SGS3 lock screen audio controls

mrochester · 21 Jul 2012 at 09:45

Hi all

Coming from an iPhone I am used to being able to double press the home button and for audio controls to pop up to play/pause/back/forward audio, but I can't seem to find how to do this on the SGS3. Has anyone got any ideas how to get these controls to show on the lock screen? I've tried all button combos I can think of!

Many thanks

M.

Crafty · 21 Jul 2012 at 10:02

stock player doesnt do it.
use another - I'm using n7player at the moment.

mrochester · 21 Jul 2012 at 10:04

Crafty said:
stock player doesnt do it.
use another - I'm using n7player at the moment.

Oh right so there's not a standard set of player controls that an app utilises? Does that mean that every audio playing app has to have it's own different controls on the lock screen rather than being able to have one system wide control?

snapdragon · 21 Jul 2012 at 11:58

Yup but one player is all you'll need I've just installed cloudskipper which works very well

mrochester · 21 Jul 2012 at 11:59

snapdragon said:
Yup but one player is all you'll need I've just installed cloudskipper which works very well

In which case I need something that'll allow me to subscribe to and manage podcasts too. Any ideas what app will do all of this?

Thanks

wellibob · 21 Jul 2012 at 13:42

Poweramp is imho the greatest music application on Android. To get the best you do need to buy it, but it's fantastic and eq settings (including bass and treble) are awesome.

Dutchman · 21 Jul 2012 at 14:44

+1 for poweramp

smokedog · 21 Jul 2012 at 15:24

wellibob said:
Poweramp is imho the greatest music application on Android. To get the best you do need to buy it

Does the trial version not have the full features?

ck88 · 21 Jul 2012 at 15:26

it does, limited time trial though.

Yas786 · 21 Jul 2012 at 15:27

Another vote for the simply superb poweramp, ive tried quite a few music player apps on google and nothing comes close to the amount of control you have with poweramp.

Definitely worth the price alone.

mrochester · 21 Jul 2012 at 19:33

I'm not being funny... but why isn't this functionality included by default?

Sin_Chase · 21 Jul 2012 at 20:08

Use the inline controls on the headset?

You could see how you get on with this however:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.firezenk.simplylock

mrochester · 21 Jul 2012 at 20:23

Sin_Chase said:
Use the inline controls on the headset?

You could see how you get on with this however:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.firezenk.simplylock

I don't use headphones with inline controls and I don't always use headphones. So that's not an option.

smokedog · 21 Jul 2012 at 20:35

mrochester said:
I'm not being funny... but why isn't this functionality included by default?

I found it weird and annoying there wasn't one, seeing the amount of features they added into the actual player, yet they miss out the basics. I didn't have an in-line remote and had to unlock the screen to change tracks.

I ditched the stock player and installed the Google music player
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.music&hl=en

But now I modded my volume buttons on long press to skip tracks, so no need to take my phone out of my pocket anymore.

Orcvader · 21 Jul 2012 at 21:54

How about... using a different lockscreen?

I'm using this lockscreen: https://play.google.com/store/apps/...sImNvbS50ZXNsYWNvaWxzdy53aWRnZXRsb2NrZXIiXQ..

With this widget: https://play.google.com/store/apps/...t#?t=W251bGwsMSwxLDEsImNvbS5wYWlubGVzcy5wYyJd

My lockscreen is now like this:

mrochester · 21 Jul 2012 at 22:04

Yikes, seems with Android you need to spend a lot of extra money and time to get basic functionality

Richie · 21 Jul 2012 at 22:09

mrochester said:
Yikes, seems with Android you need to spend a lot of extra money and time to get basic functionality

At least it is available. Basic functionality of things like Bluetooth transfers is not available on iOS for example....

Edit: BTW, it's not an Android thing but a Samsung thing as I can do what you describe on my HTC Desire as standard and it is Android.

mrochester · 21 Jul 2012 at 22:11

Richie said:
At least it is available. Basic functionality of things like Bluetooth transfers is not available on other OS's....

That's fine, I don't use bluetooth to transfer files, but I do use lock screen controls a lot! And it seems I have to pay for them on Android instead of them just being there out of the box... madness!

Richie · 21 Jul 2012 at 22:27

There is a way to do it built into the phone which works if you don't have a screen lock protection i.e. just "swipe" active and not pattern/pin

Play media as normal
Press home or power button to turn screen back on (if it was off)
Pull down notification bar
Audio controls are at the top.

You don't need to do the "swipe" to unlock thing to allow the notification bar to be used. If you have a pattern/Pin type lock then you need to unlock the device.

mrochester · 21 Jul 2012 at 22:31

Richie said:
There is a way to do it built into the phone which works if you don't have a screen lock protection i.e. just "swipe" active and not pattern/pin

Play media as normal
Press home or power button to turn screen back on (if it was off)
Pull down notification bar
Audio controls are at the top.

You don't need to do the "swipe" to unlock thing to allow the notification bar to be used. If you have a pattern/Pin type lock then you need to unlock the device.

Seems I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place then :mad:

I wish I could stop falling into this trap of thinking that a high end Android phone is a good purchase! Every time I get a new, high end Android device thinking that it's going to knock spots off my 4S, I quickly realise why the iPhone is just so much better. This shenanigans to get some simple media control keys on the lock screen is but one example. Grrrrrr!