This app was mentioned in 53 comments, with an average of 2.98 upvotes
Ever since I got my first smartphone I came across SwipePad and have been using it ever since.
It's basically an app launcher which you can access from any app. It's gotten a bit buggy, but I've gotten so used to it that I can't switch.
Here's an idea. Don't know how well it would work, but I think the base app is free so all it would require is some time on your part.
Download SwipePad. It's intended to set up swipe zones around the edges of your phone to launch custom apps or shortcuts.
But if you modify the pad so that all of the portals are hidden, it could basically create a "dead zone" around the edges of the screen whose width could be adjusted by the size of the pad.
I never see any love for SwipePad. It's one of the fastest edge launchers I've ever used. You can set up multiple hotspots if you want different options when swiping in from the top half of the screen vs the bottom, or left vs right. The only issue I found is the bottom edge isn't working on this phone and bottom corners are a little tricky to launch consistently. But the edges work really well. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=mobi.conduction.swipepad.android
Quick Shortcut Maker is awesome too. It gives you direct access to settings that are buried deep within the menus. For example, I can see my battery stats in 1 tap instead of going into device maintenance, waiting for the analysis to finish and then hitting the stats button. I also set up direct access to video enhancer and separate app sound. It will give you access to service menu items also and other things usually hidden from view, so be careful. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.sika524.android.quickshortcut
Combine these 2 apps and you have instant 1 finger access to just about anything on your phone.
Swipe Pad. I place all my most used apps apps on a couple of pads so I can get to them from wherever. I also hide them from my app drawer making things a lot tidier.
Definitely not against the Play Store policies, as far as I'm aware. At best it may a bit misleading in the context of the word in Android, but you'd have a hard time winning the argument - given that the definition of a launcher is an app which launches other apps. Therefore most launchers on the Play Store explicitly indicate that this replaces your home screen.
Eg, Google Now Launcher clearly states:
> Upgrade the launcher on your Android device for a fast, clean home screen
Nova Launcher states: > Nova Launcher replaces your home screen with one you control and can customize
On the other hand, a good example of a launcher which does not replace the homescreen is SwipePad.
Although the title of the app is "SwipePad - Gesture Launcher", it doesn't say anywhere in the description that it replaces your homescreen.
Therefore, I don't see how any confusion can arise from the mere use of the word "launcher", unless a dev has deliberately worded the description and doctored the screenshots to make it appear as if the app is a home screen replacement.
Try SwipePad. It's not exactly the same but I've been using it for a long time. It doesn't get updated very often, which is annoying but also means you don't have to worry about it getting bloated into uselessness. It can be themed, too, so it's not stuck looking like it came straight out of Ice Cream Sandwich as it looks in the screenshots.
Personally, I prefer SwipePad. I have small 'invisible' spots at the top left and right parts of the phone that, when touched, show my favorite apps for easy app switching.
Alternatively, you can use Fingerprint Gestures, and select a 'Tap' to open an icon touch panel of customizable shortcuts. This way, you can select 9 apps to show up to select when you tap the fingerprint sensor on the back of the phone (when the screen is on, obviously). It's a pretty fast/easy way to switch to your favorite 9 apps.
I've been using this one for years, not a module and doesn't even need root. Says Android 5 compatible, but can't confirm myself.
No one's mentioned SwipePad yet so here goes. I like my phone's default launcher but it doesn't have an app drawer. This app let's me swipe in from the edge of the screen to launch my most used apps really quickly. After the first few tries, you'll be launching apps using muscle memory.
For which function? I don't know of one that can replicate all of its panels like the CNN or weather feed. I liked using Swipepad for quick access to contacts and apps I use often. Not sure if that fits the bill. Dev hasn't updated that one in like a year though, if you find something better let me know.
For Android users, I recommend SwipePad. (Free with in-app purchases, but the IAP aren't necessary)
It allows you to pop open a launcher by simply dragging your thumb inwards from the edges of the screen. It's super convenient if you have the habit of jumping from app to app, and don't want to have to return to your homescreen and/or digging through your app drawer each time.
You may also be interested in SwipePad. Unlike the other solutions, you can swipe from any direction you choose, and you can have multiple pads set up for different corners. It's pretty fast and really handy!
Btw, could you please reply saying "solved"? Thanks!
My main apps are single tap too. Your secondary folder apps take two taps, maybe three if you're not already in your homescreen. With SwipePad it's just a single swipe - even if you're not in your home screen. It's faster than tapping on a home button, then tapping on a folder, then tapping on the app. If you haven't used SwipePad, I would highly recommend giving it a go.
I am sure I am too late, but the one app I simply cannot live without is SwipePad I like a clean homepage, with no dock. Just my clock and weather. If I want to open an app, I just swipe. So awesome.
Swipe Pad is such an amazing time saver and completely removes the need for a homescreen.
Late to the party but bear with me (afaik none of these has been suggested in previous posts):
Who needs an app laucher/switcher when one has SwipePad. And to contact people, drupe.
Control phone from computer with Airdroid.
Weather widgets with Aix Weather and Weather Bomb.
Overlay monitoring parameters with Cool Tool.
View phone content with DiskUsage.
Batterie status in a glace with Energy Bar.
Share location with Glympse.
Turn screen off on conditions with Gravity Screen.
Assign specifc vibration per contact with ViBe.
dont know if Swipepad counts.
Swipepad is the best thing since sliced bread. This is especially true for larger phones. It's free and just works.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=mobi.conduction.swipepad.android
Other useful apps not really needed in the theme but they work very well to make complex setups:
SwipePad/Pie Control or similar: panel with configurable shortcuts from anywhere, even with fullscreen foreground apps. Very useful to test, debug, and help debugging. I could replace it with Lightning Launcher functionality (overlay desktop) but its easier to configure with this apps.
Apk Extractor or other app with similar functionality to extract bitmaps/fonts from iconpacks or zooper/uccw themes to be able to use them in your theme.
Sqlite Debugger: really useful to debug sqlite queries, not available anymore in the store but you can use Sqlite Master instead.
Sambadroid / Samba Filesharing: I wouldn't have done this without any of them. Most of the Tasker scripts are in Javascript, and a smartphone is not a good way to write pure text scripts, so I used Notepad++ (and now VSCODE) from the PC to write/edit scripts directly in the internal SD of the phone. The first version of my first theme (in which this is based) was done with arrays, but with sqlite is way more easier to manage the iconpacks and their properties, mostly adding new ones.
Lightning Launcher: used for the dynamic dock as is not possible with KLWP (well, it's somewhat possible but sacrificing functionality for other things). Also I use it to pass the current page to KLWP. I did not use the vertical scrolling paging that allows LL but I do in my last one. It's very light and ultra customizable (way way more than Nova). It just has a very steep learning curve (much more than KLWP when using advanced scripting).
Chromer: is a not full featured browser but a lite one, very light/fast (and VERY VERY fast if the app launching it supports some features). It's perfect to be used as a default launcher, when launched from other apps like KLWP/gmail/..., and apart from the main browser you run when you're going to spend a while browsing and not only an isolated web page and closing it.
For the text fonts don't really remember where I got them, just searched for them just before I posted here.
I have ten profiles (as shown in the video) that can be activated automatically by context/sensors/location or manually in two ways: by a gesture in the cenral page or a gesture in the "ALL" dock icon. They are five groups (house, street, work, driving and energy save) with two variants (basic and advanced).
As stated this is my second theme (and my favorite). I'll probably will make more posts with my first/third themes (very similar to this) and also with my last one, very recently finished and much different (although I recycle some widgets like RSS/NEWS/CALENDAR).
Tanks to Tasker I also can between themes depending on context. Even when you have an amoled display you only spend so much time in the desktop itself plus a bright screen may be better during the day and my first theme is pretty dark, so I can use this last one for late evening or night.
I have a private mode for the calendar which I can enable/disable.
Some of the functionality requires root.
I will not post the KLWP/Tasker files.
I like to keep it clean with just 1 page of maybe an icon or widget or 2.
What really ups my speed at which I get to do most anything I want to do on my phone is using Swipepad.
I can get to literally any of the apps I almost always use or want to instantly access with just a quick motion (a swipe from some selected edge of the screen).
Just swipe and your "Swipepad" of apps (of your choice) are all there in front of you. Drag your finger or thumb over the app you want to launch, let go, and boom it will take you there. Once it gets into muscle memory, there's no going back. That's one actual motion. No additional tap taps necessary, my friends.
This works no matter what app you're currently on. Just adjust where you want the swipe location and the size of the "hot spot" until you find one that suits you.
The app itself is free and already has an ample number of pads for simple use. It also has a paid add on to allow even more apps in your Swipepad.
You can also adjust the grid of how many apps you do want to show. Up to 7x7 I think? But you can do whatever dimensions you want or hide the portals you don't want to use You can have different Swipepads assigned to different hot spots on your phone screen, but I find one to be sufficient.
You can use icon packs on it and adjust transparency etc on it too. Here's what mine looks like: http://imgur.com/IjPzJ8B
You can make the backdrop completely opaque if you want. You can change the look of the "portals" (the boxes containing the icons) too using themes. I'm using the freebie theme example but even the stock look is great and simple.
I know there are a lot of similar apps out there, but I found that they have too much going on when all I want is instant access to my most used or needed apps, displayed in the simplest cleanest way possible.
Tl;dr try Swipepad guys. It's a small, free app that will keep your home screen clean of anything but widgets and such since all your essential short cuts and what not can be accessed through swipe pad instead.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=mobi.conduction.swipepad.android
Perhaps SwipePad?
I'm confused by this entire thread. Why not just download swipe pad?
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=mobi.conduction.swipepad.android
you may want to consider swipepad
Look into SwipePad and see if that works for you. If you are on CM, you can have a gesture for it.