Disa and the Galaxy Gear
So I have a Galaxy Gear and Note 3. If any of you out there own a Galaxy Gear you will know that you can only use the stock messaging app if you want the ability to reply to text messages directly from the watch, without rooting and using a custom rom. But now there is a new alternative to the hideous stock messaging app and that is Disa.im. Disa.im is a new messaging app that is currently in open beta phase.
Disa is based off the Hangouts design principles and is a very good looking messaging app. Disa is also absolutely unique in the fact that it allows for integration of messaging and WhatsApp messages within the one app. They are currently working on including other messengers as well including but potentially not limited to Facebook Messenger and Hangouts.
How does it work?
1. What gives Disa.im the ability to allow for stock messaging notifications to be sent to the Gear is the option within the app to allow for SMS Fall Through. What this means is that all new received SMS will fall through to the stock app, triggering the stock notification hence sending that notification to the Gear. You can then reply to the messages from the Gear and the new message will be created and sent through the stock messaging app.
2. Normally this would create an issue in the fact that the new SMS sent from the Gear through through the stock messaging app would not show within the new messaging app, Disa, which is the case with a number of other after market messaging apps. But the good news is, Disa has another option which allows for Syncing of SMS/MMS with the Android message database. This allows for the apps to work in ‘Hybrid Mode’, so any messages sent from stock app will be in Disa and vice versa.
3. Having messages received by Disa, and falling through to the stock app, this would generate 2 notifications on the actual handset. If you turn off notifications within the stock messaging app, they won’t get generated and sent to the Gear, making this solution not really a solution at all. But… within Settings>General>Application Manager there is the option to turn off notifications for individual application. This seems to actually only turn off the visibility of the notification not the generation of the notification itself. So if we deactivate that for the stock messaging app, it still gets generated by the system and sent to the Gear, so when you get a text message, you only see the Disa notification on the phone and the stock messaging notification on the Gear.
4. Within Gear Manager you will only have to have notifications for stock Messaging app turned on. If you have Disa notifications turned on also you will get 2 notifications of a message on the Gear
IMPORTANT: Please be aware that Disa was not designed this way specifically for the Galaxy Gear, this is just something I noticed and worked through to come up with this particular solution. Please do not ask the Disa developers for support with issues with notifications on your Galaxy Gear.
Limitations:
The above will work perfectly if you choose to just use Disa.im as a SMS replacement app. If you choose to use Disa.im to have What’sapp messages as well then a choice needs to be made. The options are as follows:
1. Don’t turn on Disa.im notifications within Gear Manager. This will continue to work as mentioned above, but you wont get any notifications for What’sapp messages received through Disa.im
2. Turn on Disa.im notifications within Gear Manager. This will allow you to get Disa.im What’sapp notifications on the Gear but will cause you to also get Disa.im SMS notifications as well as stock messaging notifications. So every SMS you receive will have 2 notifications on the Gear. A good thing is though, the stock messaging notification will show on the Gear before the Disa.im one, so the only time you know that Disa.im one is there is when you go to Notifications area. So in practice, its not too bad.
To get it working you need the following:
Samsung Device running 4.3 Touchwiz
Galaxy Gear
Galaxy Gear Manager 1.6
Disa.im - Disa is currently in Beta and can be downloaded through their Google+ Community https://plus.google.com/u/0/communities/114009566886187417546
Google+ App
Steps to installation and Setup
When choosing which number to go down to, please see limitations above
Disa.im with text messages
1. Ensure device meets the above requirements
2. Go to Disa group above and apply for Beta Tester status and download the Disa app to your mobile device
3. Once Disa.im is downloaded, open the app and go to Settings, and click on ‘Add Service’.
4. Let the app find the relevant APN and then select ‘Sync SMS/MMS’ and ‘Fall Through’
5. Close the app
6. Open Android Settings, click General, Click Application Manager, swipe until you get to ‘All’ and find the Messages app in the list
7. Click it, and then uncheck the ‘Show Notifications’ check box
8. Open Gear Manager, select Notifications, ensure that Messages is ticked
9. Send yourself a test text message. Remember that the Gear only receives notifications when the phones screen is off.
Disa.im with text and WhatsApp but no WhatsApp notification on Gear
10. Do all of the steps above
11. If you have WhatsApp currently installed, uninstall it
12. Within the Google+ app, go to the Disa.im Community Group, click on Plugin Release (DO NOT POST) subsection
13. Find the latest WhatsApp plugin release post, click on the link and download the plugin
14. Once downloaded, Open Disa.im, go to Settings, and click on ‘Add Service’ and select WhatsApp
15. Set up the service the same way you do in the standard WhatsApp
16. Get a friend to send you a test WhatsApp
Disa.im with Text and WhatsApp and Notifications for both on Gear (double text message notif)
17. Do all of the steps above
18. Open Gear Manager, select Notifications, select More Notifications, ensure that Disa is ticked
19. Get a friend to send you a test WhatsApp. Remember that the Gear only receives notifications when the phones screen is off
I hope the above helps anyone that is over the stock messaging apps but wants the extra functions on the Galaxy Gear.
Hit thanks if this helped
Regards,
Dylan
Nice, will have to check it out
post screenshots please.
I followed your instructions and I get the notification sent to my gear. But how do I reply. I don't see anywhere to type a reply. Thought that was the whole idea of installing this.
Hi,
What do you need screen shots of? Disa? Or the whole process.
In relation to the notification on the gear, is it a notification from Disa or from the messaging app, you should be able to tell from the icon. Also, are you talking about reply to a normal text message? If your talking about a whatsapp notification then you still won't be able to reply. The solution is only for replying to text messages.
If the notification if for text messages and is a normal message notification on the gear, there is a button in the top right inside the notification, click that and you will get the option to reply.
Sent from my SM-N9005 using xda app-developers app
Replying on the galaxy gear is never typed unless you are rooted and have a keyboard installed. The reply can be done through s voice or through the preset replies.
Sent from my SM-N9005 using xda app-developers app
Oh wow thanks for this @Dylan_x10. I have the disa beta but had no idea this was possible. Will give it a try later!
Dylan_x10 said:
Hi,
What do you need screen shots of? Disa? Or the whole process.
In relation to the notification on the gear, is it a notification from Disa or from the messaging app, you should be able to tell from the icon. Also, are you talking about reply to a normal text message? If your talking about a whatsapp notification then you still won't be able to reply. The solution is only for replying to text messages.
If the notification if for text messages and is a normal message notification on the gear, there is a button in the top right inside the notification, click that and you will get the option to reply.
Sent from my SM-N9005 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i want to see how does the app look like on the gear.
tablet talk is really awfull.
What he is saying is that on the gear you will still be using stock app, but on the phone you will be using disa, since the stock messenger is crap but needed to send texts to the gear(stock)
Sent from my SM-N900T using Tapatalk
ktetreault14 said:
since the stock messenger is crap but needed to send texts to the gear(stock)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why is the stock messaging app "crap"??
I have used all the alternatives (Handcent, GoSMS etc.) & if you have the stock app themed etc. why isn't it just as good as anything else??
I actually use the stock app. Lmao but the OP doesn't. Crap is the first word I thought if lmao
Sent from my SM-N900T using Tapatalk
Personally I have been using Verizon Messages. Can't reply on Gear but get the notifications and able to read as normal. Plus syncs between stock app as well as cross platform. It also syncs all messages between my iPad and phone seamlessly. Its VZW's version of iMessage I suppose.
Sent from my SM-N900V
Hi all, i want to try disa on my galaxy note 3 but when i install GM 1.6 (the manual say that i need install the latest version) i don`t know why i can`t enter in notification menu. When i press the button my GM freezes so i can´t select any app to send or not notification to my gear, i only can check or uncheck the button to enable o disable all notifications. Also i tried to reinstall GM 1.6, do a hard reset on my gear (i have null19 installed) nd nothing :S
Any ideas? Thanks
EDIT: the problem was the null addon hehehe
So, how do I reply to whatsapps and text messages trough the Gear? I have to install Disa.im on the Gear?
Enviado desde mi GT-I9300 mediante Tapatalk
I really like the Google Hangouts as an SMS client, I also like the stock SMS notifications on my Gear. My problem is i wish to continue to utilize the Hangouts app for SMS while only receiving notifications from the stock app on my Gear. I know you can just enable Hangouts notifications via Gear Manager but when you receive multiple messages it collates them and loses content, in addition to not having the quick response capability. I've also tried the Disa.im messaging app. While this is cool I am not a huge fan and MMS is spotty on my Note 3. Thanks!
you can't do it. The gear relies on notifications from the phone.
1. if you turn off hangouts notifications for SMS, then you can get SMS client notifications, but you won't get hangouts for SMS on the phone
2. if you turn off SMS client notifications on the phone, then the Gear will never know to display the notification.
3. You could have hangouts AND the SMS client enabled on the phone, and only the SMS Client notifications enabled on the Gear, but then you'll have duplicate notifications on the phone, and you won't receive any non SMS hangouts notifications.
you can't win
omniwolf said:
you can't do it. The gear relies on notifications from the phone.
1. if you turn off hangouts notifications for SMS, then you can get SMS client notifications, but you won't get hangouts for SMS on the phone
2. if you turn off SMS client notifications on the phone, then the Gear will never know to display the notification.
3. You could have hangouts AND the SMS client enabled on the phone, and only the SMS Client notifications enabled on the Gear, but then you'll have duplicate notifications on the phone, and you won't receive any non SMS hangouts notifications.
you can't win
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
that blows... thanks for the response though.
When I upgraded to Kit Kat recently I noticed that you can now set the default text messaging app.
This presents a problem with my Gear 2 as I've noticed that when I set GoSMS as the default app, then I no longer get the Messages notifications on my Gear that I can reply to using the pre-defined macros. This is one of the things I like the most about my Gear 2.
I tried using GoSMS while the default app is active but it's extremely annoying asking me to set GoSMS as the default messaging after like every click so I started using the normal Messages client so I can still see the GoSMS popups.
Here's the problem, for some reason messages I was sending with the stock Messaging client were not sending, it was spinning forever. Then when I froze GoSMS in Titanium Backup all the messages that were spinning suddenly went out (like 6 of them to different peeps)
Does anyone know a way to make it work like it did in JB where I can use GoSMS for messages but still get the Messages notifications on my Gear 2 watch?
The only option I have for GoSMS notifications on the watch is to view them on the device. It won't even let me read them. I really liked the ability to text people "on my way" from my watch. Or simple yes, no, working on it, etc. Really convenient.
Thanks for the help guys.
Well i get notified by a pop up whenever i get a call and a text message.
Now i noticed i dont get a pop up notification for other apps, say whatsapp for example.
What i get is just the notification icon app on the gear to show the number of notifications recieved. So i dont know i have, say 4 whatsapp messages until i press the home button and wake it up.
Is that how the neo 2 is supposed to work, to only show pop ups notification for calls and text messages?
It's the other way round here, since the Gear manager software updated the only notification I get is emails the gear manager complains about "saprovider has stopped working" I wiped my phone and watch and still got the error. I just noticed today that the software has updated again so hopefully it will start working again. To set other notifications there are options in the gear manager to set what notifications you get on the watch.
Danh2009 said:
It's the other way round here, since the Gear manager software updated the only notification I get is emails the gear manager complains about "saprovider has stopped working" I wiped my phone and watch and still got the error. I just noticed today that the software has updated again so hopefully it will start working again. To set other notifications there are options in the gear manager to set what notifications you get on the watch.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Which phone do you have it paired with?
Galaxy S5 with the rom in my signature. Xtresolite I think. A touchwiz rom.
i had gear fit for few months and loved how I get all the notification from "HANGOUT" and all other chat apps (like Skype).
then I was hoping to answer phone call with gear not just denying the phone call with gear fit.
so I upgrade to gear 2 neo.
but this one can't seems to send "ANY" notifications if I use sms with google hangout.
I tried everything but still no go.
when I finally switch back from hangout to original Samsung sms app, then I get all the notifications along with other apps as well
is there any solution for this? I love google hangout app.
model number SM-R381
software version R381XXU0BNE5
is it because of new firmware?
I don't care replying sms through gear neo I just wanna have this pop up notifications.
with hangout enable, I don't even get vibration notice. I simply don't get any notifications.
I have one other question.
if I root this gear neo, can I delete all apps that I don't want to have?
PS:
if my questions are already went over, please direct me to the right direction please.
thank you in advance.
There is an option in the Gear manager app to adjust notifications.
Go to Notifications
Then Manage notifications
then you can either select all or go through and pick which apps. and make sure you select google hangouts.
In the Gear Manager you can edit the apps that will push their notifications to the Gear however only the stock apps really work. Apps such as hangouts or 3rd party sms apps you can only view the notification but not reply.