Are there any hacks for the PIN lock screen for JB?

[Athenor]

I am loving Jelly Bean so far, and I am especially loving Google Now. But as I work in an IT field that actually takes security seriously, I need to have a PIN lock in order to have my work e-mail on my phone. Plus, now that I have Google Wallet I'd prefer to have as much security as possible.

That said, what I feel is one of the biggest missteps with Android 4 is the fact that the PIN lock screen only has the "OK" option. Why it doesn't have 3+ big buttons for camera, phone, and G-Now is beyond me.

Hence why I'm coming here: Is the PIN screen something that can be hacked and updated? Can additional buttons be added to it? I'm very fast at typing my unlock code (and turn off the screen button insta-locking my phone), so it wouldn't be a big deal to have these alternate buttons here...

Is there anything like this out there?

 

[Nechasin]

I would definitely like to see something like this also.

sent from tapatalk

 

[auburngirl]

I will chime in here too. I am forced by admin to have the pin unlock, so I lost the cool shortcut to Google Now.

Google! Please fix!

 

[gabbott]

While not a bad idea, do realize you are only saving yourself one button press by having those on the lock screen.

 

[gabbott]

I will chime in here too. I am forced by admin to have the pin unlock, so I lost the cool shortcut to Google Now.

Google! Please fix!

With a PIN lock, you have to put in the PIN regardless, but once you put in your pin and the phone unlocks, hold the home button (or any button really) for a moment and then move your finger upwards.

 

[Paul627g]

Unless Google decides to do some type of update concerning this which would require adding code to the framework, jar files and more areas you might be out of luck.

Next place to look would be the custom ROM devs that love to play with lockscreens and adding/removing options to them.

 

[dmmarck]

Unless Google decides to do some type of update concerning this which would require adding code to the framework, jar files and more areas you might be out of luck.

Next place to look would be the custom ROM devs that love to play with lockscreens and adding/removing options to them.

As Paul said...right now there are no real "custom roms," just "custom variations on ports."

So until we get source, hang tight.

 

[Athenor]

I understand. I was more asking if it was possible in the future.

@gabbot: It actually makes a big difference, and is not just "1 button press."

On slide to unlock: You hit the side button, place your thumb in the unlock position, and swipe to the camera, Now, or unlock the phone in one very short motion. The flow is all contained on the lower half of the screen.

On Pin: You already are putting in your pin (slower, but not that slow if you are good at it). You then hit OK, bringing you to the last screen you were on. Assuming it is the home screen, you then hit the google icon to bring up home, the google mic to instantly jump to Now's voice feature, the home button to unlock now, or a shortcut to your camera - assuming there is one on your menu. On any other screen, just the home button will work. Other than the home screen, that can send you all over the phone's screen real estate, compared to the ease of the screen unlock.


Full disclosure: When I started this thread, I didn't know about the Home button option. That's actually really sweet, and if I could add other apps to that it -might- be suitable for what I am looking for. Looks like back/switch don't have press and hold functions, but that's okay. Admittedly I didn't check that functionality because through my Droid Eris on 1.6 and 2.0, and my Nexus on 4.0.3/4.0.4, I've never actually used the hold functions of the menu buttons. They changed every version, so I never learned them.


All that being said: I still feel the lock screen could be optimized. instead of having the bottom be "0" as a double-wide and the OK being on the corner, why not have the 0 be a normal button on the left and then the "ok" button on the right have a slide function built in where tapping it unlocks the phone, sliding right opens now, and sliding left opens the camera? Or have "0" in the center, OK on the right, and Now/Camera be a slider button on the left?

It's the little things in life.