How to disable the Dell Streak lock screen (and easily re-enable it)
Since the Dell Streak doesn’t have a hardware lock switch, the lock screen that appears whenever the device is turned on prevents accidental operation of the device. But if you use the Streak often and in quick bursts, having to press the Menu button to get past the lock screen every time you turn it on just gets in the way of the content you want.
Sometimes I’ll put my Streak down after using it and then pick it up again almost immediately because the notification sound goes off or I remember something I meant to do when I was using it earlier. Since I didn’t think I’d be using it again so soon, 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. Annoying!
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. And ScreenModeWidget (original version of what is now available as Screen Mode Widget Lite and Screen Mode Widget Pro) lets me do that.
Here’s how to use it to disable/enable the Dell Streak’s lock screen with a single tap:
- Install ScreenModeWidget from Android Market.
- Press and hold an empty area on the Streak’s home screen and select “Widget” from the “Add to Home screen” menu that appears.
- You’ll see two versions of ScreenModeWidget in the list. The large version is a three-icon bar (shown above) while the small version is a single icon that you tap to toggle between the three options. Select whichever one you want to use. I prefer the large version, personally.
- Choose whether you want the currently enabled screen mode’s icon to appear in the notification bar.
Now control your lock screen:
- When you want the Streak’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 Streak’s screen dim and turn off according to your timeout preference, tap the Awake Stay icon (crossed out moon and stars).
- When you want to disable the lock screen but also never let the Streak’s screen turn off, tap the Screen Stay icon (phone with antenna).
ScreenModeWidget is one of my most-used widgets, so it’s got a permanent spot on my main home screen.
