Creating Duplicate Icon On Home Screen

[ddillon80]

Sorry for the Noob question but not only am I new to this device, I am also new to Android in general (I love them both BTW). I've had a BlackBerry since '07 and 2 weeks ago finally decided to use my upgrade and get the HTC One. Anyway what I want to do is create a folder in the launch bar consisting of the messages icon as well as contacts, gmail and stock email BUT I also want those icons displayed on the screen as well. Now if I try to do this when I have the app tray as my home screen I can drag the icons I want down to the launch bar and create the folder but then it takes them away from the app tray and I cant figure out how to create a duplicate icon to place on the screen. If I change the home screen to BlinkFeed and go to "customize home screen" then I can add as many of the same icons to the screen as I want but when you press down and hold an icon to select it the launch bar disappears from the screen so you can't drag the icon down to create the folder.

There must be a simple way to just create a duplicate icon that I am missing. Can one of you veterans help me out here?

Thanks

 

[SCjRqrQCnBQ19QoYCtdl]

Sorry for the Noob question but not only am I new to this device, I am also new to Android in general (I love them both BTW). I've had a BlackBerry since '07 and 2 weeks ago finally decided to use my upgrade and get the HTC One. Anyway what I want to do is create a folder in the launch bar consisting of the messages icon as well as contacts, gmail and stock email BUT I also want those icons displayed on the screen as well. Now if I try to do this when I have the app tray as my home screen I can drag the icons I want down to the launch bar and create the folder but then it takes them away from the app tray and I cant figure out how to create a duplicate icon to place on the screen. If I change the home screen to BlinkFeed and go to "customize home screen" then I can add as many of the same icons to the screen as I want but when you press down and hold an icon to select it the launch bar disappears from the screen so you can't drag the icon down to create the folder.

There must be a simple way to just create a duplicate icon that I am missing. Can one of you veterans help me out here?

Thanks

got to the home screen personalization and add an app shortcut from the dropdown menu.

 

[ddillon80]

got to the home screen personalization and add an app shortcut from the dropdown menu.

I tried that but I'm having the same problem...I add an app shortcut to the screen but when I select it to drag it down to the launch bar to create the folder, the launch bar disappears.

 

[Scott Kenyon]

You can only edit the dock bar from the app drawer. It's weird, I know. Go to the drawer, choose the app you want to add, touch and hold it for a second or two, then drag it up to the dock.

Sent from my HTC One using Android Central Forums

 

[ddillon80]

You can only edit the dock bar from the app drawer. It's weird, I know. Go to the drawer, choose the app you want to add, touch and hold it for a second or two, then drag it up to the dock.

Sent from my HTC One using Android Central Forums

Yes, I figured out that you can only edit the launch bar when you have the app drawer set as the home screen and I know all you have to do is tap on whatever app icon you want and drag it down to the launch bar but I want duplicate icons. For example I want to create a folder in the launch bar with my messages, contacts and email but I also want those same app icons on the screen in the app drawer. The problem is when I drag an app down to the launch bar it disappears. I know you can add apps back to the screen from the "customize home screen" page but you cant edit the launch bar from this area. Is there a way to do this or am I just going to have to choose if I want the shortcuts in the launch bar or in the app drawer cuz it doesn't seem like I can have them in both places?

 

[ddillon80]

I cannot believe that something as simple as this might not be able to be done...either that or I am not explaining myself correctly so let me use a visual. Here is a screen shot of another member's home screen (notice in the launch bar he has created folders...continued below).

What I want to do is create a single folder next to the phone icon in the launch bar containing my app icons for messages, contacts and 2 gmail accounts BUT I also want those same icons to be displayed in my app drawer on the home screen and this is where I am having difficulty. I can create the folder in the launch bar easily by dragging down those shortcuts but once you put them in the launch bar they disappear from the app drawer. Now you can add as many of the same icons as you want back to the home screen but only from the "customize home screen" page. The problem with this is that you cannot change the launch bar from this area and icons you add to the home screen only show up when BlinkFeed is your default home screen. On the other hand you can edit the launch bar when you have the app drawer set as your home screen but there does not seem to be a way to add back the shortcuts to the app drawer once you drag them down to the launch bar.

I hope this clarifies what I'm trying to do and maybe it can't be done but it seems simple enough to me. I would be very surprised if there is no way to accomplish this. Your input is appreciated...thank you.

 

[Scott Kenyon]

It seems to me Sense doesn't let us do this. You're able to download Apex Launcher, Nova Launcher, or Action Launcher from the Play Store and gain this functionality.

Sent from my HTC One using Android Central Forums

 

[ddillon80]

It seems to me Sense doesn't let us do this. You're able to download Apex Launcher, Nova Launcher, or Action Launcher from the Play Store and gain this functionality.

Sent from my HTC One using Android Central Forums

Thank you...I will try one of the apps you mentioned.

 

[SCjRqrQCnBQ19QoYCtdl]

Yes, I figured out that you can only edit the launch bar when you have the app drawer set as the home screen and I know all you have to do is tap on whatever app icon you want and drag it down to the launch bar but I want duplicate icons. For example I want to create a folder in the launch bar with my messages, contacts and email but I also want those same app icons on the screen in the app drawer. The problem is when I drag an app down to the launch bar it disappears. I know you can add apps back to the screen from the "customize home screen" page but you cant edit the launch bar from this area. Is there a way to do this or am I just going to have to choose if I want the shortcuts in the launch bar or in the app drawer cuz it doesn't seem like I can have them in both places?

The sense 5 app drawer is pretty clunky, but it is an app drawer. Whereas iPhone doesn't have an app drawer, but just stores the apps on your home screen, android does. Most people with android experience, I think, don't use the app drawer to access apps. They use shortcuts on the home screen, folders on the home screen or widgets on the home screen. The app drawer is just used as a place to store stuff you don't use often.

Not saying you can't use it as a place ta access apps, but it isn't really how it was designed.

Having said that, what you are trying to do is possible in vanilla android or with launchers.

 

[jamjordan]

I can't get mine to chane the icons in the task bar either. I've tried several times with no luck. Any help would be great.

 

[ddillon80]

I can't get mine to chane the icons in the task bar either. I've tried several times with no luck. Any help would be great.

Changing the apps in the task bar is not the problem I was having. To do that simply long-press and drag any icon in the launch bar up and replace it with any icon you want by long-pressing it and dragging it down to the empty spot in the task bar. If you want to keep all the apps that came pre-loaded in the launch bar but also want to add more just long-press any icon, drag it down to the launch bar, hover it over any app in the task bar and a folder will be created.

That is the easy part...what I was trying to do was create a folder in the launch bar and also have the same icons in my app drawer but I guess Sense 5 will not let you do that because when you drag an icon from the app drawer down to the launch bar to create the folder there is no way to create a duplicate icon to put back in your app drawer.

Note - You can accomplish this very easily when you have BlinkFeed set as your home screen...just create the folder(s) in the launch bar from your app drawer (because you cannot edit the launch bar from the "customize home screen" page) then go to BlinkFeed and you can add the icons back to your app drawer from the "customize home screen" page. Bottom line...if you want BlinkFeed as your default home screen then you can do this quit easily, however you cannot do the same thing from the app drawer.

It was suggested to me by another member to try Nova Launcher or some other 3rd party app to accomplish this. I downloaded Nova and gained the functionality I was looking for among a host of other options not offered by Sense 5.

 

[James E1]

Why do you need it to work this way. When the app drawer is closed you have your apps in the task bar. When the app drawer is open you have all your apps plus the task bar apps. I don't see any reason for them to be in both the drawer and task bar at the same time.

 

[ddillon80]

Why do you need it to work this way. When the app drawer is closed you have your apps in the task bar. When the app drawer is open you have all your apps plus the task bar apps. I don't see any reason for them to be in both the drawer and task bar at the same time.

I don't need it to work this way...I just want to work this way. I don't know why other than we all have our own little quirks when it comes to how we like our phones set-up but with Nova installed it's a mute point now anyway.

 

[Sir1]

Is this what you want(ed) to do?

Sent from my HTC One using Android Central Forums

 

[ddillon80]

Is this what you want(ed) to do?

Sent from my HTC One using Android Central Forums

Yes but when the app drawer is your default home screen. As I said in my previous post you can do it no problem when BlinkFeed or a page you add in the "customize home screen" is your home page.

 

[jamjordan]

Still no dice for me. I have tried everything I know of.

 

[ddillon80]

Still no dice for me. I have tried everything I know of.

Yes, I'm 99.99% sure that Sense 5 just won't allow you to do this. It seems a little odd but the solution is Nova if you like having an app drawer as your home screen.

 

[jamjordan]

I'm just trying to replace the Internet in the tray with chrome and put my email down there but it just will not let me

 

[LindtChocolate]

I'm just trying to replace the Internet in the tray with chrome and put my email down there but it just will not let me

You need to open up the app drawer to manipulate the icons at the bottom

 

[mrbootcrm]

Yes, I'm 99.99% sure that Sense 5 just won't allow you to do this. It seems a little odd but the solution is Nova if you like having an app drawer as your home screen.

Wait, so you want like iOS style home screens? Just apps and such?