Hiding the Galaxy Nexus Soft Keys: A Risky XDA Mod
Archive note. This story reflects what was known when it was first covered. Prices, availability and carrier offers are historical. For the current picture, start with the topic guides.
The idea
The Galaxy Nexus had no physical buttons, so the back, home and recent apps keys always took up space at the bottom of the screen. The mod hid them and relied on a helper app to bring them back when needed.
How it worked in outline
The method was advanced. In short, it meant taking the framework resources file from the current ROM, unpacking it with a tool for decompiling Android packages, and changing a single setting that controls whether the navigation bar is shown from true to false. The package was then rebuilt, one resource file was swapped back into the original archive with a store compression setting, and the result replaced the system file. A button helper app and a reboot finished the job. Builds for AOKP and for stock Android 4.0.2 were offered.
Problems seen in the demo
- The buttons were sometimes hard to bring back.
- At other times they appeared after a delay of one or two seconds.
The reviewer concluded that it was not ready for everyday use.
Risks
Editing core framework files can leave a phone stuck in a boot loop if anything goes wrong. This page does not provide downloads. Anyone considering something similar should back up the phone first.
Frequently asked questions
Was this an official feature?
No. It was a community modification and carried no support from Google.
Why did the author hesitate?
The process was complex and mistakes could cause serious trouble, so the advice was to skip it unless you know what you are doing.
Is it still relevant?
No. The Galaxy Nexus is long obsolete, and later Android versions offer immersive modes built in.