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How to bring one of the HTC One (M8)’s best features to your phone

Published May 5th, 2014 2:51PM EDT
HTC One M8 Best Features
Image: Zach Epstein, BGR

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Among the many impressive new features that HTC added with the HTC One (M8) was new “Motion Launch” functionality that gives you much more control over your device using simple gestures, such as the ability to both wake it up and put it back to sleep by double-tapping the display. Unfortunately, the only way to get this incredibly cool feature so far has been to buy an HTC One (M8)… until now, that is.

An XDA Forum member who goes by the name of Acela1230 has created a new app called Knockr that will bring features similar to Motion launch to any Android phone that has an OLED display. Among the gestures included in the first Knockr package are double-tapping to unlock the device, swiping from any side of the device to open up specified applications, and long-pressing the device to open up apps. Knockr’s developer says that it’s only possible to do this with phones with OLED screens so far, which means you’ll have to use a Galaxy S5, Moto X, or any other smartphone that comes with an OLED display.

The developer also warns that they’re still ironing out some of the bugs in Knockr so you shouldn’t expect a flawless performance right from the start. You can download Knockr for free from the Google Play store.

Brad Reed
Brad Reed Staff Writer

Brad Reed has written about technology for over eight years at BGR.com and Network World. Prior to that, he wrote freelance stories for political publications such as AlterNet and the American Prospect. He has a Master's Degree in Business and Economics Journalism from Boston University.