[GolpherZX]

As this is the closest thing to a newbie guide to the Hero (which I am), I thought I'd post a couple of other things here that I have found helpful already. One I had a friend of a friend show, and the other was from someone else's post in another thread. I'm going to keep a running document and keep updating it to try to get a newbie guide. That was one nice thing that someone had made over at the overactive PreCentral.

1) Turn off default SMS Client (Saves some battery life)
a. First, download and install a new client, current recommendations of either Handcent SMS or Chomp.
b. Send your first SMS message to change the default messaging application
i. Open People
ii. Open a contact (anyone that you have)
iii. Click “Send Message”
1. This should open up a prompt that will ask you to select which SMS client you’d like to use
iv. Select your new third party application
v. There should be a box that says “Use this as default application”, click it.
1. Note: Can someone get me the exact verbiage so this can be updated
vi. Send test text message
c. Disable Messages from being used
i. Open up messages
ii. Menu->Settings
iii. Unselect “Auto-retrieve”
iv. Unselect “Notifications”
d. This should now have the messages application removed from being used on the hero.

2) Change Gmail Contact Sync to Particular Groups, not all groups (Thanks doogald)
a. Reason: Gmail by default adds every person you email to your larger contact list
b. Start People Application
c. Go to the 3rd icon on the bottom (Groups)
d. Press Menu
e. Press Sync Groups
f. Turn off “Sync All Contacts”
g. Note: When in gmail on a web browser (PC/MAC) I created a new group called “All_Contacts”, then selected all of my contacts that I had and added to the group. This seemed to not select the “default” added contacts that I had, even though I had selected all of the contacts. This seemed to add only the ones that I had added manually.

[jgodin03]

One I stumbled upon - if you're in an app that uses location and you've moved enough that your location had to reset (looks to be about 8-10 km before it looks for new data, at least in the HTC weather widget), often times it will get stuck and not refresh. Rather than reset the phone, open Gmaps and update your location.

You can just disable/reable the gps in the setting, it work for me...

[marcch]

On the iPhone, when scrolling through contacts, to get faster to a contact, there is some Alphabet Bar on the right which lets you scroll through letters quickly...

Usually, when I show my HTC Hero to my friends, they ask me how I scroll without this bar... so I show them the search and the Smart Dial function....

However, it turns out that the HTC Hero also has this Alphabet Scrolling function.

When you start scrolling in the People application, a black scroll bar appears on the right, press on it and hold, and a horizontal bar with a letter shows up, allowing you to scroll though letters, just like in the iPhone....


Another tip, is that usually when I use the Smart Dial function, to bring up a contact and his number, I get the default number for the contact... If you want to dial another number, which is not the default one, and don't want to go to his Contact page, use the trackball to get to the contact you want, then go left or right using the trackball...you'll see the number change... all you have to do now is press the call button...

[smacky32]

yes, I was playing around with my HTC hero and did not do a recovery, wipe it clean and now im having trouble resetting back to 1.5 can or does anyone have any ideas , need help, I installed 2.1 that leaked out but has bugs.

[E.2da.D]

I dont know if this will help, but when hero sceen is locked. If you hold in trackball and rotate upward (while holding in trackball) until a click sound is heard,, your screen will be unlocked


Just did this byy accident, if its a glitch please inform me!!

[GolpherZX]

I can't get it to be repeated. Maybe you hit the menu button twice in a row??

[highwayman1224]

I dont know if this will help, but when hero sceen is locked. If you hold in trackball and rotate upward (while holding in trackball) until a click sound is heard,, your screen will be unlocked


Just did this byy accident, if its a glitch please inform me!!

I just tried this & it didn't work on my phone.

[lastdetailwd]

I just tried this & it didn't work on my phone.

Same here.........

[Big D]

Im having problems downloading messages sent to me. When I tap download it says unsuccessful . I never had this problem before can anyone help me?

[blueskyeer]

Im having problems downloading messages sent to me. When I tap download it says unsuccessful . I never had this problem before can anyone help me?

this happens to me sometimes when i'm not connected to the network. for some reason my phone periodically stops connecting (annoying). I'm not connected even though my mobile widget says I am... at this point the mobile widget is also frozen and won't let me disconnect.

To fix: I re-set/ reconnect by holding power button until the drop down menu appears then I disconnect the network, then reconnect and 99% of the time that fixes it and I'm able to download my messages, go to the market or whatever...

this might not be your issue, but it was for me...

[Th3Cap3]

Hey everybody, I found a program in the market called spare parts, it gives you access to extra options thatdont seem to be in the basic options menu.

[Andrew Ruffolo]

If you are having trouble getting your computer to recognize your phone (some windows operating systems) for adb access. Do this:
1) Download the HTC sync for Droid Eris
2) Install the software completely
3) Restart computer
4) Completely exit HTC sync on your computer so that it is not running
5) test it out.
in command prompt:

cd c:\android-sdk-windows\tools\
adb devices

If that pulls up a device starting with the letter H, you are good. Thats your phone's serial number. You may now proceed to root your phone.

[premed]

thanks rufflez

[DoubleA319]

Hey everyone. I just discovered a very convenient tip while browsing through the forums on my Hero. I was looking at some addons & saw the link for the 3d gallery zip. I decided to click it & it took me straight to the 4shared website where you download the file from. I pressed download & the file downloaded straight to the root of my SD card. The best part was that I didn't have to wait the 10 seconds before the download started!
I used opera browser by the way, It's the fastest browser in the market (trust me) I'm assuming this works with the stock browser. You guys can try if you want.
I suggest bookmarking Android central on your phones browser. To make your life easier. Very useful tip here!

[mikebeam]

If you have paper on your desk, and the window is open, place the Hero on the paper to defend against a breeze.

LOL that's a good one!

[E.2da.D]

I love the fact that I can silence my phone just but flipping it over.

How do u do that?

[Andrew Ruffolo]

when you get a phone call, flip it over and itll stop ringing
test it out

[kennethmsmith]

don't understand the "hold send key" to access voice commands... can someone please detail / clarify this one?

[Andrew Ruffolo]

hold the green button.
Voice commands should pop up with examples of what to say to get a sepcific function. For example:

hold down green button
Dial 911
you will be connected with emergency services.

[kennethmsmith]

at the home screen I held down the call button (the green button) but all it did was bring up the phone number pad... No voice command interface. Im using the cellular south hero.

[philb#AC]

that one I like

[philb#AC]

tips from a new android guy with a htc sprint hero. First hold the menu button to pull up keyboard, hold the search button to do voice search, hold end key for just a few seconds to bring up these options: power off, silent mode, vibration mode, airplane, or mobile network on/off. Also hold send key to pull up voice commands (example: "call suzie"). So thats a few from my time with my new hero. Btw I'm an ex-blackberry guy and loving the android family

Real Helpful THANKS

[Maximuss]

I tried to unlock my phone by using the track ball and realized that if i push right above the track ball this would unlock my phone every time.I don't think its suppose to do this,but i do think this is whats causing all my pocket calls.
Can anyone else duplicate this.Just push right above the track ball as if there was a button there.

[lunchbox88]

I tried to unlock my phone by using the track ball and realized that if i push right above the track ball this would unlock my phone every time.I don't think its suppose to do this,but i do think this is whats causing all my pocket calls.
Can anyone else duplicate this.Just push right above the track ball as if there was a button there.

I think what's happening is you're hitting the menu button which is unlocking the phone.

[canterrain]

Holding the search button (magnifying glass) will allow you to do more than just a google search. You can do voice commands from here. (Such as, dial beezy, or drive to burgerking). And it works alot better than the actual voice command function you get by holding the call button.