Transparent or semi-transparent navigation bar ALL apps in Lollipop

[Alessio_841]

Hi Community,

I want report a bad feature of our Sony with on-screen touch keys.

The navigation bar that contains the soft touch keys remains black in all apps (exception Album and olther Sony's apps). This feels very bad to see, so there is a solution, a mod, an app WITHOUT ROOT to have a transparent or semi-transparent navigation bar? 

For example, in Chrome, will be perfect to have transparent navigation bar to see full web full page!

Thanks!

[_alexdon_]

Have you seen this?

/t5/Software-Updates/Auto-hide-of-navigation-bar/m-p/998984#U998984

[Alessio_841 · Accepted solution]

Hi Alexdon,

I've read the thread, but doesn't answer to my question; it speak about the immersive mode but not about the transparent navigation bar.

But, in effect, the immersive mode is better than the transparent bar, so I've searched on the web about and I've found a great app, that doesn't require root, that allows user to hide the navigation bar in ALL apps and homescreens. 

So, I don't know how Sony didn't implemented this GREAT feature on its Xperia devices wih the latest firmware, beacuse this is a feature that improve the value, functionality and beauty of its devices... 

The app is named on the Google Play Store as GMD Full Screen Immersive Mode and its works very fine (tested personally). The only bug is the keyboard, a bug of Android, where the nav bar must be required to tipe and must not used with camera app (but stock app also have similar immersive mod).

I hope this thread can help other users and, especially, can be read by Sony's employees to implement natively this feature in the future update or when the new homescreens will be released.

[Uliwooly]

@Alessio_84

Each app/game developer have to add this "immersive mode", not Sony, check the album app for example, it has immersive mode. 

[Alessio_841]

@uliwooly

I've seen that Sony's apps has a "partial" immersive mode, they have a translucent navigation bar, not complete immersive mode because the navigation bar remains, transparent.

There are several modes that activate the immersive mode because that is allowed in the Android source code, but these modes need root. But the immersive mode is a feature of Android, so I don't know why Sony doen't implemented it in the last firmware. I think that is because there is a bug that deactivate the virtual keyboard when navigation bar is hided, but is a simple bug that could be removed by Sony's developers!

However, the immersive mode it's a useful and great feature for Xperia devices and also looks very very nice without the on-screens buttons always active!

[Uliwooly]

@Alessio_84

open the album app > select a picture > do you see the immersive mode? 

are you on lollipop using multiple accounts, if you are using the non main account, immersive mode it's not present on games and other third party apps. 

[Alessio_841]

@uliwooly

Naturally I see the immersive mode in the Album app... And I use only my account on my Z2.

I want to say that Sony could give more value on its devices by enabling immersive mode in ALL apps and homescreens, as the GMD app do! The immersive mode can be enabled only by root or by firmware because is an option of Android 4.4.4 and more! This I say!

I hope in the future Sony could implement this feature in a firmware update, because the black navigation bar is horrible and cuts a portion of display; considering that the soft keys are used very little, so there aren't necessary always showed.

[Uliwooly]

@Alessio_84

I hardly doubt that will happen, but you can contact sony directly with your suggestion

 http://support.sonymobile.com/global-en/contactUs/

the great thing about android is that you can download apps to mod your phone as you please. 

[Alessio_841]

@uliwooly

The bad is that the apps that really can mods the smartphones requires root that is a practice not safe and not for all 😕

For example, here in Italy, in the last review of the Z3+ is asked for more personalization of nav bar by users in the way to change the orrible black ones in the apps that are not the Sony's apps.

I repeat, the best way to use all display is to integrate the immersive mode of the nav bar by resolving the bug, also, of the keyboard. Sony would hear us and implement this feature to improve user experiance!

I report you that the Nokia Lumia 735 with WP8.1 let user to choose if AUTOMATICALLY or MANUALLY with swipe hide the navigation bar...!!! Why Sony not??? Is it to difficult??? 

Sony, please, hear us, for you and and your sells!!!