Andoid-Launcher/Desktop mode, using /e/ os

[mangled 25]

Hi,

I'm wondering if anyone here is using a particular launcher on Android to utilise a landscape mode. Is it possible and if so, what have you done to make this work? The problem I find is that some apps open only in portrait mode. Is there a way to force apps to open in landscape mode?

[EskeRahn 5,496]

There are a number of launchers that support landscape mode, and personally I like the very simple one they made for the Pro1 (not pro1X) the best, as I like the (IMHO) ingenious idea of splitting the roughly 2:1 desktop in halves and rotate them individually, that is left<->top and right<->bottom with minimal stretch or compression of the icons.

The flip-side of the split approach is that you can not have a widget spanning that centre line, and if you got a large widget, that could make it useless.

A few launchers offers completely independent layouts for landscape and portrait, and though great once set up, it is tedious to have to maintain two desktops.
 

There are some apps that can force other apps into landscape, but often it works poorly or the app crashes even, if it is one of the many many shitty apps designed for the wrong orientation only.

It has gotten so extreme, that some crazy people takes videos in portrait rather than landscape - though I'm yet to see a person with eyes aligned vertically and thus suited for that silly idea....

 

If you do a search for "launcher", several threads that might be interesting pops up
https://community.fxtec.com/search/?q=launcher

e.g.
https://community.fxtec.com/topic/2620-launchers/

[mangled 25]

Hi,

I have finally figured out how to do it. However, just keep in mind I am running /e/ OS which is an OS built on top of lineage so theoretically the setup proceedures may be identical.

Below are the steps that I`ve taken:

-enable developer mode

-in dev options enable the "force activities to be resizable"

-install app rotation control

-enable app and set to landscape mode

-turn on screen rotation in display settings and enable rotation to only 90 degrees [if you do not have (system) screen rotation activated even though "rotation control" app is forcing it, apps that force portrait mode will crash]

I use a launcher called lynx launcher and have purchased pro version. I have adjusted the desktop grid to the max and have set display scale to small in display settings. This setup allows me to have a desktop feel and landscape mode. See screenshot below.

Edited December 21, 2024 by mangled

[mangled 25]

After having a full days use of using this configuration, I can say I'm quite pleased with the results. I had no crashes and everything works as if it was native to the device. It brings back memories of my old nokia n900. its nice being able to use the keyboard and not have to rotate screen every time. Please share your desktops as well!

Edited December 21, 2024 by mangled

[suicidal_orange 103]

Sad that no-one else has shared their setups, guess I have to do some research and find one then share so as not to be a hypocrite.  I have no need for all those launchers so it will be different but the rotation lock works nicely so thanks for the start mangled 👍

On 12/19/2024 at 12:05 PM, EskeRahn said:

personally I like the very simple one they made for the Pro1 (not pro1X) the best, as I like the (IMHO) ingenious idea of splitting the roughly 2:1 desktop in halves and rotate them individually, that is left<->top and right<->bottom with minimal stretch or compression of the icons.

Is this available as an APK to test on alternate ROMs?

[EskeRahn 5,496]

I tried to pull out the APK for the Pro1 and use it on the Pro1X, but it did not work.

adb pull /system/priv-app/Launcher3QuickStep/Launcher3QuickStep.apk

Launcher3QuickStep.zip

[Hook 3,092]

4 hours ago, suicidal_orange said:

Sad that no-one else has shared their setups,

As Eske linked above, there have been threads in the long past where we did.  However, this is an e/OS thread.  Feel free to start a new thread asking people  to share their Launcher choices in 2025 with screen shots.