A major part of my app I am creating is to allow the user to create a folder on their homescreen that they can put apps into and customize. I have done some searching around and honestly have no idea if it is possible to do this. I don't see why it wouldn't be able to be done. I have noticed other apps that are avalible for purchase that allow users to do this (for example, edit the icon and name of the folder), what can I do to do that for example? Thanks!
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I have a question. I wanted to develop an app that would add a shortcut to the keyboard (Samsung SoftKeyboard).
The shortcut should be accessible via the dots at the top right (see attachment).
I would like to add a circle ("floating") over my app, as shown in the picture on the right.
Something specific should then be carried out via this circle (but that's not the point yet).
I've done a little research, but don't really know what to look for.
I hope you can help me.
thanks in advance
Example
afaik there is no such possibility to add anything in there. it's another app with own custom settings and options, you can't edit such or change in any way. your last chance is possibility of published API/some communication way for that app, which would allow to add such actions, but I very doubt Samsung made such API for own keyboard app and allowed ANY 3rd-party app to mess in their software... (btw. that would be very insecure for user)
I need a home screen clone app that uses apps, folders, swipable screens of more apps and so on.
So far, I have looked into custom launchers like this one here: https://www.androidauthority.com/make-a-custom-android-launcher-837342-837342/
But to achieve what I need will require a lot of extra additions (the icons are easy enough, but I'll need folders and swiping as well).
Another approach I wondered about is Kiosk mode/Lock-Task-Mode and multi-app kiosk mode. I've looked at the docs and wondered if this could be used to harness the actual homescreen, while still executing code in the background based on what apps the user selects (ultimately acheiving the same desired effect of my project).
I've spent a full day looking at this but I want to know if I'm on the right path. Obviously, I could create an app that contains all of this, but I do think I want it to be a launcher app that's locked in place so that users can't operate the actual home screen and its apps. No malicious intent here, it's just for a closed-off research project.
Any insight is greatly appreciated.
I am totally newbie and I am not an English native speaker, so please don't yell at me if I do something wrong.
I made an android app in eclipse (nothing special), but I have one problem. I want to add a shortcut in folder so the user can call it from folder. in that folder i will later add more shortcuts. i want to separate my apps from others. this folder and the shortcuts need to be in main manu.
I tried some codes what I found here in stackoverflow, but I stacked and I don't know how to proceed.
Thanks in forward for anwsers
Though I am not an Android developer, I don't think you have to update anything. Users should just be able to drag your application icon to the home screen. If you want action-specific shortcuts (I.E., go to Wi-Fi settings in the settings app), then please update your question.
you open start menu and you have your own folder with your shortcuts
In Android, the "start menu" equivalent is called the home screen. There are many, many implementations of a home screen -- dozens that come pre-installed on different devices, and hundreds more than can be downloaded from the Play Store and elsewhere.
Some home screens may have the concept of a "folder", but they may or may not expose an API to developers to control it. Other home screens will not have "folders" at all.
You are welcome to contact each home screen author to find out whether they support the notion of "folders" and whether there is a specific way for your app to create a "folder" and appear inside of it.
Or, you are welcome to build your own home screen, complete with as many folders as you like.
So I am using the Home sample to build an application that creates a second home screen for the user. The idea is to be able to have only one user account yet restrict certain access to chosen applications. I have managed to ensure that all of the applications are invisible in the XML yet I am struggling with how to change this to make certain apps visible.
Is it possible to write a whitelist of accepted apps for instance the preinstalled apps or child friendly apps for children who game using the android device and then put in a Java method to access this white list? This is the only way I can think to make it work.
If anyone knows the correct way can you please help.
Thanks.
Ok so I discovered how to do this.
In the home sample they provide a for loop in the Home.java file that covers all apps and displays them. It take a simple if statement to restrict the apps that can be viewed -
// for loop is here
if (info.activityInfo.applicationInfo.packageName.contains("com.android"))
//then the rest of the home sample is here.
Still very basic but provides me with a good enough UI so that kids cannot see apps I don't want them to.
So, I noticed that I can organize apps into folders (HTC Incredible). However these folders are fairly limited in their capabilities. I want to implement an activity that extends the "base" folder activity (at the very least I want to add the ability to rearrange items in folders), but I can't figure out the class name... So, what's the name of the class that is used when adding a "New Folder" to the Home screen?
PS
I did take a look at the Android developer website. But the discussion there revolves mostly around content providers. I assume that's not quite what I need since I'd have to create a separate content provider for each new folder, or am I misunderstanding something?
So, what's the name of the class that
is used when adding a "New Folder" to
the Home screen?
For the HTC Incredible, it impossible to say what the class name is, since the Incredible is an HTC Sense device, so it's home screen implementation is proprietary.
For the Nexus One, it's the Folder class as implemented in either the Launcher or Launcher2 application built into the Android firmware. It's a bit unclear which of those versions of the launcher is used by the Nexus One.
In other words, this is a feature of the home screen application, not a "live folder" per the documentation you cited.
You are certainly welcome to try your hand at writing your own home screen replacement that offers greater capability in this area.
I'm not sure this is something you can do. From what I know, the folder feature is built in the Home application and the only way to integrate with it is through LiveFolders which can't really be used for what you intend, because:
As you said, each LiveFolder defined is tied to a ContentProvider
There is no LiveFolder API for handling the user "dropping" things (such as apps) on your folder.
The way I see it, your only hope is to write your own Home app that supports the features you want :)