to personalize its Android phone is for me not normal.
I was changing all my Desire HD and changing ROMs, switching every single detail, now I can’t even remove a single Google search bar :face_vomiting:

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That’s what the home screen is made for. Where is the difference between swiping up to reach the App drawer or swiping left to reach the next screen with all your apps and folders and drawers? Your main screen can stay clean.

You can change everything, you just need to use a different launcher, so I don’t understand your complains.
And why should Fairphone or Android implement options, that only a few people might want, if they had own a LG before, but not the options Samsung people are used to or vice versa?

This is true but on the other hand Fairphone is a bit over the top with its lack of configuration options. I think it is a no-go to have half of the home screen cluttered with content that is not removable.

Is that true for the FP4? I can’t see it on the FP3.

I was exaggerating. But these two elements cannot be removed in standard launcher.

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The search bar is standard in stock Android, but the date is only shown on the main page. But anyway, it’s just the standard launcher, it can be easily replaced. So there is no restriction at all in the customization department.

Not for advanced users, no. But if the Fairphone is aimed at a broad market, it should be easily customizable, even for users that don’t know what a launcher is or are hesitant to install one because of the “this app can access everything” warnings.

But this is kind of off-topic, because the customizations wanted here are too extensive to be done with the stock launcher.

I see it just the other way round. To much options makes it harder for standard users to operate the phone.

But you a right, it’s getting to far from the main topic.

The home screen from iOS is made for having all apps on. Not the one from Android :wink:

So what is the use of the drawer if it’s only all apps ordered by name ?
Do you have all your food / clothes / shampoo in the same box at home ?

I am not sure that it was from LG but from Android previous version, maybe I am wrong on this point

I agree with @Discostu36 about the elements that can’t be removed. I hadn’t get that before… I don’t need a google search bar :confused:
I don’t need the date, I know which day we are and the clock is already on the notification bar

By the way, even when you accept developer options you can’t get to this part of customization, that’s not normal to my point. But maybe standard and as everyone is the new normal

I still can’t see the difference whether to search for apps in the app drawer or on one of the several home screens.

And iOS can have a subset of Apps on the home screen and the rest in the App-Mediathek too.

It’s like to prefer pasta pesto or pasta carbo. You can’t explain it’s a personal choice :slight_smile: