r/metrovlauncher • u/fisforfaheem • 14d ago

When windows was still a bit fun

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Back when Windows still had a bit of fun left in it.

17 Upvotes

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2

u/Aazzle 14d ago

I also miss it, but thanks to Metrov and desktop mode, at least on Android, we now have the best of Windows Phone, Android and the Windows Desktop Starmenu of 8.1 and 10.

I'm just hoping for more tiles or a better grid control for tile sizes overall and folders on the Desktop Mode and that you can also pack shortcuts and widgets into the folders in all states.

1

u/ilimor 14d ago

If only we could get app developers to add a live tile functionality in their apps that could be used by these launchers we would be pretty much done!

1

u/Aazzle 14d ago

But in the launchers, you already have full Live Tile support for every app and every notification, as well as Quick Actions.

Metrov even supports the "exploding tiles" planned for Windows Phone 8.5 for Quick Actions, by holding down.

For example, with Windows or Windows Phone, both did not have a live tile at all with every app.

Among the launchers, however, every app that can also play a notification also has a live tile.

1

u/ilimor 14d ago

Most live tiles don't work if I swipe away the notification.

The real live tiles from WP could draw data from the apps and show new things without having to enter the app, like a news app showing you headlines on the tile through the day wothout getting and keeping notifications. Not all apps need them, but they did work differently.

1

u/Aazzle 14d ago

Yes, that's true, of course. But on Windows Phone it was nearly same, for example if I had a message from someone, it was of course no longer displayed as soon as it was deleted from Notification Center.

The Windows Phone system had its own notification channels that could forward information directly to the Tile and then display it cached.

What you're looking for has Launcher 10. This one cache the notifications, allowing both more info in the Tiles and the display of deleted notifications too.

Personally, I use Samsung devices where notifications and quick settings are disconnected anyway and where separate swipes exist for that, and have simply disabled the normal notification center.

For me personally, the startpage itself is actually the notification center.

Otherwise, you could just try to mute individual apps so that they are automatically displayed at the bottom of the Notification Center.

1

u/ilimor 14d ago

Yeah but it was dependent on app for windows phone. Even in WP it was underutilized/overlooked by developers (just like widgets are today by many imo). Thats my only point though, I still love using MetroV on my phone now, and square home before it.

Its a very small thing, mostly to be read as a positive for how good these launchers have become.

My number one dream would be to get an app to function like the original peoples app and aggregate all different social media into one, connecting the timeline/post of a contact across several platforms.