Help ICS Design Compliant Apps (No Dots Menu at Bottom)

[NeoteriX]

I thought it might be useful to compile a list of common applications that are properly developed consistent with the ICS design guidelines (i.e., deprecating the use of the hardware menu button).

Because HTC has opted to have hardware buttons, they have a software menu button (the three dots at the bottom of the screen) to the extent that applications are not designed with the ICS guidelines. This can be annoying and frustrating for some and so, I wanted to help post some alternatives and such out there. To get started, and does anyone have thoughts on SMS App or Facebook App?


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Homescreen Launchers (Sense alternatives)

4.0 Compliant:

• Apex Launcher
• Nova Launcher

Not:

• Go Launcher Ex
• MX Home Launcher

Browser
4.0 Compliant:

• Chrome Beta!

Not:

• Opera Mobile

Facebook?
Nothing I've seen yet

Not:

• Native Facebook App
• Friendcaster (this is so close, the design meets guidelines, but there is still a button, I think it could be fixed in a future release)

SMS App?
4.0 Compliant:

• Stock HTC Messages app

Not:

• Go SMS

 

[Lokibalboa]

What about an ICS complaint browser? Besides stock.

 

[NeoteriX]

What about an ICS complaint browser? Besides stock.

Chrome Beta works quite well on ICS and has a great multi-tab interface.

 

[Jceinc]

Chrome Beta works quite well on ICS and has a great multi-tab interface.

Yes chrome rocks IMO

 

[suprmallet]

By 3.0 compliant do you mean 4.0 compliant?

I didn't realize there was a mobile Chrome. This rocks.

And the Google Voice app is compliant for SMS. Although you have to have a GV account for it to be useful. Although I think you can use your main number as a GV number.

 

[spdkilz02]

MX Home Launcher says it is compliant with ICS.

 

[KenjiSpencer]

Not to threadjack, but can someone tell me exactly why Google decided to deprecate the hardware Menu button? Is Google anticipating that smartphones will eventually have no hardware buttons at all? I mean, unless a phone has no hardware buttons, there will be room for a Menu button. If I could change one thing about the Evo 4G LTE, I'd give it a Menu button (I know the absence of said button is an ICS shortcoming and not the fault of the 4G LTE, but still).

On top of that, is the ICS Recent Apps button really that useful? I've yet to use it on my 4G LTE.

ICS adds a button I'll never use and removes a button I used all the time. I don't get it.

 

[NeoteriX]

MX Home Launcher says it is compliant with ICS.

I tried it and the 3 dots menu shows up for me. Looks like not.

 

[NeoteriX]

Not to threadjack, but can someone tell me exactly why Google decided to deprecate the hardware Menu button? Is Google anticipating that smartphones will eventually have no hardware buttons at all? I mean, unless a phone has no hardware buttons, there will be room for a Menu button. If I could change one thing about the Evo 4G LTE, I'd give it a Menu button (I know the absence of said button is an ICS shortcoming and not the fault of the 4G LTE, but still).

On top of that, is the ICS Recent Apps button really that useful? I've yet to use it on my 4G LTE.

ICS adds a button I'll never use and removes a button I used all the time. I don't get it.

My guess is that it is to streamline the overall user interface -- for one thing, four buttons is a little ungainly. Even though multitasking isn't huge yet, maybe ease in multitasking is something they will push more, since it is an obvious way to distinguish iOS, WM7, and BB from Android.

Moreover, the menu button wasn't necessarily consistent across apps. Some didn't use the menu button, others had a separate menu button in-app. I think by moving to an in-app menu button, it is obvious that there is a menu option available (because not all apps or circumstances need it).

This is definitely a painful adjustment though. I think Samsung may have made the right call in ditching the app switcher button for the menu button, even though that goes against Google's wishes. However, the downside to Samsung's decision is that there is less incentive for developers to get the *beep* on board and update their apps to the current design spec.

 

[nullspace]

I thought I'd post this here since it seems to be an issue with non-ICS compliant apps. Is anyone else having issues with the cursor (arrow) keys not showing up at the bottom of the keyboard? It seems to only happen in apps that have the three dots at the bottom of the screen (kind of where the cursor button used to be). I can get them to show up by switching to Swype, then back to stock keyboard, but then they will disappear when you exit the app and open it again.

 

[2strokenut]

I really like Apex and have been using it the last week over GO launcher, but it lags a lot and hesitates when going back to home. Its pretty annoying, going to try Nova right now, go launcher is fast ALL the time but hate the 3 buttons.

 

[kbp08tls]

SMS not compliant: Handcent

 

[EarlyMon]

Not to threadjack, but can someone tell me exactly why Google decided to deprecate the hardware Menu button? Is Google anticipating that smartphones will eventually have no hardware buttons at all? I mean, unless a phone has no hardware buttons, there will be room for a Menu button. If I could change one thing about the Evo 4G LTE, I'd give it a Menu button (I know the absence of said button is an ICS shortcoming and not the fault of the 4G LTE, but still).

On top of that, is the ICS Recent Apps button really that useful? I've yet to use it on my 4G LTE.

ICS adds a button I'll never use and removes a button I used all the time. I don't get it.

The future according to Google is no menu button whatsoever -

Google Suggests Android Developers Drop The Menu Button | Geeky Gadgets

The new phones are possibly being built with that in mind.

Here is Google's new UI guideline / overview (something like that) -

Android Design - Iconography

I've picked up a few apps that don't use a menu button at all, they use the action bar (just the butttons we have) - and to my surprise, I rather like the approach.

Instead of a menu, you get the ability to swipe along and pull up components you need, when you need them.

 

[novox77]

The future according to Google is no menu button whatsoever -

Google Suggests Android Developers Drop The Menu Button | Geeky Gadgets

The new phones are possibly being built with that in mind.

Here is Google's new UI guideline / overview (something like that) -

Android Design - Iconography

I've picked up a few apps that don't use a menu button at all, they use the action bar (just the butttons we have) - and to my surprise, I rather like the approach.

Instead of a menu, you get the ability to swipe along and pull up components you need, when you need them.

This was the first time I looked over the Styling Guide for ICS. Very well thought out overall. And now it's very easy to spot which apps have made an attempt to be ICS compliant (aside from our menu bar issue).