3-dot menu button driving me crazy!!

[oshogg]

I got the AT&T HTC ONE X and am absolutely loving this phone except for one major annoyance - the 3-dot menu button.

The 3-dot menu button appears at the bottom in a black strip (that seems to take about 10% of the entire screen) for many popular applications. Some of these applications include:

- Amazon Kindle (full screen reading is not really full screen)
- Pandora
- Dolphin Browser HD
- Aldiko book reader
- many popular games (including some angry birds variants)

This 3-dot menu button seems to waste valuable screen estate to say the least and is very annoyance for some applications (games, video playback) where the full screen game/video does not really take the entire 1280x720 screen.

I found a work-around somewhere that allows International HTC One X to disable this 3-dot menu button but that requires rooting etc. At this point, I don't know of any such work-around for AT&T HTC ONE X. And, I really don't want to root just for this reason. Is there any other work-around?

Osho

 

[icebike]

You just need to be patient while all the developers go thru their apps and upgrade them for ICS. If you find some apps where is is particularly annoying, go to the developers's site and file a bug report. Its up to each developer to fix this.

Disabling it would strip out the menu functionality.

 

[oshogg]

Disabling it would strip out the menu functionality.

It doesn't have to be disabled. In fact, it shouldn't be disabled.

But as, mods for International HTC One X are doing, the menu button could be mapped to long press on home button or app switcher button or the app switcher button could be the menu button and the app switcher could be the long press on home button.

I wish, the stock ROM provided a "developer option" to allow for one of these options (I prefer the long press on Home to be menu and leave the app switch button as it is).

Osho

 

[icebike]

the menu button could be mapped to long press on home button or app switcher button

My, wouldn't that be obvious.

There is this principal in software design called "The Principal of Least Astonishment". You should look it up some time.

Can you imagine how many confused new android users would be screaming in these forums about being unable to perform basic operations because they couldn't find the menu because it was hidden under some obscure long-press?

Just because some rom modder working in his parents basement comes up with some halfbaked idea to handle what is a purely temporary problem is no reason Google should adopt it as any kind of a standard.

 

[Kevin OQuinn]

Apps need to be updated to the latest style guides. Period. Send an email to the dev and ask when they plan on doing that. If enough people do it maybe they'll update it.

 

[oshogg]

My, wouldn't that be obvious.

There is this principal in software design called "The Principal of Least Astonishment". You should look it up some time.

That's why I mentioned that it should be a "Developer option". Those are for people who actually have a clue.

Current situation is not really acceptable. I can't even play angry birds space (the latest and great android game) without the annoying 3-dot menu on the right. The list of apps where this menu appears is rather long and covers a *big* majority of the most popular android apps. Yeah, *eventually* the app developers will get around to it but the current situation is not acceptable.

HTC should have done a better job in figuring out how to handle the menu button before releasing Sense 4.0 with ICS.

Osho

 

[saintforlife]

My, wouldn't that be obvious.

There is this principal in software design called "The Principal of Least Astonishment". You should look it up some time.

Can you imagine how many confused new android users would be screaming in these forums about being unable to perform basic operations because they couldn't find the menu because it was hidden under some obscure long-press?

Just because some rom modder working in his parents basement comes up with some halfbaked idea to handle what is a purely temporary problem is no reason Google should adopt it as any kind of a standard.

This..

 

[nyc_rock]

My, wouldn't that be obvious.

There is this principal in software design called "The Principal of Least Astonishment". You should look it up some time.

Can you imagine how many confused new android users would be screaming in these forums about being unable to perform basic operations because they couldn't find the menu because it was hidden under some obscure long-press?

Just because some rom modder working in his parents basement comes up with some halfbaked idea to handle what is a purely temporary problem is no reason Google should adopt it as any kind of a standard.

What is with the disrespect to the modding community bro? Did you get mugged by a modding gang or something?

 

[nyc_rock]

That's why I mentioned that it should be a "Developer option". Those are for people who actually have a clue.

Current situation is not really acceptable. I can't even play angry birds space (the latest and great android game) without the annoying 3-dot menu on the right. The list of apps where this menu appears is rather long and covers a *big* majority of the most popular android apps. Yeah, *eventually* the app developers will get around to it but the current situation is not acceptable.

HTC should have done a better job in figuring out how to handle the menu button before releasing Sense 4.0 with ICS.

Osho

Osh, this isnt an HTC issue. Its an ICS issue. Google has set guidlines for the three buttons. As someone already pointed out, the developers have to update thier apps to include a 3 dot menu soft buttom. The X is seing that the button has not been created yet and it puts at the bottom of the screen.

 

[nlocurto]

What is with the disrespect to the modding community bro? Did you get mugged by a modding gang or something?

LOL, seriously right?

I really don't understand how someone can have an issue with a mod, If someone doesn't like the mod, the DON'T do it.

..Gromet

 

[oshogg]

Osh, this isnt an HTC issue. Its an ICS issue. Google has set guidlines for the three buttons. As someone already pointed out, the developers have to update thier apps to include a 3 dot menu soft buttom. The X is seing that the button has not been created yet and it puts at the bottom of the screen.

HTC decided to put the 3 dedicated buttons on the phone - so it is their issue. Look at how this is not an issue with GN running ICS.

http://www.androidcentral.com/htc-one-x-shows-us-why-developers-need-lose-menu-button

Either HTC should have put the 4th button along with the 3 buttons. Or just decided to have a slightly bigger screen (instead of 1280x720 - have a 1328x720 with 48 pixels for soft buttons).

The current situation is a classic example of why iOS users think Android UI as inconsistent, non-intuitive and cluttered. It is a mess.

Osho

 

[nyc_rock]

HTC decided to put the 3 dedicated buttons on the phone - so it is their issue. Look at how this is not an issue with GN running ICS.

http://www.androidcentral.com/htc-one-x-shows-us-why-developers-need-lose-menu-button

Either HTC should have put the 4th button along with the 3 buttons. Or just decided to have a slightly bigger screen (instead of 1280x720 - have a 1328x720 with 48 pixels for soft buttons).

The current situation is a classic example of why iOS users think Android UI as inconsistent, non-intuitive and cluttered. It is a mess.

Osho

I read that article as well and it doesnt exactly support your complaint against HTC. The article specifically references googles design direction to application developers:

"The Android development team has already chimed in and said that developers need to abandon the legacy menu button in favor of new controls on the action bar. Some have done so, but as you can see in the image above, some have not."

And

"Ice Cream Sandwich was designed for the use of either on-screen buttons or capacitive, so HTC is off the hook for this one."

This issue is most pronounced on the X becuase HTC went with capacitive buttons. But what you are really highlighting is this transition period while developers update thier apps to move the menu button to the action bar. So again, this isnt necessarily an HTC issue but is most pronounced as HTC is one of the first OEM's to release hardware specific for ICS.

For the record, I dont like the menu's being moved on screen anyway. I thought that having a button for it was perfectly fine and I prefer it that way. but your point about inconsistency is well taken. The GS3 for instance stays to the old layout and uses a hard button for the menu's. So right there you have two totally different hardware designs which does make it a bit confusing...........for the first 5 minutes you own the phone.

 

[saintforlife]

Osho - give it time man. Developers will eventually catch up. Do you seriously think HTC would put 4 buttons and completely go against ICS's design guidelines just because a small minority of people like you are nitpicky about losing some screen real estate temporarily while developers update their apps? The screen is so large to begin with anyway. What phone were you using before this that makes the 4.7" absolutely necessary for every app?

 

[Kevin OQuinn]

Osho - give it time man. Developers will eventually catch up. Do you seriously think HTC would put 4 buttons and completely go against ICS's design guidelines just because a small minority of people like you are nitpicky about losing some screen real estate temporarily while developers update their apps? The screen is so large to begin with anyway. What phone were you using before this that makes the 4.7" absolutely necessary for every app?

Samsung went directly AGAINST the guidelines with the menu button being present on the SGSIII.

Also, don't jump on a member because he was pointing out that the average user would probably never long press on the home button to get the menu to pop up. I tend to agree that the average user (which is not you and me) wouldn't do that. They would just complain that they can't change anything in an app and think the phone was broke.

That being said....try to say things in a way that won't necessarily offend people too. There are plenty of other ways to word things to get your point across that won't be borderline disrespectful to a certain group of users/members.

 

[sparkomatic]

Bugs me too but I'm dealing with it. I really like the apps that have the 3-button menu built into the app. Like everyone else has said, it's just a matter of time before (most) developers integrate it.

 

[saintforlife]

That being said....try to say things in a way that won't necessarily offend people too. There are plenty of other ways to word things to get your point across that won't be borderline disrespectful to a certain group of users/members.

I apologize to the OP if he was offended by my post. It certainly wasn't my intention. I guess I just was annoyed that he wasn't willing to wait and give the developers to get a chance to update their apps instead of blaming HTC/ICS/Android. Sorry again.

 

[oshogg]

No need to apologize. I am not that easily offended .

I was just pointing out that between Google, HTC, Samsung etc. there should have been a better synchronization for ICS devices release. While, it may be perfectly OK to wait for many lesser-known developers to fix their apps. In my opinion, it is a lack of planning and co-operation between the big Android players when most of the Top 30 apps still suffer from this issue. Shouldn't Android, HTC, Samsung etc. have gotten these major app developers (Amazon, Rovio, Adobe etc.) to fix their apps before such a high-profile device release? Heck, even some of Google's own apps (e.g. Google Reader) suffer from this issue.

I am trying to find alternative apps for most of my needs, e.g., I just found that d7 reader pro works a lot better than Google Reader for reading Google Reader RSS feeds. But, in many cases, I have no choice but to wait for my favorite app developer to fix the app.

Imagine if Google's Android OS and HTC/Samsung's mobile hardware divisions were under one company run by Steve Jobs. He would have never let such half-baked inconsistent mess of user experience across different devices ship to the market.

Osho

 

[Mikey47]

Imagine if Google's Android OS and HTC/Samsung's mobile hardware divisions were under one company run by Steve Jobs. He would have never let such half-baked inconsistent mess of user experience across different devices ship to the market.

No thanks. Don't like to think about nightmares. There would be no choice, everything would be how he thinks we wanted our phones and apps to work. I'm fine with having multiple "people" with their fingers in the mix. Sure things don't always lineup perfectly, but it definitely spurs innovation.

 

[neoenigma]

Not sure how many of you visit XDA... but if you root your phone, you can remove the 3-dot button menu. This involves changing your app switcher into the menu button though. I've really preferred this, as I'm kinda used to having a menu button. Ideally, app switching would be moved back to long pressing on the home button, but I don't think anyone's figured that out yet. Either way, I'm much happier as I never have to see that massive 3 dot button again.

Check out how to do it here.

 

[oshogg]

Not sure how many of you visit XDA... but if you root your phone, you can remove the 3-dot button menu. This involves changing your app switcher into the menu button though. I've really preferred this, as I'm kinda used to having a menu button. Ideally, app switching would be moved back to long pressing on the home button, but I don't think anyone's figured that out yet. Either way, I'm much happier as I never have to see that massive 3 dot button again.

Check out how to do it here.

Yes, I have seen a couple of different reports of this. Not sure if this works for International HTC ONE X only or both International and AT&T versions? Has anyone been able to do this for AT&T HTC ONE X?

Osho