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20 Jan 2010
(22)

SlideScreen released!

by Matt Hall on Android /

A couple rewrites and 17 beta versions later, our home screen replacement SlideScreen is finally live in the Android Market! If you haven’t read about the app before check out the product page to see what it’s about, or read our original blog post about the ideas behind the design. The reviews have started coming in and they’re really positive, we’re excited! You can read more at TechCrunch, AndroidGuys and a detailed post at These Are the Droids.

Here’s the first release feature set:

  • Realtime notification for phone calls, voicemail, SMS, GMail and Calendar appointments.
  • Periodic syncing with Google Reader, Google Finance and Twitter.
  • Current weather conditions.
  • App chooser with custom shortcuts.
  • Automatic sign-in and sync for all Google services, no password required.
  • Google Reader features: In app customized viewer with share, and synced mark as read support.
  • Twitter features: Twidroid integration, share, retweet and reply.

And here’s what we’re working on next:

  • Multiple account support for email and twitter.
  • More types of email account support (exchange, pop, etc.)
  • More features for news and twitter reading to make it easier to navigate between items.
  • Top ideas voted for over at the support site.

If you’re on an Android phone tap here to download the app. Everyone else can check out videos and screenshots at the product page.

Thanks to everyone who wrote in and commented on our original design – it was your enthusiasm that convinced us to finish it.

Update: Gizmodo reviewed SlideScreen calling it “one of the most polished Android apps I’ve ever seen, it’s also in itself an argument for how great Android can be.” Read the full review here.

Update: Lifehacker says it “provides way more information on messages, weather, calendar events, Twitter or RSS streams, stocks, and whatever else you want, in a slick-looking black wrapper.” Full review is here.

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  1. 1
    Cedric Gatay on 01/21/10 at 10:47:45

    Congratulation for your wonderful work, any plans in order to support Google For Your Domain Apps (I cannot use GMail/Calendar and so on)…

  2. 2
    marc on 01/21/10 at 14:56:08

    I love the design.
    Interesting Ux as well.
    I’ll definitely keep an eye on you guys…

  3. Matt Hall on 01/21/10 at 15:36:19

    Yes, we are working on that issue now. More info over at the support site: http://getsatisfaction.com/larvalabs

  4. 3
    Amar on 01/22/10 at 03:05:36

    Looks pretty cool. Really need power switches like the power widget for wifi, bluetooth, gps, etc.

  5. 4
    Eric on 01/23/10 at 08:12:03

    When I have clear the slidescreen as default, I can never set it back to default again, even after reinstalled the app. What can I do?

  6. 5
    Morten on 01/23/10 at 10:12:57

    I love it. It lifts the phone UI out of the somewhat naive Android design. I am surprised that the Google Reader feed does not show international characters, though. It’s 2010 guys. ;)

  7. 6
    Jake on 01/25/10 at 19:52:14

    Is the Gmail feature limited in the free version?

    Overall love the UI!

  8. 7
    Rob on 01/27/10 at 03:49:35

    Using the all on my HTC Hero. Once there is exchange email support support I’ll hand over some money for it :)

  9. 8
    Joe on 01/27/10 at 18:31:40

    twitter feed and others not updating…. Any thoughts?

  10. 9
    Barry Shaffer on 01/28/10 at 18:02:46

    Heard you on the Androidguys podcast. Downloaded Slidescreen on my Nexus One and found it to be a very polished app, beautiful on the N1.
    The info-centeric vs. app-centric homescreen has won me over and I now use it as my default homescreen.
    Can’t wait to see where you guys take this…

  11. Matt Hall on 01/30/10 at 22:01:46

    Glad everyone is liking the app! We’re hard at work on some big upgrades, so it should keep getting better.

    Anyone having problems or with questions please go to http://getsatisfaction.com/larvalabs – that’s where most of the answers to current questions are, and where we post information on fixes. Thanks!

  12. 10
    Chris on 02/08/10 at 14:42:22

    I finally made the move this weekend from my iPhone 3GS to my brand new Droid. I couldn’t stand not having any AT&T service and I’m loving Verizon so far. The first thing I did when setting up my Droid was downloading Slidescreen Pro. $6.99 is a great price point – I wouldn’t go any lower or higher. Slidescreen is one of the top reasons why I’m loving Android more than my iPhone 3GS, and I was an iPhone-fanatic for so long…

    Keep up the good work, I can’t wait for Exchange support!

  13. 11
    Toine on 02/12/10 at 23:40:56

    Awesome!

    I’ve just ordered the N1 and will buy this right along with it if it works, looks and feels as brilliant as it seems to do.

    Hang in there guys, the Android market will someday mature and provide you with some well earned cold hard cash.

  14. 12
    Oskar on 02/14/10 at 14:34:40

    Would be great if we who dont got access to the buy-enabled market yet, could buy this app somwhere else. I’m in Sweden

  15. 13
    Danny Peck on 02/19/10 at 12:03:44

    So I’m having a problem. Here’s how I produced it.

    1) Installed SlideScreen
    2) Made it my default home button replacement.
    3) Went in to applications, SlideScreen, cleared defaults for the app.
    4) Made the Android ‘home’ the default home button location again.
    5) Can’t figure out how to make SlideScreen default again.
    6) uninstalled and re-installed slidescreen.

    Can’t get the device to re-prompt me whether or not I want to my slidescreen my default home app.

    Any help?
    Danny

  16. 14
    Marc on 03/25/10 at 17:31:00

    the app would be also nice as lockscreen. with htc sense i have already a nice homescreen but the lockscreen is too bad.

    any plans to add a lockscreen support?

  17. 15
    Michael Mayo on 06/24/10 at 22:15:10

    Hi Guys,

    I’m having problems with the Google Reader in SS Pro. Currently, it keeps saying it needs my Login information, even though I’ve supplied it a valid password and checked the Google Reader site to make sure that’s working. Annoying.

    Michael Mayo

  18. John Watkinson on 06/25/10 at 15:41:24

    Hi Mike,

    Get the latest update to SlideScreen Pro that fixes the problem. There was a change to Google Reader’s credentials system that caused the problem.

    John

  19. 16
    Lance on 06/30/10 at 03:32:42

    Hello all,

    For some reasons, the calendar entries are not showing up on the SlideScreen in my HTC Desire. This problem seems to be unique to HTC Sense phones. Any workarounds?

  20. 17
    atr on 07/20/10 at 22:14:49

    Same issue as Lance: no calendar entries being displayed after upgrading htc hero to android 2.1 . They displayed correctly before that on android 1.5

  21. 18
    Keith on 10/04/10 at 13:01:59

    Very impressed guys. I’ve just made this my default homescreen.

    Runs very smoothly on my Samsung Galaxy S, no stuttering.

    More interactivity would be great (ie. being able to ‘like’/comment on facebook updates, be able to send sms directly to contacts’ birthdays the Calendar – mine is jam packed with birthdays uploaded from Facebook).

    Can’t wait for the next release!

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