From the s4 to the s6 - miss the menu key

[filbert42]

Well, I have to disagree with the folks who say the menu button is not needed. I have apps that don't have a menu option - and I know the developer should fix it. However, if they don't and it's an app I use and like, I don't want all the hassle of finding a replacement.

I've just switched to the S5 from my venerable S2 and the change certainly confused me - how am I supposed to work out what Google have done? Not very user friendly. I guess there must be a 'read me' for the updates somewhere.

 

[Ohlala68]

If all Samsung/Google apps comes with tree-button-menu. Where is it in memo?
I´ve searched all over to find how to access "settings" "inport/export" i memos.
No luck. Very frustrating.

Can someone please help me export memo from my Samsung Galaxy S6?

Miss the menu-button.

 

[alevites]

I had the s4 for a long time and I activated my new s6 last night. I love the s6 so much but I noticed I really miss the menu key which they replaced with a recent apps key in the s5 and the s6. Anyone else experience this when they switched to the s6 (or the s5)? Any hidden tricks to help me? How long did it take you to adjust?

Long press the back button

 

[that guy2]

I had the s4 for a long time and I activated my new s6 last night. I love the s6 so much but I noticed I really miss the menu key which they replaced with a recent apps key in the s5 and the s6. Anyone else experience this when they switched to the s6 (or the s5)? Any hidden tricks to help me? How long did it take you to adjust?

OK so I have the S6 Edge system on my note 3 and I was looking for an answer. Not sure if anybody answered but the menu key is hidden within the "Back" button this time. You can thank me later

 

[picklebeam]

I've had it for a couple weeks and still have not gotten used to it. I have apps that do not have built in menu buttons. So now I have to just deal with the lack of options of settings in those apps. Still wish we could customize the button, though.

 

[Vladimir Mashchenski]

Found this on another thread, hopefully will same somebody some time, this worked perfectly on my s6
if I go into Settings / Accessibility / Dexterity I can activate something called the Assistant Menu that adds a handy floating box to the screen. The box contains navigation buttons and shortcuts such as Menu, Back, Screenshot etc.

 

[RockNRoll20]

Found this on another thread, hopefully will same somebody some time, this worked perfectly on my s6
if I go into Settings / Accessibility / Dexterity I can activate something called the Assistant Menu that adds a handy floating box to the screen. The box contains navigation buttons and shortcuts such as Menu, Back, Screenshot etc.

Vladimir, thanks a lot!!

I'd been looking for a solution to some older apps that still don't have the "new" embedded menu with 3 dots that apparently became standard now.

These older apps most likely are never getting another update (unique old games emulator apps, for example), and their basic functionalities are heavily dependent on the menu button options, so I was really in trouble when I changed my GS2 to the new GS5 Neo.

Most of the comments anywhere were completely useless like "oh, you'll get used to it", or "why do you need a menu button nowadays?".
I wonder why people actually post comments like this..

Anyway, you nailed the solution!
The Assitant Menu at Accessibility / Dexterity shows a floating box which includes a virtual menu button with all the good old menu options from each single app.
You saved me here!
Thanks a lot once again!

 

[arpcpro]

I've registered on this forum just to say "Thank You Vladimir. Your solution was really useful."

On my Samsung J5 with 5.1.1, I could never access to the settings of Acrobits Softphone to configure the SIP account without the 3 dots menu. The "long press on back button" simply asked me if I wanted to exit the app. It is just too bad that I had to read a lot of useless comments until I reach the solution on page 3.

 

[Imre 1]

I had the s4 for a long time and I activated my new s6 last night. I love the s6 so much but I noticed I really miss the menu key which they replaced with a recent apps key in the s5 and the s6. Anyone else experience this when they switched to the s6 (or the s5)? Any hidden tricks to help me? How long did it take you to adjust?

On S7 you long press the back button and the app menu comes up what you are missing. On S6... I couldn't find a way bringing it up. Annoying as some old but useful apps don't have menu buttons.

 

[Keslen]

There's something very relevant and important missing from this thread so far: the fix/workaround for this problem (or, alternatively, a timeline as to when will one be implemented).

Special note: the problem is that pressing the menu key fills the screen with a useless list instead of a opening a useful, context sensitive menu. Workarounds that provide that context sensitive menu in other ways (like tapping something in-app, long pressing the back key or bringing up a new icon that permanently covers a part of your screen) are not relevant since they still leave the menu key as a detriment to the use of my device instead of a benefit.

How can we fix the menu button such that pressing it opens a context sensitive menu instead of filling the screen with a useless list? If we cannot currently do so, when will we be able to?

 

[B. Diddy]

There's something very relevant and important missing from this thread so far: the fix/workaround for this problem (or, alternatively, a timeline as to when will one be implemented).

Special note: the problem is that pressing the menu key fills the screen with a useless list instead of a opening a useful, context sensitive menu. Workarounds that provide that context sensitive menu in other ways (like tapping something in-app, long pressing the back key or bringing up a new icon that permanently covers a part of your screen) are not relevant since they still leave the menu key as a detriment to the use of my device instead of a benefit.

How can we fix the menu button such that pressing it opens a context sensitive menu instead of filling the screen with a useless list? If we cannot currently do so, when will we be able to?

See response in your other thread: http://forums.androidcentral.com/samsung-galaxy-s6/762693-menu-tap-area-broken.html. The button you're tapping is almost certainly the Recent Apps button -- it's not longer the Menu button.

 

[Keslen]

See response in your other thread: http://forums.androidcentral.com/samsung-galaxy-s6/762693-menu-tap-area-broken.html. The button you're tapping is almost certainly the Recent Apps button -- it's no longer the Menu button.

I responded to the other thread. In short: I appreciate the clarification of terms and names of things very much, but it's, unfortunately, not helpful. The problem is still there and a fix for it is desired, not more information on why or how it exists.

 

[lucianus_luciferus]

as Diddy said that's not a problem or a fault with your phone. that's how it was designed and that's how it works. it takes some time to get used to it i know that myself as i had an s4 before the s6 but you will get used to it.

 

[Keslen]

Oh. It's that way by design? That seems very unintuitive. Oh well, I guess that means I should be asking a slightly different question.

How can one change their preferences such that the Recent Apps button opens a context sensitive menu instead of filling the screen with a list of open apps?

 

[B. Diddy]

See your other thread for a good suggestion from Javier P. Also, another option would be a 3rd party solution, like Menu Button.

 

[Keslen]

I responded to the other thread. In short: I appreciate the workarounds for more consistently accessing the context sensitive menu, but they don't fix the problem that the Recent Apps button fills the screen with a list of open apps instead of opening it.

 

[B. Diddy]

It's not a problem, because the Recent Apps button is doing what it's designed to do. I find that the Recent Apps list is useful when I want to switch quickly between two apps. For example, let's say I'm entering an address into a text, but I don't remember it off the top of my head. Tap the Recent Apps list, scroll to the Contacts app (which, if I was just using it, is just one or two apps above the texting app I just paused), tap it to switch to it, and look up the address. Copy and paste it, then tap Recent Apps, scroll back to the texting app, tap it, and the incomplete message is still there. Paste the address, then send.


There is no need for a hard Menu button, because a menu button will always be onscreen when a menu is available to be accessed. That's why you never see a capacitative Menu button any more with more recent phones.

 

[Keslen]

I managed to find an app, Buttons Remapper, that offers this functionality. It requires a little more set up that I can't quite figure out (I've sent an email to the developer about it) to get it to work exactly as I want it, but it's already been able to make it such that the recent apps button does nothing instead of filling my screen with a useless list - this is already a big step up.

Huzzah for an actual solution instead of people trying (and failing) to convince others that this problem isn't a problem just because they prefer it that way!

 

[conium]

I had such high hopes for buttons remapper, but sadly I'd need to root my phone to bring up the context menu via that app.

I'm also side-eyeing some of the shade here. I get that this is a design feature, but for older apps it can be a problem. Right now some of my friends mainly communicate through plurk. now the official app is what we'd call "a hot mess", with there being no landscape mode and ads are sprinkled through like a seasoning. So for the past two years I've been using a samsung alpha and plurka, and it's worked out well. Problem though, the upgrade to a samsung 7 meant I lost the long-press menu key, which would be fine normally because long-press on the back key brings that up. Little issue though, in plurka, the back key is hard-tied to exiting the program, so a long press just gets a confused "you sure you want to exit?" message. Hooray! because of this feature, I can't use the only semi-functioning program for this service. That's exactly what I needed in my life.

"what about contacting the developer?" You say. Well, if their last update wasn't in 2013 then that might be a possibility, but it isn't. This is a thing with small indie programs, they're passion projects that eventually get left by the wayside. in larger arenas you'd get something replacing it, but not here. No the option is "use a workaround that places an additional overlay on the screen that doesn't even stay in one place when the screen rotates".

I shouldn't have to root my phone for this basic functionality, i shouldn't have to risk bricking my phone for this basic functionality. I don't think it's so bad to ask for something that works in a backward-comparable way, right?

 

[droid breh]

have you guys seriously not figured out you only need to hold in the BACK button to get menu ?