[Guide][JB][SammyRom]Enable On Screen Navigation bar - Soft buttons

jastonas · Nov 9, 2012

I know there are many posts about this but it took me a while to understand how it works and there is no single thread which has the information gathered in the first post, so I decided to make this. Sorry if it uneeded.

Anyone who want's to use on screen NavBar buttons, he's lucky! (at least compared to ICS).

Now, by adding in

/system/build.prop

the line

qemu.hw.mainkeys=0

you get the navigation bar (after reboot) and at the same time Android system recognizes this and adds the three dot menu icon whenever needed*!

If you want to disable the hardware keys, edit the file

/system/usr/layout/Generic.kl

These are the three hardware buttons

key 172HOME
key 158BACK
key 139MENU

Add a # before any you don't wan't to use any more. I did for 158 and 139 and left my Home button working.

There is a mod** (flash it in recovery) which makes the bar almost half the size. It's better looking and less space is wasted but it does get some time to get used to it and you might need a couple of tries sometimes when trying to hit those buttons.

*This wasn't the case for ICS.

**mod by houssam10001

DSA · Nov 9, 2012

http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=1960460

you can also do it via a framework mod

http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=1924327

kahraman11 · Nov 9, 2012

Why would somebody use this on the s3? You got buttons under your screen already

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jastonas · Nov 9, 2012

kahraman11 said:
Why would somebody use this on the s3? You got buttons under your screen already

Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda app-developers app

For people to want it, there must be a reason.

I've got 2!

a) I accidentally press the back button when watching videos and is ANNOYING!

b) I am a "fast" user and multitask a lot. Replacing the Menu button with Recents button makes my life easier and faster. And less annoying again, because pressing and holding the crappy home button is not so convenient.

delsus · Nov 9, 2012

Adding the line to build.prop hasn't added the navbar after a reboot for me, does it need to go in a specific place, or does something else need changing as well?

jastonas · Nov 9, 2012

delsus said:
Adding the line to build.prop hasn't added the navbar after a reboot for me, does it need to go in a specific place, or does something else need changing as well?

Yesss! I'm really sorry, I messed up. I fixed OP with correct line to add.

qemu.hw.mainkeys=0

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2

delsus · Nov 9, 2012

jastonas said:
Yesss! I'm really sorry, I messed up. I fixed OP with correct line to add.

qemu.hw.mainkeys=0

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2

It's working now, just one problem the home screen indicator is now behind the bottom shortcuts, is there any way to remove them or move them?

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jastonas · Nov 9, 2012

delsus said:
It's working now, just one problem the home screen indicator is now behind the bottom shortcuts, is there any way to remove them or move them?

Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda premium

Unfortunately no. I use Nova launcher. Any other will do. Almost all Samsung touchwiz apps have a problem with this mood but I can live with that.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2

delsus · Nov 9, 2012

jastonas said:
Unfortunately no. I use Nova launcher. Any other will do. Almost all Samsung touchwiz apps have a problem with this mood but I can live with that.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2

Aww thanks again though

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ryan1977 · Nov 12, 2012

Awesome, these look great on beans jb build 2. Useing nova launcher they fit on screen well. My back button hard key is shot so this makes life a lot easier!

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2

Deca4 · Jan 2, 2013

jastonas said:
you get the navigation bar (after reboot) and at the same time Android system recognizes this and adds the three dot menu icon whenever needed*!

If you want to disable the hardware keys, edit the file

These are the three hardware buttons

Add a # before any you don't wan't to use any more. I did for 158 and 139 and left my Home button working.

There is a mod** (flash it in recovery) which makes the bar almost half the size. It's better looking and less space is wasted but it does get some time to get used to it and you might need a couple of tries sometimes when trying to hit those buttons.

*This wasn't the case for ICS.

**mod by houssam10001

Great post.

I tried switching the Menu and the back button but it did not change the layout. I want to have the same layout as the Nexus devices with the back button first, home, menu(task). Is generic.kl is the right area to make the change? Thanks in advance.

mentose457 · Jan 7, 2013

Deca4 said:
Great post.

I tried switching the Menu and the back button but it did not change the layout. I want to have the same layout as the Nexus devices with the back button first, home, menu(task). Is generic.kl is the right area to make the change? Thanks in advance.

In order to change the order you have to decompile SystemUI.apk, edit the tw_navi_bar.XML file, recompile, then merge the edits into the original apk, then replace the app.

tw_navi_bar.xml can be found in /res/layout/

you simply need to switch the lines of code for the back and recents buttons to look like what is below. Note that the code below is from beans rom build 8 for the verizon s3. The code should be very similar for your rom though. Also note that you will need to do it for landscape too.

Code:

<LinearLayout android:orientation="horizontal" android:id="@id/nav_buttons" android:background="@drawable/tw_navigationbar_bg" android:clipChildren="false" android:clipToPadding="false" android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:animateLayoutChanges="false">
	    <com.android.systemui.statusbar.policy.KeyButtonView android:id="@id/back" android:layout_width="wrap_content" android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:src="@drawable/tw_navigationbar_back" android:layout_weight="1.0" android:contentDescription="@string/accessibility_back" systemui:keyCode="4" systemui:glowBackground="@drawable/tw_sysbar_highlight" />
	    <com.android.systemui.statusbar.policy.KeyButtonView android:id="@id/home" android:layout_width="wrap_content" android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:src="@drawable/tw_navigationbar_home" android:layout_weight="1.0" android:contentDescription="@string/accessibility_home" systemui:keyCode="3" systemui:keyRepeat="true" systemui:glowBackground="@drawable/tw_sysbar_highlight" />
            <com.android.systemui.statusbar.policy.KeyButtonView android:id="@id/recent_apps" android:layout_width="wrap_content" android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:src="@drawable/tw_navigationbar_recent" android:layout_weight="1.0" android:contentDescription="@string/accessibility_recent" systemui:glowBackground="@drawable/tw_sysbar_highlight" />
            <com.android.systemui.statusbar.policy.KeyButtonView android:id="@id/menu" android:visibility="gone" android:layout_width="wrap_content" android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:src="@drawable/tw_navigationbar_menu" android:layout_weight="1.0" android:contentDescription="@string/accessibility_menu" systemui:keyCode="82" systemui:glowBackground="@drawable/tw_sysbar_highlight" />
        </LinearLayout>

norpan111 · Jan 7, 2013

Go into system/usr/keylayout/gpio-keys.kl and you can change "home" to camera if you want home button to snap pics

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fridlack · Jan 7, 2013

There is a way to change the menu button function to pops the multitasks window and place the 3 dots in all aplications like when you have the navigation bar active without the navigation bar?

Hope you undestand it

Best regards

Theshawty · Jan 7, 2013

fridlack said:
There is a way to change the menu button function to pops the multitasks window and place the 3 dots in all aplications like when you have the navigation bar active without the navigation bar?

Hope you undestand it

Best regards

Is this a question or a statement?

It's hard to understand when it has the structure of a statement but ends with a question mark.

---------- Post added at 04:56 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:47 PM ----------

What of these zips? They're supposed to automate the change (I've used them before when I used CM10.1). I dunno if they work with touchwiz, tho.

http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=1918166

respider · Jan 7, 2013

jastonas said:
b) I am a "fast" user and multitask a lot. Replacing the Menu button with Recents button makes my life easier and faster. And less annoying again, because pressing and holding the crappy home button is not so convenient.

how do you replace menu hard button with recent list?
I mean, what's the the "key word" to use?

fridlack · Jan 7, 2013

Theshawty said:
Is this a question or a statement? It's hard to understand when it has the structure of a statement but ends with a question mark.

---------- Post added at 04:56 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:47 PM ----------

What of these zips? They're supposed to automate the change (I've used them before when I used CM10.1). I dunno if they work with touchwiz, tho.

http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=1918166

You're right, my English is so bad, I tried to make a question

I'll check the link you posted, thanks for it

Best regards

anandalaksono · Feb 9, 2013

jastonas said:
Yesss! I'm really sorry, I messed up. I fixed OP with correct line to add.

qemu.hw.mainkeys=0

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2

Nothing happen.

I have adding on the button of document build.prop, save then reboot but nothing change. Is there a spesific adding for this?

dgcruzing · Feb 9, 2013

Be back for this.. I find the middle button a bit sticky and as I multitask between chat and translate programs its kinda laggy compared to the old evo

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janver22 · Feb 12, 2013

Enabling the navbar on sammy rom (omega in my case) causes my phone to freeze while playing The Dark Knight Rises. Disabled it and does not freeze anymore.

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[Guide][JB][SammyRom]Enable On Screen Navigation bar - Soft buttons

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