Tips and tricks after roughly a month of using the Gemini as my main device

[joepirello]

Hi everyone,

This is my first post, but I have been reading this forum and the Gemini Planet facebook group since before I received my device. After using it as my main device for about a month now, I've tweaked various settings and solved certain issues with workarounds. If you are familiar with rooting an Android device and using the Xposed Framework, this really opens up your options.

Keyboard Shortcuts/Homescreen
I found the Planet App Bar to be pretty underwhelming and didn't find it fast at all for task switching. Installing Nova Launcher and setting the option for the home button to open the app drawer on the home screen gives you the ability to use Fn+D to return to the home screen and then Fn+D again to open the app drawer if you wish. Also, install Button Mapper: Remap Your Keys. Within that program, disable its functionality on every app except Nova Launcher. Then, I found the best option was using Long Press for the keys but turning the long press down to the shortest option in milliseconds. What this allows you to do is hit Fn+D to return home, and then long press C to launch Chrome, for example.

I have C for Chrome, M for google Maps, E to open a new email directly in Inbox, I for Inbox, G for Gmail, T for opening a new text message in Hangouts, S for Do Not Disturb Mode, Q for my Car Mode Tasker task, etc. The possibilities are endless, and when combined with Tasker this becomes a pretty powerful tool to multitask. It is leaps and bounds faster than the App Bar.

Rotation
The locked rotation with the Planet App Bar sucks. Download Ultimate Rotation Control and pay for the app after the trial ends, it is absolutely worth it. Set the app to Force Auto, and with the Planet App Bar disabled, this will force apps to be landscape that don't like to be, and rotate the screen when you turn the device to portrait. If you want further customization, you can set different rotation settings for different apps.

Hardware vs Virtual Keyboard
One of the issues with the device is having to click into the keyboard settings every time you want to turn the device portrait to enable the virtual keyboard. Then, if you turn the device back to landscape you have to turn it off because now you have the hardware keyboard and the virtual keyboard taking up half the screen. This was really irritating me and I solved it with a Tasker profile. You'll need Tasker and the Secure Settings which is worth every penny. Create the following:

Profile: State → Display Orientation → Portrait
Enter Task: Plugin → Secure Settings → 1. Hardware Keyboard Enabled 2. Input Method Gboard (or whatever other virtual keyboard you use)
Exit Task: Plugin → Secure Settings → 1. Hardware Keyboard Disabled 2. Input Method Gemini Keyboard

It seems backwards with the Hardware Keyboard settings, but that's how to get it to work. Now, when you rotate the device to portrait and click on a text box, the Virtual Keyboard will appear automatically and you can type using the touch screen. When you go back to landscape, the virtual keyboard will no longer show, and you'll be back to using the hardware keyboard.

ROM Tweaks
I highly recommend using the GravityBox Xposed Module. This module allows you so much customization. My favorite uses are for Immersive Mode (you can set it to hide the nav bar and status bar, one, or both. I also have the settings enabled to slide across the status bar for brightness control (this is the fastest and best way to change brightness), adding the date in the status bar, battery percentage text,a RAM bar in the recent apps menu, etc, etc. It is a very powerful module.

System UI Tuner
Finally, this option gives you more control over which apps "peek" when you get a notification and some other settings. Swipe down from the status bar and hold the settings gear for 10-15 seconds. It will start spinning and then enable the System UI Tuner. From there, go into Other → Power Notification Controls and turn it on. Then, when you go to an app's notification settings, you can set the importance of specific apps. For Hangouts, Inbox, and Gmail, I always want notifications to peek across the screen when it comes through. By setting them to Level 5, you will see a notification across your screen no matter what app you're in when you receive one.


These are the best tweaks I can think of at the moment. I'll post more later when I think of them.

[Varti]

Thanks for the tips, I have added a link to this thread on the Useful hints thread.

Varti

[Tom D]

Hardware vs Virtual Keyboard
One of the issues with the device is having to click into the keyboard settings every time you want to turn the device portrait to enable the virtual keyboard. Then, if you turn the device back to landscape you have to turn it off because now you have the hardware keyboard and the virtual keyboard taking up half the screen. This was really irritating me and I solved it with a Tasker profile. You'll need Tasker and the Secure Settings which is worth every penny. Create the following:

Profile: State → Display Orientation → Portrait
Enter Task: Plugin → Secure Settings → 1. Hardware Keyboard Enabled 2. Input Method Gboard (or whatever other virtual keyboard you use)
Exit Task: Plugin → Secure Settings → 1. Hardware Keyboard Disabled 2. Input Method Gemini Keyboard

It seems backwards with the Hardware Keyboard settings, but that's how to get it to work. Now, when you rotate the device to portrait and click on a text box, the Virtual Keyboard will appear automatically and you can type using the touch screen. When you go back to landscape, the virtual keyboard will no longer show, and you'll be back to using the hardware keyboard.

I tried this but it complained that the Hardware Keyboard setting was only for rooted Android. Did I do something wrong, or do I need the rooted firmware?

[speculatrix]

Can Tasker detect when the Gemini is opened and closed?
I'd like to disable the screen lock timer (or make it very long) and have the G lock at the time it's closed.