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How to disable the HTC EVO lock screen (and enable it again with ease)

Htc-evo-screen-modeThe lock screen that appears every time the HTC EVO 4G is turned on is great at preventing accidental operation of the phone, but it can be also be incredibly annoying. If you use the device frequently but only for quick bursts of time, having to swipe the screen to unlock the EVO just gets in the way of the content you want.

Sometimes I'll use my EVO for a minute to look something up online, put it down, and then pick it up again almost immediately because the notification light blinks for an incoming email or I think of something I want to check for in Android Market. Since I didn't anticipate picking it up again so soon after my last use, I turned off the screen when I put it down the first time, which of course means that I need to turn it on and unlock it again.

While disabling the lock screen permanently may seem like the obvious solution here, I don't want to never be able to lock the screen. I only want to bypass the lock screen sometimes, like when my EVO is sitting next to me at home and is no danger of accidental operation.

That's why I keep a small widget called ScreenModeWidget on my main home screen.

Htc-evo-screen-mode-market

It's the original version of what is now available as Screen Mode Widget Lite and Screen Mode Widget Pro. The new versions didn't exist when I started using it on my Nexus One and I'm a creature of habit, so I like and am sticking with ScreenModeWidget.

Here's how to use it to disable/enable the HTC EVO's lock screen with a single tap:

  1. Install ScreenModeWidget from Android Market.
  2. Tap the "+" button at the bottom of the EVO's home screen and tap Widget.
  3. Select the large or small version of the widget from the list. The large version (first image below) is a three-icon bar, while the small version (second image below) is a single icon that you tap to toggle between the three options.
  4. Choose whether you want the currently enabled screen mode's icon to appear in the notification bar.
  5. Now tell your lock screen what to do!
  • When you want the EVO's lock screen to behave normally, select the Sleep Auto icon (moon and stars).
  • When you want to disable the lock screen but also let the EVO's screen dim and turn off according to your timeout preference (Settings -> Sound & display -> Screen timeout), tap the Awake Stay icon (crossed out moon and stars).
  • When you want to disable the lock screen but also never let the EVO's screen turn off, tap the Screen Stay icon (old-school phone with antenna).

Htc-evo-screen-mode (1)

Htc-evo-screen-mode (2)

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Jenn K. Lee

Jenn K. Lee is the founder of Pocketables. She loves gadgets the way most women love shoes and purses. The pieces in her tech wardrobe that go with everything are currently the Samsung Galaxy Note II, Sony Tablet P, and Nexus 7, but there are still a couple of vintage UMPCs/MIDs in the back of her closet.

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