Seems like the native sms app on the phone works pretty good is Handcent worth it? If so how do i set it up as my default and can it receive mms and text to speech? Please let me know. Thanks...
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Is Handcent better then the native app on phone?
- Thread starter Antmf
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- motorola droid
I like using handcent for my messaging. I really like the quick reply text box that comes up when I get a new text. It can easily handle any text format you want from my experience. All you need to do is go into your default messaging app and disable notifications. I like how handcent let's you choose te messaging layout, I use the iphone bubbles but handcent also let's you use custom images in the background for each individual and let's you choose a font for each person as well. Overall I'm really happy with the app but that's just my opinion
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I think its better than the default. I like the different options for displaying the conversations, and the fact that I can set a custom notification LED color for my contacts.
The option for text to speech comes up when you long press each message.
The MMS didn't work right for awhile but that was fixed a few weeks ago.
The phone will ask you which app you want to use as the default for messaging if you try to open a text with the stock app.
Just remember to turn off text notifications in the stock app, otherwise you'll get 2 notifications each time you get a text.
The option for text to speech comes up when you long press each message.
The MMS didn't work right for awhile but that was fixed a few weeks ago.
The phone will ask you which app you want to use as the default for messaging if you try to open a text with the stock app.
Just remember to turn off text notifications in the stock app, otherwise you'll get 2 notifications each time you get a text.
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The default application is not even close to Handcent when it comes to features.
BUT there is one very enoying thing with Handcent .... even if it is really nice that Handcent resizes images that are attached in MMS is WAY to aggressive and more or less makes images useless.
A nice good quality picture of lets say just under 1MB in size of course need to be resized before sending. It is great that Handcent resizes. But does not make a fellow happy when that nice picture is resized down to 15KB and it is more or less impossible to what is on the picture anymore.
I have put a feature request on a setting for the resizing ratio or aggressivness to use on Handcents website and hope they implement it.
Other then that I have to say that the application is wonderful.
BUT there is one very enoying thing with Handcent .... even if it is really nice that Handcent resizes images that are attached in MMS is WAY to aggressive and more or less makes images useless.
A nice good quality picture of lets say just under 1MB in size of course need to be resized before sending. It is great that Handcent resizes. But does not make a fellow happy when that nice picture is resized down to 15KB and it is more or less impossible to what is on the picture anymore.
I have put a feature request on a setting for the resizing ratio or aggressivness to use on Handcents website and hope they implement it.
Other then that I have to say that the application is wonderful.
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The resize thing may be an issue to some but all the pics that i have sent out to people after the resize have been fine quality on the phones they were sent to. I have seen 90% of them as wallpapers on the other persons phones and they worked beautifully. I could see going droid to droid though for editing purposes but have sent a few pics to my fathers droid and his look the same as the original on my phone
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Also try Chomp...in my experience it can be a little more responsive than Handcent, though the Chomp pop-up isn't as nice. I actually have both installed, and use the Handcent pop-up, but use Chomp for texting I initiate.
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Another vote for handcent. It is very customizable. I like the way it handles long texts (breaks them up automatically, rather than relying on the phone carriers to sort it out). You can also skin it to look like the stock app if you don't like the balloon skin.
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Handcent will handle gif (animation) something the stock will not. The stock will keep backup texts after you disable notifications but that is a good thing.
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I have used Handcent, on more than one occasion, and I like it. I like the numerious options it brings, but it also has stuff that it lacks that makes me eventually uninstall it.
it doesn't show the recipients picture when inside the message thread, which is a small thing, but it also doesn't link up to the facebook/contact merge info. I like that in the base app I can look up top and see the users facebook status, and I can touch their image and instantly call,view contact info,facebook page,get directions to their address,etc....
it doesn't show the recipients picture when inside the message thread, which is a small thing, but it also doesn't link up to the facebook/contact merge info. I like that in the base app I can look up top and see the users facebook status, and I can touch their image and instantly call,view contact info,facebook page,get directions to their address,etc....
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I set the person's pic as backround for their thread (top right). Top left is the call button and to reply you just type. Inbox has the rest.
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i recently switched to handcent after just using sms popup and have been really happy so far.... the features are far more advanced and just the over look/feel is better in my opinion.... give it a shot
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have they fixed how often handcent can't download a slideshow, or pic, or video? I stopped using both it and chomp because I was tired of going back to the stock app to open these us (and they are the bulk of my txts).
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