Top 3 annoyances with new Pie on S8 - fixable?

[gardengal4]

1. The time is showing consistently on the left hand side of the notification bar. That is not a notification. It is a static display. It seems like something decided I need to have the time displaying there. very annoying. Can't find any way to get rid of it. I keep my notifications limited. I process and clear them as needed. I want to see a completely empty space there when there are no notifications. the time can look like maybe a notification if I don't have my glasses on.

2. All icon shapes went to rounded squares. At 8.0 upgrade, only the google ones did that. Now just about every icon looks the same. I hate it! At 8.0, I found a switch to control shape (but it didn't work on Google apps.) Plus some apps (messages, contacts, camera, etc. ) (samsung apps?), changed their icon completely - graphic and color and shape. I spent 2 years adjusting to a shape, graphic and color and can access the correct app with fingers on auto-pilot. Now some ***** developer thinks they know better what look and feel I want so I have to re-learn where and what things are. I hate hate hate stupid cosmetic unnecessary upgrades more than anything!!!

3. The home screens auto-rotate. Maybe they were always supposed to, but I liked that they didnt'. Now they do and it is annoying. I do have a slight suspicion that I might have set something by mistake.

Those are the worst.. there's more

4. When I pull down a notification, I don't need to see all the quick-link setting shortcuts at the same time. Too distracting.

5. I think performance is slower, but jury is still out. Only had it a day.

6. I keep power-saving on mid and there used to be a static icon on the right side of notification bar. It's gone.

7. I do like the recent-apps change to be full panels rather than stacked.

8. It is hard to find the blank space to long press on home screen to pull up widget menus. Where I used to press, doesn't work anymore.

Any sympathy or fixes I can try? Especially top 3.

 

[SpookDroid]

1) Download Good Lock with the QuickStar plug in. Customize at will (including icons you don't want to see or want to move).

2) Change is inevitable, and insulting devs won't get you much other than a bad moment. So take a deep one, and accept it: icons changed. Unfortunately not much you can do about that other than using a launcher that supports custom icons (or use icons from the Theme Store if you are sticking to Samsung's UI).

3)Again, functionality many clamored for. Obviously not for you. Not sure if there's a setting to flip it off (see what I did there?) but on launchers that have supported this for ages (like Nova), there IS a setting to either rotate or keep fixed. If you're doing a different launcher to 'fix' number 2, then this might as well be in your wishlist.

4) No idea what you mean by 'quick link', but you can customize your quick actions in the notification bar (button order and add/remove buttons) as well as deciding to show the Media and Devices shortcut alongside the brightness bar on top.

6) Not sure about that one, mine does have it when I use battery saving modes. Once again, Good Lock might help if you make sure to activate Power Mode icon.

7) Also Good Lock with the MultiStar plug in will give you even more options!

8) No idea. I'd make sure there aren't any overlapping widgets or anything blocking that space.

 

[gardengal4]

Thanks. I think a new launcher would way too much change for me to handle! I want the old way back not more new things. Oh well... I'll adapt eventually I guess.