Full Screen Mode For Hudl (Hide Navigation Bar)

[Guest hedgehogabc]

Hi,

 

I just wanted to share a method that I found to hide the navigation bar at the bottom of the Hudl, while keeping the status bar at the top (e.g. see attached pictures). It took me quite a long time to figure out how to do this. The method is below. Please follow it carefully, especially steps 5 (install correctly) and 4 (backup first), so that you avoid / can recover from any potential boot loop.

 

0) Prerequisites: you will need a rooted device with USB debugging enabled and the ADB tool. I have only tested this method on build number JDQ39.20131016.200812, but I assume it will work on other builds. (You can find out your Hudl's build number in 'Settings > About Tablet').

 

1) Before you hide the navigation bar, install a suitable alternative app. I recommend LMT Launcher, you could also try Pie Control or Button Savoir. Set up your alternative app so that it has the main buttons you need (e.g. 'RecentApps', 'Home', 'Back', and 'Menu' (which I put on a long press)) and will start up automatically when your device boots up. You should run the alternative app in parallel with the navigation bar to begin with, to make sure it is set it up how you want, before you remove the navigation bar.

 

2) Download this zip file and extract it to a folder somewhere.

 

3) Open a command prompt and navigate to that folder.

 

4) With the Hudl on, enter the following command to back-up the original framework-res.apk on to your PC:

 

adb pull /system/framework/framework-res.apk framework-res.bkp.apk

 

5) Enter the following commands to install the modified framework-res.apk on to your Hudl:

 

adb push framework-res.mod.apk /sdcard/framework-res.mod.apk

adb shell

su

stop

mount -o remount,rw /system

cp /sdcard/framework-res.mod.apk /system/framework/framework-res.apk

rm /sdcard/framework-res.mod.apk

chmod 644 /system/framework/framework-res.apk

reboot

 

6) Your Hudl should now reboot and load without any navigation bar. 

 

 

Notes:

 

If you want to restore the original framework-res.apk (e.g. in case you ended up in a boot loop or want your old navigation bar back), you can repeat step 5, but instead of 'framework-res.mod.apk', use 'framework-res.bkp.apk'.

 

In case you are curious, I made the framework-res.mod.apk by editing the stock framework-res.apk file with ApkTool. The only changes I made were in \framework-res\res\values\dimens.xml, where I set 'navigation_bar_height', 'navigation_bar_height_landscape' and 'navigation_bar_width' to all be '0dip'.

 

An alternative solution for hiding the navigation bar is to install the full!screen app. I tried this and it does work, but I did not like it because it also hid the status bar, didn't seem as slick to use as LMT and sometimes crashed (leaving me with no navigation at all).

 

For completeness, I should mention that I have also tried the following alternative methods to hide the navigation bar, but found that neither worked for the Hudl, so DO NOT try them (or you will end up with a repeating "Unfortunately, System UI has stopped " popup message):

 

  - modifying framework-res.apk, editing bools.xml and setting config_showNavigationBar to false

  - appending 'qemu.hw.mainkeys=1' to the end of the /system/build.prop file.

 

This is the first time I have ever posted in a forum. I hope this information will help others.   :)

.

Edited January 3, 2014 by hedgehogabc

[Guest]

Very nice mod and detailed guide - thank you.

You can also get rid of the left bar by killing Google's apps, sorry not at home otherwise I would have been more specific.

Edited January 3, 2014 by Guest

[Guest]

Sorry my mistake, it was achieved through using Apex Launcher i.e. to remove the search bar and left-hand vertical line in landscape mode.

Edited January 11, 2014 by Guest

[Guest]

Very nice mod and detailed guide - thank you.

You can also get rid of the left bar by killing Google's apps, sorry not at home otherwise I would have been more specific.

On my son's user profile I got rid of it by installing Nova Launcher, then in the Nova settings chose not to have a Google search bar. I've also removed the App draw button so he only has access to the apps that I placed on his homescreen, then locked the desktop with it once set up so he couldn't drag the apps around the screen. I've kept the navigation buttons as he can use those ok. He hasn't figured out yet how to unlock the desktop (he's only 4).

 

EDIT: Removing the search bar is not in the Nova Settings, you just hold down the search bar on the homescreen and then a box pops up asking if you want to remove it.

Edited January 3, 2014 by Guest

[Guest flurry]

If you're rooted and have the xposed framework installed the GravityBox module has an 'expanded desktop' mode that can acheive a similar result but with the added advantage of being easier to undo/toggle on or off.

 

Edit: Probably should clarify that I use it with pie controls myself on my rooted Hudl - works fine!

Edited January 3, 2014 by flurry

[Guest Tigerlight]

If you are rooted with Xposed Framework installed, install Ultimate Dynamic Navbar from XDA.

 

Removes and replaces default navbar with a VERY customisable one that auto-hides and gives full screen real estate.

 

[Guest Rob987]

If you are rooted with Xposed Framework installed, install Ultimate Dynamic Navbar from XDA.

 

Removes and replaces default navbar with a VERY customisable one that auto-hides and gives full screen real estate.

 

 

I agree with this. it is the only solution I have found so far which supports multiple users who each want to have different ways of dealing with the navbar.

 

With Full!Screen everyone has to have the bar (top and bottom) removed or at least understand how to change settings each time they log in. Although I didn't try it, hedgehogabc's method in the OP looks like it'd apply the same settings to everyone.

 

In our family, my wife and kids have a profile and both prefer to have the nav bar intact. I prefer to have mine appear on swipe, supported by a pie nav system coming in from the right edge. We all want to keep the status bar intact at the top.

 

By installing Ultimate Dynamic Navbar (which gives you the option to install Xposed at the same time), plus a multi-user appshare app, plus my pie nav system, all this is possible.

 

And, no pesky 'T' button any more for any of us!

[Guest]

OK, with UDN Pro installed - couldn't seem to hide navbar (didn't try build.prop method as that seems a bit of an overkill), so also added GravityBox into the mix - this hides the original navbar using the expanded desktop setting.

Question is, how/where do you correct the lock screen orientation i.e. in landscape mode if I turn the screen off then back on, the lock screen is now forced/fixed into portrait mode?

Simple question but is driving me nuts at the moment!

Edited January 11, 2014 by Guest

[Guest flurry]

have you enabled lockscreen rotation in GravityBox? Lockscreen Tweaks > Enable Lockscreen Rotation

[Guest]

have you enabled lockscreen rotation in GravityBox? Lockscreen Tweaks > Enable Lockscreen Rotation

 

Thank you!  :ninja:

Edited January 11, 2014 by Guest

[Guest Frederick_99]

thanks for all the advice on this forum

 

having just bought my first  Android tablet ( Tesco Hudl) have now successfully rooted it  ( using the Chinese Vroot method) installed Xposed Framework  and the MoDaCo toolkit and Ultimate Dynamic Navbar,  so now have fullscreen and no Tesco T

 

works like a charm !

[Guest greybot]

I agree with this. it is the only solution I have found so far which supports multiple users who each want to have different ways of dealing with the navbar.

 

With Full!Screen everyone has to have the bar (top and bottom) removed or at least understand how to change settings each time they log in. Although I didn't try it, hedgehogabc's method in the OP looks like it'd apply the same settings to everyone.

 

In our family, my wife and kids have a profile and both prefer to have the nav bar intact. I prefer to have mine appear on swipe, supported by a pie nav system coming in from the right edge. We all want to keep the status bar intact at the top.

 

By installing Ultimate Dynamic Navbar (which gives you the option to install Xposed at the same time), plus a multi-user appshare app, plus my pie nav system, all this is possible.

 

And, no pesky 'T' button any more for any of us!

 

How would I go about setting up one user to have the navigation bar showing and another not (with UDN navbar in use)? I can't seem to disable the navigation bar for one user and not the other.

[Guest Rob987]

How would I go about setting up one user to have the navigation bar showing and another not (with UDN navbar in use)? I can't seem to disable the navigation bar for one user and not the other.

 

Well for me, as long as you have the app shared so all users can use it (using a multi-user app share app), then each user can set their own settings.

 

It is quite a while now since I set it up, but I have just checked and the 3 users on my Hudl definitely all have different settings. We all have the native navbar hidden to give a full screen view. Then we all have the UDN navbar, but with different settings. Mine is hidden by default, comes in on swipe, and disappears on touching the screen anywhere. My kids have the navbar showing by default, never auto-hide, with the option to hide it using a button at the left of the bar, and bring it back on swipe.

 

So it is a matter of making sure the app is available to all users, then going in to the UDN Lite settings for each user, hiding the native navbar and then choosing settings for the UDN bar.

 

i hope this helps...

[Guest Crispy2]

Just be aware whatever method UDN uses to display messes up hdmi out. You will just get a black screen (If you open status bar hdmi will show something). I still use UDN but disable it when I need to use hdmi out. Xposed module seems to be responsible for removing the original taskbar bit btw for those having trouble getting rid of it.

[Guest SWOPH]

Hi there, I stumbled across this post because I have recently bought a HUDL2 for my daughter and want to know how to remove/hide the bottom bar. She is only young and keeps pressing the 3 buttons accidentally and it exits the app she is playing with. Also, I saw that somebody mentioned that they locked the icons on the home screen so they can't be dragged around - she does that accidentally too! Another person said something about the Google side bar - is that the bit in the left hand side with the microphone and Google G? Would love for that to disappear too.

Anyway, I have literally just got the Hudl2 and so haven't rooted it or what have you, I don't even know what that is how or to do it....I'm a complete novice. Can I do these things without rooting it or is it necessary? I am not against doing it but I just have no idea where to start or even exactly what I can do once I have or how. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you for your time,

[Guest]

You'll have a much bigger hudl2 user audience if you had posted this in the hudl2 forum as apposed to here in the original hudl forum.

You can load a different launcher from the Google Play store something like Apex or Nova launcher - this would replace the Tesco 'My Tesco' launcher and easily enable the removal of the Google search bar. You may need to be rooted before you can get rid of the bottom bar though. As I say, over in the hudl2 forum more people will be able to help.

Edited February 7, 2015 by Guest

[Guest SWOPH]

Oh lovely thank you, I only found this post through Google and admittedly didn't look through the forum, I will do as you suggest. Thanks for the advice.

[Guest billnotben]

Kingo root - Xposed - UDN

 

All worked perfectly no problems.

 

No "T" and navbar now under control.