The dock is arguably the most important piece of the home screen. It's where you put your most-used apps, it's our quick-launch guide to our device. What we keep on our dock says a lot about who we are and how we use our phones, and what most docks today tell us is... they are woefully under-utilized. Docks aren't exactly the sexiest thing to talk about, and I seldom mention them in my themes beyond an icon pack because you don't tell someone else what to put on their dock. I'll tell you what widgets to use and what app shortcuts to place where, but the dock is yours; the dock is sacred. The apps on your dock are there for a reason, but that's not to say they're the only things that have to be there, Docks may look boring, but trust me, they can be functional, fashionable, and downright sneaky. To app drawer button, or not to app drawer button With the Pixel and its launcher brought a number of tweaks to the traditional home screen interface, but the biggest was eliminating the app drawer button and instead using a gesture to open the app drawer. That's not to say users hadn't done it before, but few phones had ever come out of the box without an easily recognizable button on the home screen that led to your apps. Which dock works best for you? Using a gesture instead of a button frees up a space on your dock for another most-used app, and our Pixel theme will tell you how to get that gesture set up. The Pixel also added a slight white bar over the dock and the nav bar, but that's entirely up to you and your wallpaper. There are also plenty of ways to add more functionality to your dock without eliminating our precious app drawer button, such as... Dock size and dock pages Docks can be big, and they can be small. The trick is figuring out which size works or you. Docks can be big and busy or small and simple. The biggest and easiest way to bring more functionality to your dock is to add more slots to it. This isn't always an option with some launchers, but if your launcher supports more than five icons in the dock, it's worthwhile to consider adding another item or two — or more. Some launchers like Action Launcher can support up to 12 icons in their docks, though this is more for tablets than for phones. Dock pages aren't for everyone, but they are a handy setting to have. The more icons in your dock, the smaller each of your icons get, so if you want to add space to your dock without downsizing their look, see if your launcher supports dock pages. Dock pages allow you to double or triple the amount of icons by simply swiping your dock back and forth like the pages of your home screen. Dock pages are not for everyone, but if you'd rather scroll through dock pages than pages in your app drawer, give them a try. Folders and gestures Folders are like having a TARDIS on your home screen, bigger on the inside. Nine apps, one dock space. Ta da! Another way to let your dock pull double duty is to stick folders in it. As mentioned in our guide to home screen folders, putting folders in your dock can help you achieve a cleaner home screen, or simply make way for more widgets and apps on your home screen. Folders allow us to take one tiny space on our dock and squeeze several apps into it. Folders are like TARDISes, and we can make them look as sexy as one, too. There's more than one useful gesture you can make with your finger. In Action Launcher, Covers let these folders look like a simple app shortcut and act like one in a tap, but you can swipe it open to reveal a folder of useful apps inside. Gesture actions are quite useful in folders, and in some launchers like Nova, the regular apps in your dock (and on the rest of your home screen) can, too. Gestures allow you to hide one app within another, or hide specialized shortcuts. You can have the phone on your dock, and a gesture shortcut can let you swipe the phone up to instantly dial your best friend, or your better half, or your mother. Shortcuts are coming... hopefully. Android 7.1 Nougat introduced App Shortcuts, which allow you to swipe up — or long-press, depending on the launcher — on supported apps to reveal a small list of direct action shortcuts. If you use Google's Phone app, for instance, you'll be treated to three direct dial shortcuts. Theming docks As mentioned above, themers sometimes neglect docks, and that's a shame because theming a dock is simple and can either show off the apps in your dock or hide them from prying eyes and fingers. Docks can look uneven and unruly, especially when mixing apps and folders. The key to a successfully themed dock is symmetry and individuality. There must always be balance. Try to keep your dock looking even, whatever "even" looks like to you. If that means having six icons so there's three on each side, fine. If you need to keep three icons on each side of your app drawer to keep things even, that works, too. When choosing icons for your dock, pick one icon from your folder to represent the whole folder (if you're in Action Launcher, this decision is made for you) so that rather than a mix of bigger app icons and smaller icons in the folders we have one consistent line. Accent icons can both fill gaps in an icon pack and bring extra style to your dock. There's a fine line between a dock being consistent and a dock being boring, which is why I always try to add a little more spark to mine. Something as simple as a custom app drawer icon can pull your dock together with the rest of your theme. What could be behind icon number 1? Nobody knows but you. Custom dock icons are another tactic I frequently employ, as they can be subbed for any icon or folder and they can camouflage important apps. You see a line of Disney Parks icons, you laugh and hand back the phone. You see someone's email app, photo gallery, or banking app, and you might start getting ideas. It may make it harder for a stranger to find their way around, but so long as you remember what apps are on your dock, hiding the actual icon behind a custom icon can also had a small degree of protection. Whatever form your dock takes, make it your own. - AndroidHelp

    • Saturday, 10 February 2018

    Home Unlabelled The dock is arguably the most important piece of the home screen. It's where you put your most-used apps, it's our quick-launch guide to our device. What we keep on our dock says a lot about who we are and how we use our phones, and what most docks today tell us is... they are woefully under-utilized. Docks aren't exactly the sexiest thing to talk about, and I seldom mention them in my themes beyond an icon pack because you don't tell someone else what to put on their dock. I'll tell you what widgets to use and what app shortcuts to place where, but the dock is yours; the dock is sacred. The apps on your dock are there for a reason, but that's not to say they're the only things that have to be there, Docks may look boring, but trust me, they can be functional, fashionable, and downright sneaky. To app drawer button, or not to app drawer button With the Pixel and its launcher brought a number of tweaks to the traditional home screen interface, but the biggest was eliminating the app drawer button and instead using a gesture to open the app drawer. That's not to say users hadn't done it before, but few phones had ever come out of the box without an easily recognizable button on the home screen that led to your apps. Which dock works best for you? Using a gesture instead of a button frees up a space on your dock for another most-used app, and our Pixel theme will tell you how to get that gesture set up. The Pixel also added a slight white bar over the dock and the nav bar, but that's entirely up to you and your wallpaper. There are also plenty of ways to add more functionality to your dock without eliminating our precious app drawer button, such as... Dock size and dock pages Docks can be big, and they can be small. The trick is figuring out which size works or you. Docks can be big and busy or small and simple. The biggest and easiest way to bring more functionality to your dock is to add more slots to it. This isn't always an option with some launchers, but if your launcher supports more than five icons in the dock, it's worthwhile to consider adding another item or two — or more. Some launchers like Action Launcher can support up to 12 icons in their docks, though this is more for tablets than for phones. Dock pages aren't for everyone, but they are a handy setting to have. The more icons in your dock, the smaller each of your icons get, so if you want to add space to your dock without downsizing their look, see if your launcher supports dock pages. Dock pages allow you to double or triple the amount of icons by simply swiping your dock back and forth like the pages of your home screen. Dock pages are not for everyone, but if you'd rather scroll through dock pages than pages in your app drawer, give them a try. Folders and gestures Folders are like having a TARDIS on your home screen, bigger on the inside. Nine apps, one dock space. Ta da! Another way to let your dock pull double duty is to stick folders in it. As mentioned in our guide to home screen folders, putting folders in your dock can help you achieve a cleaner home screen, or simply make way for more widgets and apps on your home screen. Folders allow us to take one tiny space on our dock and squeeze several apps into it. Folders are like TARDISes, and we can make them look as sexy as one, too. There's more than one useful gesture you can make with your finger. In Action Launcher, Covers let these folders look like a simple app shortcut and act like one in a tap, but you can swipe it open to reveal a folder of useful apps inside. Gesture actions are quite useful in folders, and in some launchers like Nova, the regular apps in your dock (and on the rest of your home screen) can, too. Gestures allow you to hide one app within another, or hide specialized shortcuts. You can have the phone on your dock, and a gesture shortcut can let you swipe the phone up to instantly dial your best friend, or your better half, or your mother. Shortcuts are coming... hopefully. Android 7.1 Nougat introduced App Shortcuts, which allow you to swipe up — or long-press, depending on the launcher — on supported apps to reveal a small list of direct action shortcuts. If you use Google's Phone app, for instance, you'll be treated to three direct dial shortcuts. Theming docks As mentioned above, themers sometimes neglect docks, and that's a shame because theming a dock is simple and can either show off the apps in your dock or hide them from prying eyes and fingers. Docks can look uneven and unruly, especially when mixing apps and folders. The key to a successfully themed dock is symmetry and individuality. There must always be balance. Try to keep your dock looking even, whatever "even" looks like to you. If that means having six icons so there's three on each side, fine. If you need to keep three icons on each side of your app drawer to keep things even, that works, too. When choosing icons for your dock, pick one icon from your folder to represent the whole folder (if you're in Action Launcher, this decision is made for you) so that rather than a mix of bigger app icons and smaller icons in the folders we have one consistent line. Accent icons can both fill gaps in an icon pack and bring extra style to your dock. There's a fine line between a dock being consistent and a dock being boring, which is why I always try to add a little more spark to mine. Something as simple as a custom app drawer icon can pull your dock together with the rest of your theme. What could be behind icon number 1? Nobody knows but you. Custom dock icons are another tactic I frequently employ, as they can be subbed for any icon or folder and they can camouflage important apps. You see a line of Disney Parks icons, you laugh and hand back the phone. You see someone's email app, photo gallery, or banking app, and you might start getting ideas. It may make it harder for a stranger to find their way around, but so long as you remember what apps are on your dock, hiding the actual icon behind a custom icon can also had a small degree of protection. Whatever form your dock takes, make it your own.

    The dock is arguably the most important piece of the home screen. It's where you put your most-used apps, it's our quick-launch guide to our device. What we keep on our dock says a lot about who we are and how we use our phones, and what most docks today tell us is... they are woefully under-utilized. Docks aren't exactly the sexiest thing to talk about, and I seldom mention them in my themes beyond an icon pack because you don't tell someone else what to put on their dock. I'll tell you what widgets to use and what app shortcuts to place where, but the dock is yours; the dock is sacred. The apps on your dock are there for a reason, but that's not to say they're the only things that have to be there, Docks may look boring, but trust me, they can be functional, fashionable, and downright sneaky. To app drawer button, or not to app drawer button With the Pixel and its launcher brought a number of tweaks to the traditional home screen interface, but the biggest was eliminating the app drawer button and instead using a gesture to open the app drawer. That's not to say users hadn't done it before, but few phones had ever come out of the box without an easily recognizable button on the home screen that led to your apps. Which dock works best for you? Using a gesture instead of a button frees up a space on your dock for another most-used app, and our Pixel theme will tell you how to get that gesture set up. The Pixel also added a slight white bar over the dock and the nav bar, but that's entirely up to you and your wallpaper. There are also plenty of ways to add more functionality to your dock without eliminating our precious app drawer button, such as... Dock size and dock pages Docks can be big, and they can be small. The trick is figuring out which size works or you. Docks can be big and busy or small and simple. The biggest and easiest way to bring more functionality to your dock is to add more slots to it. This isn't always an option with some launchers, but if your launcher supports more than five icons in the dock, it's worthwhile to consider adding another item or two — or more. Some launchers like Action Launcher can support up to 12 icons in their docks, though this is more for tablets than for phones. Dock pages aren't for everyone, but they are a handy setting to have. The more icons in your dock, the smaller each of your icons get, so if you want to add space to your dock without downsizing their look, see if your launcher supports dock pages. Dock pages allow you to double or triple the amount of icons by simply swiping your dock back and forth like the pages of your home screen. Dock pages are not for everyone, but if you'd rather scroll through dock pages than pages in your app drawer, give them a try. Folders and gestures Folders are like having a TARDIS on your home screen, bigger on the inside. Nine apps, one dock space. Ta da! Another way to let your dock pull double duty is to stick folders in it. As mentioned in our guide to home screen folders, putting folders in your dock can help you achieve a cleaner home screen, or simply make way for more widgets and apps on your home screen. Folders allow us to take one tiny space on our dock and squeeze several apps into it. Folders are like TARDISes, and we can make them look as sexy as one, too. There's more than one useful gesture you can make with your finger. In Action Launcher, Covers let these folders look like a simple app shortcut and act like one in a tap, but you can swipe it open to reveal a folder of useful apps inside. Gesture actions are quite useful in folders, and in some launchers like Nova, the regular apps in your dock (and on the rest of your home screen) can, too. Gestures allow you to hide one app within another, or hide specialized shortcuts. You can have the phone on your dock, and a gesture shortcut can let you swipe the phone up to instantly dial your best friend, or your better half, or your mother. Shortcuts are coming... hopefully. Android 7.1 Nougat introduced App Shortcuts, which allow you to swipe up — or long-press, depending on the launcher — on supported apps to reveal a small list of direct action shortcuts. If you use Google's Phone app, for instance, you'll be treated to three direct dial shortcuts. Theming docks As mentioned above, themers sometimes neglect docks, and that's a shame because theming a dock is simple and can either show off the apps in your dock or hide them from prying eyes and fingers. Docks can look uneven and unruly, especially when mixing apps and folders. The key to a successfully themed dock is symmetry and individuality. There must always be balance. Try to keep your dock looking even, whatever "even" looks like to you. If that means having six icons so there's three on each side, fine. If you need to keep three icons on each side of your app drawer to keep things even, that works, too. When choosing icons for your dock, pick one icon from your folder to represent the whole folder (if you're in Action Launcher, this decision is made for you) so that rather than a mix of bigger app icons and smaller icons in the folders we have one consistent line. Accent icons can both fill gaps in an icon pack and bring extra style to your dock. There's a fine line between a dock being consistent and a dock being boring, which is why I always try to add a little more spark to mine. Something as simple as a custom app drawer icon can pull your dock together with the rest of your theme. What could be behind icon number 1? Nobody knows but you. Custom dock icons are another tactic I frequently employ, as they can be subbed for any icon or folder and they can camouflage important apps. You see a line of Disney Parks icons, you laugh and hand back the phone. You see someone's email app, photo gallery, or banking app, and you might start getting ideas. It may make it harder for a stranger to find their way around, but so long as you remember what apps are on your dock, hiding the actual icon behind a custom icon can also had a small degree of protection. Whatever form your dock takes, make it your own.

    Everything you need to know about the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL!
    The Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL are finally here, and there's a lot to unpack.
    While these devices resemble the original Pixel and Pixel XL, there are many changes both internally and externally that make them worth talking about.
    Let's dive in.

    Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL review!

    The Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL are incredible phones — probably the best Android phones out there right now. Despite their different sizes, they are nearly identical where it counts, in their cameras, their performance, their build quality, and their software experience. While the Pixel 2 XL has slimmer bezels and a slightly more washed-out pOLED display, the smaller Pixel 2 contends with a more dated-looking form factor and a smaller battery. Oh, and a smaller price tag to boot.
    Which one should you buy? Read the full review below!

    Pixel 2 XL OLED problems

    Before we dive into the phones themselves, it's worth pointing out that the Pixel 2 XL has a few display issues. The quality of the panel itself is fairly low compared to equivalent Samsung models, featuring discoloration when viewed off-center; graininess and muddiness, especially at low brightness; poor backlight uniformity (similar to the LG V30); and in some cases, burn-in.
    Alex Dobie ✔@alexdobie
    That's some pretty wild OLED burn-in on the Pixel 2 XL after maybe 7 days of full-time use
    4:23 PM - Oct 22, 2017
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    Burn-in consists of a permanent marking on the screen after an unmoving image has been there for some time. It's a hallmark of OLED displays, and can be found on panels of both high and low quality. Generally, the higher the quality the longer burn-in takes to show.
    In a post on its community forums, Google addressed the issue, saying that it found the burn-in, or "differential aging," characteristics of the OLED panel on the Pixel 2 XL to be no worse than other flagships using screens of the same technology.
    Extensive testing of the Pixel 2 XL display show that its decay characteristics are comparable to OLED panels used in other premium smartphones. The differential aging should not affect the user experience of the phone, as it's not visible under normal use of your Pixel 2 XL.
    An update issued in early November added a "Saturated" mode to the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL's screens, and dramatically improved the color quality of the 2 XL. While blue shift is still a problem, washed-out colors are not, and Google now fades the navigation bar after a few seconds to mitigate burn-in. The official Android 8.1 update improved the Pixel 2 XL's colors even more, so we'd now venture to say most people won't notice an issue with the phone's screen.

    Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL specs

    These are two phones of different screen sizes, screen-to-body ratios and aspect ratios, but otherwise nearly identical internal components.
    Without knowing beforehand, you wouldn't be able to tell that the Pixel 2 was made by HTC and the Pixel 2 XL by LG — they're that similar. But when you dig a little deeper, the lineages are clear: the Pixel 2's AMOLED display (which is actually made by Samsung) is clearly better than the washed-out, problematic LG-made pOLED display on the Pixel 2 XL.
    Both phones have Snapdragon 835s, 4GB of RAM and between 64GB and 128GB storage standard, along with single rear 12MP cameras — this year with OIS. They're waterproof (yay!) but don't have headphone jacks (boo!). There'so no wireless charging, but the sides can be squeezed to activate Google Assistant. And though it ships with Android 8.0, not 8.1, there's a lot new here — including an embedded eSIM to connect to Project Fi even without a SIM card.

    How do they compare to other phones?

    Of course, the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL don't exist in a vacuum; they are in an industry overwhelmed by choice. It's pretty hard to buy a badphone at this point in time, so how do the Pixel 2s stand out? We investigate in a number of comparisons with the top-of-the-line phones on the market right now.

    Which color should you buy?

    The Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL are available in three color options and two color options, respectively.
    The Kinda Blue model is only on the smaller Pixel 2, but the Pixel 2 XL has the "chocolate-dipped" Black and White version, which we're excited about. The Kinda Blue model used to be a Verizon exclusive, but is now available for unlocked and Project Fi buyers as well.
    Oh, and about that orange power button...

    Which storage size should you buy?

    Last year, it was possible to buy the Pixel or Pixel XL in either 32GB or 128GB varieties; the former was too little for many people, the latter too much.
    This year, the proposition seems a bit simpler because Google made it an easier choice: 64GB or 128GB.

    Should you upgrade from the Pixel or Nexus lineup?

    The Pixels, when they launched in October 2016, were no slouches. Featuring specs that still hold up today, including some of the best cameras on the market, it's interesting to see how far Google came with the Pixel 2 series — especially on the larger Pixel 2 XL.
    So the question is — should you upgrade from last year's models? That's a difficult question to answer, but it's one a lot of people will be considering.
    Then there are the 2015 models, the Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P. Those are a bit older, and definitely don't have the same quality of experience. It's easy enough to suggest upgrading from to the Pixel 2 from the Nexus 5X — the price jump is significant, though — but it's a less obvious move from the Nexus 6P to the Pixel 2 XL.

    Google is doubling down on the single camera

    Something amazing happened this year: Google didn't add a second camera to either the Pixel 2 or Pixel 2 XL. The move says something in an industry where practically every other major manufacturer, from Samsung to Apple to Huawei, has taken steps to differentiate themselves with an additional camera sensor, and lots of added functionality as a result.
    But Google's image prowess allows it to do many things with one sensor that it takes other companies two to do. For instance, portrait photography. Portrait Mode is amazing on the Pixel 2 — better even than the iPhone X in many cases — and it applies to the front-facing camera, too.

    Google built its own custom imaging chip to make the Pixel 2's camera even better

    Google may only be using one camera in the Pixel 2, but it's got a trick up its sleeve — in the form of a new custom chip designed in-house called the Pixel Visual Core. Starting with the Android 8.1 update, it gives third-party developers a direct line to the immense amount of data captured by the Pixel 2's camera sensor.
    At first, the Visual Core will allow developers to tap into Google's incredible HDR+ mode, which improves low-light performance while preserving detail in difficult lighting conditions. Then who knows — this is Google's first foray into custom silicon, and it has huge potential for the future of the Pixel lineup.

    Pixel 2 is water resistant

    This is the first Pixel that's water resistant, with an IP67 rating, so you'll be able to dunk your phone in up to one meter of water for 30 minutes at a time without a worry.
    🏊

    It also has no headphone jack

    Yeah, these are the first phones from Google not to ship with a headphone jack, but the company is including a USB-C to 3.5mm adapter in the box (and is selling a $20 dongle if you want an extra) should you want to pair with traditional wired headphones.
    If you want to go wireless, the Pixel 2 supports Bluetooth 5.0, and Google selling its own pair of wireless headphones called the Pixel Buds, and is partnering with companies like Libratone and others to market Google-certified headphones.

    It has an embedded eSIM

    A what?
    The Pixel 2 has this cool thing called an eSIM, or electronic SIM card, that allows you to connect to a network — in this case, Project Fi — with no physical SIM card.
    Of course, the Pixel still supports that physical piece of plastic and bits, but you don't need it to connect to Project Fi, and that little detail heralds the future of mobile connectivity — whenever the carriers decide to catch up. In the meantime, if you're in the U.S., you can buy a Pixel 2 and activate Project Fi whenever you want, even if you didn't order it directly them from.

    Should you use the Pixel 2 or Pixel 2 XL on Project Fi?

    Google Pixel 2
    So it has an embedded eSIM card in the phone, and you don't need to buy it from Project Fi to use it on the service. But should you use it with Google's MVNO, which cycles between T-Mobile, Sprint and US Cellular in the U.S.?

    The Pixel 2 series will get Android R 😱

    It's true — Google is giving the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL three years of guaranteed software updates, which means that when it launches with Android Oreo, it will get Android P in 2018, Android Q in 2019 and, miraculously, Android R in 2020.
    Will people even use phones in 2020? We'll find out!

    Here's what you should do first

    The Pixels are pretty easy to set up, but our experts know what you should dive into first. If you want the best out of your Pixel 2 experience, check out our list of the first six things you should do with your new phone.

    Where to buy the Pixel 2

    The Pixel 2 is now available to order at the Google Store in all launch markets — that's Australia, Canada, Germany, India, UK, and the U.S.
    For carrier availability and a country-wide breakdown on pricing, hit up the link below.

    Which carriers can you buy it from in the U.S.?

    Verizon. In addition to the Google Store and Project Fi, Verizon is once again the exclusive U.S. carrier for the 2017 Pixel lineup. While the Verizon model comes unlocked, and can be used on other carriers, it's updated through Verizon, not Google, and has carrier-specific optimizations.

    There have been some issues with trade-ins

    Google offers up to $410 for users to trade in their previous Pixels or other high-end phones, but the system has been marred in delays and other problems that have kept people from receiving their credits for the new Pixel 2 phones.
    Fortunately, the issues have been sorted (according to Google), and those who didn't receive a credit, or had their phone denied, should be fine now.

    What about cases and accessories?

    With the Pixel 2, Google has implemented a new 'Made for Google' program where accessory makers can build products that are guaranteed to work really well with the company's new phones. If you're looking for the right case, or maybe just a new pair of headphones, we've got you covered.

    The new Daydream VR headset is fantastic

    Just because Google (and everyone else) is excited about its new phones, that doesn't mean the company has forgotten about its plans for VR. Alongside the Pixel 2 and 2 XL comes a new Daydream VR headset with improved materials, better lenses, and more comfortable straps that make using it for longer periods considerably easier.

    Should you worry about some of the issues you're hearing about?

    From a problematic display on the Pixel 2 XL to clicking sounds from the top speaker to poor sound quality when capturing video, the Pixel 2 line hasn't been without its fair share of problems.
    The good news is that Google is working on fixing all of them, and some have already started rolling out with Android 8.1 update.

    What could have been

    Every phone goes through different design iterations before making it to market, and the Pixel 2 line is no different. Google recently shared some prototypes of the phones to shed some light on the earlier versions of the Pixel phones. By and large the prototypes were close to the final, two-tone design, but Google experimented with wider bodies, different size camera sensors and more.

    Anything else?


    There were lots of other things announced at Google's hardware event on October 4. Take a look at the video above to take a look, and read our other coverage on the Home Mini, Home Max, new Daydream VR headset, Google Buds headphones, and more!
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