u/tenebrousvulture

This is something I'd really like to see exist for three main reasons: a non-Google option, a small form option, and a budget option. Additional useful features would be a headphone jack port and microSD card slot. All of these factors are unfortunately very difficult to find nowadays. It's important to have options as there are various use cases for different people, and no "one-size-fits-all" works that well***.***

Why? I discovered about deGoogle/deCorp practises and have been working to minimise my reliance on such. I'm also concerned about ever getting a future Android phone due to the progressing, undesirable developments. Compact phones became a personal priority due to being a light phone user, having small hands (so it's easier to manage a small phone), and actually fit in pockets -- I don't need it as an entire phablet, I have a separate device (a desktop PC) primarily operated for such, keeping the functionalities/use cases separate. Being affordable is also important for a light phone user, and in my case, I've always had phones well under $100 that work fine enough for many years.

The struggle is finding a small smartphone (esp by major companies) the longer we go in the modern tech age. And I don't mean foldables, those are still large at full, I'm referencing wholly small forms like the iPhone Mini. Smartphones used to be compact, there were great options. When they started becoming phablets and I got my first one at 6.6", it was too big, genuinely uncomfortable to use, and didn't fit anywhere well. I wanted my old phones back, but at this point, they are too "outdated" (the main issue is apps that wouldn't support certain Android OS versions anymore).
I did a lot of research for days to find compact smartphones that could work for now (but probably not for several more years...) The iPhone Mini would be ideal in form, but I've always used Android and discovered the major differences would not be personally feasible to use (plus, I don't want to switch to another big tech product). Narrowed down most options to all early Pixel phones, Sony Xperia models, and Galaxy A-series. The only one I found feasible was the Galaxy S10e (pre-owned for $100, so not as "budget" as all of my past phones, but affordable enough), so that's my current phone -- it's sufficiently small at ~5.8", plus a headphone jack output (which is great as I basically only have wired headphones) and ability to have a microSD card for extra/easily portable storage. I have to stick with this 2019 Android phone as long as there aren't viable compact models being released, but apps will sooner stop working on it vs having a more recent device, and so Idk what my options will be in the future at this rate.

I get that larger phones now may be due to factors like larger battery capacities and what sells the most, but it shouldn't be the only option. There's proof that modern phones can still be manufactured as compact and usable, there's evidence of people who use those or still want options for compact phones (even if it's niche, it exists, and should be provided the choice). Some people don't care for powerful batteries or large screens, it's not always needed. Of course, not to say phablets should be replaced, I'd just like to see compact options offered alongside them to help broaden the consumer base.

With that, I'd like to request if Motorola and GrapheneOS could please consider offering a compact budget option (optionally if with a headphone jack port and microSD card slot). It doesn't need to be powerful, just functional enough for light users or those who are on a budget for current and following years (however long of support is feasible).

Pre-deGoogle/deCorp journey, I've almost always used a small smartphone (mostly Galaxy models), except when they became "phablets" when getting an A14 (6.6" screen), but it was too big to use comfortably so I replaced it with an S10e (5.8" screen). Ideally would've even preferred the slightly smaller size of the iPhone Mini series, but that's a whole other OS that I found doesn't quite work with how I tend to operate, so I stuck with the S10e as my best compact alternative.

Now having discovered "deGoogling" and the general concept of replacing big tech services with more private alternatives, I'm once again stuck on phone options -- having always opted for (ultra) budget Android phones (with the exception of a $100 pre-owned Galaxy S series), I'm unable to simply get a Pixel and use GrapheneOS. Unfortunately, I feel quite limited with options where my major factors include now: budget, compact, works with my carrier, and non-Google at the root.

I've heard about Motorola going to release models running GrapheneOS, which is great to discover, but wouldn't be surprised if the only options will be large phones and not as budget-friendly. Idk if they'd even consider otherwise releasing such an option (esp with how little demand there is for compact phones anymore), or of some chance in the near future for any (ultra) budget, purely Linux-based or other great mobile OS, compact smartphone.
I have considered flip phones, but unsure about the lack of certain functionalities (incl always operating physical buttons) and apps. Fold phones are out of the question.

As a result, my best option currently seems to be to just stick with the Galaxy S10e and editing it as much as feasibly and comfortably as allowed, but knowing it's an older phone, I do have concerns about the sooner loss of support/functionality of some apps from Android 12 vs using a more recent phone that will have longer support, yet I dislike how modern phones are now with all the changes and potential future ones being forced on newer Android versions as being problematic, so Idk if I'd want a modern Android device. I wouldn't know what to go for once the S10e becomes unusable with my criteria.

Using an HP laptop (Envy x360) and secondary (HP 27er) monitor, Windows 11.
The way it's currently set up (under Windows' Personalisation > Wallpapers [using a custom folder of curated images], with the "Slideshow" option set to "shuffle" the pictures and cycle every "1 day", plus the wallpapers are different per screen/monitor), the desktop wallpapers (on each screen) changes much sooner than a day for some reason. I couldn't find anything similar to this particular issue. Any suggestions for a potential fix?

Alternatively, is there is a free app that can override the default wallpaper settings with the option to set a longer interval, such as automatically rotating through the images instead once each week (or at least can properly rotate them each day as expected, given they can remain as a different image per screen)?

Since switching from using Google Search, I found a lack of a dedicated DDG Image site like how Google Images has its own site/URL. I would like if this could become a reality, but meanwhile I'm wondering if anyone knows of feasible workarounds for anything close to a dedicated Image webpage/URL.

The only method I could come up with is searching something like "blank", go to the Images section, and bookmark this URL. And so whenever I want to just do a direct image search on DDG, open this bookmark, hit "Tab" to focus on the search field with "blank" in it, and replace with whatever else I want to search images for. (This is without having to include mouse clicks, only keyboard with the least amount of steps necessary.)

The issue with this is that it requires an extra step, since it's not a 'clean'/'uncluttered' webpage with the search field automatically focused to type anything (as Google Images is set up), albeit manageable. In any case, I'm curious if someone here might know of another potential bypass for easy utility.

I'd like to close my Payments Profile for privacy reasons, but I'm uncertain if that'll cause any issues to reinstall past purchases if I were to download the apps' APK files to install outside of the Play Store.
All I'm concerned with is a paid specific icon pack (that unfortunately has no other official sources to obtain), and would like to know if it will be possible to re-install it as a downloaded APK copy (such as on another device, if desired), since removing the Payments Profile will effectively remove access to it via the Play Store.
Idk if there would be potential conflicts if I commit to this action, so I'm wondering if anyone can confirm what happens.

Recently, I've been trying out Koofr primarily via web/browser on a free account, and so far it seems as a great Drive alternative (as I'm migrating from Google products and have discovered few potential issues with other similar services).
While experimenting with Koofr, I've encountered some possible (optional?) ideas for expanding the experience that I'd like to propose. There are a few mouse-related functions of interest to include, if feasible (while there are some keyboard shortcuts, I also tend to use mouse functions alongside those in operating several applications):

• (Left) Click on any empty space to clear any current item selections. If after selecting any item (file or folder), click on an empty spot below to clear/deselect any of it.
• Right-Click on any empty space to bring up a context menu of what to add. Essentially carrying over the drop-down menu options under the default "Add" button as a secondary source when right-clicking on an empty space (instead of that action opening the standard browser context menu).
• [Mouse + Folder behaviours] Click anywhere on item (except top corner for Edit + Share) to select, double-click to open/view. It's definitely different to operate, but seems less efficient to require targeting specific areas of an item (whether in Tile or List View). Especially in Tile View, as items are not compact on screen, trying to find/aim for the upper-left corner just to select isn't as efficient. I think it would be easier to work with if (in both views) single-clicking anywhere within the boundaries of each item would select and double-click to open -- for instance, this behaviour is a default in several other applications, so sometimes I instinctively double-click on a folder in Koofr and accidentally open a file within it.

For other general ideas, I'm wondering if the following can be potentially implemented:

• If the Deleted Files section could have a Tile View option (for consistency to other areas having that option).
• If the Deleted Files section could include the ability to permanently delete any individually selected items rather than only having the option to permanently delete all items. Currently, when items are individually selected vs all, the only options are to restore or cancel selection. It might be redundant, but I simply found myself having the habit to do this with other services, so I'm curious if it would be a feasible option.
• Links in uploads such as PDFs or docs auto-open in new tab (web). It seems like a built-in behaviour matter, so in case that it is: Open an uploaded PDF or docs file with embedded links and click on a link to automatically open in a new tab. If to include both behaviours of this and the contained (open in same/active tab) behaviours, maybe as two options or one toggleable option in the Preferences/settings for how one wants to open embedded links in files.
• Compact Tile View option (web). The File View is great for the most compact, though I rely on thumbnail previews of various files, so I use Tile View. However, it takes up some space on-screen and I'm curious of an additional "view" option for a more compact version of Tile View -- retain the file preview format, but compress any extra padding around such as the folder icons or non-preview default file icons, and make the overall tile size for all items a bit smaller. Idk how this would appear, but wondered if that could work out well.
• Extra options for colour themes. As a big supporter of customisation, this would be fun to have. Maybe as a few additional presets for the free account, and more custom options for paid accounts (whether that means extra presets or a choice for users to manually pick colours for elements like the background and accents). I find the default dark mode preferable over light, albeit quite saturated in teal and would personally prefer a more greyscale/black (dark grey)-and-white "dark" version. Currently, I made a custom stylesheet through Stylus to achieve that, but having some official options for themes built into Koofr would add to the experience for any who enjoy extra customisation.

These are all merely some ideas from my own experiences I wanted to suggest, and am hoping any of them could be eventually implemented where feasible, but I'd understand if there are limitations or decisions against certain changes. I like how Koofr is going so far and am curious to see it continue developing and improving over time.

There are several posts for WordPad (WP) alts and I've tried searching for options, yet nothing seems to match quite what I'm seeking. A lot of suggestions promote text editors like Notepad++ or Joplin, fully-featured word processors like MS Word or LibreOffice, or very basic like Notepad. Those aren't what I'm looking for, WP is more so in-between Notepad and Word -- offers RTF features and not much more, plus is lightweight enough to use swiftly.

What I'd like specifically includes the ability to do RTF (mostly just bold, italicise, bullet-point, and colour text), save files locally (offline), open/edit RTF files, and works on Windows 10. I do still use WP, but really wish it had dark mode, hence my research and query, though it seems challenging to find simply that as available.

I've tried NotepadX (ads, doesn't provide all my fonts, no text colour), Ivirius (GUI has more empty space hence not as compact as WP and has few functional issues), discovered UltraPad and RectifyPad (unfortunately both Win 11 exclusive) and TowPad (unavailable), even briefly checked out Beaver Notes and Joplin (however, they're not like WP so they don't work the same). I have used Word and LibreOffice, but again those are fully-featured word processors and unlike WP, with page breaks and many features I won't often use.

At this point, I'm starting to think that there really isn't an available WordPad alternative with the above criteria and would have to either keep using the default light-themed WP or compromise for something else, unless there's one out there that I just haven't yet heard of that would work.
Does anyone here potentially know of an actual alternative with the desired features, or any suggestions for something as similar as possible?

I've been looking into the Sonim XP3 Plus (XP3900) and am curious about some specific things with the device that those with experiences regarding this device could hopefully provide any info on.

• How is the native music player? I noticed it lacks a "Genre" category (something I occasionally use in music players). Any differences in playing music off of a microSD card vs locally? Does the player crash at all? Does it work with Bluetooth or a wired connection in a modern car?
• Is sys-wide dark mode (including within its native apps) supported since it runs on Android 11 Go? If so, is it straightforward or requires multiple steps? Can it also affect the external screen (especially if in dark areas where it'd otherwise be blindingly bright, a dark/inverted version of this screen would be a lot better to look at)?
• How is Android 11 Go overall on this phone? It generally sounds like the Go Edition of Android OS versions are susceptible to lags, crashes, and limited functionalities (at least in the "Go" apps), so I'm wondering if users of this phone have encountered such issues.
• Given its bulky frame, has that caused any issues or inconveniences (whether for pocket storage, bag storage, in handling it regularly, etc)?

Is there some kind of compact device that can be used to run Android apps, separate from phone utilities? Looking to use it for such as note-taking, calendar tasks, basic camera, music, calculator, timer, some light games, maybe offline maps on occasion...
I'm considering to use a feature phone primarily for phone functions, but would like another type of 'mini device' that can do the above tasks and run on at least Android 10 or higher (plus likely with a touch screen, given some of the functionalities of certain apps).

Preferably mini/compact (meaning actually well under 6" in dimensions [perhaps ~5.5" max and smaller], not by today's standards of a so-called "mini" being over 6" -- the point is to be more of a pocket-sized device).
Most Android smartphones I've tried finding otherwise with my criteria are unfortunately very few and tend to be kind of expensive and/or unavailable (especially secondhand), hence the notion of dividing it into a small feature phone and a basic Android device. So I'm wondering if there exists a non-smartphone device that would fit these specs.