How to use the HTC One without BlinkFeed [video]

[jiggyb21]

Because BlinkFeed is like a permanent widget or home screen that you can't natively get rid of if you don't want it. I don't know about anyone else, but I've never had a smartphone that didn't allow me to natively control exactly what widgets/apps are on any given home screen or one where I couldn't customize a particular screen the way I want it. The way HTC did this takes control away from the end user in what we may want or not want on our home screens. Sure, you can not use BlinkFeed and leave it off on some far never used home screen, but it's still there taking up space and something you'll still see while scrolling your screens. To keep saying, "Just don't use it, ignore it" completely misses the point. And the whole "Get over it" mentality is frankly insulting. C'Mon man! I never expected (may be I should have) such a dismissive attitude about others legitimate concerns around here. It's like people drank some HTC kool-aid or something.

I don't think anyone drank the kool aid I think it's more a mentality of not dwelling on the things you can't change. Every single phone that's ever been released has had at least one thing at least a few people wished they could change. I can't turn the headlights off in my wife's Corolla. Drives me crazy. I'm not going to trade it in and I'm not looking for Toyota forums to voice my disdain. It doesn't matter, I can't change it. I like everything else about the car and even with this issue, I wouldn't tell someone they drank the koolaid because they want to own it despite this intrusion on my personal choice by Toyota. No one thinks this phone is perfect in every way I'm sure, but people are very excited about it and that shouldn't bother you so much. You shouldn't find it so insulting that people don't share your opinion.

 

[fernandez21]

I think of it more like the iPhone's spotlight page. It's off to the left, and i never use it and completely forget about it. At least I may get some use from Blinkfeed.

 

[jiggyb21]

I am simply holding judgement until I can use it.

 

[Phil Nickinson]

I don't think anyone drank the kool aid I think it's more a mentality of not dwelling on the things you can't change. Every single phone that's ever been released has had at least one thing at least a few people wished they could change. I can't turn the headlights off in my wife's Corolla. Drives me crazy. I'm not going to trade it in and I'm not looking for Toyota forums to voice my disdain. It doesn't matter, I can't change it. I like everything else about the car and even with this issue, I wouldn't tell someone they drank the koolaid because they want to own it despite this intrusion on my personal choice by Toyota. No one thinks this phone is perfect in every way I'm sure, but people are very excited about it and that shouldn't bother you so much. You shouldn't find it so insulting that people don't share your opinion.

This guy gets it.

 

[vividrich]

My initial reaction to the fact you can't actually remove it altogether was and remains negative, but it's a not a dealbreaker negative. Given how much I use Flipboard and Currents I'm pretty sure I'd use Blinkfeed; just maybe not as my main homescreen. At least not all the time.

 

[sam9s]

Just used Nova launcher and blink feed is gone .......there are other small additions as well that are added with NOVA launcher, like number of shortcuts you can have inside a folder on homescreen, its limited to 16 on Sense, with NOVA you can add as many as you can .......

 

[Bamboozler]

I've bought the phone. So far, I've been impressed. I have no idea what the fuss about blinkfeed is about. I don't need to totally disable it, I'm fine with it being dormant. What I'd like to know is, can I move the position of the panels? I created a people fave panel and would like it to be next to my home panel, but I can't seem to just move it. It looks I may have to recreateit AND the one next to it all over again. Any solution?

 

[Fhenrus]

I've bought the phone. So far, I've been impressed. I have no idea what the fuss about blinkfeed is about. I don't need to totally disable it, I'm fine with it being dormant. What I'd like to know is, can I move the position of the panels? I created a people fave panel and would like it to be next to my home panel, but I can't seem to just move it. It looks I may have to recreateit AND the one next to it all over again. Any solution?

Make the people panel the home one, or one of the next ones.

 

[Bamboozler]

That's the problem, I have to redo the relevant panels. I can't just shuffle them into position.

 

[anon(21022)]

That's the problem, I have to redo the relevant panels. I can't just shuffle them into position.

I dont have a One, just a One X, but can't you press-and-hold a screen and move it around, when you're in the zoomed-out view where you can see all the screens?

 

[Russ Smith]

I dont have a One, just a One X, but can't you press-and-hold a screen and move it around, when you're in the zoomed-out view where you can see all the screens?

No, you can add a screen or change the home screen default but can't move pre setup screens around.

sent from my awesome HTC One B-)

 

[PittsDriver]

I think of it more like the iPhone's spotlight page. It's off to the left, and i never use it and completely forget about it. At least I may get some use from Blinkfeed.

Couldn't agree with this more. I hate, and have disabled spotlight on my iPhone 5 because I cant stand it. At least Blinkfeed might get SOME use.

 

[adriandb]

Couldn't agree with this more. I hate, and have disabled spotlight on my iPhone 5 because I cant stand it. At least Blinkfeed might get SOME use.

I'm kinda shocked people don't use the spotlight page on iOS. I use it as my main launcher. I also use it heavily for searching calendar and email.

How do you all launch apps that aren't on your main screen?

 

[PittsDriver]

I'm kinda shocked people don't use the spotlight page on iOS. I use it as my main launcher. I also use it heavily for searching calendar and email.

How do you all launch apps that aren't on your main screen?

I swipe my finger and click the app. It takes longer to swipe to Spotlight, and type it.

 

[adriandb]

I swipe my finger and click the app. It takes longer to swipe to Spotlight, and type it.

I guess it depends on how many screens/apps/folders you have. For me to find a specific app I'd have to swipe at least one screen, maybe two, then remember which folder an app is in, then swipe to the right screen inside the folder, then launch it. All that hunting is wildly inefficient. I just swipe left, hit 2-3 letters and launch.

 

[So Cold]

I'm kinda shocked people don't use the spotlight page on iOS. I use it as my main launcher. I also use it heavily for searching calendar and email.

How do you all launch apps that aren't on your main screen?

I never used spotlight beyond just testing it a little. I remember reading articles about it being "the best feature you don't use" or something like that. I just organized my apps in a logical manner and didn't download thousands.

It's never been natural for me to use searches to launch apps or do common tasks on my phone.

Sent from my Note 2

 

[adriandb]

I never used spotlight beyond just testing it a little. I remember reading articles about it being "the best feature you don't use" or something like that. I just organized my apps in a logical manner and didn't download thousands.

It's never been natural for me to use searches to launch apps or do common tasks on my phone.

Sent from my Note 2

I do the same thing in OS X. Why bother going to my apps folder to find an app when I can invoke spotlight with a key command and just type the app name.

 

[So Cold]

I do the same thing in OS X. Why bother going to my apps folder to find an app when I can invoke spotlight with a key command and just type the app name.

Currently I hide apps I don't need/use and my app drawer is not even a full 2 pages. I feel like I can get to anything I need quickly and it's faster for me to know where the app is than having to think about what the name of the app is.

Obviously this is all personal preference but I'm always game for suggestions.

Sent from my Note 2

 

[fernandez21]

I guess it depends on how many screens/apps/folders you have. For me to find a specific app I'd have to swipe at least one screen, maybe two, then remember which folder an app is in, then swipe to the right screen inside the folder, then launch it. All that hunting is wildly inefficient. I just swipe left, hit 2-3 letters and launch.

I have over 250 apps installed and keep them all organized in folders on two home screens. I have access to over 100 apps on my front page in just one tap, and over 150 on the second page with just one swipe and tap. I've had the same organazitional pattern since the iPhone launched apps, so it's all muscle memory now.

 

[BigDinCA]

WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE? I came to the HTC One forums and an iPhone thread pops up. I think this is where the beginning of the end of the world starts.