Help turning off light from 4 lower buttons

[rezajune]

Is there any way I can turn off the lights from.the 4 soft buttons such as home,menu,back and search. I like to read a lot at night and its too bright. Love the phone.

Thanks

 

[lau907]

I have this problem as well. The 4 buttons are always lit. I have have talked to VZW and HTC tech support and they could not figure it out. They are shipping me a replacement phone.

 

[jbdan]

Only thing I can think of is could you use a night light of some sort and point it in the direction of the phone? It will hit the light sensor and keep them off. I know I'm reaching but hey

 

[jasonb1985]

There is no way to turn them off. A replacement phone won't help. The only way to turn them off will be to root the phone when rooting is an option and install an app called "leds hack". It was the same way on the moto droid, actually it was worse on the Droid.

 

[woop]

Those backlights are controlled by the ambient light sensor. It makes it so when you're in a dark environment, they light up, and when it isn't necessary (brighter situations) it'll turn off. I don't think you have any say it in. If you want them constantly off, you will have to provide enough light to the sensor to make it feel like you can see the buttons without the backlight.

 

[rgr555]

They're only lit when the screen is on for me..

 

[BetterMost]

They're only lit when the screen is on for me..

yea thats how they work. When the screen is on the lower 4 will always be on also its not a defect.

 

[nyngbld]

is there anyway to turn them on more??? i find in low light conditions, not dark, that is hard to pick some thing ups.

 

[dibs ODDJOB]

There is no current way to turn these off, unless rooted, as mentioned above.

This is a major hardware oversight. Not being able to toggle these off for certain apps or situations, like VIDEO, is just plain dumb. They can be very distracting.

While we're at it, I hate lazy developers who make me hit Menu, then hit another button to do an action I do frequently, instead of having a button on the screen. Have they learned nothing from the iPhone?

 

[Deleted User]

There is no current way to turn these off, unless rooted, as mentioned above.

This is a major hardware oversight. Not being able to toggle these off for certain apps or situations, like VIDEO, is just plain dumb. They can be very distracting.

While we're at it, I hate lazy developers who make me hit Menu, then hit another button to do an action I do frequently, instead of having a button on the screen. Have they learned nothing from the iPhone?

I could not agree more. Fortunately, it looks like they're finally putting a DELETE button on the Mail screen while viewing a message, judging by the screen shots of 2.2.

 

[fortesquieu]

They're only lit when the screen is on for me..

It will only lit up if light sensor senses the darkness, e.g. in your room, unless your room is super bright. It will not lit in brighter areas.

 

[dylo22]

There is no current way to turn these off, unless rooted, as mentioned above.

This is a major hardware oversight. Not being able to toggle these off for certain apps or situations, like VIDEO, is just plain dumb. They can be very distracting.

While we're at it, I hate lazy developers who make me hit Menu, then hit another button to do an action I do frequently, instead of having a button on the screen. Have they learned nothing from the iPhone?

It sounds like you need to go develop an app and show those lazy developers how it's done.

 

[dibs ODDJOB]

It sounds like you need to go develop an app and show those lazy developers how it's done.

I don't need to, it's called "every freaking iPhone app"

But I am actually starting to write my own apps, coincidentally. And I design products for a living, so human factors and usability aren't new to me. And I'm more obsessive about usability issues in my daily life because of this. But this is one of the reasons people say the iPhone "just works."

And I don't even like the iPhone.

 

[dylo22]

I don't need to, it's called "every freaking iPhone app"

But I am actually starting to write my own apps, coincidentally. And I design products for a living, so human factors and usability aren't new to me. And I'm more obsessive about usability issues in my daily life because of this. But this is one of the reasons people say the iPhone "just works."

And I don't even like the iPhone.

Awesome. Just to give you a heads up, users will never be satisfied. I develop web apps for a living and just when you think you've finished with an app, a user will always come up with features that they want you to include. It's never ending. They're never satisfied.

I don't know what iPhone apps you've used, but none of them are perfect.

 

[dibs ODDJOB]

Awesome. Just to give you a heads up, users will never be satisfied. I develop web apps for a living and just when you think you've finished with an app, a user will always come up with features that they want you to include. It's never ending. They're never satisfied.

I don't know what iPhone apps you've used, but none of them are perfect.

Oh I know you can't please everyone. Half the people want minimal features with ease of use, the other half want the kitchen sink. And another half want it with lime green color. (math?)

As far as iPhone apps, I know most of them suck, but the idea is that many good ones provide you with the right amount of options and information at the right time. There are good Android apps that do this as well, but there are many that bury their most important features/actions in the menus. You can't do much in the Gmail app without hitting the menu button. It was a primary problem with the BB Storm as well, and was even worse because the menus were so inconsistent from app to app.

It's fine for myself, who is a customization freak and and likes looking at every single setting in an app. But for people like my fiance, I have to keep reminding her that if she can't do something, she has to hit menu and fiddle with the settings.

Back on topic, Android should have a media player that doesn't suck, is easy to use and sync, and shuts off the button lights when playing video.

 

[woop]

Oh I know you can't please everyone. Half the people want minimal features with ease of use, the other half want the kitchen sink. And another half want it with lime green color. (math?)

As far as iPhone apps, I know most of them suck, but the idea is that many good ones provide you with the right amount of options and information at the right time. There are good Android apps that do this as well, but there are many that bury their most important features/actions in the menus. You can't do much in the Gmail app without hitting the menu button. It was a primary problem with the BB Storm as well, and was even worse because the menus were so inconsistent from app to app.

It's fine for myself, who is a customization freak and and likes looking at every single setting in an app. But for people like my fiance, I have to keep reminding her that if she can't do something, she has to hit menu and fiddle with the settings.

Back on topic, Android should have a media player that doesn't suck, is easy to use and sync, and shuts off the button lights when playing video.

Sounds like you're better off with an iPhone if they provide so much app-balance.

Maybe instead of complaining about a dev's app, in which they put their own time and effort in, you can show some gratitude that they're even putting out apps for us.

 

[dibs ODDJOB]

Sounds like you're better off with an iPhone if they provide so much app-balance.

Maybe instead of complaining about a dev's app, in which they put their own time and effort in, you can show some gratitude that they're even putting out apps for us.

First off, I just said I don't even like the iPhone, I love my Android. I'll take it and it's apps over iAnything, anyday.

Secondly, I have every right to complain. What, am I supposed to happily accept every app that exists just because somebody spent time on it?

Guess what, this isn't kindergarten. Some people spend lots of time and effort developing something and it can still suck. There can still be issues. There is no such thing as a perfect product or perfect app. But there can always be improvements.

I'll give you an example. I love my Gmail. Wouldn't trade it for anything. But the Gmail app is bad. I have two accounts, one for work and another for personal stuff. I have two shortcuts on my homepage, but they randomly open the wrong one. It takes a split second to realize though, since they look exactly the same except for the address in the top right corner, and it does it randomly.

To change accounts, I have to press Menu>Accounts>choose account

So it took 4 clicks to do what 1 should have done. That's poor design. The good thing is that it looks like this is fixed somewhat in Froyo, because someone probably complained. Someone who wasn't satisfied.

 

[woop]

First off, I just said I don't even like the iPhone, I love my Android. I'll take it and it's apps over iAnything, anyday.

Secondly, I have every right to complain. What, am I supposed to happily accept every app that exists just because somebody spent time on it?

Guess what, this isn't kindergarten. Some people spend lots of time and effort developing something and it can still suck. There can still be issues. There is no such thing as a perfect product or perfect app. But there can always be improvements.

I'll give you an example. I love my Gmail. Wouldn't trade it for anything. But the Gmail app is bad. I have two accounts, one for work and another for personal stuff. I have two shortcuts on my homepage, but they randomly open the wrong one. It takes a split second to realize though, since they look exactly the same except for the address in the top right corner, and it does it randomly.

To change accounts, I have to press Menu>Accounts>choose account

So it took 4 clicks to do what 1 should have done. That's poor design. The good thing is that it looks like this is fixed somewhat in Froyo, because someone probably complained. Someone who wasn't satisfied.

First, when you are boasting about Apple apps in half your posts in this thread, it gives the impression that it must be doing something for you.

Secondly, I NEVER said any app was perfect nor did you not have the right to complain. But does that mean whining to us is going to change anything? If you want something done, go develop all the apps you want to work the way you want yourself. I find it somewhat disturbing when someone cries about how something is performing yet they have no stake in improving the process. Now THAT sounds kindergardenish to me. It seems like you know exactly what issues you want resolved, so why not go spend all your free time creating them? Then you won't have to ever complain, correct?

 

[dylo22]

First off, I just said I don't even like the iPhone, I love my Android. I'll take it and it's apps over iAnything, anyday.

Secondly, I have every right to complain. What, am I supposed to happily accept every app that exists just because somebody spent time on it?

Guess what, this isn't kindergarten. Some people spend lots of time and effort developing something and it can still suck. There can still be issues. There is no such thing as a perfect product or perfect app. But there can always be improvements.

I'll give you an example. I love my Gmail. Wouldn't trade it for anything. But the Gmail app is bad. I have two accounts, one for work and another for personal stuff. I have two shortcuts on my homepage, but they randomly open the wrong one. It takes a split second to realize though, since they look exactly the same except for the address in the top right corner, and it does it randomly.

To change accounts, I have to press Menu>Accounts>choose account

So it took 4 clicks to do what 1 should have done. That's poor design. The good thing is that it looks like this is fixed somewhat in Froyo, because someone probably complained. Someone who wasn't satisfied.

I have no problem with you complaining about apps. But please don't call developers lazy, just because they don't include the features you want. You have no idea how much time and effort it takes to develop an app, so calling them lazy is ridiculous.

If you want a feature, go request it. Calling them out for lack of effort is childish.

 

[dibs ODDJOB]

Wow, lots of backlash here. I thought giving personal opinions and debating the benefits and drawbacks of apps and phones was the point of online forums. Sorry my view doesn't jive with yours. It's funny you mention I have the right to complain, but when I do and you disagree with it, you call it whining. Anyways.



As far as feature requests, I do contact several app makers and have had good discussions with them. And I read several developer blogs as I am starting to develop my own apps in my spare time, which I wish I had more of but I'm busy with my real job. If I had all the time in the world I would design every app I wanted, but I don't, I only have time to help improve or give suggestions.

My real life is spent developing products, mostly medical devices, and focusing on human factors and new product engineering. I know the delicate balance of adding features and meeting user needs while keeping functionality and ease of use is extremely difficult.

When I said "lazy" I didn't mean developers are all lazy or stupid, as it takes a lot of work just to publish a functional app. I mean that some don't always think the user interface through completely. Most of them are very intelligent, technical people that usually have an engineering or science background. They might not have the human factors or industrial design background that helps focus the design aesthetic and process flow from one task to another. In other words, they design things like an engineer. Which is great for myself and other people that love fiddling with things and customizing forever. Like people that post wordy forum posts about app usability and design theory. But for the rest of the population, they just want something that works. And a lot of Android apps still have a little ways to go to meet that.

I'm not saying iPhone apps are better in general. (Side note: I hate Apple and their marketing tactics. I hate their control over everything. I work with Apple zealots, including my boss, and it is extremely annoying. But they have nice industrial design. And they sell a boat load of product. That's all.)

When it comes to mobile devices, efficiency is key. This means fast processors that don't have lag, this means apps that require minimal input and management, this means not providing the user with high mental loads because they are usually focusing on something else other than their phone. Don't make something take 4 clicks, when 2 will do. Don't assume the user knows how to do everything in the app. Don't assume they know all the settings that can be tweaked. Several apps I've seen help guide the user through the learning process, especially more complicated ones. Others just throw a bunch at you and hope for the best.


One more example, because I like examples. .Podkast. is a great podcast app. But it fails in one primary area: playing podcasts. When I open the app, it takes several clicks to play my list of podcasts, and it doesn't save my location in the podcasts (key since several are 1 hour+), and when I am done playing a podcast I have to navigate to another section that lets me delete it. Contrast to Google Listen, when I open it, it has my recently played podcast at the bottom, saved to where I left off. And when I am done it auto deletes. Brilliant. Now, it isn't as good as finding podcasts like .PodKast., but the day to day use is more streamlined and efficient.

 

[uber_mike]

Wow, so this went from asking if it is possible to make the 4 lights shut off to arguing over apps and devs?

Seriously, nothing is, or will be perfect for everybody. You can't expect a release of an app to have what you want.

Developers need to know what you need. If you think a developer should change something about an app, don't complain about it on a random forum. Send an email or message to them and let them know so maybe they can change it in a future update.

 

[Deleted User]

To change accounts, I have to press Menu>Accounts>choose account

So it took 4 clicks to do what 1 should have done. That's poor design. The good thing is that it looks like this is fixed somewhat in Froyo, because someone probably complained. Someone who wasn't satisfied.

Not sure if you're referring to the HTC Mail app or the actual Gmail app, but if it's the former, I felt frustrated with what you're describing as well. But I didn't notice that when you're in a particular mailbox, there's an icon to the left of the mailbox name that looks like a triangle arrow pointing down. If you press that, it will show you the mailbox listing and allow you to easily switch.

I think I missed it, because there's a similar icon that shows to the right of the "From:" address within an email. If you press that, you can view additional header information. That seemed like it should have taken me back to the mailbox, so I guess I assumed that the same icon in the mailbox view would be similarly unintuitive.

Looking at the 2.2, there does appear to be some more intuitive controls in the Mail app. Hopefully those will carry over to the HTC Mail app too (the screens look identical).

Hope this helps, and sorry for the slightly OT post.

 

[Tacomahunter]

Hmmm not sure why this would be so hard, as gentle alarm in night mode does it all by itself after 60 seconds and then all you have is nice red numbers showing and no 4 bright lights glowing in my eyes all night.

 

[bjanow]

Exactly Tacoma. I use the Desktop clock in "moon" mode and the bottom lights go off and it's a nice gentle digital night clock.

 

[woop]

Wow, lots of backlash here. I thought giving personal opinions and debating the benefits and drawbacks of apps and phones was the point of online forums. Sorry my view doesn't jive with yours. It's funny you mention I have the right to complain, but when I do and you disagree with it, you call it whining. Anyways.

I'll respond one more time and then if you need, you can say what you need to say. I'm done taking up more space on this thread. What you're saying is hypocritical. You are expressing your own personal opinion, thats fine. But I was expressing mine, so don't expect everyone to be dandy about what you have to say. So just because I said something YOU didn't like, doesn't make it any difference from you saying something I didn't. Do not try to victimize yourself.

As far as feature requests, I do contact several app makers and have had good discussions with them. And I read several developer blogs as I am starting to develop my own apps in my spare time, which I wish I had more of but I'm busy with my real job. If I had all the time in the world I would design every app I wanted, but I don't, I only have time to help improve or give suggestions.

This is a very naive statement. You DO realize that alot of devs actually do this on their spare time too right? Surprise, surprise. People actually have THEIR own lives to live. I know many devs that use whatever free time they have to make apps, but also have a full time job. So if you're going to complain about an app not able to please you and then say that you're too busy to make your own, you may want to realize that people are in the exact same situation but are willing to put in their time. Again, as I said before, if you're not willing to make that sacrifice then, IMO, it is very ignorant to complain (but you are free to do so). With the exception of people charging for their apps, devs do not owe you anything and many are doing it because they enjoy it.

I'm not saying iPhone apps are better in general. (Side note: I hate Apple and their marketing tactics. I hate their control over everything. I work with Apple zealots, including my boss, and it is extremely annoying. But they have nice industrial design. And they sell a boat load of product. That's all.)

Not sure where this went? You had one sentence and then a paragraph for a sidenote. If you re-read your posts in this thread, they are clearly boasting about Apple apps. There really isn't any other way to look at it, it is pretty obvious. Now whether or not they are "better" is irrelevant because neither of us said that previously. No one accused you of that however I did say you make it very clear you were satisfied with how Apple apps are, which lead me to say you can use their products if they please you.