<![CDATA[[Comment] indicator panel in emergencies]]>I have a comment about the indicator panel at the top of the phone.

I have a very 'ubuntu touch' use-case that made me think about how the indicator panel is not good for 'urgent' use and can be a hazard for emergencies.

Summary: It is difficult to use the panel quickly and even more difficult when you can't see the screen well.

background:
To use the activity tracker when cycling I need to keep the app open. I use the active screen click to stop the phone from locking screen. To stop the battery from dying after 5 minutes I turn the brightness all the way down and turn off automatic brightness.
To use the phone when I take a break I need to turn the brightness up manually.

Issue:
When the brightness is all the way down, I can't reliably turn the screen brightness up because the scrolling behavior of the panel means the screen 'button' is never in an expected place. With Android I know to swipe down and the buttons are all in a predictable place so even if the screen is dark, I can get the slider with a few attempts.
In UT it is very difficult.

While this came up in a very niche (ubuntu touch-esque) use-case I think it has implications for everyone else in some emergency situations.
Eg. needing to turn on mobile data to make a call if you get an eye injury.

]]>https://forums.ubports.com/topic/12285/comment-indicator-panel-in-emergenciesRSS for NodeTue, 19 May 2026 11:41:01 GMTTue, 19 May 2026 08:16:14 GMT60<![CDATA[Reply to [Comment] indicator panel in emergencies on Tue, 19 May 2026 11:28:43 GMT]]>@sixwheeledbeast i come across the same issue when driving the car, since bluetooth is unreliable i end up trying to fix it, disabling and enabling bluetooth, pairing or whatsoever. i cant see in what category i am, its hard to swipe down in the correct place while not being in front of your device.

so i agree, there is plenty of situations where the menu does not behave as you want it in day to day situations.

even when standing still in the sun its not readable and way to sensitive to reliably go to the correct menu.

one of the solutions for me would be to reduce the amount of indicators, in my opinion keyboard, turnscreen and files could easily be grouped to reduce the amount of menus and there for make it easier to navigate.

so its shiny, fun when playing but less practical when doing daily activities

]]>https://forums.ubports.com/post/95872https://forums.ubports.com/post/95872Tue, 19 May 2026 11:28:43 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to [Comment] indicator panel in emergencies on Tue, 19 May 2026 11:18:02 GMT]]>@RJDan
I would say that making the device difficult to use by turning down the brightness is the problem and that having to use the device like this should be fixed before anything else. I do understand your point but it can't be expected to resolve a weird workaround of turning the brightness to an unusable level that's been implement by yourself.
I agree other things need to be fixed here, either in the app itself or improving the way location services work while out of focus.
Regarding emergencies as an idea an extra feature could be provided in the OS, maybe you press the lock button 5 times fast and if you don't cancel it on screen it will call your pre-determined contact from your device. It would be a nice feature similar to iOS I suppose.

]]>https://forums.ubports.com/post/95870https://forums.ubports.com/post/95870Tue, 19 May 2026 11:18:02 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to [Comment] indicator panel in emergencies on Tue, 19 May 2026 09:01:31 GMT]]>@projectmoon
So I have already have the app suspension disabled but the gps tracking requires that the screen is on. I think I discovered this by trial and error. When I turn the screen off, no tracks are recorded even if it is set to record.
when the screen is on, tracks are recorded.

In anycase, the post is less about the activity tracker issue but more generally about the bigger issue which is 'Can I use the panel reliably in an unexpected emergency?'.

]]>https://forums.ubports.com/post/95865https://forums.ubports.com/post/95865Tue, 19 May 2026 09:01:31 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to [Comment] indicator panel in emergencies on Tue, 19 May 2026 08:57:44 GMT]]>@RJDan I think a more immediate solution to this problem would be to allow apps like the activity tracker to not require the screen to be on. It should be able to track with screen off. Then you wouldn't have to go through this strange dance. Come to think of it, I am not really sure why it doesn't work with screen off? At least if suspend is prevented...

]]>https://forums.ubports.com/post/95864https://forums.ubports.com/post/95864Tue, 19 May 2026 08:57:44 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to [Comment] indicator panel in emergencies on Tue, 19 May 2026 08:51:09 GMT]]>I have done this myself to save battery and struggled to see the device to change the settings in full sunshine.
I do agree with your opinion I feel there can be a lot of cases like this with UT. Using the device as a sat-nav and/or media-player in a car dock the panel is not the best either.

One possible solution for your case would be not changing the brightness but disabling app suspension for your app (and it's dependencies OSM?) with Tweak Tool.
I haven't used Activity tracker but this should work for your use case.

]]>https://forums.ubports.com/post/95863https://forums.ubports.com/post/95863Tue, 19 May 2026 08:51:09 GMT