Join now - be part of our community!

How to customize soft buttons and remove unwanted Sony apps?

MrCustomer
Visitor

How to customize soft buttons and remove unwanted Sony apps?

Hi, I purchased Z5 compact. HW is great, but software drives me nuts and I'm considering returning the phone, hopefully you can solve my problems.

How do I customize bottom 3 virtual buttons? Recent key is useless and I want Menu instead.

How do I remove What's new, Video and Album? Didn't asked for them and definitely not interested in their annoying messages and pop ups. Furthermore don't agree with terms and conditionst of these apps. Can't be even disabled!

Typical settings widget is missing completely and instead we must use Power Toggles.

I understand it might be hard to believe for Sony business managers, but if I would like to have no customization and blindly follow manufacturer like sheep, I would have purchased the iphone. I went with Android based phone, because wanted 100% customization and it is not there!
Thanks
3 REPLIES 3
profile.country.GB.title
Uliwooly
Expert

@MrCustomer

That's standard with Android, not just Sony, perhaps a different home launcher could have that option but again, that's how Android works. 


@MrCustomer wrote:

How do I customize bottom 3 virtual buttons? Recent key is useless and I want Menu instead.


You can either settings > apps > select the app > disable 

or

Root your device, then you will be able to uninstall the apps, keep in mind that Sony doesn't have as much bloatware as other OEMs


@MrCustomer wrote:

How do I remove What's new, Video and Album? Didn't asked for them and definitely not interested in their annoying messages and pop ups. Furthermore don't agree with terms and conditionst of these apps. Can't be even disabled!



@MrCustomer wrote:

Typical settings widget is missing completely and instead we must use Power Toggles.


Could you elaborate? if you pull down the notification bar you should be able to see iconds, or you can use a widget or a shortcut or download third party apps to just that.


@MrCustomer wrote:

I understand it might be hard to believe for Sony business managers, but if I would like to have no customization and blindly follow manufacturer like sheep, I would have purchased the iphone. I went with Android based phone, because wanted 100% customization and it is not there!
Thanks

I assume that this is your first Android phone, you can customize your phone as you please, you can download different home launchers, lock screen apps, etc, you can make your phone feel and look how you want it. On a side note, Sony it's the closest you will find to Vanilla Android (found on Nexus devices). 

MrCustomer
Visitor

Hi uliwooly, thanks for answer, but...

No I'm with Android since 2.1 and before I had Windows Mobile 5 and 5.5 plus tried iPhone and WP8 and WP10 I see only declining trend. Unfortunately I can't root because corporate MDM won't allow me sync emails and so on. In the good old days I did cross flash, used vanila rom and Cyanogen too, but can't now. I'm missing the physical T9 keyboard, because I'm the person who use mostly the phone as a side device - by thumb of the right hand going downstairs and typing or calling while not looking on display. Furthermore maybe I'm paranoic, but I really don't see any reason to have applications which I don't want and which have almost unlimited permissions (from contacts over position to internet access). No this built in crapware can't be disabled and even more you can't disable notification!
Regarding the pull down config menu and wnable disable - this is not the f game. of what I can or can't pull. All phones before had a widget with 5 buttons to toggle on/off wifi,bt,gps and so on. This phone is missing it, I wasted $500+ to get apps I don't want and miss the elementary ones? This really p. me, do you see that contrast?


profile.country.GB.title
Uliwooly
Expert

@MrCustomer

I don't know which other phones you had before, but if you pull down the notification bar you will see icons that will turn on/off different things such as WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS, LTE, etc. 

as for what's new

settings > apps > what's new > permisions (no permisions requested)

Notifications turn them off

open by default leave it blank

Also, you can download a different app to freeze it.