New Marshmallow App Drawer is TERRIBLE

[anon(9072051)]

My experience with Nova Launcher so far:

I've never seen Nova crash. It's been responsive and stable on every phone I've installed it. You could try clearing your cached app data, but I suppose it's possible that you're using a widget or a wallpaper that's incompatible with Nova.

 

[Zachary Boddy]

You're right. Because for all the bad things Windows Phone has, at least the apps are separated alphabetically and if you click the letter it gives you a menu will all the letters of the alphabet so you can jump directly at least to the list of apps that start with that letter.

I honestly don't know what possessed Google to opt for such a dumb change but honestly...seeing the path Google is taking Android since 5.0.2 Lollipop, I'm starting to not be surprised. More and more I'm craving for OEMs to actually heavily skin the OS just to fix the mess Google is going. And that should never even be a craving anyone should have when using an OS.

I was happy for the design changes in Lollipop but I'm not seeing a whole lot of interesting stuff with Marshmallow. Just changes for the sake of change, it seems. Then there's Windows 10 Mobile on the other side which is actually looking really great even if still incomplete.
Windows Phone 8.1 was a real solid operating system and it did have a lot of beautiful charm, but I agree there were some massive holes there.

 

[Zachary Boddy]

I've never seen Nova crash. It's been responsive and stable on every phone I've installed it. You could try clearing your cached app data, but I suppose it's possible that you're using a widget or a wallpaper that's incompatible with Nova.

Nova is really solid for me as well. I don't ever feel the need to switch around with it. Although I admit being able to change the colors of the folders and such wasn't as satisfying as I thought it would. White works, I guess (I did make it more transparent though).

 

[Hendri Hendri]

This is the kind of thing that gets people furious and threatening to move to Canada, them in 3 or 4 days you relearn the actions and never think about it again.

Why canada ?


Btw, can Android M set location sharing per apps now ?

Posted via the Android Central App #Galnote5

 

[LeoRex]

I honestly don't know what possessed Google to opt for such a dumb change...

Because they felt it was a better method? And I happen to agree with them. It's now a single scrollable list that can be navigated with fewer steps. With the addition of the quick and online search, the functionality of the drawer has increased.

It's been in the M Preview since build 2, and its one of the reasons I haven't gone back to 5.1.1. It is easier to find an app, no matter what method you use. You might not like it, but that neither makes it dumb nor the wrong choice.

 

[Almeuit]

I actually really enjoy it. I hated trying to figure out the right page. Now I just simple scroll in one motion till I get to where I need to be .

 

[Almeuit]

Mod Note - Some posts have been cleaned. Please remember to follow P.U.P.P.A.H.

Thanks.

 

[craigrn16]

I got use to it. Once you get use to it it's not bad.

 

[DJCBS]

Because they felt it was a better method?

They also "felt" Lollipop was a great update. Microsoft also "felt" that Windows Vista and 8 were awesome.
They were obviously wrong.

No method that make you take twice the time to find the app you're looking for is a good alternative. Search? That's a poor choice on Windows and even worse choice on Android. I've had the ability to search for apps on my Z3C thanks to Sony, for ages. I'll tell you how many times I've used it: zero.
Because I can organize my app drawer either as I wish, alphabetically or by most used apps. Both first and third options to organize the drawer are better options than an endless alphabetical list of apps.
When someone actually goes to the app drawer, the last thing a person wants is to be faced with an endless list of apps that they have to scroll through. And if the app happens to start with a Z...well, have fun scrolling. Or taking twice the time you should to perform a search.

You might like it but sorry, I don't agree with you. I think it's counter-productive an a terrible move.
If I had to put up with a phone running 6.0 (which I don't intend to that soon as I refused the Lollipop update on my phone), you can be sure I'd go for the OEM that scrapped this wrong choice and fixed it with a rational one.
Or I'd just slap Nokia's Z Launcher in it. Search for search, at least I could simply scribble for the app and have it shown. Which is yet another better solution than this.

 

[Cakefish]

And if the app happens to start with a Z...well, have fun scrolling.

Took me one second and one single flick of the thumb to get to Zedge just now.

 

[Zachary Boddy]

They also "felt" Lollipop was a great update. Microsoft also "felt" that Windows Vista and 8 were awesome.
They were obviously wrong.

No method that make you take twice the time to find the app you're looking for is a good alternative. Search? That's a poor choice on Windows and even worse choice on Android. I've had the ability to search for apps on my Z3C thanks to Sony, for ages. I'll tell you how many times I've used it: zero.
Because I can organize my app drawer either as I wish, alphabetically or by most used apps. Both first and third options to organize the drawer are better options than an endless alphabetical list of apps.
When someone actually goes to the app drawer, the last thing a person wants is to be faced with an endless list of apps that they have to scroll through. And if the app happens to start with a Z...well, have fun scrolling. Or taking twice the time you should to perform a search.

You might like it but sorry, I don't agree with you. I think it's counter-productive an a terrible move.
If I had to put up with a phone running 6.0 (which I don't intend to that soon as I refused the Lollipop update on my phone), you can be sure I'd go for the OEM that scrapped this wrong choice and fixed it with a rational one.
Or I'd just slap Nokia's Z Launcher in it. Search for search, at least I could simply scribble for the app and have it shown. Which is yet another better solution than this.

Lollipop was necessary. Android was great productivity wise but it was just an unattractive operating system (opinion of course). Vista wasn't bad, it's launch was terrible. Windows 8 was ahead of its time, and 8.1 came too late. iOS 9 was released terribly buggy but we all know it'll be polished and smooth by the time iOS 10 comes out. Software changes, not everything is perfect, etc.
Each operating system has it's advantages, and its quirks. You find the one you like most, and the one that best suits your needs. None of them are perfect, so you compromise. Google thought this would work, and some people will prefer it. I like it, but I would improve it in several key ways.
And besides, it's Android. You don't like it, change it. That's how it works.

 

[Zachary Boddy]

Took me one second and one single flick of the thumb to get to Zedge just now.

Some people seem to forget that the scroll bar on the side exists, eh?

 

[Geodude074]

Scroll bars on a mobile OS... *shudders*.

An endless vertical scroll is inferior to the old static horizontal scroll, and here's why. With an endless scroll, as you're scrolling, all the icons consistently keep changing, and your eyes are always moving and searching to find what you're looking for. Trying to find an app that begins with M? You'll be scrolling, scrolling, until you find where the Ms are before you can locate it. Adding a scroll bar does not help, because the scroll bar is actually very tiny and cumbersome to press, compared to being able to flick/scroll anywhere on the screen.

Whereas on a static horizontal scroll, each flick brings you a new static page of icons. You probably already do this without realizing, but your eyeballs search the first icon to see what letter it starts with, then your eyeballs search the last few icons to see what letter it starts with. And if the app you're looking for falls within this range, your brain already knows that it's on this page.

2-3 quick flicks and less searching with your eyes is much more user friendly than and endless vertical scroll and constant searching. Adding a scroll bar does not help.

And that search feature is near useless.

 

[LeoRex]

Just because you don't use a feature or don't like it, doesn't make it useless, or stupid. Everyone's experiences vary and we make mistakes assuming that one's expirience is the same as everyone else's.

I've found that my ability to find an app has increased quite a bit with the new method. With the horizontally paginated drawer, it would take several swipes to get to the page that I thought the app was on, and I often had to scroll back. I can find, say, Play Movies, with a flick and a touch or two where before, I had to flip, flip, flip... etc.

The search function... I completely disagree about it being useless. I've been using the search feature on windows for a while now... "Windows Key + Wo" will get me to Word in considerably less time than finding an icon on the desktop (which would require me to close/minimize windows to see it in the first place). Using the above Zedge example... long press drawer button then 'Z' once it loads... there's Zedge (along with Zillow and Zooper for that matter). Plus in addition to that, If I wanted to download a new weather app, all I need to do is swipe out 'weather' then clock 'Search for more apps" and it brings me a Google app search that has quick links to the install page for the found apps.

Another big improvement is that this new vertical scroll approach was extended to the Widgets selector on the homescreen. I always found the horizontally scrolled pages clunky and slow and difficult to navigate. The new approach is, for me, a lot more user friendly... scroll quick to the widget app you want and it has a sliding list of the app's supported widgets.

The changes Google made there were all in the name of usability. You might not agree with the changes, and you aren't alone. But there are quite a few people that would disagree with you (including the only ones that matter - Google). I've been running the M Previews on my Nexus 6 since they were released, and these new UI changes are one of many reasons why I've stuck with the preview and remained on 6.0. Now that they've trickled down to the other versions, I might have gone back to 5.1.1 (well, maybe not since the full release of 6.0 is right around the corner). Last time I used a phone with the older method, I found it tedious and frustratinging slow.

But, as someone mentioned, it's Android... so if you don't like the way it works, there is nothing to stop you from loading a launcher that will change the behavior to your liking.

 

[Cakefish]

While that is true, no other launcher can offer as tight integration with Google Now as the GNL. I think that they should just offer an option in the settings to revert to the horizontal drawer and then everyone wins.

 

[Infinity]

Marshmallow app drawer = Froyo app drawer (with addition of quick launch at top)

 

[Zachary Boddy]

While that is true, no other launcher can offer as tight integration with Google Now as the GNL. I think that they should just offer an option in the settings to revert to the horizontal drawer and then everyone wins.

Nova is very slick, and very close to Lollipop UI wise, and gives you a wide range of options (including switching between vertical and horizontal scrolling in the App Drawer) so you always have that option.

 

[Cakefish]

Nova is very slick, and very close to Lollipop UI wise, and gives you a wide range of options (including switching between vertical and horizontal scrolling in the App Drawer) so you always have that option.

It doesn't offer as tight integration with Google Now. That's the main attraction of the GNL.

 

[Zachary Boddy]

It doesn't offer as tight integration with Google Now. That's the main attraction of the GNL.

To be frank I switched Google Now out with Cortana and use both regularly so the integration isn't all that essential to me.

 

[Aquila]

Haha

sent via Nexus Assassin Edition. Gonfaloniere.