Smartphones And Mobiles
Perhaps you've treated yourself to a brand new Nexus 5, or you're eagerly awaiting the moment when the latest flavour of Android hits your handset. However you get hold of Android 4.4 KitKat, you'll notice some new features to get to grips with -- if they're not all to your taste, here's how to undo the changes Google is keen to force upon you.
Hangouts is now Google's all-encompassing messaging solution, covering Web chats, SMS and MMS. Much like iMessage, however, the experience is not quite as smooth and user-friendly as it should be. This being Android, you can set any app you like as the default SMS handler. First of all, download a new app from Google Play -- Chomp SMS and Handcent SMS are two of the most popular choices, but there are plenty to pick from.
Next, choose your default app from Settings > More > Default SMS app -- Hangouts will gracefully relinquish its text messaging duties and stick to instant messaging instead. Make sure you configure the notifications of your new app accordingly to avoid missing any important texts (or getting multiple notifications for every SMS).
KitKat brazenly installs Google Now as the default left-hand home screen (making it one swipe away from your main home screen). There are two ways to get rid of it: one is to switch off Google Now entirely. Tap the menu button (three vertical dots) underneath all of your cards, choose Settings and then turn off Google Now. This means you won't be able to access Google Now from anywhere -- it'll be gone completely from your phone or tablet unless you enable it again at a later date.
The other option is to install an alternative launcher. In the same way Android lets you install alternatives for texting, browsing, playing music and doing anything else, you can choose a different app to handle home screen and app-launching tasks. Most of these launchers are free and simple to use, and you can easily uninstall them again if you change your mind: Nova, Apexand Themer are among the most popular options, while KitKat Launchermimics the KitKat look without the Google Now panel. All of these apps have prominent options to enable you to set them as the default launcher on your device. If you install multiple launchers, Android adds a new Home option to the Settings app to help you manage them more easily.
When someone calls you who isn't in your contacts list, KitKat tries to work out who it is, primarily by scanning phone numbers for nearby places on Google Maps. Starting from next year, it will be able to identify individuals too, if those people have agreed to let Google associate their mobile number with their Google+ page and identity.
If you don't want Google to try and identify who's ringing you, open the Settings page from the Dialer app, tap Caller ID by Google and switch it off. The setting to stop people finding you through your mobile number is on the Web: log into your Google Account page, click the View option by the Phone numbers heading, and untick the option to help people find you.
For variety, here's how to bring back a feature that KitKat disables rather than the other way around. The lock screen widgets popular with many users are switched off by default in Android 4.4, which means you can't immediately add handy widgets for tasks, emails and such-like to the lock screen (though the swipe-right camera shortcut is still in place).
Bringing them back isn't difficult. Choose Settings > Security and then tick Enable widgets -- this refers to the lock screen widgets rather than the standard widgets you add to your home screens. With the feature enabled again, you can swipe in from the left edge of the lock screen to add the widgets of your choice.
At the moment, shouting "OK, Google" to launch the search function on your KitKat device only works if you have your language set to US English. Presumably it will eventually roll out to UK English in due course.
If you don't want to have the feature available (it can use up battery life for one thing, and be hijacked by a passer-by for another) head to your Google Now Settings page. Untick the Hotword detection option and your handset is then immune from an "OK, Google" call to action.
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Smartphones And Mobiles
How to remove Hangouts and more Android 4.4 KitKat apps
Perhaps you've treated yourself to a brand new Nexus 5, or you're eagerly awaiting the moment when the latest flavour of Android hits your handset. However you get hold of Android 4.4 KitKat, you'll notice some new features to get to grips with -- if they're not all to your taste, here's how to undo the changes Google is keen to force upon you.
1. Replace Hangouts as the default SMS app
Hangouts is now Google's all-encompassing messaging solution, covering Web chats, SMS and MMS. Much like iMessage, however, the experience is not quite as smooth and user-friendly as it should be. This being Android, you can set any app you like as the default SMS handler. First of all, download a new app from Google Play -- Chomp SMS and Handcent SMS are two of the most popular choices, but there are plenty to pick from.
Next, choose your default app from Settings > More > Default SMS app -- Hangouts will gracefully relinquish its text messaging duties and stick to instant messaging instead. Make sure you configure the notifications of your new app accordingly to avoid missing any important texts (or getting multiple notifications for every SMS).
2. Reclaim your home screens
KitKat brazenly installs Google Now as the default left-hand home screen (making it one swipe away from your main home screen). There are two ways to get rid of it: one is to switch off Google Now entirely. Tap the menu button (three vertical dots) underneath all of your cards, choose Settings and then turn off Google Now. This means you won't be able to access Google Now from anywhere -- it'll be gone completely from your phone or tablet unless you enable it again at a later date.
The other option is to install an alternative launcher. In the same way Android lets you install alternatives for texting, browsing, playing music and doing anything else, you can choose a different app to handle home screen and app-launching tasks. Most of these launchers are free and simple to use, and you can easily uninstall them again if you change your mind: Nova, Apexand Themer are among the most popular options, while KitKat Launchermimics the KitKat look without the Google Now panel. All of these apps have prominent options to enable you to set them as the default launcher on your device. If you install multiple launchers, Android adds a new Home option to the Settings app to help you manage them more easily.
3. Turn off Caller ID
When someone calls you who isn't in your contacts list, KitKat tries to work out who it is, primarily by scanning phone numbers for nearby places on Google Maps. Starting from next year, it will be able to identify individuals too, if those people have agreed to let Google associate their mobile number with their Google+ page and identity.
If you don't want Google to try and identify who's ringing you, open the Settings page from the Dialer app, tap Caller ID by Google and switch it off. The setting to stop people finding you through your mobile number is on the Web: log into your Google Account page, click the View option by the Phone numbers heading, and untick the option to help people find you.
4. Enable lock screen widgets
For variety, here's how to bring back a feature that KitKat disables rather than the other way around. The lock screen widgets popular with many users are switched off by default in Android 4.4, which means you can't immediately add handy widgets for tasks, emails and such-like to the lock screen (though the swipe-right camera shortcut is still in place).
Bringing them back isn't difficult. Choose Settings > Security and then tick Enable widgets -- this refers to the lock screen widgets rather than the standard widgets you add to your home screens. With the feature enabled again, you can swipe in from the left edge of the lock screen to add the widgets of your choice.
5. Not okay, Google
At the moment, shouting "OK, Google" to launch the search function on your KitKat device only works if you have your language set to US English. Presumably it will eventually roll out to UK English in due course.
If you don't want to have the feature available (it can use up battery life for one thing, and be hijacked by a passer-by for another) head to your Google Now Settings page. Untick the Hotword detection option and your handset is then immune from an "OK, Google" call to action.
- Samsung Galaxy Fame Tips And Tricks
How to find your IMEI address There are two ways to find your IMEI address on your Samsung Galaxy Fame. The first one is to look in the phone's settings by going to Settings - About Phone - Status. Then scroll down until you see IMEI Address. The...
- Android 4.4 Kitkat Tips, Tricks And Secrets
What's hiding in Android 4.4? Android 4.4 is the most polished and feature-rich iteration of Google's mobile OS yet, and comes with plenty of new and exciting functions to keep fans happy. However, not all of them are immediately obvious from...
- Google Nexus 5 Setup Guide: 5 Steps To Get Started
The Google Nexus 5 runs great from the moment you pull it out of the box, especially with the new and improved Android 4.4 KitKat software on board. However you?ll want to make a few immediate changes to be better prepared, more secure, better performance...
- 25 Htc One X Tips
The One X is HTC's mighty flagship smart phone, and with its 4.7-inch screen and powerful quad-core processor, it could power a battleship. But there's more than just impressive specs to the One X, so join me as I find 25 ways to get more out...
- Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc S Tips And Tricks
Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc S is onother great smart phone which become very popular. Sony has issued a software update for Xperia Arc S, and now you can run it on Ice Cream Sandwich. Here are some tips and tricks for Xperia Arc S: Enable auto App updates...