Introduction

Handcent is a replacement application for handling text messages. It offers a high degree of customization not available on the default texting application that comes on the Backflip. This article is an attempt to document the many options and menus available in Handcent.

Handcent Overview

Androlib Page
Developer's Page
Developer's Support Forum
Price: FREE (ad supported) Version: 3.1.1

Handcent is ad supported, but the only time you see the ads is when you are in the settings menus.

Getting Started

Installation

You can install Handcent from the Android Market. It has a file size of 1.99 MB.

Setting as Default

Go to your contacts and attempt to send a text message. You will see this dialog popup:

You can tap the check box to make your choice a default for sending text messages or you can just pick the application you want to use. If you do not set a default you will have to choose each time you take the same action. See the article Set Default Application for more information on setting and clearing default applications.

Shortcuts and Widgets

If you want to quickly access Handcent you can create a homescreen shortcut or use the widget that is included. See Add Item to Homescreen for the steps to add either of these to your homescreen.

This is the shortcut:

This is the widget:

The shortcut has a text label and the widget does not. The widget has the added functionality of displaying the number of unread messages you have. Both will open Handcent when they are tapped.

Main Window

This is the screen you see when you first run Handcent. On the top left is a shortcut to compose a new text and on the top right a shortcut to a "Quick Menu".

Settings opens the main settings menu. Both Release Notes and Faq open a blank window on my Backflip.

Main Menu

This is the menu you see when you tap the menu key on your phone.

Search

Selecting Search allows you to enter text and Handcent will search your messages to find it and display a list of messages that match.

Delete Threads

Tapping Delete threads brings up a confirmation prompt:

Selecting OK will delete all of your conversations

Mark all as read

Selecting Mark all as read will mark all of your unread texts as read. There is no confirmation prompt.

Batch Mode

Selecting Batch mode places a checkbox by each conversation:

Tap the checkbox to select the conversation(s) and then tap the menu key again:

You can now delete the conversations selected or cancel batch mode.

More

Selecting More opens a sub-menu:

From here you can select to view any delivery reports, view undelivered messages, or view the about screen for Handcent.

Menu->Settings

Selecting Settings from the main menu opens up the detailed customizations that are available in Handcent:

Application Settings

Language

Select to choose your language:

Auto-Rotate

Check the box if you want Handcent to change screen orientation when you rotate your phone.

Date & Tome Format

For choosing 12 or 24 hour time format. Can also be set to follow phone default.

Quick Text Settings

Quick Text is short snippets of text that you can insert into a message. Selecting Quick Text Settings opens this sub-menu:

From here you can add, edit or delete a phrase from the quick text list.

Add quick text dialog.

To delete a phrase tap the phrase and the button on the right will turn green and then select delete you will be asked to confirm:

You can only delete one phrase at a time.

To edit a phrase tap the phrase and the button on the right will turn green and then select edit. An edit box will open:

To use the Quick Text phrases when entering a message long tap the text input box:

Save Directory

This will allow you to set the directory that attachments are saved in:

Always Back Home

Checking this box will cause you to always return to Handcent's main screen when you exit from a conversation, even if you went directly to a text from the notification bar. If unchecked hitting the phone's back key when you go to a text directly will take you back where you were.

Action Key Type

You can turn the return key on your virtual keyboard into a key to insert smileys into your text.

Long pressing the smiley key will open a selection box for other smileys.

This does not work with all keyboards.

Auto text setting

Auto text is text that automatically substitutes for mis-spellings. There are settings in Handcent to create your own auto text - but I could not get it to work for me. Here is how it should work.

Selecting Auto text brings up a sub-menu:

There are two check boxes where you can turn on auto-capitalization and turn on the auto text feature.

If you tap the third choice you see this menu:

To view the auto text phrases that are built into the system tap Show sys autotext:

These are phrases that will be auto-corrected as you type. To return to the user list tap Show my autotext,

You can add your own phrases:

Tapping the phrase will turn the button at the right green and you can delete or edit the phrase. There is no confirmation prompt when you delete a phrase. You can not edit the source phrase, only the the destination. If you need to change the source text you have to delete it.

When you type the source text the destination text should replace it. This works for the system text pairs, but not for my test pair I created.

You can not edit or delete the system auto text pairs.

Auto on-screen keyboard

Checking this setting would make you believe that the on-screen keyboard should automatically open, but I can't figure out when it's supposed to. As far as I can tell this setting doesn't do anything on the Backflip.

Custom Style Settings

These settings effect the appearance of Handcent.

Skin

This allows you to select the application skin:

I can't tell the difference between the two.

Theme

This lets you select between a light and dark theme. The light these was used during these screenshots, the dark theme has light colored text and a dark background.

Conversation list settings

This is where you can really make Handcent your own as you can alter almost every aspect of the way it looks.

Reset returns the settings to their default values.

Display Contact Picture Let's you choose to show a picture of your contact on the main conversation listing page and what size it should be:

Background allows you to set a custom color or image to be used as the background of the main conversation screen:

Tap just below the tab to open a popup that will let you choose to use a color or an image:

The image selection box.

Tapping the icon or the thumbnail of the currently selected picture will allow you to change the background.

To be continued

This is a work in progress.