A tale of three buttons. Column by Evgeny Zobnin. We get customizable on-screen buttons Home, Back and Menu on any Android device (Floating Soft Keys) Assignment of buttons on the phone

Physical / capacitive or on-screen buttons - which is better? There are different opinions on this issue, but it is from different angles. And there is still a demand for phones with both physical and touch buttons. Even since Google made it clear that Android is only for on-screen buttons, manufacturers like Samsung and even HTC continue to equip their devices with physical buttons.

However, other manufacturers, including LG, Sony and Motorola, almost completely follow Google's approach, limiting themselves to soft buttons in their devices. The advantages and disadvantages of physical and soft buttons were discussed by Edgar Cervantes in his article Physical vs. on-screen buttons - what’s your pick? ”.

What's more, even the Priv, a phone with a full-fledged keyboard, has on-screen navigation buttons. However, the question of which buttons are better and, most importantly, why, remains relevant. Alas, this question is one of those for which there is no definite answer.

A bit of history

In 2011, Google released the Galaxy Nexus and the then-new Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich operating system. Subsequently, the new Nexus began to be accompanied by the next version of Android. Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich was targeted at both tablets and smartphones, which was a big step forward for the operating system.

Other changes to the operating system include the appearance of soft buttons. It was the device of the future, and it changed the way a modern smartphone should look. Users are aware of this, but many of them still love physical buttons.

Physical / capacitive buttons

Let's start by talking about the disadvantages of physical buttons. First of all, novice users will have to work harder to learn how to use them, especially when it comes to mechanical buttons that require pressing, not touching. This, of course, is not difficult, but many users are used to the fact that the effort can be made even less.

The second point concerns reliability. Physical buttons are optional items that can break. And don't forget that these buttons are permanent design elements of the device. They will forever remain where the device manufacturer placed them. They will not move anywhere and will not update.

But physical buttons have certain advantages. Many novice users would prefer to feel real buttons under their fingers and feel a tactile response, which is not to be expected from touch buttons. Some things - for example, gaining access to the camera - can be done without even unlocking the phone, especially if the device has a dedicated camera button.

And crucially, the physical buttons allow for more screen real estate. Phones are getting bigger, their screens continue to improve, but many users still choose to keep some of the display space away from on-screen buttons.

In addition, it should be noted that some of the physical buttons on modern phones also have fingerprint scanners, which is another reason to keep them in modern devices. The well-known HTC 10 phones can be cited as examples of such a design decision - a new flagship phone in a familiar look, for which, and the Samsung Galaxy S7.

Screen buttons

Some users like the soft buttons and others don't. In this respect, everything is exactly the same as with the physical buttons. And there are a number of reasons not to like them that every user who switches from a phone with physical / capacitive buttons will remember.

As noted above, these on-screen buttons reduce precious screen real estate. Since they are hidden in the process of playing games, viewing photos and videos, the user experience with the phone as "less natural".

But there are also reasons why onscreen buttons are popular with users. They open up ample opportunities for customization and adaptation of the user interface, since a soft button can be added to or removed from the phone screen. Didn't the developer add a menu button? No problem. Does the user prefer left or right button to go back? And it is possible. A lot is possible with softkeys, if the software allows it, of course.

In addition to a more varied software experience, eliminating physical buttons also improves the hardware performance of the phone. The free space can be used, for example, for a larger battery. Alternatively, the manufacturer can narrow the bezel around the screen.

On-screen buttons give manufacturers the ability to customize a smaller phone with a larger screen.

Undoubtedly, each of the users has their own reasons for preferring physical or on-screen buttons. What, in your opinion, should be the navigation buttons of a modern smartphone?

If we talk about possible reasons why the touch buttons on the android phone stopped working, the failure is more often from the physical than the software side. If there are reasons from the first list, most likely you will have to carry the device to a service center.

Physical reasons:

• Strong blow to a tablet or smartphone, falling from a height.
• Prolonged exposure to moisture. Especially serious damage occurs when water gets into the area between the screen and the film or under the case. Contacts are oxidized. After exposure to moisture, action must be taken immediately.
• Sudden temperature changes. Return the device to room temperature. Sensor performance may improve.

• Screen punching. No scratches or cracks. The breakage is noticeable when pressed - then glare is visible in the damaged parts of the sensor.
• Replacing the screen with an unsuitable model.
• Serious pollution. Wipe off dirt, dust, moisture, and fingerprints with special wet wipes from an electronics store or a microfiber cloth.
• Poorly glued film. In places where air accumulates under the film, parts of the screen will stop working. Remove the film, replace it with a new one if possible.

Software reasons:

1. The OS is overloaded with applications or some of them are not working properly.
2. Changes to device settings.
3. Touchscreen malfunctions are possible if the screen does not correctly or poorly recognize touches. Calibration of the screen will help here (really do it at home).
4. Inappropriate or unstable firmware version.

Why is part of the sensor not working on android? Most likely, the contact has moved away or oxidized.

In a phone with a removable battery, remove the cover and remove the battery. Reinsert and turn on the device using the mechanical button.
If the sensor does not work partially, but not completely, and you can download the application, install Rebooter from the Play Market. On Xiaomi, Meizu or Digma, after long pressing the on / off button (20 seconds or longer), the phone will restart or turn off. For Samsung and Sony, press the Power / Lock, Volume Up and Volume Down buttons at the same time. Hold for 7-10 seconds. If that doesn't work, try again, but keep these three keys pressed for longer. If your smartphone is from other manufacturers and has a built-in battery, perhaps the above methods will help. Otherwise, you will have to wait until the battery is completely discharged or carry the device to the service center, where at the same time they will sort out the screen malfunctions. It also happens that a reboot is only needed for the display to react again. What to do if the sensor on Android does not work after locking the screen?

Most often the problem is in the firmware version. To solve it, update the Android version and, if it does not help, reset the settings. How to do this is in paragraphs 2 and 4 of the instructions of the next paragraph of the article. Why don't touch buttons work on android phone? Sometimes the film is the problem. If everything was good before it, try to remove it. Sometimes it's even a new protective glass, which you can also detach yourself. Users say that the bottom touch buttons, which stopped working after screen calibration (3rd step of the next instruction), have become touch sensitive again.

Common repair options

These steps will help in many cases of malfunctioning of a phone or tablet running Android OS due to software, so you can apply these tips when you doubt the system is working properly.

• Reboot your device. Perhaps it was under heavy software load, or a minor error occurred. Maybe the application just stuck, but the sensor is working?

• Update your firmware. To do this, go to the following items: "Settings" - "About device" - "System updates" - "Check now". More often than not, the problem is solved.
• Reset the settings to factory defaults. Save all important data to a memory card, computer, or similar media. Tap Settings - Memory - Factory Reset - Reset Settings - Erase All. Confirm your choice if necessary. Wait a few minutes and the reboot will be done automatically

• What to do if the screen is buggy? If it works but slowly, just clean your phone altogether. Delete unnecessary files and applications and cache ("Settings" - "Applications" - any application from the list - "Clear cache"). Use CCleaner, Cleaner Master, or another application to remove other junk and clear RAM.

How to fix a device

You can hardly fix your phone yourself. You will succeed when the cause of the malfunction is in the software. In this case, read the methods below.

1. Calibrate the screen. Depending on the manufacturer, there may be a built-in utility for this, or you will have to download the application yourself. There are several ways. For HTC models: Settings - Language & Keyboard - HTC Sense Input. On other smartphones: "Settings" - "Display" - "Screen" - "Calibrate the screen". Optionally, you can calibrate the screen through the engineering menu. It is used by developers to test and modify system components. We do not recommend this method as it can cause problems and take longer than other methods. A third-party screen calibration app from the Play Market can improve display response. For example, Touchscreen Calibration or SGS Touchscreen Booster (you can set parameters manually in it).
2. The bottom touch buttons on an android phone do not work, what to do? You can install an application to create soft buttons with the same functions, but in a different place. We recommend Back Button - it does not require root rights.

Contact the service center. They will more accurately determine the cause and fix the device.

Hardware problems are often more complex and costly than software problems. It is very disappointing if the screen flies, but, as a rule, I can easily replace it. But buttons can be a lot more messy. If you find yourself in a similar situation (clicking on Home, Back or Menu does not lead to any consequences), then the application will come to the rescue. By installing it, you will get a panel consisting of 4 buttons: Home, Back, Menu and Resize... Note to yourself what requires root access on the device.

After installing the application and launching it for the first time, you will get a panel with buttons, which will be located in the center of the screen. You can change its location, you can also adjust the size of the buttons, the distance between them and the transparency of the panel itself.

For button Home you can customize its behavior on long press: either it will launch Google now, or work like a button Power... Besides Floating Soft Keys allows you to change the icons of the buttons. If you want to select the vertical arrangement of the panel, then for this you just need to uncheck the box next to the horizontal arrangement option in the menu. There you can also activate the inclusion of the application at boot.

Behaves very smart. If the panel overlaps any buttons or options of the running application, then it automatically changes its location on the screen, but there is one drawback. After the application that caused the change in the position of the panel is closed, the panel itself will not be able to return to its old place. This will have to be done manually.

It would be nice for the developers to pump the existing buttons with a lot of functions and add volume control to them. But so far these are only dreams. If you are interested in such a practical thing as, and are already going to download the application, then you

Everything and always breaks down unexpectedly. Dropping your phone on a tiled floor is an annoying accident, drowning it in a bathtub is a commonplace that is more common than it seems at first. The statistics of calls to service centers contain many complaints about accidents from the series “it fell and crashed” even more often than drowning. At the same time, one should not expect that the very first fall will take away the sensor substrate or even the screen itself - in most cases, the consequences of annoying accidents do not look so destructive. Among other things, this is the sudden inoperability of the physical buttons "back, home and menu". If this trouble happened to your phone, and there is still no money for repairs, do not worry. There is a relatively simple solution to this common problem. Now we will teach you how to turn on the onscreen buttons on your smartphone if the physical ones no longer work.

For everything to work out, you need to get Root rights. Administrator access to the depths of system files is sometimes difficult to get. But with the advent of apps that get the access they need for you, you no longer need to read multi-page instructions. Just install Kingo Root software on your computer and connect your phone. The only thing that needs to be done while the program is being installed is in the phone settings, in the "security" section, to enable "USB debugging". That's all. By clicking the big Root button in the interface Kingo root, activate administrator rights.

Step two looks a little more complicated. You will need to download the Root Explorer program from Google Play (or a little ... alternative sources). Install it on your smartphone. Run this application, find the System directory, and in it - build.prop. If such a file is not visible in the system directory, it does not matter. There is an ellipsis in the upper corner of the program - tap on it to open a submenu. In the program settings, check the "Show hidden files" item. The loss will immediately be revealed.

In the left corner Root Explorer there is one more item we need - r / w. Tap it once and confirm your choice. This action activates the ability to edit system files. Now tap and hold build.prop on it. The top menu will change and from the drop-down list (in the same ellipsis) you will find the "open in a text editor" sub-item.

Scroll to the bottom of the open file - all those long lists of settings are unnecessary for now. At the very bottom add the line qemu.hw.mainkeys = 0. Save the file and restart your phone.

Done, at the very bottom of the screen there are three on-screen buttons - similar to what you can see on the screen of any tablet. And after repairing the physical buttons, the virtual ones can be completely hidden back by replacing the line qemu.hw.mainkeys = 0 with qemu.hw.mainkeys = 1 and restarting the device again.

Many people are familiar with the situation when you buy a new smartphone, but the physical power button does not have the function of photographing, as well as there is no separate key for this, and after all, it was on the previous device and it helped out great. At first glance, a trifle, but the hands themselves reach for the mechanics, not the sensor, and at the most inopportune moment.

advertising

Special programs come to the rescue that allow you to completely reprogram the physical keys of the gadget and assign any action to them. This is especially helpful if the power button is broken or you want to rewind tracks like on an mp3 player, but the built-in can't do it ... Do you need root rights for this? Will there be glitches? How does it even work? Today I will try to answer the questions posed.

First, I'll introduce the test subjects. The first application is called "Key remapping", at least in Russian Google Play. It can work with both physical and touch manipulators, but for some actions it requires root rights. The second participant will be Button Mapper, which can do the same, but does not require root rights at all, which is already interesting.

The following equipment was used as test equipment:

• DEXP Ursus 8EV2 3G tablet (Android 4.4.2, MT8382 processor, 4 x Cortex-A7 1.3 GHz, Mali-400 MP2 video core, 1 GB RAM, 4000 mAh battery, 3G module, Wi-Fi 802.11b / g / n );
• Homtom HT3 Pro smartphone (Android 5.1 Lollipop, MT6735P processor, 4 x Cortex-A53 1.0 GHz, 64-bit, Mali-T720 video core, 2 GB RAM, 3000 mAh battery, 4G-module, Wi-Fi 802.11b / g / n).

advertising

Key remapping app overview

The program has not been updated for a long time, but it may not be necessary, since it can do everything that can be done with physical keys: assign any action, launch certain applications, disable buttons, and even write key combinations to access special functions.

"Key remapping" works only with Android 4.3 or higher, is shareware and includes an interface translated into Russian. Thus, we get a kind of standard for such programs, which we will rely on in the future. Or maybe we won't, because this is only a first impression.

Do not forget that the firmware of the device plays an important role, especially if it is modified, so there is no need to treat the program as a panacea.