So my current phone (Samsung galaxy) is on its way out so I’m looking into getting a fairphone with /e/os preinstalled. I’ve checked the compatibility online and my banking app works, and my day to day apps (Discord, YouTube, Spotify and WhatsApp) all appear to work to. I understand there’s also open source alternatives for these apps too which I might look into further down the line as I transition to fully de-googling myself.
The two things I’ll miss that aren’t deal breakers for me is 1. Google Wallet/Pay won’t work anymore and 2. No RCS text messaging. I always carry my wallet with me anyways, and primarily use WhatsApp over actual texting anyway.
Which finally brings me to my question, this is once again by no means a deal breaker either but just something I was thinking about there when I used it. With android/my phone right now - if I press and hold on the app for discord or WhatsApp it’ll show me a list of the last 4 servers/DMs I interacted with and allows me to put that server/user as its own shortcut on my home screen. Then by pressing on the icon for let’s say “Username_X” it’ll open discord/WhatsApp already viewing that specific person’s DMs. This is a really nice quality of life feature.
I can learn to live without it but I was wondering if anybody here who already has a phone with /e/os installed can check if something like this is possible?
So removing the app is one possibility but at least in the time I have had this android galaxy phone (let’s say around 4 years) it’s had this quality of life functionality I describe.
I apologise for the poor quality, I did my best to edit for my friends privacy but here is a picture of what I mean and what mine looks like. When I press and hold on the “discord” app I can see the 4 most recent people I’ve direct messaged/servers I’ve been looking at.
(The white square originally showed their profile picture, and the blue text was originally white text showing their username or the servers name) then below this list of 4 recents I have the option to remove the app like you described.
If I press and hold on let’s say user 1 it then gives me what looks like an app I’m placing called user 1 that has their name and profile picture as well as a small logo of the app in this case discord but it’s the exact same with WhatsApp and even Google messages.
So now I have 2 buttons beside each other.
Is called “discord” by pressing this the app opens discord normally viewing just my general friends list
Is called “User 1” pressing this will still open discord, but the app will open already viewing my direct messages with User 1
Yes I’ve heard of signal it sounds good. For now I need to stick with apps my friends use to stay in contact with them so this means discord and WhatsApp.
Like I say in my original message if this isn’t possible on /e/os it isn’t a deal breaker I still plan on using it - I’m just curious if it’s possible or even something that could be looked into by the developers (I know there are much higher priority tasks ofc)
As a further example, here is an edit of my current home screen. So if I press on “Group DM” it will open the discord app but with me looking at that specific groups messages
Apps creating sub-activities (the person-contact or group icon) on your homescreen is supported by the default launcher Blisslauncher3 or any alternative launcher like Lawnchair.
What you describe as QoL feature by Samsung with recent-contacts listed, less so if it’s coming from the Launcher and not the Apps themselves. In the latter case they’d be widgets that any other launcher could use - but I don’t think so, looks like a Samsung capability?
If anyone using Discord on /e/OS, use activitymanager or activitylaucher to look in Discord for a sub-activity that offers that view, then add to homescreen.
