How to organize Android properly?

[Marute]

My Lumia 800 is sent to repairs with a dead speaker so currently I'm using my dad's older Samsung Galaxy Xcover with Android 2.3.

I know Android 2.3 does not represent the modern Android experience of today at all, but I still consider this my first real use scenario with Android as the very basics are more or less the same from what little I know.

So my question is: As a first time Android user, how do you use the platform properly? I don't have many apps on the Xcover but on my Lumia 800 I use more apps. Which apps do you pin to one or more of your home screens, which don't you pin? How filled should the home screens be? Basically, how is the intended use of the UI - how is it supposed to be organized?

I know it comes down to preferences but I'm sure there's an intended method to the madness?

Thanks

 

[Golfdriver97]

My Lumia 800 is sent to repairs with a dead speaker so currently I'm using my dad's older Samsung Galaxy Xcover with Android 2.3.

I know Android 2.3 does not represent the modern Android experience of today at all, but I still consider this my first real use scenario with Android as the very basics are more or less the same from what little I know.

So my question is: As a first time Android user, how do you use the platform properly? I don't have many apps on the Xcover but on my Lumia 800 I use more apps. Which apps do you pin to one or more of your home screens, which don't you pin? How filled should the home screens be? Basically, how is the intended use of the UI - how is it supposed to be organized?

I know it comes down to preferences but I'm sure there's an intended method to the madness?

Thanks

I would just say pin whatever apps you are going to use the most to your home screens. You should be able to add a couple widgets like weather and such, and then you can organize however you would like. You can have one page be media, one page games, etc. How ever you want.

 

[gone down south]

There is no proper way to use android, they'd the beauty of it. Everyone can fully customize the whole experience for themselves.



Sent from my Nexus 4 using AC Forums mobile app

 

[Marute]

Fair enough thanks guys. I know it was a weird question but I felt like hearing what people do.

 

[garublador]

The way I do it is if I have any apps that I only want to use if something changes (Gmail is the big one), I leave it off my home screens and just access it through the notification shade.

Things were I want a small piece of information frequently (weather, time, daily calander, to-do list, etc) get a widget. The more frequently I want the information, the closer they are to my home screen.

Apps that I use very often that either don't just report bits of useful information (Chrome, Contacts, Camera, Voice Search), get put in the dock (the icons on the bottom of the screen that don't change).

Apps that I use that either report large amount of information per use (Facebook, Gallery, News, Maps) or that I want quick access to (wife's contact info, Shazam) get put on the home screen. Lesser used apps (games, Instagram, music app, Groupon) get put farther away from the home screen.

Anything that I have trouble categorizing just gets left in the app drawer. I'd spend just as much time looking though screens for stuff I like having but rarely use as I would just finding it alphabetically, so I don't keep more than 3 screens in my launcher.

Which features or apps fall into which category will depend on your usage. I only check Facebook infrequently so there are too many updates for a widget to keep up with. I don't initiate a lot of emails or text threads so they are lower priority to me, too.

 

[sting7k]

My Lumia 800 is sent to repairs with a dead speaker so currently I'm using my dad's older Samsung Galaxy Xcover with Android 2.3.

I know Android 2.3 does not represent the modern Android experience of today at all, but I still consider this my first real use scenario with Android as the very basics are more or less the same from what little I know.

So my question is: As a first time Android user, how do you use the platform properly? I don't have many apps on the Xcover but on my Lumia 800 I use more apps. Which apps do you pin to one or more of your home screens, which don't you pin? How filled should the home screens be? Basically, how is the intended use of the UI - how is it supposed to be organized?

I know it comes down to preferences but I'm sure there's an intended method to the madness?

Thanks

The right way is the way that works best for YOU. Don't let anyone else tell you differently.

 

[_X_]

It's not a weird question, it's just that Android has so much versatility compared to other phones that it's hard to tell someone what the correct setup is. What is so awesome about Android is you don't have to touch anything and it is usable or you can modify everything including the kitchen sink.

My wife and Sister use their phone as is. They like Touch Wiz and use it as it is delivered. They add a few of their favorite apps on the homescreen and their happy.

I hate touch wiz and install ADW.Launcher. I have shortcuts to contacts on a home screen, widgets with my todo/calendar on another, stock apps on another and a widget with Google voice, and on my home/home screen I have the no 1 used apps (Maps/phone/text/mail/Gas Buddy,etc..). I also have google gestures installed so I search for any app or contact by spelling the name on the screen.

But I would not dare to tell you that is the best configuration.