Android

I'm saying this because now i see a lot Google related posts. My(this one) account is new . but I'm here for a some time now.

I recently got a small keychain device for free as a cheap promotional item. It looks like one of these: https://powerstick.com/powertag/

It asks that you install this app: Spot 2.0 Bluetooth Finder

Some concerns right away:

• It requires an account
• It said that my password was too long
• It seems that these apps will need 24/7 access to location in order to work properly, so I'm not comfortable making an account on some app I've never heard of

So my questions:

Q1: If someone is given a similar device, is there a FOSS app that they can use it with? So far I've found:

• BLE Radar (FDroid, GitHub). It looks promising and I haven't played with all the custom profiles yet. While I was able to connect the device and see it on a map, I don't see an option to ring the device from the app. Since it's a key ring, I imagine most people would use it to find their keys in their home, for which the speaker would be helpful.

• iTracing2 (FDroid, GitHub). This one is very minimalistic, and while I could get it connected, it seems to only work in the device > phone direction, where you can press a button on the keychain to initiate an action on the phone (ex. ring the phone)

Q2: If someone wanted to get a good quality version of this, which brands do you recommend? Ideally it would be accurate and be compatible with some FOSS app(s).

I remember seeing Chipolo mentioned in some other thread here, but I don't know if they meet those requirements

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/22088398

Following the announcement on Wednesday, the new real-time Scam Detection is rolling out to the Phone by Google app beta on Pixel.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/22088397

In addition to adding “Your profile,” Google Messages is now explicitly reminding you what name and profile you’re “Sending as.”

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/22047474

Google might let you hide your actual email address from Android apps with a new “Shielded Email.” When creating a new...

In a rollout that has spanned three months, Google Authenticator 7.0 is now widely available on Android with a Material You redesign and...

so, JamesDSP needs root or it isn't able to modify Spotify sound. why is the JBL headphones app capable of modifying all sound without root? i assume it is actually modifying the sound with the headphones firmware, so is there a way to like apply JamesDSP without root? like any way at all?

The Android 15 QPR2 beta hints that Google will bring back icon shape customization, a feature it cut from Android 12.

People keep mentioning GraphineOS as a reason to buy a Pixel, but in other regards the Pixel hardware doesn't seem so great. If you get a different phone that can run Lineage, is Graphene really better? Thanks.

Hi everyone,

So, LG is notorious for deleting files the moment their hardware is past support... anything to prevent you from retaining a device when you can be pressed to have to replace it. I have an older device and I have tracked down exactly what is wrong and how to fix it. Some folks have stated it's bricked, but much research has revealed that this is untrue. I need the stock firmware, but LG's site download links are all dead.

The device is the LG US730 (LG "Splendor"). The file I need is:
US73011b_03.S11b_03.P15107

If anyone has this or a previous version, I would so greatly appreciate it! I have spent many hours trying to track down the file from a mirror, an archive, a fan site, a site that has firmware backup files.... no luck anywhere. I figured it can't hurt to post a request just in case someone has it.

Thanks for reading, and if you can help, I would be in your debt and happily return the favor if you ever need anything that I have.

Google is requiring new chipsets that launch with Android 15 support to implement support for the Android Virtualization Framework.

Accessing the new Quick Settings panel in Android 16 won’t require swiping down with two fingers, after all.

Android 16 may add an audio input switcher feature that lets you choose which audio device to use as the microphone for all apps.

Google messages is making its double tap to heart gesture available to all users with a new server-side update to the app.

After a closed beta program, the anti-AI camera replacement Zerocam is now available on Android via the Google Play Store.

Earlier this year, Google Maps started showing the weather in the top-left corner, but that’s now being moved...

If you updated Google Photos and something looks different on your Pixel, it's because the status bar went from transparent to translucent...

Android may soon open Captive Portals in an Android Custom Tab instead of a WebView, making it easier to access some public Wi-Fi networks.

Right now, some camera apps on Android aren't able to capture RAW photos, but that's set to change with a new version of the CameraX library.

In a recent update to the HSBC app they've added a screen to prevent you from using the app unless you use the default (google) keyboard.

They do a similar thing if you have an accessibility service running that can access the screens content. A fair enough security warning if you've happened to install a dodgy keyboard app, but highly frustrating when using an open source alternative that enhances the security and privacy over the default option (HeliBoard in my case).

I haven't found a way to circumvent the page yet. It would be useful if Android allowed you to block the permission to query all packages, but alas.

After the new miniplayer, YouTube is rolling out the fine-tunable redesign of playback speed in the Android and iOS app...

Google Photos gets a new Updates feed that lists user activity on shared photos and albums and lets you easily manage shared items.