Kindle Fire Tips & Tricks & How-To's

[robertc88]

First off, Happy New Year (where applicable).

A few things:

I suppose one can rid themselves of the Carousel by installing a launcher? If that is the default, then no carousel, right?

Then I found this about widgets working on the KF. I haven't tried it yet but I assume you have to download some first. I don't know if you hold down on the new home screen if you are prompted for widgets like on a smartphone? The link below doesn't go in great detail so I guess I'll have to mess around and see how it goes.

http://itknowledgeexchange.techtarge...e-kindle-fire/

[salsaguy]

Originally Posted by jswinden

There is at least ten times more useful info right here in these Kindle Fire forum sticky threads.

Glad to have found it.

[salsaguy]

Originally Posted by Merischino

Would be really nice if when posting a link you could include a brief description about what it is and why you're posting it... thx for the link.

Sorry bout that
Now fixed and updated

[salsaguy]

Yes i have installed go launcher on my fire and it works and if you don't check the box you can easily switch back and forth.

No they seem to have left of the 2 nd page of info on how to get the widgets and install them which i have NOT yet done myself so not sure if the widgets work on top of Go launcher or not

I just tried it and yes it works!!
if you long hold the desktop on go launcher you can add a wiglets which is any of your apps or a giwidget which can be a shortcut, folder calendar, contacts, or other item they preselected from the list.

You even change the wallpaped with your own pix or a big selection of different wallpapers!!
Lots of folks are going to want this now

Cool. Try it out for sure and if you don't like it you fan always go back since its not rooted

Originally Posted by robertc88

I suppose one can rid themselves of the Carousel by installing a launcher? If that is the default, then no carousel, right?

Then I found this about widgets working on the KF. I haven't tried it yet but I assume you have to download some first. I don't know if you hold down on the new home screen if you are prompted for widgets like on a smartphone? The link below doesn't go in great detail so I guess I'll have to mess around and see how it goes.

http://itknowledgeexchange.techtarge...e-kindle-fire/

[robertc88]

I had to grab Go Launcher apk from 1mobile to download and install to the KF. It wouldn't work from the market available on the KF for some reason. The message I got was that it was incompatible or something like that.

I have messed with widgets on my smartphone so I figured why not see what can be done on the KF to enjoy it even more!

"COOL" is right but I want to customize the new screen more so than what widgets are available from Go Launcher. A nice weather and a time/date widget for starters and a calendar that shows the whole month (the default one available to us now doesn't seem to work). I'm sure there are many available widgets for free in app stores mentioned on this thread. I know lots of the cooler ones like HD widgets aren't free but we'll see how far I want to go. And more importantly, how many actually work.

I'll switch back and clean up the carousel from time to time but looking at the new screen now and then with widgets will make me even happier than I was with the KF! Even though that one thread where the poll scale only goes up to 10 max, I feel very good about this device and what is in store for owners which will bust that barrier!

[salsaguy]

Seems the background image switches vack even after you save one in go launcher. Maybe due to the way amazon has it setup for their launcher to be the main desktop launcher

[robertc88]

Never thought there was this many widgets:

https://market.android.com/search?q=...android&c=apps

Like I said, I'll keep messing around with these and see how far I can get with them and customizing the new screen.

[salsaguy]

How to make the Fire's Silk Browser Faster:

http://theunofficialkindlefireblog.c...rowser-faster/

[Daithi]

[Deleted] Sorry duplicate post.

[carld]

Is it easy to switch between Go Launcher and the Fire default launcher. I might like to give it a try, but only if I can quickly go back to default when I wanted.

[tstarky]

It is real easy to go back and forth! Just set the stock launcher as one of the menu apps. I have it set this way and I have the Go Launcher app on my favorites shelf for quick switching. Takes no time at all.

[Blossom]

Originally Posted by tstarky

It is real easy to go back and forth! Just set the stock launcher as one of the menu apps. I have it set this way and I have the Go Launcher app on my favorites shelf for quick switching. Takes no time at all.

I'm going to give this a try.

What about wallpaper?

[Blossom]

Originally Posted by Blossom

I'm going to give this a try.

What about wallpaper?

One more question. Do the theme works?

Edit: I really like this! As someone who doesn't use the Kindle Reader app this is really nice. Switching back and Forth is easy though! The wallpaper reverting is the only issue but I can live with it. I also can't get shortcuts to work but that's okay. It would of been nice to use that feature.

I remove the phone, sms and contact and web icons from the bottom and replaced them with Default launcher, WiFi switch, Lock Screen and Silk.

[salsaguy]

I think the shortcuts are the 4 at the bottom that you replaced (Contacts, Phone, Web, etc) and the others on the desktop are whatever you want them to be but change on each page so you can have 1 page of apps all about reading, and 1 page all about video, etc

[Blossom]

Originally Posted by salsaguy

I think the shortcuts are the 4 at the bottom that you replaced (Contacts, Phone, Web, etc) and the others on the desktop are whatever you want them to be but change on each page so you can have 1 page of apps all about reading, and 1 page all about video, etc

No Shortcuts are a different feature.

Like you can add a shortcut to a folder from dropbox right on the screen. Mantano you can use this to add a shortcut to a Book you are reading or from the browser you can add a shorcut to a bookmark. If it's a phone you can add a contact to call or with Screen Dimm you can add a shortcut to a preset. It's a neat feature I use all the time on my phone.

Amazon removed it totally it seems.