Are custom roms worth it?

[bgstcola]

If you have a S4 that is hackable (so NOT Verizon or AT&T) then I would try a GPe rom.

But then I wont get a "recent apps" button right?

 

[poofyhairguy]

But then I wont get a "recent apps" button right?

You mean like a permanent menu bar with a "recent apps" button on it? As opposed to pulling up recent apps via a double press or long press on the home button?

Not there by default, but it is easy to get a ROM that comes with Xposed (or just install Xposed and Gravitybox yourself) and then you can hack on that along with many other small changes.

And overall I find for the most part stock ROM plus Xposed is more stable than hacked ROMs with those features added. I use Xposed to make recent apps long press instead of double press, and to make the quick toggles nicer.

 

[gorcorps]

I only use GPe Roms for my S4. I pick ones that are barely hacked so that way I get maximum stability.

And I wouldn't have it any other way.

The GPe Roms feel much smoother than anything based on Touchwiz. Sure I lose some features but it is worth it for me. Honestly the camera is good enough and I never used multi-window or any Air feature.

If you have a S4 that is hackable (so NOT Verizon or AT&T) then I would try a GPe rom.

Do any of those roms have the IR blaster working? I could never give that up now that I have it. And the feature where if you bring the phone to your ear with a text windows open, it'll automatically dial whoever you were texting. It only works on the stock messaging app, but I like it enough to keep that app as well as TW.

 

[poofyhairguy]

Do any of those roms have the IR blaster working? I could never give that up now that I have it. And the feature where if you bring the phone to your ear with a text windows open, it'll automatically dial whoever you were texting. It only works on the stock messaging app, but I like it enough to keep that app as well as TW.

Yes, the GPe ROMs all have working IR blaster. The only issue is not stock app for it, so you have to sideload Samsung app or load one from the market. But they will work.

The dial who you are texting I think is a feature of the stock messaging app. I know GPe roms don't have this because after 4.4 Hangouts is the SMS app for Android. In fact the whole reason I picked the ROM I did is because it hacks the 4.3 SMS app onto 4.4. I know the stock 4.3 app doesn't do that.

There are tons of small features you do without when you leave behind Touchwiz. The biggest I miss is the camera app, even though that new Nexus 5 app gives me hope (time to hack that bad boy on).

 

[s44]

A long shot, but OP are you using Swype? Ugh, what a mess the latest version of that is.

 

[trmiv]

I was happy with the stock ROM on my Verizon S4 (except for the hideous green toggles), but I ended up installing Hyperdrive just because I wanted an ME7 based rom without dealing with my phone being locked down by taking the Verizon OTA ( I was on MDK). If I had a phone that came with ME7 or MJ7, I'd just root, install Xposed Framework and be done with it.

 

[s44]

But then I wont get a "recent apps" button right?

I've found that setting the in-Nova home button press to multitask, along with long-pressing home when not in Nova, gets me 80% of the functionality of the dedicated button.

Still wouldn't mind swapping home/multitask functions for the presses... is that in Xposed now?

I was happy with the stock ROM on my Verizon S4 (except for the hideous green toggles)

I know they chopped it out in later OTAs, but the original persistent wifi notification was the most irritating Verizon BS yet.

You should try the Eclipse progress build (MJ7, KitKat themed).

 

[sweenish]

The dial who you are texting I think is a feature of the stock messaging app. I know GPe roms don't have this because after 4.4 Hangouts is the SMS app for Android. In fact the whole reason I picked the ROM I did is because it hacks the 4.3 SMS app onto 4.4. I know the stock 4.3 app doesn't do that.

If you are texting someone with hangouts, there is a phone icon that appears in the action bar so you can call them.

 

[poofyhairguy]

Still wouldn't mind swapping home/multitask functions for the presses... is that in Xposed now?

In Gravitybox you can set the double tap and long tap options for the home button.

 

[s44]

In Gravitybox you can set the double tap and long tap options for the home button.

Yeah, that doesn't do much. I want to set the regular tap to multitasking so long can be home...

 

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

Yeah, that doesn't do much. I want to set the regular tap to multitasking so long can be home...

You're trying to be backwards from the standard implementation! That's why they don't offer that option. Hahaha. But yeah, it'd be nice to be able to customize what the buttons do.