Help Question on TouchWiz Default Texting App

[RajCaj]

I have a friend that just switched from an iPhone to the S4 and pointed out a small quirk in the TouchWiz default Texting App.

When a text message comes in, the lock screen will show a notification that lets you know you've got an incomming text, but you cannot jump to the text message by interacting with that notification. You have to swipe to unlock, then tap on the texting app.

Secondly, when you open the texting app, the screen opens to the last texting conversation you had. So if the new text you've recieved was from someone different than the last person you've sent or recieved a text from, you have to back out of that conversation to your list of all texting threads and open the new text.

Just seems like a lot of actions to get to a new text (swipe to clear lock screen + open texting app + navigate back to list of all text threads + open text thread of new message = 4 actions)

Does anyone know how to have the default TouchWiz texting app to automatically open to the new incoming text?

If not, does anyone know of a better texting app that does this (and also handles group texts with iPhone users appropriately)?

Thanks in advance!

 

[trucky]

You have to swipe and open the lock screen because... well... it's a lock screen.

The text app will remember your last state and return to that. I don't know if you can change that but it would be a real pain if it took you somewhere else each time you opened it other than where you last left off.

 

[Goodspike]

You have to swipe and open the lock screen because... well... it's a lock screen.

That was my first reaction too, but you can answer a phone call without unlocking, and in many ways an incoming text is similar to a phone call (especially for people a lot younger than me). So I could see why there should be the OPTION of having access to an incoming text and responding to that one text without unlocking.

On the other hand, perhaps an incoming text has more security issues than an incoming phone call.

 

[tytlyf]

There's a couple ways to do this.
1. Pull down notification bar on lock screen and select message.
2. Have your MMS app on the lock screen bottom and swipe that to open.

 

[jayjay1122]

Or better yet, dump the native texting app for something like GO or Handcent or Chomp.

Those apps are much more feature rich and will even allow your friend to set it up to look like his old iPhone.

If he says something like "why should I have to do that, why doesn't it just do that to begin with?"...Explain to him that just because Apple does't allow him to change things like default SMS/MMS apps, it doesn't mean what they give as a default is the best option.

Trust me, I (due to my job) have one foot in iOS and one foot in Android. Even without rooting, Android still allows countless customization.

 

[beowulf7]

On the topic of texting, is there a texting app that makes the texts look more mature? I'm not talking about the content of texting, that immaturity is obviously all me. But something where it doesn't have the childish bubbles. For example, I liked the somewhat mature look of the Motorola Droid 3's default texting app. In fact, after I rooted that phone and put a new ROM on (extremely debloated), I asked someone to restore the default texting app.

And even if I'm stuck with the default texting app, I don't understand why there are such limited use of colors. For example, I want my side of the conversation (i.e., right side) to have that default yellow color that the other (left) side has. It sucks that there are only a few color options for each side and one can't even switch the colors' sides.

 

[jayjay1122]

On the topic of texting, is there a texting app that makes the texts look more mature? I'm not talking about the content of texting, that immaturity is obviously all me. But something where it doesn't have the childish bubbles. For example, I liked the somewhat mature look of the Motorola Droid 3's default texting app. In fact, after I rooted that phone and put a new ROM on (extremely debloated), I asked someone to restore the default texting app.

And even if I'm stuck with the default texting app, I don't understand why there are such limited use of colors. For example, I want my side of the conversation (i.e., right side) to have that default yellow color that the other (left) side has. It sucks that there are only a few color options for each side and one can't even switch the colors' sides.

Absolutely, couldn't agree more!

You have a couple of options and in my opinion, both require texting apps from the store.

1. Pick one of the aftermarket apps and simply look for a theme that is simple and clean and not all "bubbly" or colorful.

2. Theme it yourself. GO, Hancent and Chomp (to name a few) all have pretty granular ability with regard to customization. One of the first options when customizing is "chat type". I use List View which makes it more cold or technical looking like the Droid.

You can change everything from font type to font color to chat style, etc...I would say before you got all nutty though, look for a theme that's close to what you want and tweak that instead of doing it from scratch.

FYI I am using GO SMS and I love it!!

 

[beowulf7]

Absolutely, couldn't agree more!

You have a couple of options and in my opinion, both require texting apps from the store.

1. Pick one of the aftermarket apps and simply look for a theme that is simple and clean and not all "bubbly" or colorful.

2. Theme it yourself. GO, Hancent and Chomp (to name a few) all have pretty granular ability with regard to customization. One of the first options when customizing is "chat type". I use List View which makes it more cold or technical looking like the Droid.

You can change everything from font type to font color to chat style, etc...I would say before you got all nutty though, look for a theme that's close to what you want and tweak that instead of doing it from scratch.

FYI I am using GO SMS and I love it!!

Thanks! Remarkably, all 3 of those apps you mentioned have a 4.4/5 rating at Google Play. I'll try out Go SMS since you like it so much. On the downside, it is the "heaviest' of these 3 apps, weighing in at over 7 MB.

Yes, the technical/cleaner look is what I want. Instead, JB made it look cartoonish like an iPhone. : \ I prefer the GB (Gingerbread) look.

Edit: Here's one person's review of some of the more popular SMS apps for Android.

 

[jayjay1122]

Yeah that "slow to load" comment about GO, really depends on how long of a thread you have going.

I tend to keep deleting conversations as I finish them and don't let threads get up higher that a couple of dozen texts. The lag he mentions is directly associated with how big the thread is.

Keep it under control and you won't notice the lag.

My favorite feature is the private inbox which can also be renamed and be password protected.

 

[beowulf7]

Yeah that "slow to load" comment about GO, really depends on how long of a thread you have going.

I tend to keep deleting conversations as I finish them and don't let threads get up higher that a couple of dozen texts. The lag he mentions is directly associated with how big the thread is.

Keep it under control and you won't notice the lag.

My favorite feature is the private inbox which can also be renamed and be password protected.

I downloaded Go SMS and it looks pretty good so far. I used the dark theme, which I guess used to be the default theme. I'm going back and forth and comparing the stock app with Go SMS. When I launch Go SMS Pro, there's a small icon in the lower right. Is that an ad? I see a link on the left bar that refers to "Premium".

 

[AdmSuvvuk]

I have a friend that just switched from an iPhone to the S4 and pointed out a small quirk in the TouchWiz default Texting App.

When a text message comes in, the lock screen will show a notification that lets you know you've got an incomming text, but you cannot jump to the text message by interacting with that notification. You have to swipe to unlock, then tap on the texting app.


Thanks in advance!

When the notification appears on the lock screen you can tap the notification bubble, and swipe the bubble, then it will open on that text.

 

[RajCaj]

You have to swipe and open the lock screen because... well... it's a lock screen.

The text app will remember your last state and return to that. I don't know if you can change that but it would be a real pain if it took you somewhere else each time you opened it other than where you last left off.

Yea, I get that it's a lock screen, but if the security level is set to swipe, all it's doing at that point is to prevent accidental app launches & other things executing. It would be nice if you could interact with that text notification on the lock screen somehow to make for an easy reply (like swipe the text notification or something)

As for where the texting app launches when opening it, I can see two very commonly used use cases. One is that the app should return you to the last text thread you sent or recieved a message in. Thats very convienent if your having a continual conversation with one person, and you want to ignore incoming texts from others.

However, another use case I can imagine is if you are replying to texts from different people. So if there is a new text message waiting for you from someone other than the person you last sent or recieved a text from, it would be convienent to open right to the texting thread of the person that just sent you a message...making for replying to missed texts easier.

All preference I guess

 

[trucky]

Yeah, it really is all about preference, and I'm not voting either way. We can all find things in the UI that we wish were different or that could be modified. Maybe one day...

 

[RajCaj]

When the notification appears on the lock screen you can tap the notification bubble, and swipe the bubble, then it will open on that text.

I tried that, and when I tap the text notification bubble, a box pops up under it, and instructs you to swipe in this box to unlock. Swiping on the notification bubble after you've tapped it does nothing.

That said, if I left or right swipe on the text notification (which brings me to one of the lock screen widgets) and then swipe back....THEN if i tap the text notification it will take me straight to the text app, and right to the text thread of the person that sent the message.

Kind of a weird or ackward way to get at it, but it's less actions than the other way i suppose.

 

[beowulf7]

jayjay, I installed Go SMS Pro as I mentioned. I don't know if it's a coincident or not. But since I installed it, it seems like my battery is draining much faster when my phone is idle. Hmm.

 

[jayjay1122]

jayjay, I installed Go SMS Pro as I mentioned. I don't know if it's a coincident or not. But since I installed it, it seems like my battery is draining much faster when my phone is idle. Hmm.

Gotta be a coincidence. I've had no issues with excessive or even moderate drain. Download Wakelock Detector and reboot the phone and let the phone go to sleep. Give it an hour and open the app. It'll tell you if the phone is "deep sleeping" and what might be waking it up or keeping it awake.

 

[beowulf7]

Gotta be a coincidence. I've had no issues with excessive or even moderate drain. Download Wakelock Detector and reboot the phone and let the phone go to sleep. Give it an hour and open the app. It'll tell you if the phone is "deep sleeping" and what might be waking it up or keeping it awake.

Thanks for the suggestion, I'll try Wakelock Detector as you said. But before I install any more apps, I'll try my 2nd attempt at rooting my S4. *pray*

 

[jayjay1122]

Thanks for the suggestion, I'll try Wakelock Detector as you said. But before I install any more apps, I'll try my 2nd attempt at rooting my S4. *pray*

News? Wakelock show anything?

 

[beowulf7]

News? Wakelock show anything?

I never installed Wakelock b/c the following day, my phone behaved normally. In other words, it didn't quickly discharge my phone like it did the day I posted that previous message. That said, I'll still install Wakelock one of these days for curiosity's sake.