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Where Is My Menu Button?

Alkatraz

Newbie
Feb 6, 2011
21
0
Coming from the Original EVO 4G 1 day into this phone i am missing that menu button, most especially for closing apps. like when i'm browsing and i dont want to hi the back button 40+ times to close the browser. i see they added a menu in the top right corner of alot of apps but it almost never has a Quit button.

Maybe I'm just being picky but i like to close things without having to back button our or open the task manager.

Other than those small gripes this phone is thin, fast, and all around great.
 
You can also use the Mutlitasking button and swipe away the app. It doesn't actually close it, but with the way Android manages RAM, you shouldn't worry about it. This is one of the "problems" with ICS in that the menu button is now all over the place. The worst example is Instapaper. It has a huge bar for the menu button, but it's useless.
 
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Well i just realized that i could swipe away apps in the multi tasking tool that is a neat feature. I'm curious if it actually closes them or just makes them disappear from the multi tasking tool. If it's the latter then what's the point?

Isn't "not worrying" about it what drains battery's and fills up memory. (keep in mind I'm coming from android2.x on the evo 4g) EDIT: Is ICS just so good at RAM and battery management that we never have to worry about app management? What does it do with apps? Store them on SD or in some cache file? Close them after time?

Why get rid of the menu button in the first place its not like it was cluttering anything up. Or is the menu built into the app the new standard across other devices?
 
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Well i just realized that i could swipe away apps in the multi tasking tool that is a neat feature. I'm curious if it actually closes them or just makes them disappear from the multi tasking tool. If it's the latter then what's the point?

Isn't "not worrying" about it what drains battery's and fills up memory. (keep in mind I'm coming from android2.x on the evo 4g) EDIT: Is ICS just so good at RAM and battery management that we never have to worry about app management? What does it do with apps? Store them on SD or in some cache file? Close them after time?

Why get rid of the menu button in the first place its not like it was cluttering anything up. Or is the menu built into the app the new standard across other devices?

I have been on ICS for awhile with my Asus Transformer Prime so I can attest to the fact that ICS is just that good at managing apps and memory. I understand what you are used to coming from the OG but I wouldn't worry about it. I use the home button to close the majority of my apps and my battery life is stellar. If it really concerns you that much though you can always put the built in task manager on your home screen and open it from time to time to kill open apps. Swiping away recent programs does "feel" like it frees up memory but that could totally be a placebo effect.
 
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ICS launched on the Galaxy Nexus with soft buttons only, no buttons on the phone itself, so what you are seeing is part of the new Android standard.

The standard also allows for a full array of hardware buttons or a combination of the two.

Android will first put an unused task to sleep, if it needs more memory, it replaces the app (maybe taking 50 MB of memory) with just a small memory file that allows the app to quickly load at the point it was at when parked. If memory is still a problem, it will toss even that, and finally it will shut down underlying services.

So task management is automatic and you don't need to worry about task killing for the most part.

If you swipe an active app away using the multitasking feature, it does get terminated and removed from memory. If you swipe away a parked app, it leaves the multitasking cartoon, but the stub remains in memory so Android can manage it when ready.

I confirmed that with Quick System Info PRO, as it seems that simple task managers lie about what's going on under the hood in ICS (and hence my earlier confusion).

PS - the LTEvo's included Task Manager app, found in the drawer, lies and can't be trusted. Open it, use the menu to not let it start at boot time. The multitasking feature works, but only within the Android confines.
 
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yes as i pointed out i was disapointed in the lack of a Quit button in those menus, maybe its an app centred problem
Quit options are a per-app basis.


PS - the LTEvo's included Task Manager app, found in the drawer, lies and can't be trusted. Open it, use the menu to not let it start at boot time. The multitasking feature works, but only within the Android confines.

Didn't know about this, thanks!
 
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ICS launched on the Galaxy Nexus with soft buttons only, no buttons on the phone itself, so what you are seeing is part of the new Android standard.

The standard also allows for a full array of hardware buttons or a combination of the two.

Android will first put an unused task to sleep, if it needs more memory, it replaces the app (maybe taking 50 MB of memory) with just a small memory file that allows the app to quickly load at the point it was at when parked. If memory is still a problem, it will toss even that, and finally it will shut down underlying services.

So task management is automatic and you don't need to worry about task killing for the most part.

If you swipe an active app away using the multitasking feature, it does get terminated and removed from memory. If you swipe away a parked app, it leaves the multitasking cartoon, but the stub remains in memory so Android can manage it when ready.

I confirmed that with Quick System Info PRO, as it seems that simple task managers lie about what's going on under the hood in ICS (and hence my earlier confusion).

PS - the LTEvo's included Task Manager app, found in the drawer, lies and can't be trusted. Open it, use the menu to not let it start at boot time. The multitasking feature works, but only within the Android confines.


Why do you believe the included task manager lies?
 
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Why do you believe the included task manager lies?

Because I can run a number of apps and when I switch to it, some won't be listed - my favorite is when it won't list the app I've been running for an hour, while some that are were dumped from memory long ago and verified to be really not there.

The included Task Manager lies.

Besides which, it's totally useless.
 
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Alrighty, I posted this question in the LTEvo VS. SGS 3 comparison thread, but I figured it would be more appropriate here.

I didn't realize how important the menu button was to me until I was in the Sprint store this past weekend, trying to compare which I phone I liked better. The LTEvo is still in the lead as far as my last 1 year upgrade is concerned, but with the lack of the menu button, I got a little confused. I'm posting in this thread because it was the most relevant to my question.

Nontheless, I use the menu button for every single app I install on my phone. The reason I use it is to go into each app's settings, to adjust the app accordingly to my needs. Without that menu button, I was trying to figure out how this would work for every app.

I saw that there's a 3 button on screen that'll re-locate, depending on the app, but can you guys confirm that this is the functional menu button for any apps where the settings might need to be adjusted?

Thanks in advance.

drex
 
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I saw that there's a 3 button on screen that'll re-locate, depending on the app, but can you guys confirm that this is the functional menu button for any apps where the settings might need to be adjusted?

Formal name for the 3 dot construct in ICS is "the overflow button."

Confirmed - anything that you can't get to on the direct interface of an app is considered overflow. Short version - the 3 dot soft button works the same as the menu button for all legacy apps, every time.

Rooters play games getting rid of the on-screen overflow button (because it's constant) to regain screen real estate and then simply map one of the hard button functions to serve as menu (examples - long-press home=menu, or recent apps become menu and long-press recent apps=recent apps, etc etc).

In Boat Browser, you can layout the app soft buttons however you like. I dropped the browser back button (phone already has a button for that) and added the menu button to the bottom of the app screen instead. Some apps don't even have a menu button now, just swipe to the side to get to the menu/prefs/settings, or change tabs. Some have the menu goodies baked in as buttons along the top, without an overflow button at all.

Point being, as more apps get ICS-savvy, I'd expect more apps to make it all easier to give you options on that.

But until then - yes, the 3 dot button is your menu. If you use it all of the time, then you may prefer HTC's approach and you're all set. :)

See also - http://androidforums.com/htc-evo-4g-lte/556520-ics-design-compliant-apps-no-dots-menu-bottom.html
 
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I realized recently why the lack of a menu button immediately bugged me with this phone and continues to. It's because it's longer (taller) than the OG Evo, and the menu button is often in the upper right hand corner of the screen, so you really have to reach for it, or two-hand it. It's a little easier when it's the awful three-dot-bar on the bottom but still. argh, android. buttons are good dammit!

^^This (although I was under the impression that swiping away did quit??)

It does not quit immediately like killing in the task manager does. It will end some apps sooner than others, maybe it prioritizes their recycling? But if you have something stuck, like the facebook notification for picture uploads, you have to kill it in task manager.

Well i just realized that i could swipe away apps in the multi tasking tool that is a neat feature. I'm curious if it actually closes them or just makes them disappear from the multi tasking tool. If it's the latter then what's the point?

Isn't "not worrying" about it what drains battery's and fills up memory. (keep in mind I'm coming from android2.x on the evo 4g) EDIT: Is ICS just so good at RAM and battery management that we never have to worry about app management? What does it do with apps? Store them on SD or in some cache file? Close them after time?

Why get rid of the menu button in the first place its not like it was cluttering anything up. Or is the menu built into the app the new standard across other devices?

It may terminate services related to the app, I'm not sure. I have not used too many diagnostic apps to take a closer look. I do find that ICS is far better at memory and battery management than Gingerbread.

In fact, I am deliberately trying not to reboot my phone and seeing how long it takes before I feel the need to force reboot. With my OG Evo it would be about once every 5 days or so. Right now I am going on 10 days and the EvoLTE is still rock solid.

I am kind of embarrassed to ask .....but .....how do I "swipe" away open apps?

Flick the "card" upward with your thumb or finger.
 
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I realized recently why the lack of a menu button immediately bugged me with this phone and continues to. It's because it's longer (taller) than the OG Evo, and the menu button is often in the upper right hand corner of the screen, so you really have to reach for it, or two-hand it. It's a little easier when it's the awful three-dot-bar on the bottom but still. argh, android. buttons are good dammit!

Yep. It all takes a bit of getting used to. Not trying to marginalize your comment - just saying what you've found - it is what it is. :)


It does not quit immediately like killing in the task manager does. It will end some apps sooner than others, maybe it prioritizes their recycling? But if you have something stuck, like the facebook notification for picture uploads, you have to kill it in task manager.

Yep, I think I learned more about that since posted that above. Some apps it will kill immediately - some are just cached and will still appear in other tools.

As this is _related_ to the menu button - the multitasking button not very different from the old long-press on Home. If you notice, you're limited to 8 apps, not what's on the full stack or recently cached. And beware the Task Manager - it's not always truthful - it doesn't always show what's running either.

In general, I don't use either one any more.

I app switch by having installed QuickDesk as a long press on the multitasking button, and a long press on the back button to issue a quit to the app or terminate it. (Sorry, both are root mods.) Or you can make QuickDesk a long-home in stock as I recall.

Just mentioning that app because it solves the other problem for me and relates to the button discussion - I put the Google Search on my QuickDesk pop-up, so with one press, I get search as well as multitasking app switching. I find it handy.


In fact, I am deliberately trying not to reboot my phone and seeing how long it takes before I feel the need to force reboot. With my OG Evo it would be about once every 5 days or so. Right now I am going on 10 days and the EvoLTE is still rock solid.

Everyone's mileage is likely to vary on that, but I agree - the LTEvo is a solid phone. :)


~~~~~~~

Apologies to all for going a little off-topic here, but it's all mostly button related, just branching out from the menu button alone.
 
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Formal name for the 3 dot construct in ICS is "the overflow button."

Confirmed - anything that you can't get to on the direct interface of an app is considered overflow. Short version - the 3 dot soft button works the same as the menu button for all legacy apps, every time.

Rooters play games getting rid of the on-screen overflow button (because it's constant) to regain screen real estate and then simply map one of the hard button functions to serve as menu (examples - long-press home=menu, or recent apps become menu and long-press recent apps=recent apps, etc etc).

In Boat Browser, you can layout the app soft buttons however you like. I dropped the browser back button (phone already has a button for that) and added the menu button to the bottom of the app screen instead. Some apps don't even have a menu button now, just swipe to the side to get to the menu/prefs/settings, or change tabs. Some have the menu goodies baked in as buttons along the top, without an overflow button at all.

Point being, as more apps get ICS-savvy, I'd expect more apps to make it all easier to give you options on that.

But until then - yes, the 3 dot button is your menu. If you use it all of the time, then you may prefer HTC's approach and you're all set. :)

See also - http://androidforums.com/htc-evo-4g-lte/556520-ics-design-compliant-apps-no-dots-menu-bottom.html

I like that a lot. I just noticed the dots on one of my Task apps (GTasks) that I use on the MoPho. It'll get used to navigating with the device, due to past habits with the soft key menu button, but I had to do that when I moved over to Android anyway.

I'm still likely holding out until October/November to upgrade, even though I'm eligible now. White LTEvo is in the lead of potential upgrade phone, but I still want to hold out. I like having the soft key button, but if Motorola does come out with a non-keyboard alternative to the MoPho Q and is equivalent to the Razr HD or Razr Maxx, that'd likely be my candidate of choice.

SGS 3, although I like the menu button soft key and some of the functions slightly better, the rest of the phone wasn't great...especially with my still not being able to jump on the Samsung bandwagon just yet.
 
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Not to thread-jack or anything ...

Initially I didn't think NOT having a Menu button would bother me since the Galaxy Nexus didn't have one either. But the GNexus has only on-screen buttons and the Menu button shows up at the right side of the onscreen buttons for apps.

What was HTC thinking by adding a big Menu button at the bottom of this gorgeous screen size?

I guess it's a good thing the screen is huge enough that I can try to get use to it.
 
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