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howto:howto-search-apps_and_contacts [2026/07/08 16:53] – howto: google index hiding v4 wrap dorepshowto:howto-search-apps_and_contacts [2026/07/19 12:00] (current) – ↷ Links adapted because of a move operation doreps
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-<WRAP hide>%%<!-- googleoff: index -->%%</WRAP> +======  App & Contact - Search Customization  ====== 
-<WRAP center notice centeralign> + 
-**⚠️ v4.0 UI Transition Notice - In Process:** +===== Master Your Search Layout ===== 
-//The release of Total Launcher v4.0 has introduced significant user interface changes. Please note that this  +Looking to completely customize your Total Launcher App Search and Contact Search layout? While Total Launcher's built-in specialty search widgets work great right out of the box, they lock you out of modifying the background, size, location, or animations. This uiTLM How-To guide walks you through bypassing these design limitations. You will learn how to build a fully tailored custom window, embed an app drawer widget, make your launch trigger invisible, and automatically open your keyboard on launch for a seamless, personalized Android experience 
-page does not yet reflect these updates. The new layout paths, folds, and visual maps are currently being  +<WRAP group> 
-compiled and will be deployed shortly.//+<WRAP centeralign column 25%> 
 +**▶ [[https://youtu.be/s_Z_-Pv0ixU|Click to Play on YouTube]]** 
 +{{:howto:howto-shortcut_add-frame_capture.webp?direct&110|Click **Above** to Play}}
 </WRAP> </WRAP>
-<WRAP hide>%%<!-- googleon: index -->%%</WRAP>+<WRAP info round vcenter column 60%> 
 +Total Launcher has built-in widgets for Apps and Contacts, which by default are shown on the page with an icon menu for adding, tagging, sorting, and searching. A keyboard does not show unless the "Search" icon is selected. 
  
 +There are also two Launcher Actions that will instantly bring up specialized widgets for these two categories, which //do//show the keyboard simultaneously. It is located at the top of the page, with the keyboard at the bottom. This special widget is //not// customizable in terms of background, size, or location. It will populate its container by searching for a topmost app drawer or contact drawer to show results. If it does //not// find an app or contact drawer, it opens the built-in window with an app or contact drawer.
  
 +If customization of position, size, or location //and// animation is desired, the suggested steps are shown below to supplement the video, since not all screen taps are visible to indicate which label was selected.
 +</WRAP>
 +</WRAP>
 +<WRAP clear />
  
----- +  - This video starts by showing text-based Launcher Action objects for App Search and Contact Search to understand the position and appearance of these built-in specialty widgets. It then begins the window creation process 
- +  - **Create a new window** 
- +      - Start in [[section:section-basic_editing|Edit mode]] and tap the Edit Off icon {{:ui:ui-icon_edit_mode-edit_off-v4.webp?direct&30}} to activate Edit On mode. 
-=====  App & Contact - Search Customization  ===== +      - Tap the object add icon in the upper right of the screen 
- +      - The Add dialog opens; select Graphic 
-Total Launcher has built-in widgets for Apps and for Contacts which by default are shown on the page with an icon menu for add, tag, sort, and search. A keyboard does not show unless the "Search" icon is selected.  +      - Select Image
- +
-There is also two Launcher Actions which will instantly bring up specialized widgets for these two categories which //does// simultaneously show the keyboard. It is located on the top portion of the page with the keyboard on the lower portion. This special widget is //not// customizable as to background, size, or location. It will populate it's container by searching for a topmost app drawer or contact drawer to show results. If it does //not// find and app or contact drawer it opens the built-in window with an app or contact drawer. +
- +
-If customization of position, size, or location //and// animation is desired, the suggested steps are shown below to supplement the video since not all screen taps are visible to aid in seeing what label was selected. +
- +
-  - This {{https://youtu.be/s_Z_-Pv0ixU?linkonly|video demo}} starts by showing text-based Launcher Action objects for App Search and Contact Search to understand position and appearance of these built-in specialty widgets. It then begins the window creation process +
-  - Create a new window +
-      - Start in Edit On mode +
-      - Tap object add icon in upper right screen +
-      - Add dialog opens, select Graphic +
-      - Select image (an image object briefly appears on screen but the Action-on-Tap dialog automatically follows)+
       - Select Window       - Select Window
-      - The Window dialog opens, listing the titles of any user-created windows. These windows have design characteristics which are retained and make using a window for //another// purpose destructive to the original use. Therefore, select the add icon +      - The Window dialog opens, listing the titles of any user-created windows. These windows have design characteristics which are retained and make using a window for //another// purpose destructive to the original use. Therefore, select the add icon {{:ui:ui-icon_add-white_on_black-v4.webp?direct&30}} 
-      - The title dialog open. Input a unique short name of the window (no spaces or use the underscore (_) only) since the Launcher will ask you to specify it later. Tap OK. +      - The title dialog opens. Enter a unique short name for the window (no spaces; use underscores (_) only), since the Launcher will ask you to specify this title later. Tap OK. 
-      - The window object now fully appears, selected, with it's default background (blue screen) +      - The window object now fully appears, selected, with its default background. 
-    - Customize the window +    - **Customize the window** 
-      - Briefly the Edit icon (white) appears for object re-location. See [[:section:#edit_an_object_setting_&_location|Editing an Object Setting & Location]]. Should the Edit icon disappear, a slight tap on the object will make it reappear. +      - Briefly, the Edit icon (white) {{:ui:ui-icon_object_edit-v4.webp?direct&25}} appears for object relocation. See [[section:section-basic_editing#edit_an_object_setting_&_location|Editing an Object Setting & Location]]. Should the Edit icon disappear, a slight tap on the object will make it reappear. 
-      - Unselect the object (tap in a blank area), then tap the default window icon to open the window (default is full screen) +      - Deselect the object (tap in a blank area), then tap the default window icon to open the window (default is full screen) 
-      - Re-size the window if desired by using the handles on each side (difficult at times to "grab" but keep trying). After re-sizing tap-hold the window object to move it to the desired position (alternatively use the Edit icon referred to above to position the object on the x-axis & y-axis value if precise values are required) +      - Resize the window if desired by using the handles on each side (difficult at times to "grab" but keep trying). After resizing, tap-hold the window object to move it to the desired position (alternatively use the Edit icon referred to above to position the object on the x-axis & y-axis value if precise values are required) 
-      - Tap the Option icon (gear) in the window's lower right corner to open the Window Option dialog.+      - Tap the Option icon {{:ui:ui-icon_option-25-v4.webp?direct&25}} in the window's lower right corner to open the Window Option dialog.
       - This demo will customize the window background. Tap Background and from the listing, select Image       - This demo will customize the window background. Tap Background and from the listing, select Image
-      - The user's Image resource dialog opens. If no suitable image exists, add one. Tap the Add icon and navigate to a device location or the cloud (direct website access is not available do download and place any acquired images before this step). Once the desired image is in resources, tap it. The image is now shown in the Background's thumbnail. +      - The user's Image resource dialog opens. If no suitable image exists, add one. Tap the Add icon, then navigate to a device location or the cloud (direct website access is not available for downloading and placing any acquired images before this step). Once the desired image is in resources, tap it. The image is now shown in the Background's thumbnail. 
-      - Back out (swipe right-to-left) to return to the page and see the window, selected, with the new image background. +      - Back out (swipe right-to-left) to return to the page and see the window selected, with the new image background. 
-      - De-select the window (tap any blank area). The default window icon still shows.  +      - Deselect the window (tap any blank area). The default window icon still shows.  
-    - Place an app drawer widget in the created window +    - **Place an app drawer widget in the created window** 
-    - Tap the object add icon in the upper right of the page +    - In the Page Design menu, tap the object add icon {{:ui:ui-icon_add-white_on_black-v4.webp?direct&25}} in the upper right of the page 
-    - From the Add dialog select Widget +    - From the Add dialog, select Widget. 
-    - This video demo will use the App Drawer widget. Tap it. The widget immediately appears centered on the page. In this case it is over the window object and must be re-located to allow access to the window object. Tap-hold the App Drawer widget and relocate it anywhere (it will be removed later). +    - This video demo will use the App Drawer widget. Tap it. The widget immediately appears centered on the page. In this case, it is over the window object and must be relocated to allow access to it. Tap-hold the App Drawer widget and relocate it anywhere (it will be removed later). 
-    - The App Drawer widget is still selected. In the top Object Design menu tap the copy icon to place a copy in the Launcher's memory. +    - The App Drawer widget is still selected. In the top Object Design menu, tap the copy icon {{:ui:ui-icon_copy-v4.webp?direct&30}} to place a copy in the Launcher's memory. 
-    - Tap the newly created Window icon to open the window previously re-sized and re-located. +    - Tap the newly created Window icon to open the window previously resized and relocated. 
-    - **VIDEO DEFICIENT** To paste the App Drawer widget into the open window, tap the object add icon (upper left) and tap the paste icon. The Window now contains the App Drawer copy. +    - **//VIDEO DEFICIENT//** To paste the App Drawer widget into the open window, tap the object add icon (upper right) and tap the paste icon {{:ui:ui-icon_add_paste-v4.webp?direct&30}}. The Window now contains the App Drawer copy. 
-    - Tap any blank area to remove the window focus and close the window. The default window icon remains visible. +    - Tap any blank area to remove the focus from the window and close it. The default window icon remains visible. 
-    - To change the default icon , select the window icon then tap the Object Design menu Option icon to open Edit Option dialog.+    - **To change the default icon**, select the window icon, then tap the Object Design menu Option icon to open its Edit Option dialog.
     - This video demo will only change the image (other options such as pressed and background are available) with the objective of making the icon //invisible// since the window will be activated by other means.     - This video demo will only change the image (other options such as pressed and background are available) with the objective of making the icon //invisible// since the window will be activated by other means.
     - Tap image to open the Image options dialog. Select Color     - Tap image to open the Image options dialog. Select Color
-    - The transparent color happens to have been previously used and is shown in the OK icon. Note the ARGB value of transparency (00000000). For more information on how to use this, see more discussion [[:ui:ui-generic-color_picker|here]]. Tap OK.+    - For an "invisible window icon," the color will be set to transparent, represented by an ARGB hex #. Replace the existing # with the value ''00000000''. For more information on using this Color Picker utility, see [[:ui:ui-color_picker|here]]. Tap OK.
     - Back out of the dialog by swiping right-to-left     - Back out of the dialog by swiping right-to-left
-    - The window object is shown, selected. Tap any blank area to de-select it ... see nothing ... tap the window "area" ... the window itself opens. +    - The window object is shown, selected. Tap any blank area to deselect it... see nothing... tap the window "area"... the window //itself// opens. 
-    - Further adjust the App Drawer container. Tap-hold the edge of the container (usually the lower left corner) to reveal the re-sizing handles or the now tap-hold the object centrally to move the container.  +    - //Further adjust the App Drawer container.// 
-    - Once satisfied, tap ouside the container to close the window. To re-open it, tap in the area of the now invisible window icon. +    - Tap-hold the edge of the container (usually the lower-left corner) to reveal the resizing handles, or tap-hold the object centrally to move the container.  
-  - Create an action to open the window for the customized app or contact search +    - Once satisfied, tap outside the container to close the window. To reopen it, tap in the area where the now-invisible window icon is. 
-    - Select the App Drawer/Window, then tap the Option icon the lower right corner of the container to open the Option dialog +  - **Set an Action to open the Window** 
-    - Notice the section "Gesture to close". This will be covered later. Scroll to the section "Action on open" and tap it +    - Select the App Drawer/Window, then tap the Option icon in the lower right corner of the container to open its Option dialog. 
-    - The dialog Action of Open opens. Scroll down to "App Search" and select it+    - Notice the section **Gesture to close**. This will be covered later. Scroll to the section **Action on open** and tap it 
 +    - The dialog Action on Open opens. Scroll down to "App Search" and select it
     - The Window Option dialog re-opens. Scroll up to "Gesture to Close" and select it.     - The Window Option dialog re-opens. Scroll up to "Gesture to Close" and select it.
-    - The Gesture to Close dialog open to its default "No gesture". This demo video selects "Swipe up" and the navigation returns to the Window option dialog. Back out of this by swiping right-to-left to return to the page with the App Drawer Window, selected. +    - The Gesture to Close dialog opens to its default "No gesture". This demo video selects "Swipe up" and the navigation returns to the Window option dialog. Back out of this by swiping right-to-left to return to the page with the App Drawer Window selected. 
-    - Tap any blank area to remove the focus and the window disappears. Tap the window area to open the App Drawer now with it's keyboard following. Swipe down to close.+    - Tap any blank area to remove the focus and the window disappears. Tap the window area to open the App Drawer now with its keyboard following. Swipe down to close.
     - Project completed!     - Project completed!
  
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