[GUIDE] Finally Remove the Bubble Menu on PSVita

[airturtle]

In 2011, the PSVita wanted to have the most modern look possible, so they decided to emulate Android and Apple phones in how they display their apps as small icons across multiple screen, and "Folders" containing multiple app icons inside them.

Today however, it feels out of place. Apps are not easy to find, tedious to open, and many prefer buttons over the touch screen on PSVita anyway. It also seems odd to reduce games like Wipeout 2024 and Uncharted: Golden Abyss to tiny app like icons which remind you of Candy Crush.

Luckily, the Bubble Menu on the PSVita can be removed entirely with a handful of homebrew apps.

1. Go to Github and download the latest release of:

"BlackSheepBoy69/HexFlow-Launcher-Unofficial-Custom"​

2. Use VitaShell on the PSVita to install the VPK you downloaded.

3. Launch the newly installed Hexflow bubble on your PSVita and select "Refresh Cache" from the App's menu.

4. Use VitaShell to rename the "applist.dat" file in ux0:data/Hexflow/ to "customsort.dat". Now, if there's any apps you don't wish to display in HexFlow (such as non-game homebrew apps), simply remove their lines of text from the file "customsort.dat". (You can still access them when needed by pressing Square to cycle around to the ALL category) But, for the most part you will want just games.

5. Go to Github and download the latest release of:

"DRok17/QuickLaunch-Installer"​

6. Use VitaShell on the PSVita to install the VPK you downloaded. (If you've recently done a database rebuild, you will need to open the PS Store app once, you don't need to log in, to populate the three advertisements that show on the bottom of the screen when you press the PS Button once)

7. Go to ux0:data/qlinstaller/ and edit the "whatsnew.xml" file in a text editor to choose the three apps you would like to launch from your PSVita without using Bubbles. Then go to ux0:/data/qlinstaller/zimg and use three .pngs of resolution 280x158 to represent these three apps. For me, my three buttons say "Files" "Games" and "Internet" which launch to Vitashell, Hexflow and the Web Browser. To launch the Web Browser instead of an app, use "wbapp0:" as the app you want to launch in "whatsnew.xml" (You can find all the Title ID's on the Vita Dev Wiki). At any rate, you will need to have Hexflow as one of the three buttons. Then launch the QuickLaunch Installer bubble on your vita and choose to install and reboot.

8. Now, you should have three apps which launch much faster than bubbles, just one click on the Home Button, and then one "X". However, you will still want to be able to launch all of your apps. For this, we will go to Hexflow, and notice how although both retail games and Homebrew apps appear, system apps such as Welcome Park, Videos, Settings, etc. do not. To get these to show up, simply open VitaShell and go to vs0:/app, and go down the list of folders and open the param.sfo file inside them to show the title of the app. Find the essential System apps you would still like to access, for me it's Photos, Music, Videos, and of course quite important is Settings. Now remember the folder name, and make an exact copy of the folder name in ux0:/app. Then, inside that new, empty folder with the same name, create a folder called "sce_sys" and inside that folder, copy and paste the param.sfo file. So you take vso:/app/TITLEIDOFAPP/param.sfo, copy it, and paste it in "ux0:/app/TITLEIDOFAPP/sce_sys/param.sfo". That's the only file you need in that folder. After doing this to keep your system apps you might want to launch, you don't need to rebuild the database, just open Hexflow and Refresh Cache. Now, the system apps show in Hexflow and be sure to add them to customsort.dat if you want them alongside your games. The one downside is, when you launch them from Hexflow, you get a single error message, simply press "X" twice to bypass it and open the app. For me, I don't really use the System apps. I just like to have them in the "ALL" category of Hexflow in case they're really needed, such as Settings.

9. Next, download from their official site:

"DB Browser for SQLite"​

10. On the PSVita, put all of your apps into folders, so that no app is not in a folder. Then, use VitaShell to copy ur0:/shell/app.db to the computer with the DB Browser you just downloaded, and open the app.db file with the DB Browser.

11. In DB Browser, under the "Edit Pragmas" tab, click the box for "Foreign Keys". Then under the "Browse Data" tab for "Table" select "tbl_appinfo_icon"

12. Then go down the list until you see the names of all the folders you put your bubbles into. For each folder, change the first box on the left (pageID, the page that the folder icon is displayed on) to "0". Then, under the next box to the right from that (the position of the folder icon) increase them incrementally, so your folders are displayed on "0" "1", then "0" "2" etc. just changing the first two boxes on the left. When all folders are on page "0" (ie: non-existent), click "File" then "Write Changes".

13. Copy the app.db you edited on your computer and use VitaShell to replace the one in ur0:/shell/app.db.

14. Reboot your PSVita.

You now have a PS Vita completely free from bubbles.

If you want them back, simply turn off your vita, then hold R, the Power Button and the PS Button. Then select "Rebuild Database". This will restore the bubble menu to your PS Vita.

 

[eyeliner]

I'd appreciate it if there was a pictograph of the end result.

 

[rudedoggx]

I'd appreciate it if there was a pictograph of the end result.

Likewise.

 

[Rich8606]

Any image of what it looks like? What does the UI turn into? A dropdown list? Grids? What is it?

 

[BlackSheepBoy69]

@Rich8606
@rudedoggx
@eyeliner
https://github.com/BlackSheepBoy69/HexFlow-Launcher-Unofficial-Custom

I'm honored people actually use it. Thought I'd chime in with a freshly made image showcasing everything. Note: requires RetroFlow installed to use the RetroFlow features (it reads from RetroFlow's data folder if you go in the start menu and hit 'RetroFlow: ON' in this app).

Seems he's installing everything... then he will be using QuickLauncher to be able to launch HexFlow Custom via double pressing the PS button... then modifying app.db to "hide" all his bubbles, so it'll only show like system settings/etc on the Vita home menu - "LiveArea"

@airturtle: if you add pics/links to the main post, I can delete this comment. Maybe you would also want to include saying like: (OPTIONAL) Autoboot: makes it so the first launch of HexFlow Custom will be automatic instead of having to press the PS button twice.

Just installing HexFlow Custom and stopping there would also be a good solution if you WANT bubbles, that's what I did for the longest time, but I'll probably try this when I get a second this weekend.

 

[superslider]

then modifying app.db to "hide" all his bubbles, so it'll only show like system settings/etc on the Vita home menu - "LiveArea"

You can even remove those too.

This is what the original guide intended:

Very cool of you to chime in.

I was wondering:

As you can see in Step 8, the only way to get "System" bubbles to be launchable in HexLauncher Custom, is to copy "vso:/app/TITLEIDOFAPP/sce_sys/param.sfo" and copy it to a second, fake "app" in "ux0:/app/TITLEIDOFAPP/sce_sys/param.sfo" Then those apps ie. System Settings, Welcome Park, etc. can be detected and launched from HexLauncher Custom.

However, I noticed in more recent versions, you added a Switch theme, and from that Switch theme, you directly launch System Settings. The difference is, when you launch System Settings from the above method, you get a quick, one time error you just have to skip past to open System Settings. I was wondering, is there any way you could update HexLauncher Custom to also display System Bubbles by default without needing to copy the param.sfo to a second, fake location.

Another thing is I was having trouble with the latest release of HexLauncher Custom, I think if I launch VitaShell and mount the Vita as USB Storage, after that HexLauncher won't open and will give an error code, so, I had to go back to an older version that didn't do that.

Thanks.

 

[BlackSheepBoy69]

@superslider
This would be better discussed on the Github but anyway, I have had the VitaShell error you mention, but for me it prevented ALL apps from launching. If you restart your Vita they seem to work again. Seems to be an issue with VitaShell I think, maybe related to closing out of VitaShell before it finishes "processing" all the files you've added/removed. I don't know why you would want to open system settings as a bubble instead of HexFlow Custom's new feature in v2.2 where you can access it from 'Start Menu>Utilities>System Settings'. Doesn't require you to be in SwitchView since you can just get to it from the start menu.

Which system apps do you have bubbles for, I wonder? Also, what is the "quick, one time error you just have to skip past to open System Settings" as a bubble?

Also those rectangle icons you have for "Files" "Games" "Internet" are very cool!

 

[zebragreen]

@superslider
This would be better discussed on the Github but anyway, I have had the VitaShell error you mention, but for me it prevented ALL apps from launching. If you restart your Vita they seem to work again. Seems to be an issue with VitaShell I think, maybe related to closing out of VitaShell before it finishes "processing" all the files you've added/removed. I don't know why you would want to open system settings as a bubble instead of HexFlow Custom's new feature in v2.2 where you can access it from 'Start Menu>Utilities>System Settings'. Doesn't require you to be in SwitchView since you can just get to it from the start menu.

Which system apps do you have bubbles for, I wonder? Also, what is the "quick, one time error you just have to skip past to open System Settings" as a bubble?

Also those rectangle icons you have for "Files" "Games" "Internet" are very cool!

Music, Videos, PS4 Remote Play, PS3 Remote Play, etc. There's a way of getting them to populate in HexFlow, but it involves copying like they said the param.sfo from uv0 to ux0. It will then populate these apps in HexFlow, but, when you open it you get Error C2-12570-5, then you just click okay and open the bubble again (which you are able to launch from HexFlow without actually having the bubble on your home screen)

 

[BlackSheepBoy69]

I didn't realize there was this much demand for putting system apps in HexFlow. It makes sense if it's for the purpose of "finally removing the bubble menu".

@zebragreen
You know how in VitaShell, if you hit Triangle, it will be like right-clicking a file on PC? How it will bring up that little sidebar with options like Copy, Paste, Rename File, etc? In the non-public version of HexFlow Custom, this comes up if you hit "Select". It's a little almost-transparent sidebar like VitaShell's sidebar... it has a "Search" button at the top and below it you can access or manage all your "collections" such as CustomSort, Favorites, "Action", "Mario", "Puzzles"... etc. Would it be an acceptable solution for you if I made a collection near the top called "All Utilities" and it will have all your stuff like PS3 Remote Play and etc? It'll just inject them into the category, you wouldn't need to have actually copied your system apps from uv0 to ux0. If that's done, I might replace Start Menu>Utilities with Start Menu>RetroFlow Settings because I've been trying to find a good place to put that. (Off-topic: I saw your HexFlow Covers, working to add those to the archive when I get a sec)

@superslider
I didn't hide ALL the bubbles for fear of messing up my Vita, but if you do (as you said), then when you boot up your Vita, does it put you in the blank LiveArea, or straight into the Quick Launch area (like in your first screenshot where it says "Files Games Internet"?

 

[yuyuyup]

cool I didn't know you could totally boot right into a different launcher, I wonder if this could save battery (considering the constant jiggling animations of the "charms," and maybe other system resources consumed)

 

[zebragreen]

I didn't realize there was this much demand for putting system apps in HexFlow. It makes sense if it's for the purpose of "finally removing the bubble menu".

@zebragreen
You know how in VitaShell, if you hit Triangle, it will be like right-clicking a file on PC? How it will bring up that little sidebar with options like Copy, Paste, Rename File, etc? In the non-public version of HexFlow Custom, this comes up if you hit "Select". It's a little almost-transparent sidebar like VitaShell's sidebar... it has a "Search" button at the top and below it you can access or manage all your "collections" such as CustomSort, Favorites, "Action", "Mario", "Puzzles"... etc. Would it be an acceptable solution for you if I made a collection near the top called "All Utilities" and it will have all your stuff like PS3 Remote Play and etc? It'll just inject them into the category, you wouldn't need to have actually copied your system apps from uv0 to ux0. If that's done, I might replace Start Menu>Utilities with Start Menu>RetroFlow Settings because I've been trying to find a good place to put that. (Off-topic: I saw your HexFlow Covers, working to add those to the archive when I get a sec)

Sounds like an excellent solution! You could call the category System Apps, and then yeah you could fit RetroFlow settings in the current location. Only thing that might be good is being able to display the System Apps alongside customsort.dat as superslider and I have both used a cover for Welcome Park, which is sort of a "Game" alongside the other games.

This is a super personalised request (you don't need to include this) but it would be cool if I could have customsort.dat for "Games" and then create a second custom sort list for "Apps" where I hand pick my homebrew apps and display them also alongside System Apps. Although that kinda sounds like what you're describing with adding things to categories.

Cool to think you'll include my covers in the automatic download, glad it can benefit others than myself!

Seriously great work in creating HexLauncher Custom!

Post automatically merged: Jul 1, 2023

cool I didn't know you could totally boot right into a different launcher, I wonder if this could save battery (considering the constant jiggling animations of the "charms," and maybe other system resources consumed)

That isn't what this is, this is using a few different home brew apps in co operation to work around and avoid the need to ever launch games from a bubble, then removing the bubbles themselves while keeping the Vita fully usable.

 

[MitsukiUchiwa]

Just bought a Vita and saw this thread... That's amazing, thanks for the hard work!

 

[BlackSheepBoy69]

@airturtle
I ran into an issue. The guide says put the apps into folders then manually "hide" the folders, but once you hide ~500 apps, the vita literally won't let you put them in folders because they won't even generate on the LiveArea - it considers hidden bubbles as valid and thinks you have too many when you go over 500, refusing to generate them. I gave up on folders and just moved all the apps individually to hidden by setting field #1 (pageId) to 0 and field #2 (pos) to a unique number for each app. Once you reach a certain point, it won't even let you do that so you need to do it like this:

Set "pos" to 999 (maybe even a higher number if you have more than 999 apps installed)
Set "pageId" to 0
Set "pos" to a unique number for each app (ex: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, so on...)

While following airturtle's guide, when you get to the part where you are setting stuff to 0 in SQLite, you can instead just highlight an app's "pos" in the "Browse Data" section of SQLite, then press F2, then you can run this autohotkey script to do it automatically with each press of the capslock button:

derp:=0

capslock::
Send 999{enter}
Sleep, 50
Send {enter}{left}{f2}0{enter}
Sleep, 50
Send {enter}{right}{f2}%derp%{enter}
Sleep, 50
Send {enter}{down}{f2}
derp++
Return

If you aren't familiar with setting up an autohotkey script (installing autohotkey, right clicking the desktop and hitting "new autohotkey script", right clicking it and hitting edit and putting in the above script, saving, then double clicking the script so you'll now be able to run it by pressing capslock) then you might be in over your head and might be better just keeping the bubbles around for now so you don't mess anything up. Try it at your own risk, I don't want to be liable for anything. Overall it isn't that hard though I think.

Also, if you hide a lot of apps at once, your very next startup will be very slow, but it will be fast after that.

 

[zebragreen]

@airturtle
I ran into an issue. The guide says put the apps into folders then manually "hide" the folders, but once you hide ~500 apps, the vita literally won't let you put them in folders because they won't even generate on the LiveArea - it considers hidden bubbles as valid and thinks you have too many when you go over 500, refusing to generate them. I gave up on folders and just moved all the apps individually to hidden by setting field #1 (pageId) to 0 and field #2 (pos) to a unique number for each app. Once you reach a certain point, it won't even let you do that so you need to do it like this:

Set "pos" to 999 (maybe even a higher number if you have more than 999 apps installed)
Set "pageId" to 0
Set "pos" to a unique number for each app (ex: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, so on...)

While following airturtle's guide, when you get to the part where you are setting stuff to 0 in SQLite, you can instead just highlight an app's "pos" in the "Browse Data" section of SQLite, then press F2, then you can run this autohotkey script to do it automatically with each press of the capslock button:

derp:=0

capslock::
Send 999{enter}
Sleep, 50
Send {enter}{left}{f2}0{enter}
Sleep, 50
Send {enter}{right}{f2}%derp%{enter}
Sleep, 50
Send {enter}{down}{f2}
derp++
Return

If you aren't familiar with setting up an autohotkey script (installing autohotkey, right clicking the desktop and hitting "new autohotkey script", right clicking it and hitting edit and putting in the above script, saving, then double clicking the script so you'll now be able to run it by pressing capslock) then you might be in over your head and might be better just keeping the bubbles around for now so you don't mess anything up. Try it at your own risk, I don't want to be liable for anything. Overall it isn't that hard though I think.

Also, if you hide a lot of apps at once, your very next startup will be very slow, but it will be fast after that.

Sounds like a homebrew developer could come up with something better than SQLite, just a drag and drop Windows App where you drag your app.db and it instantly hides all bubbles.

 

[BlackSheepBoy69]

@zebragreen
RetroFlow already has some code for messing with databases. It could probably be taken and repurposed to hide apps as soon as it notices they've been added, but it's one of those features like "the ability to uninstall apps" and "the ability to overclock individual apps" where it would be kind of cool, but there's a huge liability if it messes up someone's vita. I worry about this because I don't want to be sued. Someone else might be able to get it to work

 

[zebragreen]

@zebragreen
RetroFlow already has some code for messing with databases. It could probably be taken and repurposed to hide apps as soon as it notices they've been added, but it's one of those features like "the ability to uninstall apps" and "the ability to overclock individual apps" where it would be kind of cool, but there's a huge liability if it messes up someone's vita. I worry about this because I don't want to be sued. Someone else might be able to get it to work

Since it only changes one file on the Vita (app.db), and app.db can be restored instantly at any time by holding R, Power and PS then rebuilding database (ie. reinstating the stock app.db), I don't think it's possible.

 

[zebragreen]

@BlackSheepBoy69
Was thinking about it today, not sure what you're working on, but in an ideal world, there would be another Category like "Homebrew" and "Custom", and another category called "System Apps". From there you could use the small perfectly square icons you already use, and retrieve the bubble icon images for each System App. So all the System Apps would look neat in a new category called System Apps. From there, just the ability to include those apps also in "Custom" by adding them to customsort. Then I could use your override feature to display, for instance, Welcome Park and override it as a PSVita game so it shows as a box.

 

[BlackSheepBoy69]

@zebragreen
Probably system apps will only be available in the "System Apps" collection, and not in any category or other collection because they have to be manually injected into the collection, otherwise it would slow startup times a lot. Also as I said, it might be good to post ideas as "issues" on the GitHub if you have a GitHub account (they will accept a fake/'temporary' email, I tested it), then we wouldn't have to flood this topic with replies. Though it would probably be fine to keep posting here as long as the moderators don't say anything

 

[zebragreen]

@zebragreen
Probably system apps will only be available in the "System Apps" collection, and not in any category or other collection because they have to be manually injected into the collection, otherwise it would slow startup times a lot. Also as I said, it might be good to post ideas as "issues" on the GitHub if you have a GitHub account (they will accept a fake/'temporary' email, I tested it), then we wouldn't have to flood this topic with replies. Though it would probably be fine to keep posting here as long as the moderators don't say anything

It's all good since it's directly related to removing the bubble menu, by adding system apps to hexflow.

I think that solution sounds great! Don't need to have the system apps in custom, a new scrolling menu with all the system apps will work great.

Wishing you the best of luck, thanks again for your amazing app, after all it's your app which makes this whole guide possible, especially the way you prioritise the boot time is amazing since it makes using the quick menu to launch games actually practical.

 

[Howchie]

I like the bubbles...