Worst Feature: LED Light

[Arcendus]

All right, to be fair I've only owned this phone for about 1 full day now (thanks to Verizon, as always, dragging their feet), but the biggest problem I'm seeing with it is the LED notification light function.

Having owned a Galaxy Nexus previously, I took full advantage of customizing colors of the LED so I could look at the phone and know instantly, without unlocking the screen, whether I had a new SMS, Facebook Message, Missed Call, Calendar Event, etc. Granted, this isn't really a necessary feature (not like unlocking is a huge inconvenience), but it was very nice.

Now with the HTC One, it's a fantastic phone and I'm thrilled with it, but the LED light function here really confuses me. For one, it's in an odd spot on the phone (when I first went to charge the phone I was thinking what the hell is that one random tiny red light in the top speaker?), but that's not a big deal. On that note, the light turns steady red whenever the phone is being charged, and supposedly it changes color to indicate a dying battery, but I haven't experienced that yet. Sure, it's nice to know when your phone is fully charged, but at what cost? When the phone is charging and you receive a text message/email/whatever you have set up to make the light blink, it does nothing. It stays that steady red, apparently making the decision that it's more important for you to know that the phone is charging than it is to know you missed a call. I mean the phone is plugged in, so to make the assumption that it's charging would be very presumptuous...

Anyway, with all that I'm wondering, does anyone know of a way to customize this further? I don't want a steady light while my phone is charging, certainly not if it's going to sacrifice the notification feature. And the stock LED options are fairly useless. The fact that it's a mere RG and not RGB is disappointing but a very minor issue I can overlook.

For the record, again, love the phone, not bashing it, this is just the one feature that really has me puzzled.

 

[coronaboy10]

The LED on the One only has two colors red for charging and green for charged. It does not change colors as the charge expires. It does blink when you get a call or text or email or any notification but you cant customize the color, there is only red/orange and green. I've never had an HTC device that had any other LED colors than those two.

 

[Love Divine]

Owned both an S4 and One for a month. Went with the One eventually and loving it. But let me just say, the notification light is one of two features that absolutely sucks on the One.

The S4's was bright, robust, and extremely customizable with light flow. The One's is very small, and not open to customization what so ever. It's extremely hard to see from any angle that's not dead on, even in complete darkness.

There's really nothing you can do. But oh well, the rest of the phone is great.

 

[Arcendus]

Owned both an S4 and One for a month. Went with the One eventually and loving it. But let me just say, the notification light is one of two features that absolutely sucks on the One.

The S4's was bright, robust, and extremely customizable with light flow. The One's is very small, and not open to customization what so ever. It's extremely hard to see from any angle that's not dead on, even in complete darkness.

There's really nothing you can do. But oh well, the rest of the phone is great.

Yeah, I never used the S4 but I completely agree - the notification light is an excellent Android feature that can typically be customized (at least on my previous 2 Android devices, Galaxy Nexus and the original Motorola Droid), so to suddenly lose that on a cutting-edge device is a bit jarring. And you're right, if the light dimness wasn't enough, it only blinks for a split second when it does.

Does anyone know of an app that allows any sort of customization? I'm aware the hardware only allows red/orange/green, so I'm not concerned with the color, I'd just love to be able to disable the automatic charging light and possibly change the blink speed.

 

[Gator352]

Yeah, I never used the S4 but I completely agree - the notification light is an excellent Android feature that can typically be customized (at least on my previous 2 Android devices, Galaxy Nexus and the original Motorola Droid), so to suddenly lose that on a cutting-edge device is a bit jarring. And you're right, if the light dimness wasn't enough, it only blinks for a split second when it does.

Does anyone know of an app that allows any sort of customization? I'm aware the hardware only allows red/orange/green, so I'm not concerned with the color, I'd just love to be able to disable the automatic charging light and possibly change the blink speed.

I'm sorry but there's not. This has been discussed in many threads all to one conclusion....."nope".

I really wish we could customize it further also....maybe in 4.3???? Anywho, I keep telling myself..."it looks professional, it looks professional.....". So to combat the color problem, I use auto screen on (in play store) to check who's called or msg'd me. All you have to do is wave your hand over the sensors and it comes on for 5 seconds so I can see who the heck!!

 

[joshwithachance]

The most annoying thing about the LED is that it keeps blinking when you're using the phone, until you check the message it's notifying you about. That drives me nuts. Samsung is FAR superior when it comes to LED notifications.

 

[freddyttt]

Look in to NoLed in the market. I use it on my Dinc and it seems to work fine-. however iv not really played around with it... LMK-

https://forums.androidcentral.com/e...etails?id=com.led.notify&hl=en&token=ffLhySaM

 

[kcalmol]

I feel like a shill lately for NoLed, but it really is a great app. I'm now considering the One, and would definitely install it, but I'm wondering about the battery impact on an LCD panel vs. AMOLED. The app does have battery-saving features, though, that should mitigate that. Check it out if you haven't already.

Sent from my SCH-I535 using AC Forums mobile app

 

[zkSharks]

Look in to NoLed in the market. I use it on my Dinc and it seems to work fine-. however iv not really played around with it... LMK-

https://forums.androidcentral.com/e...etails?id=com.led.notify&hl=en&token=Nhq1iYk_

I feel like a shill lately for NoLed, but it really is a great app. I'm now considering the One, and would definitely install it, but I'm wondering about the battery impact on an LCD panel vs. AMOLED. The app does have battery-saving features, though, that should mitigate that. Check it out if you haven't already.

Yeah, just keep in mind that you're definitely going to run into the same issues with NoLED as you would with DynamicNotifications (the 'copy' of Motorola's Active Display notifications in the Play Store), as long as you're not using a SAMOLED screen. Regardless of what they do to try and minimize battery consumption, when you're seeing those icons on the screen, the full screen is powered on and pulling battery. You'll probably notice the drain more on a 1080p non-SAMOLED than on a 720 non-SAMOLED, simply due to the resolution.

 

[Arcendus]

Recently picked up the official car dock for the HTC One now. As if the issue of the persistent charging LED wasn't enough before, now when you're driving down the road at night using GPS with the dock you get this beautiful blinding green light beaming directly into your eye balls. Jokingly (sorta), I'm now waiting for someone to get in an accident because of this and suing HTC, resulting in the ability to disable the persistent charging LED.

I've never rooted a phone before, but of course the one time I look up how to do that thinking maybe doing so would give me the ability to disable the LED, this has yet to be (permanently) rooted. Hooray.

 

[dad2paisley]

I agree the LED Light is aweful.

 

[Gator352]

I agree the LED Light is aweful.

Na. It's not awful....it down right sucks....

 

[chrisxpierce]

SHHH, Quiet....I'm hunting wabbit!

 

[malikshuman]

This is such a stupid thing to complain about

Sent from my HTCONE using AC Forums mobile app

 

[chrisxpierce]

I don't think I've had a phone yet, that didn't have something about it that sucked! But out of all the phones I've ever had, this ONE is the top of the line IMHO.

 

[Arcendus]

This is such a stupid thing to complain about

Sent from my HTCONE using AC Forums mobile app

Well, you must be one of those smartphone users who uses their device only for phone calls, which is perfectly all right, but clearly we aren't on the same level of expectations when shelling out several hundred dollars for a device that (most of us) we'll be locked into for at least 2 years. Considering the HTC One and the Samsung GS4 are undoubtedly the Android phones of the year (so far), it isn't a stupid thing to complain about. It's a stupid problem to exist. It's a stupid problem to not be given a simple option to solve, with a simple ability to disable. So before you run around the forum voicing your unsolicited opinion that things other people say are stupid, give a solid explanation as to why you think so, because I've already given several as to my annoyance with this problem.

And yeah I agree chrisxpierce, this is certainly the best phone I've ever owned as well, and I love everything else about it... though getting used to the 2 button configuration is still an ongoing process, I keep hitting the HTC logo for Home, and the Home button to switch apps

 

[malikshuman]

Well, you must be one of those smartphone users who uses their device only for phone calls, which is perfectly all right, but clearly we aren't on the same level of expectations when shelling out several hundred dollars for a device that (most of us) we'll be locked into for at least 2 years. Considering the HTC One and the Samsung GS4 are undoubtedly the Android phones of the year (so far), it isn't a stupid thing to complain about. It's a stupid problem to exist. It's a stupid problem to not be given a simple option to solve, with a simple ability to disable. So before you run around the forum voicing your unsolicited opinion that things other people say are stupid, give a solid explanation as to why you think so, because I've already given several as to my annoyance with this problem.

And yeah I agree chrisxpierce, this is certainly the best phone I've ever owned as well, and I love everything else about it... though getting used to the 2 button configuration is still an ongoing process, I keep hitting the HTC logo for Home, and the Home button to switch apps

Well you jump to conclusions quickly. I think I'm the exact opposite of those smartphone users. And I still think it is a stupid thing to complain about. No need to get your panties in a bunch over my opinion

Sent from my HTCONE using AC Forums mobile app

 

[Gator352]

I could care less. I hear the tone and turn on the screen to check it out. I periodically check it anyways so this is a non issue for me.

 

[madlaw1071]

what makes the lack of tweakability of the LED even worse is the lack of a dedicated home/wake key and the awful power button placement and action. Every time you need to check for notifications you have to fumble for the power button, which oftentimes results in depressing the volume rockers by accident.

 

[Gator352]

what makes the lack of tweakability of the LED even worse is the lack of a dedicated home/wake key and the awful power button placement and action. Every time you need to check for notifications you have to fumble for the power button, which oftentimes results in depressing the volume rockers by accident.

The One does in fact have a dedicated "home button", not wake, but a home key. I will agree the power button is in an "odd" place but I don't have a problem with it. None whatsoever. Also, I have never fumbled for the power button which resulted in depressing the volume rockers.

I use Auto screen on. That takes care of the problems that were never really a problem except for the LED non-tweakability. I think the LED light is atrocious but at the same time I don't care. Basically when I get a notification, I just shake my head and move on. I'm not gonna die. It doesn't cause me pain. It doesn't hold my ***** when I pee. I still love my ONE and it loves me.