Using HandCent (almost) Seamlessly with Touchwiz

[cr3amy]

So everybody was annoyed by the unchangeable icons at the bottom of the homescreen, and one reason was because if you use different txting app, you're screwed. Not at all.

Here's how to make it work (almost) seamlessly:
- Go into Contacts, click on one, click to text that person, choose HandCent as the default.
- Now when you open the Messaging button on the home screen, it'll pull you into the list of txting threads from the default SMS app. BUT click on one of THOSE and it'll pull you into that thread IN HANDCENT.
- If you turn off notifications on HandCent and turn them on on the stock SMS app, then when you get a txt and unlock your screen, you can even still do the straight-to-txt feature and it'll pull you into HandCent as well


Here's where the almost comes in: if you do my notification thing, you'll be getting notifications from stock app instead of HandCent. As such, when you check the text, it won't make the notification disappear. All you gotta do is hit Clear on the notification menu to get rid of it, but it is kind of annoying.

 

[JojoSteez]

Here's where the almost comes in: if you do my notification thing, you'll be getting notifications from stock app instead of HandCent. As such, when you check the text, it won't make the notification disappear. All you gotta do is hit Clear on the notification menu to get rid of it, but it is kind of annoying.

Or you could turn off the stock app notifications and turn the handcent notifications on...then you can set it to clear when you check it...that's what i do anyway

 

[Shadnic]

You're making this sound much more complex than it is !

I installed handcent day 1. Once I got a text it asked me if I wanted to complete the action with handcent or messaging, I chose handcent and set it to default. Bam, it's been working exactly as you described since then.

Yes keeping the stock messaging notifications on will give you the lock screen notification...but i find it more of a hassle to go and make sure I deleted it than to just disable those and check my notification bar for handcent notifications. Just my preference though.

To be completely honest, even though it's one of the big selling points, I'm not a huge fan of handcent's pop up quick-reply text boxes. I mean I'll see it in my notification bar the second it comes in anyway, you don't need to interrupt what I'm doing to tell me to reply :/ Is there a way to turn those off? I haven't seen a way, but I haven't looked too terribly hard.

 

[danielseeksGod]

there's a way, it's in notification settings.

 

[cr3amy]

To be completely honest, even though it's one of the big selling points, I'm not a huge fan of handcent's pop up quick-reply text boxes. I mean I'll see it in my notification bar the second it comes in anyway, you don't need to interrupt what I'm doing to tell me to reply :/ Is there a way to turn those off? I haven't seen a way, but I haven't looked too terribly hard.

Of course turn that crap off. Ugh, pop up quick-reply is ******ed. It's just iphone knockoff and it sucks cause other people can see your txting. Turn it off, because otherwise HandCent freakin rocks.

 

[murso74]

i'm going nuts with the notifications... and if i turn them off my phone doesn't make a sound when i get a text. there's got to be another solution.

and the whole reason i'm using it is the pop ups so no i'm not gonna turn t hem off

 

[Addie_Goodvibes]

You're making this sound much more complex than it is !

I installed handcent day 1. Once I got a text it asked me if I wanted to complete the action with handcent or messaging, I chose handcent and set it to default. Bam, it's been working exactly as you described since then.

Yes keeping the stock messaging notifications on will give you the lock screen notification...but i find it more of a hassle to go and make sure I deleted it than to just disable those and check my notification bar for handcent notifications. Just my preference though.

To be completely honest, even though it's one of the big selling points, I'm not a huge fan of handcent's pop up quick-reply text boxes. I mean I'll see it in my notification bar the second it comes in anyway, you don't need to interrupt what I'm doing to tell me to reply :/ Is there a way to turn those off? I haven't seen a way, but I haven't looked too terribly hard.

exactly what i did!!

 

[pastorich1]

I am using Handcent and personally like the popups. I can either close or reply to the txt and it automatically clears the notification. I also turned off notifications in the default text app and left them on in Handcent. The other thing I did to get a seamless feel is to install Launcher Pro Plus and changed out the shortcut (in the dock) on the messaging app to handcent and used the LP subdued icons all the way across. So now my globe launches Dolphin HD and my text block launches Handcent. It is seamless, no extra steps anywhere and everything works as it should.

 

[dragonol2]

I am using Handcent and personally like the popups. I can either close or reply to the txt and it automatically clears the notification. I also turned off notifications in the default text app and left them on in Handcent. The other thing I did to get a seamless feel is to install Launcher Pro Plus and changed out the shortcut (in the dock) on the messaging app to handcent and used the LP subdued icons all the way across. So now my globe launches Dolphin HD and my text block launches Handcent. It is seamless, no extra steps anywhere and everything works as it should.

Agreed... I love the pop-ups and love the fact that you can actually reply in the Pop-up instead of hitting the reply button and being taken to the thread within Handcent...

Only wish that Handcent could actually control the LED notification lights like it probably can on other devices (since it's in the settings for colors and length of time and repetition), but I'm guessing that it's more of a Samsung fail...

 

[redalert825]

Only wish that Handcent could actually control the LED notification lights like it probably can on other devices (since it's in the settings for colors and length of time and repetition), but I'm guessing that it's more of a Samsung fail...

i agree, as i would like to utilize the blue LED (shown when battery is at full charge frmo charger) when i get a text, instead of the red.

 

[murso74]

for the people turning off the stock notifications and using tha handcent ones... do you guys still ring for an incoming text? because my phone will not make a sound if i turn off the stock notifications

 

[pastorich1]

for the people turning off the stock notifications and using tha handcent ones... do you guys still ring for an incoming text? because my phone will not make a sound if i turn off the stock notifications

Yes, you just set the notification sound within the Handcent notification settings. It works like a charm.

 

[murso74]

tried that... doesn't work for me. the phone doesn't ring for texts

 

[mcp6530]

Do you guys get a blinking light for notification? Mine blinks sometimes and even when it does blink, it stops after a few seconds and then no more blinking light to tell me i have a text waiting. I use handscent also.

When it's charging and the red light is on, forget about getting it to blink at all! Ughhhhh It's the simple things that drive me crazy!

 

[caliskimmer]

i agree, as i would like to utilize the blue LED (shown when battery is at full charge frmo charger) when i get a text, instead of the red.

I completely agree. I've wanted it to blink blue, but Handcent let me down At least there are other uses for it.