Please help me love my Android!

[lemongrassdog]

Hi,

I've been a blackberry user for 6 years. I recently switched to a Samsung Galaxy S3. I dragged my feet, but I did it. I was most afraid of losing the BB's keyboard, but I also dreaded re-learning how to do everything I already knew how to do. It didn't occur to me that a number of things that I could do on BB just aren't possible on android. That can't be; this is android!

To overcome my dislike of the missing punctuation and numbers on my s3 keyboard, I downloaded a new keyboard, and started using swype-style input, so it only took a swipe to bring up the numbers and punctuation. That was kind of fun! So, I figured that's how I'd overcome my other android issues - go to Play Store, find an app that does what I want, and go! But I haven't solved anything since the keyboard, even after installing countless apps.

- Hands-free calling. My Jawbone bluetooth worked as a hands-free device should when connected to my BB, but now it seems that I must unlock my S3 to make a call, and the voice-calling apps are so inaccurate that they need clarification before dialing. And to make matters worse, they don't read you your options, but expect that you'll look at your phone and tap the right option. How is this safe? How is this hands-free?? How are the android users of the world ok with this??

- Receiving picture texts. My employees send me pictures all the time, and generally by text, except that my S3 interprets picture texts as videos! What the? (I've read various forum posts about this, and it's not just when text is sent with the photo; it happens with every photo sent, although I have only received pic texts from iPhones so far).

- Sending pictures from texts to my business Facebook page, via email. On my BB I was able to select the photo in my text, hit the Options button, select Send by Email, entered the "contact" name for my business' Facebook page, put the desired caption in the Subject field, and the photo was uploaded to my site, caption and all. Sending a text photo via email, if an option at all in various SMS apps, results in an error when sent to my biz FB page!

I realize that these are all "first world problems" in the grand scheme of things, but I'm trying to run a business, and look after a toddler, and I just wasn't prepared for reduced functionality when I switched to android. If you can please help me with any/all of these issues, it would help me feel the android love!

THanks,
Ali

 

[GSDer]

but now it seems that I must unlock my S3 to make a call

In the Phone app, press the Menu button, select Call settings -> Accessory settings for call -> Outgoing call conditions -> Even when device locked

except that my S3 interprets picture texts as videos!

Blame Samsung - it's their implementation that's totally hosed things up. If people follow these guidelines you'll get what you expect:
- only one picture per MMS
- no text associated with the MMS
- no Subject associated with the MMS
Otherwise you'll be getting that stupid video.
You could try a 3rd party messaging app (Go SMS Pro: https://forums.androidcentral.com/e...e/apps/details?id=com.jb.gosms&token=NgETbvX1 or Handcent SMS: https://forums.androidcentral.com/e...etails?id=com.handcent.nextsms&token=vlGwyJ6b ) and maybe you'll have a better experience.

Sent from my rooted, debloated, deodexed Sinclair ZX-80 running CM 10.2 using Tapatalk 4

 

[y2whisper]

Hi,

- Hands-free calling. My Jawbone bluetooth worked as a hands-free device should when connected to my BB, but now it seems that I must unlock my S3 to make a call, and the voice-calling apps are so inaccurate that they need clarification before dialing. And to make matters worse, they don't read you your options, but expect that you'll look at your phone and tap the right option. How is this safe? How is this hands-free?? How are the android users of the world ok with this??

Not much I can help you with this on the S3. Svoice might be the better option - which comes pre-installed, and there are updated apks out there but you might not want to go there being so new to things. You could try Open Mic+ which you can use the "okay google now" voice command even with the screen is off. will put some added strain on your battery. Looks like the Moto X is the best device for doing this type of stuff.

- Receiving picture texts. My employees send me pictures all the time, and generally by text, except that my S3 interprets picture texts as videos! What the? (I've read various forum posts about this, and it's not just when text is sent with the photo; it happens with every photo sent, although I have only received pic texts from iPhones so far).

This is a samsung thing, I hate it. I would recommend using a different Sms app. I recommend 8sms (pretty much like stock android) I currently use Google Hangouts as my default sms app.

- Sending pictures from texts to my business Facebook page, via email. On my BB I was able to select the photo in my text, hit the Options button, select Send by Email, entered the "contact" name for my business' Facebook page, put the desired caption in the Subject field, and the photo was uploaded to my site, caption and all. Sending a text photo via email, if an option at all in various SMS apps, results in an error when sent to my biz FB page!

I realize that these are all "first world problems" in the grand scheme of things, but I'm trying to run a business, and look after a toddler, and I just wasn't prepared for reduced functionality when I switched to android. If you can please help me with any/all of these issues, it would help me feel the android love!

THanks,
Ali

Wow I completely forgot that facebook used to do that. much like people sending sms to send tweets. I would just hit send and when the list comes up use facebook to upload it. Not sure if thats the desired result. I think do similar if you have facebook pages manager installed you can just select that after hitting send. In some cases you will need to save the pic then send.

 

[y2whisper]

In the Phone app, press the Menu button, select Call settings -> Accessory settings for call -> Outgoing call conditions -> Even when device locked

this I didn't know about. cool.

 

[lemongrassdog]

In the Phone app, press the Menu button, select Call settings -> Accessory settings for call -> Outgoing call conditions -> Even when device locked

Nice to hear from you again, GSDer. I checked, and I already have that setting set, but still my Jawbone won't make calls when I press the call button.

Blame Samsung - it's their implementation that's totally hosed things up. If people follow these guidelines you'll get what you expect:
- only one picture per MMS
- no text associated with the MMS
- no Subject associated with the MMS

I received several picture texts yesterday - no text, one pic at a time, no subject - and they all came in as videos. AND I can't simply forward them to an email address...

I have 4 days to exchange this phone....hopefully I can get some of this stuff figured out before it comes to that!

 

[lemongrassdog]

I would just hit send and when the list comes up use facebook to upload it. Not sure if thats the desired result. I think do similar if you have facebook pages manager installed you can just select that after hitting send. In some cases you will need to save the pic then send.

Thanks y2 - I downloaded Pages Manager, and that allows me to upload pics to my business FB page from my phone, but you're right, it does require that I save the pics first. I was hoping to avoid any addition steps like this, but at least it works...

 

[lemongrassdog]

Also, is there a way to have text pics save automatically?

 

[lemongrassdog]

Also, is there a way to have text pics save automatically?

I would recommend using a different Sms app. I recommend 8sms (pretty much like stock android)

Can the Quick Reply PopUps in 8sms be disabled? I have the popups UNchecked in the settings, but they still pop up.

 

[y2whisper]

Weird that should work. Try checking it, have a message come up then uncheck. Oh remember to disable notifications in the Samsung app

Posted via Android Central App

 

[GSDer]

I received several picture texts yesterday - no text, one pic at a time, no subject - and they all came in as videos. AND I can't simply forward them to an email address.

Very strange - I've never had a problem with the dumb 'video' issue if the person sending the MMS followed those guidelines.

Sorry about the forwarding behavior - once the contact name came up I thought you could select an alternate address like the email address

I have 4 days to exchange this phone

I'd suggest the Moto X.

Sent from my rooted, debloated, deodexed Sinclair ZX-80 running CM 10.2 using Tapatalk 4

 

[lemongrassdog]

Weird that should work. Try checking it, have a message come up then uncheck. Oh remember to disable notifications in the Samsung app

Turns out the pop-ups were from Go SMS Pro, which I'd also downloaded recently. I uninstalled that, and have been using Textra. I still can't email the photo directly from the text message, but at least I've got it set to automatically save all pics/videos that come in via text, then I can use Pages Manager to upload to FB from Gallery. Thanks.