Ending the Menu Key Argument for Good(Hopefully)

[scooter7]

Quick question... Why are there a few apps that will have the overflow dots at the top, but also seem to have the overflow black bar at the bottom? A perfect example of this is the YouTube app.

I personally am not bothered by the occasional black bar and prefer it over having too many capacitive buttons on a phone especially the useless search button that my previous phone (EVO 3D had).

 

[SCjRqrQCnBQ19QoYCtdl]

Quick question... Why are there a few apps that will have the overflow dots at the top, but also seem to have the overflow black bar at the bottom? A perfect example of this is the YouTube app.

I personally am not bothered by the occasional black bar and prefer it over having too many capacitive buttons on a phone especially the useless search button that my previous phone (EVO 3D had).

My youtube app doesn't have a black bar at the bottom. Do you have the current version?

 

[mrbootcrm]

Quick question... Why are there a few apps that will have the overflow dots at the top, but also seem to have the overflow black bar at the bottom? A perfect example of this is the YouTube app.

I personally am not bothered by the occasional black bar and prefer it over having too many capacitive buttons on a phone especially the useless search button that my previous phone (EVO 3D had).

I've never experienced both. Can you screen shot? I've not seen it in youtube either.

 

[GadgetGator]

It's good to know Google is addressing this issue, although they could have solved this problem from the beginning by insisting that developers put the menu selection in their app and not approve any updates to apps until they do. It's rather ridiculous that even a big developer like Facebook ignores the interface change.

Although the change itself is the real issue. Much like their open platform itself, Google is a bit all over the place in their policies.

 

[Jerry Hildenbrand]

It's good to know Google is addressing this issue, although they could have solved this problem from the beginning by insisting that developers put the menu selection in their app and not approve any updates to apps until they do. It's rather ridiculous that even a big developer like Facebook ignores the interface change.

Although the change itself is the real issue. Much like their open platform itself, Google is a bit all over the place in their policies.

Yup. I like to stress that open doesn't mean better. It just means open

But I think I would rather have apps that don't all have the same look and feel than I would Google start telling developers they have to do something.

 

[scooter7]

I've never experienced both. Can you screen shot? I've not seen it in youtube either.

So I just found something interesting about this. I usually a lot of my apps using folder widgets using the app 'Application Folder Pro' https://forums.androidcentral.com/e...personal.jhjeong.app.appfolder&token=i3WlUOsv . Apparently when I open YouTube using these widgets I get the black bar, but if I open YouTube directly from the app drawer I do not.

I guess I will be contacting the developer of the the AFP regarding this.

 

[zkSharks]

Yup. I like to stress that open doesn't mean better. It just means open

But I think I would rather have apps that don't all have the same look and feel than I would Google start telling developers they have to do something.

I'm a developer, and I'm about to receive venture capital funding for some of the projects I have lined up. If Google started dictating which UI and UX principles are mandated, I'd re-evaluate my decision to focus solely on Android as my initial development platform. I develop for Android not only because it affords me opportunities and freedoms not found on other platforms, but because my work has the potential to advance and alter the platform and its users as well. The best platform-developer relationship goes in both directions, and for the time being Google is respecting this while also fighting to reign in control over a platform easily susceptible to fragmentation. Their approach of using Google Play Services to enable API revision distributions without compromising developer, consumer, or manufacturer interests is exactly the type of solution I'd been hoping they would come up with.

 

[OhAlfie]

I could care less about the menu key.

Further, it appears that you just want to get an argument going. The article on AC is only speculation as to how the GE One would handle a menu button. It doesn't say that anything has to change from the current setup.

So you do care, but just a little less than normal.

 

[Gator352]

Wow. What was about to be a destructive and demeaning thread turned out to be something substantial and educational.

I just ignore the bar and continue about my business. I agree that it's ugly and a pain but like Jerry, I would rather the app be the way the developer intended it to be than have Google force changes for all apps to be the same. If that's the case, then Apple comes to mind.

 

[Jennifer Stough]

So you do care, but just a little less than normal.

Please do not dredge up negativity when the subject at hand has been settled in a positive manner.

Sent from my HTC6435LVW using Android Central Forums

 

[GadgetGator]

Wow. What was about to be a destructive and demeaning thread turned out to be something substantial and educational.

I just ignore the bar and continue about my business. I agree that it's ugly and a pain but like Jerry, I would rather the app be the way the developer intended it to be than have Google force changes for all apps to be the same. If that's the case, then Apple comes to mind.

But is the app the way the developer intended it to be with a big black bar covering up part of the screen for a function that you only bring up occasionally? I am going to say no. I am going to say that once that happens, the look and feel of the app has already been compromised.

 

[madlaw1071]

But is the app the way the developer intended it to be with a big black bar covering up part of the screen for a function that you only bring up occasionally? I am going to say no. I am going to say that once that happens, the look and feel of the app has already been compromised.

I am now educated on this subject but still don't get why HTC made this choice when they could've put in a menu key and avoided the whole problem. In a perfect world the apps would all be updated and there'd been no issue.

Posted via Android Central App

 

[ectoren]

[...]still don't get why HTC made this choice [...]

Probably for the same reason that Samsung went with a physical button. Differentiation and design.

 

[JRDroid]

Many here have complained about the lack of a menu key on the One and many have defended HTC's curious omission stating HTC was doing what Google wanted.

Now comes word straight from Google that the as yet unannounced "Google One" will need either a dedicated menu button or a remapping.

Can we please end this debate now?

From the AC home page:

"The existence of a Google Edition HTC One raises several questions, however. The current two-buttoned HTC One relies on an unsightly on-screen bar for legacy menu key support, so how would this work on a vanilla Android variant? It's unlikely that menu key functionality could be re-mapped to, say, a long-press of the back key, as it's previously been confirmed that Google doesn't want HTC hiding the menu button. The most direct (but unlikely) solution would be a change to the hardware key layout, assuming Google and HTC want to avoid losing screen space to an on-screen menu bar."

Android Central's questions/speculations does not equal straight from Google. You see right at the end, where it says ASSUMING, that means they are guessing and that they have no info straight from the source on this matter. They may just implement on screen buttons across the board on the HTC One Google edition.

 

[karmamule]

I don't think htc's biggest misstep was omitting the menu button alone, I think it was omitting the menu button AND putting a logo in a place that many people would misconstrue as a menu button. None of it bothers me that much, but it is that combination that seems to make the situation worse for some people.

I wish they'd made do with just the logo on the back and furthered the minimalist look with a logo-free front, but like I said, not a big deal to me.

 

[Russ Smith]

So just all keep giving lower scores in reviews and tell 'em it's because the black bar is an issue for at least 5 million One users, not to mention the rest.

Sent from my HTC One

 

[coggster]

Just lock this thread. It is useless. "Sub-market screen size"? Seriously? This is just troll-bait.

Surely referring to it is just putting fuel onto the fire, ignore it and don't respond to the comment and all is lost, whatever the original intent.

 

[Gator352]

But is the app the way the developer intended it to be with a big black bar covering up part of the screen for a function that you only bring up occasionally? I am going to say no. I am going to say that once that happens, the look and feel of the app has already been compromised.

No, but they didn't adhere to google's request to put menus where they are supposed to be so the outcome is a big black bar at the bottom.

 

[xtn]

Personally I'd rather just have a dedicated capacitive menu button at the bottom with the others. I like it on my GS2. It's what I'm used to. It's convenient. I used it just now to begin replying to this thread in the Tapatalk app. None of my regular screen size is ever effected, and apps don't have to worry about an UI button on every page and what it's going to look like and where it's going to go. One-stop menu button. Always in the same place.

Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk 2

 

[mrbootcrm]

Personally I'd rather just have a dedicated capacitive menu button at the bottom with the others. I like it on my GS2. It's what I'm used to. It's convenient. I used it just now to begin replying to this thread in the Tapatalk app. None of my regular screen size is ever effected, and apps don't have to worry about an UI button on every page and what it's going to look like and where it's going to go. One-stop menu button. Always in the same place.

Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk 2

That is preference, but you should know, as has been stated in this thread, Google wants the menu button gone. I agree the black bar is ugly, but that's the app developer's fault.