App Focus: Power Controls
Hi everyone. First I apologize for being MIA for the last two days. Family emergency, but thankfully all is good now.
So I’ve decided that I would start a little section where I highlight some apps that I use very regularly. This could be games, tools, media, etc.
I’m going to start off by focusing in on some apps that I’ve been using to mimic some features that OEM’s have added into their versions of Android. The first app I want to focus in on is power controls.
So almost every (if not every) manufacturer has added quick toggles into the notification bar. All you have to do is pull down the notification bar and you’re greeted with quick toggles to wifi, bluetooth, gps, etc.
Pure vanilla android does not currently have this feature and it’s one that I love. I recently switched over to a Nexus and I’ve been missing this function greatly so I started searching for some sort of replacement. Of course there has always been the power control widget, but I like to have access to these toggles all the time, particularly in the notification bar. So in my search I stumbled upon Power Controls.
Now I believe I used this app way way way back, but I haven’t needed it in a long time so I was pleasantly surprised to see all their new features. The first feature I activated was to have a power control bar in the notification bar.
Essentially, the power bar acts as a notification that cannot be removed (similar to a voicemail notification). The bar is fully customizable for up to 8 toggles or app shortcuts. My only little annoyance with this is that the GPS toggle takes you into the GPS settings and doesn’t simply turn it on and off. Another thing that I would like to see is the ability to add two of these bars into the notification bar. Some may think it’ll be cluttered, but I would love to be able to have a toggle bar and a shortcut bar.
So Power Controls took care of my need for the notification toggles, but I have also found a second use for the app. I like to keep my home screen very clean. So I try to have as few apps on the pages as possible. Normally this meant having lots of folder. A folder for games, a folder for emails, a folder for media, and so on. But there’s a number of apps that I feel I NEED to have shortcuts for. Normally this meant having several icons on the page, but with Power Controls, I made a Toggle Bar with all my favorite apps.
This has allowed me to have 8 app shortcuts on a 4×1 grid. Less clutter, more efficiency. Now I had a worry that my fingers would constantly be hitting the wrong app but I have only ever done that a couple of times despite the small icons.
So there you have it. If you’re in need of some toggles in your notification bar or want to de-clutter your home pages, grab this app. Best of all, it’s FREE! So there’s no harm in trying it out.