Use volume button, trackball to wake up your Android with No-Lock

Honestly, I’m a little concerned about my Nexus One at this point. I’ve heard plenty about the power button issues, and while I’m thankful that mine still works fine I worry that after some more use it will cease working. AndroidGuys put together an excellent post on how to get around the power button issue, but that involves rooting the device. I’ve thought about doing this many times, since I think it will help me use the device more fully and provide me with more insight on the full potential of Android. But I’m also reluctant to do so because of the power button issue. If I root it and then the power button goes I can’t send it back to HTC for a replacement. What’s a guy to do? Chances are that I’ll root the device soon enough. I had planned to wait until the warranty expired, but I’m just too impatient for that. I want to perform all those functions and install all those ROMs available only for rooted models. And yes, using the AndroidGuys guide I can circumvent the power button problem. Still, my reluctance remains. For now, I’m going to use another app recommendation from AndroidGuys, No-Lock.

This is an instance where the app name tells us most of what we need to know. Once you download and run No-Lock, you’ll see a big green lock in the center of the screen. Under that the text will say Locking enabled. In this mode your handset operates as usual. But when you click the green lock you’ll see it change to orange, as in the screenshot above. Now your Android won’t lock, even when the backlight times out. This means that you can wake up the device by pressing the trackball or the volume button. That should take some stress off the power button. The app isn’t perfect, though. When my Nexus sits in my pocket I often graze the volume button, and even occasionally the trackball. That can cause issues, since the phones wakes up not into lock mode but onto the last screen viewed. In other word, be prepared for possible pocket dialing instances. Also, putting the device to sleep manually exposes some glitches. In testing the app last night I would sometimes press the power button only to have the screen light back up after a second. Given its limitations, I wouldn’t consider No-Lock a viable long-term option. After talking with a number of Android users with rooted handsets, it sounds like TrackballWake is the best ROM-based option, and can actually be considered a permanent solution. For the time being I’ll use No-Lock to take some of the pressure off my power button, perhaps delaying the day I’ll have to contact HTC about a replacement. But once I root the handset I see no reason to continue using No-Lock. If you don’t mind the limitations or are similarly looking for a power button solution, you can get No-Lock for free in the Android Market.