Large screen devices have a lot to answer for these days, they force me to wear trousers with large pockets, they force me to carry a man bag whilst I’m out and about and most of all they force my thumbs to stretch way beyond what they were designed for. Despite all of that I’m converted, my two main phones at the moment are the rather large Nexus 6 and the HTC Desire 816, neither have software that is really optimised for the large screen, leaving me to either find my own apps to ease the thumb stretching pain or to just use both hands.
One app I’ve come across recently is called Lazy Swipe and the whole idea behind it is to make launching apps a whole lot easier.
The theory behind the app is simple, once installed you get a quarter circle segment displaying the most recent apps you’ve used, your favourite apps and also some key settings, all of this is accessible via a quick swipe up from the area just above the Nav buttons. Lazy Swipe may look familiar, it looks like something which is often called Pie Controls, which have been included in some Custom ROMs for a while now, which normally give access to apps and settings. Lazy Swipe gives non rooted Android users something similar.
In Use
Once I had installed the app I opened it up to see what I could make it do. The app can handle Recent apps, Favourite apps, Settings, Notifications and clearing out RAM.
A quick swipe upwards from either corner of the screen and the segment appears, you tap on the category you want, I.E Recent or favourites and the relevant apps are displayed. Getting the swipe right on the first few attempts was fiddly, you soon pick it up though.
The toolbox tab displays basic toggles offering a quick way to access things like Bluetooth and WiFi. The settings icon in the corner takes you to the app settings, allowing you to change how the app functions. The toolbox randomly has a boost option which clears apps from the memory. It’s a random but handy inclusion.
The settings button allows you to set when the apps is in operation, where the app is triggered from and also you can manage notification settings too. The trigger point is above the onscreen navigation buttons. So if you’ve got a Nexus, HTC, Motorola or Sony device it will feel peculiar at first as you’ll need to swipe above the soft keys to trigger the app.
The favourites tab is configurable, a long press on an icon allows you to edit them, picking the ones you want from a list of installed apps.
Notifications appear on the app icon if it appears on either the Recent or Favourites tabs, a quick tap will load the app and clear the notification. You can pick which apps display notifications, so you can just have emails and tweets if you want. The notification is indicated by a small orange marker in the trigger area. I find it doesn’t really add much to the built in notification system, it’s just a bit quicker to access the relevant app.
After a couple of days I got used to using Lazy Swipe and it really helps you to jump between apps. The developers keep adding features to the app, some of which like notifications and the memory booster seem included just because, as opposed to really adding something useful, no doubt someone will find both useful, however don’t be put off this is just my opinion. A few other things annoy me, such as the trigger area covering up certain elements within apps, sometimes making tapping a button or section fiddly, which you can easily fix by changing the trigger area. I’ve gone for the left hand corner, as I’m left handed and often hold the phone with my left hand. Also if the keyboard is displayed the triggers area are turned off, which I guess is a feature more than a bug, made to make Lazy Swipe not interfere with typing.
Conclusion
Overall I felt the app was really quite useful, it helped me out with my large screened phones and tablets allowing me to access my favourite apps and settings quickly and easily. If you spend a little time tinkering with the settings you can make it work the way you want.
A few improvements could be made regarding the trigger area perhaps being on the middle of the edge of the screen and also maybe an app drawer button. But hey it’s a free app and who am I to demand features?
The app is available for free on the link below. Enjoy.
Google Play Store Link – Lazy Swipe