Beautiful Widgets update: IT REALLY SUCKS

The_Superhoo · Dec 5, 2012

Just updated the app on my Razr Maxx. All old skins are now incompatible. The widgets' look is way uglier. I am forced to use Celsius (which isnt a big deal to users elsewhere, but in USA, I need Farenheit).

Functionality and user friendliness as a whole are reduced. Dont download the update. Terrible

lunatic59 · Dec 5, 2012

Fahrenheit is there. Tap on the widget to call up the weather and then swipe the screen to the right to see options. At the bottom settings>weather let you switch.

Agreed, it's a huge difference and they could have done a better job letting users know about all the differences.

The_Superhoo · Dec 5, 2012

Still dont like it , but at least now i can use it.

How the hell are we supposed to know swiping to the right brings up a menu? Why cant we just use a menu key (if our device has one) like all old versions?

Clementine_3 · Dec 5, 2012

My two main gripes are that the temperatures are now displayed low/high with no way to flip it (I like high/low!!) and that you can no longer not display the location. And, since I'm complaining, the current weather part of the 4x1 widget is huge and gets cut off in the upper corners.
I may have to go back to BeWeather or HDWidgets but just don't like either as well as (old) BW.

BigRedGonzo · Dec 5, 2012

I used to be a big fanboy of Beautiful Widgets and got bored with it after a long time of use. I switched to HD Widgets and have been much more pleased with HD than with Beautiful. Both have their pros and cons. I guess, based on this thread, migrating to HD Widgets was a good choice.

BigRedGonzo

KegHead · Dec 5, 2012

Wow!

Are you folks kidding?

I'm using an N7 and am very pleased!

Look around the app....you'll find many surprises!

KegHead

lunatic59 · Dec 5, 2012

KegHead said:
Wow!

Are you folks kidding?

I'm using an N7 and am very pleased!

Look around the app....you'll find many surprises!

KegHead

Mostly it's a reaction to change ... especially unexpected change, like finding the Starbuck's you always stop at in the morning is suddenly a poodle grooming salon. Your poodle might look better, but you're still not happy about it.

How about naming a few things you were pleasantly surprised by? I'm always ready for improvement.

bruce73 · Dec 5, 2012

+1 for HD Widgets

TetsujinWave · Dec 5, 2012

It can't be that hard to migrate the older themes. I preferred Black Cashmere, which is no longer available because the Beautiful Home Widget no longer exists. Now I have a crapton of gaudy garbage themes, but no access to several good ones, including the one I used every day.

I'm almost ready to find another option if they don't fix this.

BigRedGonzo · Dec 5, 2012

Even those of us who thrive on change are still somewhat reluctant to have it. Beautiful has been an Android staple for quite some time and I'm sure that there are virtues to the update. Abandoning currently available themes, to me, is a real shame since most of the appeal of Android is customization.

@Lunatic59 - Its funny you use that particular example. The Starbucks nearest my office relocated to a location that is just not convenient, but the building that it was in is now a pet grooming business. What are the chances?!?!

BigRedGonzo

messenger13 · Dec 5, 2012

My knee-jerk reaction to the "update" was that I didn't like it ... at all!

But then I got home and played with it for about 15 minutes and found ALL kinds of good stuff in there! I am really liking it now!

GREAT UPDATE BW!!! :thrasher:

Tre Lawrence · Dec 5, 2012

Had to reinstall it to get it working right.

Clementine_3 · Dec 5, 2012

messenger13 said:
But then I got home and played with it for about 15 minutes and found ALL kinds of good stuff in there! I am really liking it now!

GREAT UPDATE BW!!! :thrasher:

What did you find and where?

Deleted User · Dec 5, 2012

Anyone know how to turn off the weather icons on the 4x1 widget?

KegHead · Dec 6, 2012

Hi!

I knew everyone would love it!

KegHead

PhilosoRaptor · Dec 6, 2012

I love the new UI and features, but on my Gnex, the functionality was totally broken. The clock, temp and all of the info would never update. Say I set the widget up at 2:00 PM, the clock would stay at 2:00 PM forever, same with the temperature and other info. Also, it stuck to military time format (1400 instead of 2:00). It also seemed to affect all of my other widgets somehow; as in none of them would update their info either. I was getting all sorts of FCs this morning with System UI and other apps.

I see several other Gnex users in the app reviews on the Play Store complaining of this too. Hopefully they'll fix all of these bugs quickly, for now I restored my Titanium backup of the old version and haven't had any of the above issues :cool:

.

Clementine_3 · Dec 6, 2012

Just updated and still no way to invert the temps on the widget, HD skin still gets cut off and still can't remove the location. UGH.
I'm actually back to one I forgot I bought way back when, Weather Forecast Widget. It's really basic, but it gets the job done and looks good. I don't remember why I stopped using it, I think it got stuck updating a lot. I'll see how it goes.
I re-tried HDWidgets and Be Weather, either is OK. I think I will just never find the perfect weather widget (BW is just OK too, well, before the "update"). lol.

sohguanh · Dec 6, 2012

There exist a problem with some apps/software. In their early versions, they are a great hit and success. Then rather than keep it at that, developers want to re-build what they feel is better for the next version. There is nothing wrong in that aspect but one thing I know is users are the reason our apps/software gain usage. The very least developer should pay attention to is users feedback and NOT based on what developers feel it will be good for the users. I guess there are two camps of developers with different thinking. I belong to the camp where my apps/software exists because it fill a need users requested to better their daily lives routines. I am heavily driven by users rather than build something I feel it serves the users well.

Finally for frustrated users, you can always search elsewhere for other apps/software where developers pay great attention to your needs and NOT on what they think is good for you.

DaWeav · Dec 7, 2012

The Google Play store needs a feature especially when it is a "paid" app to allow the customer to use whatever version of the application they choose. This way when a developer wants to do something like LevelupStudios has done, at least the customer can choose to go back to the previous version of the application.

Personally, what LevelupStudios has done in this case is a nightmare for customers since the application is a totally new application and does not have the same functionality, look, or feel of the previous version. They should have released this "upgrade" as a totally new application so that loyal customers could continue to enjoy the original allocation and get the "new" Beautiful Widgets 2 if they wanted to.

sohguanh · Dec 7, 2012

Let me think. Once upon a long time ago, an OS turn a blind eye to rampant piracy on their OS. Once that has reached certain heights, they start to clamp down and think of ways to churn revenue.

Was thinking was these developers using same strategy? Make it good and even free for users in the beginning. Then once users get hooked on your app/software you come out with something spectacular. Most of those early users will be held ransom.

So to prevent you yourself held ransom by developers strategy, just acquire a habit to change apps that serve similar functionality

Dieselbud · Dec 7, 2012

My gripe is that my shortcuts don't all work anymore.

On both my lock screen and home screen I was able to tap the date and bring up google calender. I use it more often than any other widget shortcut.

Now that (thanks to jellybean) I no longer have the google calender, I have been using S-Planner (and I LIKE IT) but the shortcut won't work. Sometimes it works ONCE, then not again, so it is a bug. The weather and clock shortcuts work like they should. (but the weather is soooooooooooo slooooooooooow)

And sometimes when I turn my screen on, it is already unlocked. It has been unlocked more than locked since the update. Sometimes BW stops working and gives me an error.

I have cleared all the data and started over and still can't get it to function.

I have reported it in my review on their market page, I hope all the rest of u are doing the same,,

Dieselbud · Dec 7, 2012

Update:

I tried the 4 x 4 widget and all the shortcuts work so far with the larger widget. But it's a lot of real estate!

So I will edit my complaint to the 4 x 2 Beautiful Clock widget date shortcut not working.

To fix the slow clock issue, go to widget setting and turn ON the 'use local time' otherwise the time only updates when the weather does.

wraithevolution · Dec 7, 2012

I am in agreement that this last update was terrible. I understand that improvements are always made for most programs but this was a step back. They really muddled the menu's and separated them too much. While I could find most stuff after a while, it really wasn't intuitive at all. I don't want to have to search and search for simple changes. While they've made changes in the past that I could handle, I just couldn't accept this one. I've always used my own clock skins because I made them to match my phone and theme. With this latest update, you can't use your own. I dug through and found the newest place they hid them, like last time. When you place your own skins in there, they won't be read by BW. Which means you can only download them. meaning you are stuck with other's creations. To make it so you can't use your own skins is too much for me. Luckily I made a backup before downloading the new BW and so I was able to revert. And how many times do we have to tolerate a full wipe of all our settings and skins?? So I'll always have the play store saying there's an update for them, I can deal with that.

Deleted User · Dec 10, 2012

wraithevolution said:
So I'll always have the play store saying there's an update for them, I can deal with that.

Or you could always disable Play notifications, if that's your concern

xanok · Dec 10, 2012

As a long time user of Beautiful Widgets on a 3vo, I'm very disappointed in this app. Not because of the interface change (which I don't care for), but because the widgets keep crashing and I have to keep "retrieving them." Quite irritating.
Not only that, the 4G toggle widget is no longer available, and the 4G widget for HD Widgets doesn't toggle, it just goes to 4G settings.
Until BW is fixed, I'm no longer using it.

Beautiful Widgets update: IT REALLY SUCKS

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