Android Thread: *Checks thread* JFC.

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Inspect Your Gadgets > Android Thread: *Checks thread* JFC.

Desk Lamp: Jun 30, 2014

Bright Bart posted:

Is there any way to ignore phone calls without rejecting them? Or at least both silence the ring/vibration AND minimize the call popup that takes up 20% of the screen? The first you can do by pressing the volume button to silence the notification. Flip to Shhh also works if turned on. But the popup is still there. I'm using a Samsung phone if that matters and would really appreciate some help. There are so many reasons I want this. From certain family members calling every thirty seconds if I reject their call, to employees I don't want to offense but can't answer yo even say I'm busy, to just wanting to watch a movie without having to let an unkiwn number ring out.

Google doesn't give me much optimism. But then again a lot of the "answers" to people asking for this are e.g. 'just block unkown numbers and tell your family and friends your schedule ahead of time' or 'if you're too busy to pick up and tell them to call later you're too busy to be using your phone screen so just let it ring out' or, and I'm not kidding, 'try asking Google Assistant to take you to a page if the popup is blocking your address bar'. This doesn't mean there isn't a method. There might not be. But it could just be internet people being dicks.

Do you mean the pop-up that shows up when you get a call while you're actively using the phone? You can just swipe that away and keep using the phone. If you change your mind, you can still answer the call from your notification bar.

# ¿ Sep 21, 2023 13:25

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# ¿ May 16, 2024 11:47

Desk Lamp: Jun 30, 2014

Bright Bart posted:

Thank you for helping brainstorm, everyone!

But most thanks to Desk Lamp because it worked! Verified it with my friend calling just now.

Get a call. Press volume bar to silence. Then swipe left (which I presumed would answer the call).

Popup removed, call still going and can be taken from the notifications, friend doesn't get sent to voicemail right away like when a call is decline.

Happy to help, Android phones are full of little tricks and features, and with all the different versions out there, it can be hard to Google for them. Another little known trick is that you can swipe down on incoming notification pop-ups to open them in a pop-up window. Or, if you missed the pop-up, you can drag a notification from the shade to open it in a window or snap it to either half of your screen. It's pretty handy when you want to respond to a notification, but don't want to move away from whatever else you're doing on the phone.

Pvt. Parts posted:

Where do you swipe left from? Just anywhere on the call popup (that's not the accept/decline sliders)?

You just swipe the pop-up away. It can be any direction as long as you have it set to only show a pop-up for incoming calls while the phone is in use. There's probably a way to do it if you have it set to full screen as well, but there's no reason you should have incoming calls set to take up the whole screen while the phone is in use.

# ¿ Sep 21, 2023 21:30

Desk Lamp: Jun 30, 2014

DaveSauce posted:

Two questions:

1) Is there a recommended way to remote desktop in to an android device? This would be within the same network, not over the internet. GUI is important here, command line won't do it.

2) The above mentioned tablet is an old Galaxy Tab 4 10.1, SM-T530NU. Stuck on Android 5 I believe? I rooted it for fun way back, and then unrooted it, but now it refuses to check for updates because the system has been changed or something. Apps can update, but the OS won't. Is there an easy way to restore this back to factory? No idea what version I can get up to with it, but I'd like to be a little more current if possible, it's just that the system is just refusing to even check for anything.

You can remote into Galaxy phones and tablets from Windows PCs using the built-in Link to PC function, but I don't know if a tablet that old supports it.

# ¿ Sep 22, 2023 15:16

Desk Lamp: Jun 30, 2014

Bright Bart posted:

I own several Samsung SmartTags and SmartTag+s. They're cool and have been useful if only for peace of mind. But all of them beep randomly. Sometimes they'll go for days without a peep and then beep three times in an hour. It's annoying in the evening especially.

Google isn't helpful. Queries on this just suggest you may have some weird batteries that the app shows at full charge yet are dying out of the pack. Or a virus. But I tried different name brand batteries. And a virus affecting SmartTags? Plus my neighbour has them and hers do the same thing.

Went to the Samsung service centre and they shrugged saying they've heard complaints before but never learned from Samsung what it is or how to fix the issue.

They beep when the button is pressed. Are you sure the button isn't getting accidentally pressed in a pocket or something like that?

# ¿ Sep 29, 2023 18:47

Desk Lamp: Jun 30, 2014

Bright Bart posted:

Yeah. It happens even when they're on my couch while I'm in bed, or on the desk at work.

It's also not the beep of a press. Or the one they make when settings are changed in the app on your phone.

The only reason I could think for the beeping is that they are pinging off of unrelated devices. As part of the anti-stalking measures, the tag will beep if it detects that it is "following" an unconnected device (for example, to alert you that someone put a tag under your car seat to track you) It's possible that however you set up your tags, they're spending more time connected to an unrelated device. In fact, it could be the reason it happens to your neighbor as well.

# ¿ Sep 29, 2023 19:12

Desk Lamp: Jun 30, 2014

HelixFox posted:

For what it's worth, the same app (AccuBattery) was estimating around 7 hours of screen on time on my Pixel 7a, with the same usage patterns (on my desk for most of the day, but heavy use when I'm on the train)

Edit: from a couple of days ago where 3h38m of screen time used up 16% battery. It's really good.

Not to take away from the battery being good, it certainly is... I may be wrong, but I think it's telling you that 3h38m was 16% of the total time used off the charger, not that the screen only used 16% of the battery.

# ¿ Sep 29, 2023 23:36

Desk Lamp: Jun 30, 2014

Bright Bart posted:

Thanks for the suggestion. As far as I know the anti-stalking feature is limited to scanning for unknown tags in the vicitinity that follow you. I don't think they make an occassional beep at seemingly random intervals. Why they would do this rather than let you you know on your app would be beyond me. I *suppose* they could be designed to beep so that you know there's a SmartTag nearby. It would be far from effective, but it could be done. Yet my tags were doing this before anti-stalking rolled out.

My thought was that they might beep when being detected by another Samsung device. But no idea why this would be. And why only one would beep and not the others would again be beyond me.

I guess unless someone has knowledge Google and Samsung service centres don't I'm going to have to live with it.

Easy way to test it. Take your neighbor's tag for a ride in your car. Once it disconnects from her phone and is only connected to yours, it should start to beep.

# ¿ Oct 1, 2023 04:24

Desk Lamp: Jun 30, 2014

All Pixels were supposed to be getting the updates at the same time for years now, I don't think this means anything will change on that front. More importantly though, I know we're all phone nerds here, but it's 2023. I know most of us come from the days when a new update meant finally being able to take a screenshot without having to root your phone, but nowadays it's really not necessary to smash the update button as soon as a release is announced. Just enjoy the phone and install the update when it shows up. The time you spend sideloading the update cause you couldn't wait a day would be better spent enjoying your perfectly capable phone.

# ¿ Oct 5, 2023 17:21

Desk Lamp: Jun 30, 2014

FistEnergy posted:

https://www.androidpolice.com/google-pixel-8-hands-on-b/

Disappointing if true. We'll see; I definitely don't feel any pull to upgrade from a P7 immediately. A big efficiency boost to improve from the P7s mediocre battery life would be the biggest draw for me.

I bet all those missing features will eventually be added to the regular Pixel 8. I'm guessing most of them will end up available to anyone with a Google One subscription as well.

# ¿ Oct 6, 2023 04:10

Desk Lamp: Jun 30, 2014

Is your system storage full (or near full)? Sync tends to go screwy when there's little to no storage space left.

# ¿ Oct 8, 2023 20:48

Desk Lamp: Jun 30, 2014

UncleGuito posted:

Well the trade off is that it's much more secure and as a result can offer features like face unlock for payments and logins.

They're the same class biometrics and both can be used for payments and logins.

# ¿ Oct 12, 2023 13:23

Desk Lamp: Jun 30, 2014

THF13 posted:

You're not crazy, this happens to me when I drive pass the entrance/exit to one of the major NYC tunnels. I always assumed there's some government tech doing something that doesn't need to comply with normal spectrum limits and it just overpowers the AA adapter.
Audio I'm listening will sometimes cut out without AA fully disconnecting, and it reconnects a lot faster than 2 minutes, but may just be my spot is further from the government AP of doom than your spot.
Here's my spot if anyone's curious. https://www.google.com/maps/@40.679...i8192?entry=ttu

Wireless AA is pretty sensitive to interference in the 5ghz spectrum. Things like driving through an EZPass toll booth will make it cut out for a few seconds until you get clear.

# ¿ Oct 14, 2023 06:02

Desk Lamp: Jun 30, 2014

CaptainSarcastic posted:

Motorola support has been such absolute utter poo poo since Lenovo acquired them that it has soured me on Lenovo across the board. I want to get a gaming laptop in the relatively near future, and know some Lenovos are well-regarded, but I just can't trust them as a company because of how astonishingly terrible they made Motorola.

Motorola was already terrible before Lenovo. They had a grand total of one timely update in the Google days and coasted on the undeserved rep they got from it for years. But their support was always terrible. It's never been good.

# ¿ Oct 21, 2023 23:59

Desk Lamp: Jun 30, 2014

They're saying all of the Pixel 8 Pros AI wizardry is actually done on the cloud. If so, the chances of them coming to Google One subscribers just went up quite a bit.

# ¿ Oct 25, 2023 20:05

Desk Lamp: Jun 30, 2014

repiv posted:

it's a mixture, the super fancy generative AI stuff runs on the cloud, but magic eraser, which ran on the cloud with an older pixel or non-pixel, runs locally instead on the pixel 8

Both Google's and Samsung's magic erasers run locally on Galaxy phones.

I'm guessing even Video Boost will be available on older phones.

# ¿ Oct 25, 2023 23:31

Desk Lamp: Jun 30, 2014

Nalin posted:

My Pixel 8 Pro wouldn't let me use Magic Eraser until I "backed up" my image to the cloud.

Might be a restriction on the Pixel 8 Pro specifically so it can prime the image for all the other AI stuff in case you want to use it. I had no problems.

# ¿ Oct 26, 2023 00:54

Desk Lamp: Jun 30, 2014

bull3964 posted:

Once again, it can't.

Video boost captures per frame meta data in real time and you need a dual gain sensor to get that data and only the Pixel 8 series has that with the GNV sensor. This is one of the ones that most definitely has a hardware component. It's not just AI enhancement of video, it's using exposure meta data at capture time to process the final video output using algorithms that can't run at 30-60fps yet.

Google may eventually trot out some other AI video enhancement, but it's not going to be the same as Video Boost.

Pixel 8 actually has TWO magic erasers. The one that's just a button in photos uses infill painting and runs on the device. If you hit the other icon in the lower left, you can use the enhanced magic eraser inside magic editor that uses generative AI to fill. That's the one that has a cloud component.

Fair enough, I am certainly no expert. So you are saying that the Pixel 8 is the only phone on the market with the hardware capable of capturing this metadata?

# ¿ Oct 26, 2023 04:00

Desk Lamp: Jun 30, 2014

bull3964 posted:

No, the GNV specifically is used by some vivo phones I believe. I also think the ISOCELL HP2 in the S23U has dual gain too.

However just having the capture hardware doesn't mean the devices could ever be capable of producing the proper input. The video is preprocessed on the G3 using the ML hardware to produce the metadata.

So, it's likely not going to be as simple as side loading an APK as the necessary preprocessing is on the custom part of the SoC and just flat out wouldn't be able to run on the run of the mill Snapdragon or Dimensity.

If the G3 can do it, I don't really see a reason why the Snapdragon couldn't.

# ¿ Oct 26, 2023 14:21

Desk Lamp: Jun 30, 2014

bull3964 posted:

The processing is not running in the ARM cores. It's running in the tensor silicon in the SoC which is fully custom to Google. You would basically have to emulate the tensor DSPs.

There's more to G3 than a handful of ARM cores that Samsung helped tape out. There's a chunk of fully custom silicon there that runs Google's ML models and those are unique to the SoC.

I get that there's custom silicon in Tensor. However, that does not make it a unique piece of technology capable of feats other chips just can't do. There's been nothing to suggest that a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 or an A17 wouldn't be able to run the same processes.

Then again, I'm no expert, so time will tell I suppose.

# ¿ Oct 26, 2023 17:58

Desk Lamp: Jun 30, 2014

bull3964 posted:

You can’t just run code written for a custom instruction set on a different processor.

There’s nothing preventing a different manufacturer from doing the same feature and running it on SD8 Gen 3, but you can’t just run the same code that google is using. It would be like stuffing a PS3 game into an Xbox and expecting it to work without an emulator.

So, to get another phone to use the video boost feature, you would need.

Dual gain image sensor
Custom ISP firmware that captures specific metadata in realtime and encodes it properly in the video file.
Extraction and emulation of ML preprocessing of the video.
Spoofing the P8P to Photos so that it uploads it for processing.

I can potentially see someone getting it to work on the base Pixel 8 (though i still suspect a processor binning situation there.)

We are essentially in agreement. You originally stated that it couldn't be done because of the GNV; then you said it was because of the Tensor G3; now you're saying it can be done you just need to code it and that someone might get it to work.

I'm not talking about some random on XDA, I'm saying Google themselves might eventually open the feature to Google One premium users. They made the thing, and they can code it to run on other chips. They also have the incentive to do so: Google wants as many people as possible using their services, feeding their Deep Mind AI, and gobbling up ads. A handful of Pixel sales is probably worth less to them than millions of potential subscribers.

Again, I'm no expert, but the only barrier I see would be Google not wanting to do it.

# ¿ Oct 26, 2023 19:05

Desk Lamp: Jun 30, 2014

bull3964 posted:

You aren't getting it.

Unless google goes into a partnership with someone like Samsung and gets them to add specific features into the firmware of the phone, it's not happening.

There are specific things that have to be recorded at capture time and that requires the ISP firmware to do so. Maybe google could write the preprocessing for Video Boost to work on other chipsets and include it in the Google Photos app, but you still need the capture time data that you need a specific type of sensor to do and the hardware image processing pipeline has to be written to do it. So, while the S23U has a dual gain sensor, the ISP would have to be updated (something only Samsung could to) to record the necessary metadata for the processing to work on.

As for other Pixel phones, their camera sensors lack the necessary hardware for the feature, full stop. They can't pass the first hurdle.

And this is ALL assuming that the ML model is flexible enough to use data from the HP2 the same as the GNV and not tuned to the specific camera attributes like assumed aperture and known metering system.

You're saying it won't be done unless Google does it, which is essentially the same thing I'm saying. We agree it is possible but disagree on the likelihood it'll actually happen.

# ¿ Oct 26, 2023 20:38

Desk Lamp: Jun 30, 2014

Today, I learned you can use face unlock to log into secure apps on Galaxy phones. I'd never noticed it before because the fingerprint unlock is already pretty much instantaneous, but yeah, you absolutely can.

# ¿ Oct 27, 2023 03:48

Desk Lamp: Jun 30, 2014

Did it on the S22U, the S23U, and just for the hell of it, it worked on my Tab S9U as well. You absolutely can.

# ¿ Oct 27, 2023 04:44

Desk Lamp: Jun 30, 2014

Resdfru posted:

Which apps?

Robinhood let's me do face unlock but it's the only app I ever see it on out of various bank, credit card, and password manager apps. I think at one point the Discover app used to but then it stopped, but I can't remember if that was the s23u or the s21u

I think you figured it out, tested it out some more and Chase and Amex won't let you use face unlock either.

# ¿ Oct 27, 2023 05:23

Desk Lamp: Jun 30, 2014

Ragingsheep posted:

Face unlock on the S23U (and other devices) is considered BIOMETRIC_WEAK or Class 2 in the Android API. If any developer only sets requirements for that biometric level when building their app, then you can use your face to unlock it.

Yeah, figured it'd be something like that. It took me completely by surprise since usually the prompt flashes by so quickly I barely see it. It's pretty much muscle memory to place my finger on the sensor immediately after tapping the app icon.

# ¿ Oct 27, 2023 05:56

Desk Lamp: Jun 30, 2014

With a trade in deal for your Pixel you could probably get an S23 Ultra for a lot less than that. In the midrange there's also the S23 FE and the A54.

# ¿ Oct 27, 2023 13:31

Desk Lamp: Jun 30, 2014

Branch Nvidian posted:

RCS messages on iOS will absolutely continue to be green, and even with the tech deficit gone the damage has already been done. The weird social pressure won't go away, kids (and adults sadly) will continue to get bullied over it. Apple is only doing this to try to stave off the EU forcing iMessage to be open, but they've already won the cultural perception war so very little will actually change regarding how the average person sees blue versus green bubbles.

I still believe it was a real missed opportunity for Samsung. They should've rolled out an iMessage clone and made the iPhone users have the green bubbles. They already had the infrastructure in place. Then, just put the app up on the Play Store and let other Android brands get in on the iPhone bullying.

Instead, they let Google, of all companies, take the lead on messaging, which is an absolutely insane move given their abysmal track record with messaging apps and their ridiculous strategy centered around RCS. You'd think they'd learned their lesson when they made Play Music the official music player of the Galaxy S.

# ¿ Nov 17, 2023 14:21

Desk Lamp: Jun 30, 2014

hark posted:

this poo poo boggles my mind. if I was the person being bullied about this I would just think the people doing the bullying had loving brain damage and then not take them seriously.

When you hear stories like this you think it's playground bullying and taunting that's making people cave and buy an iPhone. In reality it's more of a "ok Tim stepped up so he's gonna be in charge of running the FY24 Veryimportantproject. Oh that's right you didn't know cause we set that up over an iMessage chat and didn't want to mess it up with your green bubbles. Maybe if you get an iPhone next time you'll be there to say you'd like to run it instead." Type of bullying.

# ¿ Nov 17, 2023 20:12

Desk Lamp: Jun 30, 2014

CrocodileKingSaysNO posted:

I have a Samsung Galaxy s21 and I like it but when I was using it today the screen suddenly went black, never heard of this happening. It still chimes if i get a text or call but nothing seems to make the screen come back on. I tried a bunch of stuff like holding down the power button or holding down the power button and the volume down button at the same time but so far cant get the screen to come back on. it was at like 80% battery when it happened and I let it charge for about 30 minutes before messing with it. I'm gonna try to take it to a company location tomorrow but if anyone knows any fixes that work I'd love to save the trip considering the holidays are coming up and I dont want to spend the last Sunday before Thanksgiving in a cell phone shop. Thanks in advance to any who try to help!

Sounds like the display failed. If so, you won't be spared a trip to the shop. You can try plugging it in to an external display like a monitor or TV.

# ¿ Nov 19, 2023 04:15

Desk Lamp: Jun 30, 2014

Magic City Monday posted:

I really like the pixel camera. I've read that the S-Ultra cameras are basically as good as the Pixels, and I kind of assumed the S-series used all similar cameras (with just more (zoom, more than three, etc.) for the Ultra version). I'd be fine getting the non-pro version of the 8, I just don't want to give up the telescopic lens.

I guess I'm kind of stuck then if I want to stay with Android?

Considering the phone hasn't even been announced yet, it's a little early to be writing the camera off.

# ¿ Nov 23, 2023 17:52

Desk Lamp: Jun 30, 2014

CLAM DOWN posted:

did any of you Honourable Pixel Warriors get the pixel tablet? it's on sale for black friday and it's tempting

I'm not a Pixel warrior, but I do spend a good amount of time around a couple (ironically, I converted them to future Pixel warriors back in the Nexus days) and I've gotten to play around with the tablet and discuss the pros and cons with them a few times.

In short, if you are a Pixel warrior in search of a tablet, look no further, that is the best tablet for you, hands down. It's pretty much a bigger Pixel with some mild tablet-specific touches thrown in, but mostly behaves like a big screen Pixel in day to day use.

However, do not get it if your plan is to replace a Nest hub with it, unless you only ever use the tablet in that specific room of the house. Otherwise, you'll often find yourself talking to nothing before you realize the tablet is several rooms away wherever you left it when you last used it. The dock is useless by itself. If you are looking for a Nest Hub, get the Max, it does a better job of being a home hub than the tablet, which has a bunch of minor annoyances when trying to use it as a hub replacement, some of which are mitigated if you live alone. My friend tried it, and ended up getting a separate hub and using the tablet as a full-time tablet.

# ¿ Nov 24, 2023 00:27

Desk Lamp: Jun 30, 2014

You could try switching to another SMS app and then switching back.

# ¿ Nov 26, 2023 18:05

Desk Lamp: Jun 30, 2014

Apple are really the ones who did it right. Google and Samsung dropped the ball so hard they created the mess they're in in the US now.

# ¿ Jan 5, 2024 07:11

Desk Lamp: Jun 30, 2014

Lowen SoDium posted:

I have one in my lovely van, but not that brand. The one I have is carpuride and it connects either using 1/8 phono plug or it has its own speaker and a built in fm transmitter.

It works well enough. Only complaint is there doesn't seem to be any way to adjust the volume for navigation in Android Auto on it, so that is always too quiet compared to the music.

Try adjusting the volume when the navigation is talking, it should switch to adjusting navigation volume.

# ¿ Jan 7, 2024 21:52

Desk Lamp: Jun 30, 2014

For that I use a Samsung 2 TB portable ssd I got for 100 bucks, and it's been rock solid in the year I've used it.

# ¿ Jan 12, 2024 22:51

Desk Lamp: Jun 30, 2014

In other disappointing news, Samsung is removing their gestures. The only options will be either on-screen buttons or Google's gestures. Personally, I suppose I'll get used to the idea of using Google gestures, but it sucks to lose the superior gestures for a gimmick like circle search.

# ¿ Jan 18, 2024 22:17

Desk Lamp: Jun 30, 2014

On that same note, it seems Samsung and Google are merging Nearby Share with Quick Share. Thankfully, it's looking like NS will get rolled into QS and not the other way around.

# ¿ Jan 19, 2024 18:52

Desk Lamp: Jun 30, 2014

Google's redundant apps are a non-issue when it's so trivial to set your preference.

# ¿ Jan 23, 2024 15:19

Desk Lamp: Jun 30, 2014

repiv posted:

except when it isn't, such as the system level "web search" text selection shortcut always going to google regardless of your default search engine

Not really what I was talking about. As it has already been explained, what you're talking about is not part of One UI.

# ¿ Jan 23, 2024 16:38

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# ¿ May 16, 2024 11:47

Desk Lamp: Jun 30, 2014

Heavy Metal posted:

Question about adaptive brightness. Maybe more of a Samsung question, on s21 with android 13 and one UI 5.1. So when I go to bed I turn my brightness completely down, every day. There's also that extra accessibly option that lets me press two buttons to make it even darker but I don't do that much.

But I do notice doing this every night seems to confuse my adaptive brightness, and it'll often turn it down a bit during the day at odd times and stuff like that. Is there any way to turn my phone's brightness as low as it goes every night for bed either without messing with my brightness settings or somehow not confusing adaptive brightness, or something like that?

Also I don't go to bed the same time every day so it can't be a scheduled setting thing. Also just if there are any nuances or tricks to adaptive brightness I'm missing.

You can use Modes and Routines to create a widget that will do that for you. It should turn off adaptive brightness when you do it this way, so in theory, it shouldn't affect it.

# ¿ Jan 24, 2024 03:59

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