SwipePad: launch apps without leaving the window you are working in
Say you are working in an app on your Android device right now and need to launch another right away even though you are not finished yet in this one. Maybe you want to post on Facebook or Twitter, check emails, make a quick call or reply to a chat message.
How do you open the second app then? Many users are probably tapping on the menu button to open the main Android menu, to search for and launch the app that they want to use at this point in time.
The launcher app SwipePad provides you with the means to do the very same thing right from within the app you are currently working in.
Let me show you how it works. The app uses a hot corner system that triggers its interface. The hot corner is located in the upper half of the right screen border by default. When you hold down your finger there for a moment you will notice a vibration that indicates to you that you can now swipe to the left to open the launcher menu.
A swipe on any app icon here loads the application right away on your device. You can then do whatever you want to do in the app, and click on the back button afterwards to go back to the previous app you worked in.
The first thing that you may want to do after installation is to add apps to the launch area so that you can select them easily from here. This is done from within the options or when you are using the app. You can swipe to empty portal spaces right away to add a new app icon to it, or edit existing spaces as well in case you want to replace an app with another one. SwipePad uses color codes to distinguish between loading an existing app (blue) and editing it (orange).
The preferences the app makes available allow you to change the hotspot location from the right edge to eight other locations around the screen. Here you can also disable the haptic feedback and enable sound feedback.
The free application is good for a single launch pad that can contain 12 apps in total. The developer of the app makes available add-ons to increase the number of pads that you can use or the number of apps per pad.
Tips
- The default top right hotspot location is probably not the best. I prefer a lower right location instead as it is less often used to display action buttons or other interactive contents.
- You can change the size of the hotspot. This can be useful if you have a hard time activating it, or activate it by accident every now and then. This can be done in the Hotspots menu in the apps' preferences.
Verdict
SwipePad is an unobtrusive application for most of the time and only there when you need to launch another app on your device. It offers a fast way to do so that is less obtrusive than having to work your way through the device's menus to find the app you are looking for.
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Uhh, this has already been possible – I am not sure how but remember my brother telling me about it. I’m not a whatsapp user so not sure of the specifics, but something about sending the image as a file and somehow bypassing the default compression settings that are applied to inbound photos.
He has also used this to share movies to whatsapp groups, and files 1Gb+.
Like I said, I never used whatsapp, but I know 100% this isn’t a “brand new feature”, my brother literally showed me him doing it, like… 5 months ago?
Martin, what happened to those: 12 Comments (https://www.ghacks.net/chatgpt-gets-schooled-by-princeton-university/#comments). Is there a specific justifiable reason why they were deleted?
Hmm, it looks like the gHacks website database is faulty, and not populating threads with their relevant cosponsoring posts.
The page on ghacks this is on represents the best of why it has become so worthless, fill of click-bait junk that it’s about to be deleted from my ‘daily reads’.
It’s really like “Press Release as re-written by some d*ck for clicks…poorly.” And the subjects are laughable. Can’t wait for “How to search for files on Windows”.
> The page on ghacks this is on represents the best of why it has become so worthless, fill of click-bait junk…
Sadly, I have to agree.
Only Martin and Ashwin are worth subscribing to.
Especially Emre Çitak and Shaun are the worst ones.
If ghacks.net intended “Clickbait”, it would mark the end of Ghacks Technology News.
Ghacks doesn’t need crappy clickbaits. Clearly separate articles from newer authors (perhaps AIs and external sales person or external advertising man) as just “Advertisements”!
We, the subscribers of Ghacks, urge Martin to make a decision.
because nevermore wants to “monetize” on every aspect of human life…
“Threads” is like the Walmart of Social Media.
How hard can it be to clone a twitter version of that as well? They’re slow.
Yes, why not mention how large the HD files can be?
Why, not mention what version of WhatsApp is needed?
These omissions make the article feel so bare. If not complete.
Sorry posted on the wrong page.
such a long article for such a simple matter. Worthless article ! waste of time
I already do this by attaching them via the ‘Document’ option.
I don’t know what’s going on here at Ghacks but it’s obvious that something is broken, comments are being mixed whatever the article, I am unable to find some of my later posts neither. :S
Quoting the article,
“As users gain popularity, the value of their tokens may increase, allowing investors to reap rewards.”
Besides, beyond the thrill and privacy risks or not, the point is to know how you gain popularity, be it on social sites as everywhere in life. Is it by being authentic, by remaining faithful to ourselves or is it to have this particular skill which is to understand what a majority likes, just like politicians, those who’d deny to the maximum extent compatible with their ideological partnership, in order to grab as many of the voters they can?
I see the very concept of this Friend.tech as unhealthy, propagating what is already an increasing flaw : the quest for fame. I won’t be the only one to count himself out, definitely.
@John G. is right : my comment was posted on [https://www.ghacks.net/2023/08/23/what-is-friend-tech/] and it appears there but as well here at [https://www.ghacks.net/2023/07/08/how-to-follow-everyone-on-threads/]
This has been lasting for several days. Fix it or at least provide some explanations if you don’t mind.
> Google Chrome is following in Safari’s footsteps by introducing a new feature that allows users to move the Chrome address bar to the bottom of the screen, enhancing user accessibility and interaction.
Firefox did this long before Safari.
Basically they’ll do anything except fair royalties.