My Moto G’s status bar (that expandable top bar where notifications are displayed) is never full of notifications. There’s always a lot of space available there that could be leveraged for example to add some frequently used app shortcuts or icons. You know tools like calculator, flashlight, note taking app etc.
If like me you want to avoid putting a new desktop on your Android to put this type of tools there, check out the following applications that will allow you to add application icons to the status bar, as well as system utilities that are missed in this area.
Bar Launcher
Simple utility to put application icons in the status bar. It only works to put applications there, but it does it quite well. Just use the “+” button at the bottom to add applications. You can add as many applications as you want. If you want to separate applications by groups, use the Add Row option. In the notification bar you can move between groups of applications by sliding to the right.
The Bar Launcher Priority setting allows you to adjust the position of the icon row in the notification bar. Choosing High Priority , for example, always sets the row of icons at the top of the status bar, scrolling notifications below it.
You can hide the app icon that appears in the notification bar from the settings. The icon disappears, but unfortunately the space it occupies cannot be removed.
Don’t forget to activate the switch on the top right of the Bar Launcher to activate it.
Notification toggle
This is a very good tool because, in addition to allowing you to put application icons in the notification bar, it also allows you to put tools or system utilities. For example, you can put the icon of the wifi, bluetooth, airplane mode, flashlight, camera, etc. It is very useful to allow adding the battery icon with percentage (absent in Android KitKat) and auto-rotation, something for which there is no direct access in the Motorola Moto G, for example.
This app allows you to add up to two rows within the notification bar. For each icon or shortcut, the application shows two available boxes. You have to mark one or the other, depending on whether you want to add the icon to the first or second row.
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The paid version allows you to add shortcuts to specific actions of certain applications. For example, it allows you to add direct access to the WhatsApp camera (to send a photo directly through this messaging app).
Bar shortcuts
This is an application that allows you to add application icons to the status bar, and also shortcuts for application-specific actions (the WhatsApp camera mentioned above, for example). Unlike Notification Toggle, this functionality is available for free at Bar Shortcuts.
The potential of this app is great, since it allows you to put in the notification bar shortcuts to contacts, speed dial and direct message to a specific contact, widgets and practically any shortcut available on Android.
The bad thing is that Bar Shortcuts occupies a row for each icon or access that it puts, so it fills the notification bar if many shortcuts are put.
These are probably the 3 best apps to put app icons (and other shortcuts) on the Android status bar. If you want to recommend any other similar application that has served you, please let me know in the comments.
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