Tech Cell phone follies

[crandc]

I had to replace my Android after the old one met with unfortunate accident. With no help from anyone managed to retrieve data. Install apps I need. But...can't get the apps into alphabetical order. It's hard finding what I want.

Old phone had a down arrow to sort by alphabet or date installed but new one doesn't. All searches for how to alphabetize say go to app icon or app drawer. There isn't one.

Suggestions?

 

[calvin natt]

Can you tell us why you want an android?

 

[Phatguysrule]

Can you tell us why you want an android?

Lock in pisses me off. Apple is a walled garden. Eff 'em.

 

[Chris Craig]

If you hold down on the app you can move them and alphabetize them yourself.

 

[crandc]

If you hold down on the app you can move them and alphabetize them yourself.

No. Doesn't work. They pop back to where they were.

 

[PtldPlatypus]

I had to replace my Android after the old one met with unfortunate accident. With no help from anyone managed to retrieve data. Install apps I need. But...can't get the apps into alphabetical order. It's hard finding what I want.

Old phone had a down arrow to sort by alphabet or date installed but new one doesn't. All searches for how to alphabetize say go to app icon or app drawer. There isn't one.

Suggestions?

Not sure which kind you have. I have a Samsung Galaxy S21--full app list is accessed by swiping up from the bottom from the home screen. From there, there are three dots next to the search box, in which the sort apps function is located.

which phone do you have?

 

[tlongII]

Lock in pisses me off. Apple is a walled garden. Eff 'em.

I am not sure what this means?

 

[Phatguysrule]

I am not sure what this means?

Making products that don't play well with alternatives to force people to buy your own product.

Artificial scarcity.

I refuse to support these companies if there is a more open alternative.

As soon as there is a legit fully open source cell phone I'll switch to that. We're getting close with the pine phone.

 

[Phatguysrule]

No. Doesn't work. They pop back to where they were.

Agree with others. This is tough to answer without knowing what phone you have. Some manufacturers will put their own UI over the phone operating system, so the app drawer can behave differently depending on the specific phone.

 

[tlongII]

Making products that don't play well with alternatives to force people to buy your own product.

Artificial scarcity.

I refuse to support these companies if there is a more open alternative.

As soon as there is a legit fully open source cell phone I'll switch to that. We're getting close with the pine phone.

I see. I don't really agree, but I see. I am a devout consumer of Apple electronics. There is a reason they don't share their technology.

 

[Phatguysrule]

I see. I don't really agree, but I see. I am a devout consumer of Apple electronics. There is a reason they don't share their technology.

Nobody is asking them to share their technology. They don't have any special technology anybody else needs or wants. Just don't make their own product less functional in the hopes of pressuring people into buying it.

This is why I haven't owned an Apple product since the Apple II.

If they'd just focus on making great products I'd consider supporting them. But they engage in bush league tactics to nickle and dime their customers in ways that should be illegal. They do everything possible to remove customer choice until forced to open further by hacks or competition.

Apple is everything I hate about corporations.

 

[donkiez]

Nobody is asking them to share their technology. They don't have any special technology anybody else needs or wants. Just don't make their own product less functional in the hopes of pressuring people into buying it.

This is why I haven't owned an Apple product since the Apple II.

If they'd just focus on making great products I'd consider supporting them. But they engage in bush league tactics to nickle and dime their customers in ways that should be illegal. They do everything possible to remove customer choice until forced to open further by hacks or competition.

Apple is everything I hate about corporations.

Like the lightning charge cable, just do a USB c like the rest of world.

Apple is the worst of it but I have found Google and Samsung both play the same game. Once you get in one of their infrastructures it's just easier to match all the products and software

 

[Phatguysrule]

Like the lightning charge cable, just do a USB c like the rest of world.

Apple is the worst of it but I have found Google and Samsung both play the same game. Once you get in one of their infrastructures it's just easier to match all the products and software

True, though Samsung and Google use USB C. They both make watches that support other brand phones. They use modern universal messaging protocols by default. They allow side loading applications out of the box.

They are far from perfect. Which is why I will be moving to an open source Linux phone as soon as they are as capable as feature phones. I would think that will be in the next couple of years.

 

[donkiez]

True, though Samsung and Google use USB C. They both make watches that support other brand phones. They use modern universal messaging protocols by default. They allow side loading applications out of the box.

They are far from perfect. Which is why I will be moving to an open source Linux phone as soon as they are as capable as feature phones. I would think that will be in the next couple of years.

I used to be Samsung loyal till I got annoyed with them. I dropped Samsung because of their annoying insistence om using Bixby. They force you into it and it is just a terrible assistant. Also Samsung watches refused to use Google wear OS for the longest time, instead forcing Tizen on us and it was miserable. Once Pixel hardware catches up (almost there) it will be the way to go imo. Google software is top notch.

 

[crandc]

Phone is Alcatel. Brand x
Swiping up shows all apps and search box but no three dots.

Believe me, I tried all the obvious.

 

[Phatguysrule]

I used to be Samsung loyal till I got annoyed with them. I dropped Samsung because of their annoying insistence om using Bixby. They force you into it and it is just a terrible assistant. Also Samsung watches refused to use Google wear OS for the longest time, instead forcing Tizen on us and it was miserable. Once Pixel hardware catches up (almost there) it will be the way to go imo. Google software is top notch.

I generally have Samsung phones (now mostly due to their waterproof nature and build quality) and haven't used Bixby for years. You could turn Bixby off starting in the s8, I believe.

Agree on the watch. My wife has one and wear os is far superior.

 

[Phatguysrule]

Phone is Alcatel. Brand x
Swiping up shows all apps and search box but no three dots.

Believe me, I tried all the obvious.

Wow, yeah. Should be 3 dots. Maybe try calling the carrier you bought it from? It's a new phone so there should be support...

Perhaps try swiping from top to bottom?

 

[andalusian]

Try the following link:

https://infos-geek.com/en/sort-in-alphabetical-order-the-applications-on-alcatel-1s/

 

[donkiez]

Apple loyalists remind me of people that only buy organic or brag about their Tesla. They like to smell their own farts.

I always felt that apple targeted people who are not tech savvy and just want things to work. Usually ends up being older people with money.

One of the new SouthPark episodes is hilarious. All the yuppies are moving to SouthPark sn all they can say is MacBook, Tesla, apple

 

[donkiez]

I generally have Samsung phones (now mostly due to their waterproof nature and build quality) and haven't used Bixby for years. You could turn Bixby off starting in the s8, I believe.

Agree on the watch. My wife has one and wear os is far superior.

They lost me by not fixing it earlier, but I liked them enough to go back if they have something worthwhile. The pixel phones are actually really great. The camera is impressive and the price point is much better than high end Samsungs. Really excited for the Pixel watch also

 

[andalusian]

FWIW, We have clients running on both iOS, Android and web platforms. So, I have a collection of devices to choose from since we have lots of testing done. I personally choose to carry an Android phone (Pixel in my case) - I am not a fan of Apple's software choices, but you can't really fault their hardware, it is great.

FWIW - as far as software development, Apple is the hardest to get applications to be approved on their platform and at least in our experience (We released our first app on their system in 2014) - every time there is a failure to accept an app, it is always about the payment methodology - they have gone as far as reject apps from being approved in the past because we had other apps that were not related to their platform that we accepted payment for using other methods. They seem to have gotten somewhat better in recent years, but they sure want control over other people's stuff.

 

[Phatguysrule]

They lost me by not fixing it earlier, but I liked them enough to go back if they have something worthwhile. The pixel phones are actually really great. The camera is impressive and the price point is much better than high end Samsungs. Really excited for the Pixel watch also

Understood, I was nearly to that point with Bixby as well.

I've always been tempted by the pixel, but the superior waterproofing, expanded memory, and 3.5 headphone hack kept me with Samsung.

Now all Samsung has going for it is the waterproofing, and they don't even warranty that any longer if it impacts the charge port.

There is less and less reason to stick with Samsung, IMO.

 

[Phatguysrule]

FWIW, We have clients running on both iOS, Android and web platforms. So, I have a collection of devices to choose from since we have lots of testing done. I personally choose to carry an Android phone (Pixel in my case) - I am not a fan of Apple's software choices, but you can't really fault their hardware, it is great.

FWIW - as far as software development, Apple is the hardest to get applications to be approved on their platform and at least in our experience (We released our first app on their system in 2014) - every time there is a failure to accept an app, it is always about the payment methodology - they have gone as far as reject apps from being approved in the past because we had other apps that were not related to their platform that we accepted payment for using other methods. They seem to have gotten somewhat better in recent years, but they sure want control over other people's stuff.

Agreed. Apple hardware is top notch in general.

 

[SharpeScooterShooter]

Crand are you not able to hold your finger down on the screen until the apps look like this?


Because if so, from there you can just grab any app and move it where you want and the others will shuffle down accordingly.
see on this next screen shot how we connect and dropbox are swapped?


Hope that helps.
I am an apple user but i just did this same thing for my mother on her android and it behaved the same way.

 

[donkiez]

Understood, I was nearly to that point with Bixby as well.

I've always been tempted by the pixel, but the superior waterproofing, expanded memory, and 3.5 headphone hack kept me with Samsung.

Now all Samsung has going for it is the waterproofing, and they don't even warranty that any longer if it impacts the charge port.

There is less and less reason to stick with Samsung, IMO.

Samsung screwed up by not developing a good OS, now they are at Google mercy. The pixel is waterproof but probably not rated as good, but I've dropped it in the hot tub with no problem. I also finally moved to wireless earbuds and really like them. The pixel buds pro with noise cancel are really good. I use them to watch TV late at night to not wake the wife.

 

[SharpeScooterShooter]

Cant get the images to load… grrrrrr…

 

[Phatguysrule]

Samsung screwed up by not developing a good OS, now they are at Google mercy. The pixel is waterproof but probably not rated as good, but I've dropped it in the hot tub with no problem. I also finally moved to wireless earbuds and really like them. The pixel buds pro with noise cancel are really good. I use them to watch TV late at night to not wake the wife.

Samsung should have just built on Ubuntu Linux. Then make great Linux apps and an app store to round it out. All they want to do is sell the hardware.

Give people options and make great hardware and you'll win IMO.

Nokia should have done the same and they'd be dominant IMO. Their OS sucked.

 

[donkiez]

Phone is Alcatel. Brand x
Swiping up shows all apps and search box but no three dots.

Believe me, I tried all the obvious.

Maybe it's just me but I can't find this phone. I did find an Alcatel that runs on Modzilla Firefox OS......

 

[donkiez]

Samsung should have just built on Ubuntu Linux. Then make great Linux apps and an app store to round it out. All they want to do is sell the hardware.

Give people options and make great hardware and you'll win IMO.

Nokia should have done the same and they'd be dominant IMO. Their OS sucked.

Microsoft windows phone was actually pretty good, too bad that didn't last for some more options

 

[PtldPlatypus]

Phone is Alcatel. Brand x
Swiping up shows all apps and search box but no three dots.

Believe me, I tried all the obvious.

I will say that I personally just create folders to classify my apps, rather than have them all out individually. I understand that alphabetizing is optimal for you, but if it turns out that isn't an option, folders may be your next best bet.