Verizon S5 with towelroot, Safestrap, nandroid backup, Titanium Backup, Xposed, Wanam
I've made some progress debloating and customizing, but there are some more things I'd like to do:
1. Remove Quick Settings from notification panel - In landscape view, there is simply not enough screen real estate for the actual notifications because the Quick Settings (and 'clear notifications' row) take up half the screen. I would like to remove them or have them scroll up and off screen when scrolling through notifications. Can this even be done with a custom ROM?
2. Tether without pin lock screen. [updated] FoxFi worked fine for me unrooted, except that I had to use the PIN lockscreen. The instruction on PdaNet's site (change certificate to Wi-fi, etc.) did not work. I eventually found X Tether. Once installed, it shows up as Moto Tether. It seems to allow the native WiFi hotspot to work on its own, but I haven't used it much yet. The easiest way I have found to turn it on/off, is using a widget. I haven't been able to put the widget in an app folder, which I would prefer.
3. Minimal notification panel - figured this one out.
4. Bypass Samsung lockscreen before DynamicNotifications - Not sure if this is possible. Sometime, when I turn the phone on, it goes to the stock lock screen before switching to DynamicNotifications. I saw that DynamicNotifications shows up as a module in Xposed, but it just said something about disabling a message that I don't recall getting.
5. A better dialer and contacts - any recommendations on getting solid, vanilla-like Dialer and Contacts? I tried a couple apps from the Play Store, but they were kind of sloppy in one way or another.
6. No auto play music when turning on radio in car - When I turn on my bluetooth receiver in the car, the last track always starts playing - even if I paused it before I turned off the car last. I kind of wish it would only continue playing if it was playing when the receiver was disconnected. Not a big deal, but thought I'd ask.
7. Update phone when checking exchange emails on computer - When I read, archive, delete, etc. emails in Outlook, they continue to pile up in Email app until I open the email app. Seems like my Galaxy Nexus didn't do that.
8. Remove TouchWiz blue from everything - all the menus and apps still have that Samsung blue theme. I'm not sure how to remove that.
9. Reduce icons on notification bar - I would like to remove the Bluetooth icon. There is a blank icon when I use Rotation Locker in the background to keep everything landscape while I'm in the car. It looks bad having the space between icons and I'd like to get rid of it. There is a battery icon that appears when the battery is charged. I'd like to remove that as well.
10. Make folders only one icon on display - figured this one out.
11. Remove battery icon that appears when S5 is fully charged - There is a white battery with "100" on it that appears when the battery is charged. That makes 3 battery icons total when it's charged. Ridiculous!
12. Disable camera shutter sound and boot sound - Wanam has a setting for this. I have it checked, but the camera and boot still make their sounds.
Edit: added another.
Edit2: and another
Edit3: another
And I want a unicorn that doesnt poop with a golden mane and a bag of money tied to its back and a beer tap in the side of his neck and bluetooth.
Sent from my SM-G900V using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
ezas said:
And I want a unicorn that doesnt poop with a golden mane and a bag of money tied to its back and a beer tap in the side of his neck and bluetooth.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do you really think what I am asking is too unreasonable?
Is this the best thread for these questions? I figured at least a few would have gotten answers.
Not sure about the boot sound but I use Automateit to silence the shutter sound. I have it set to silence the phone when opening the camera and then it returns the phone to full volume when I close it. If the phone is on silent it doesn't make the shutter sound.
graydragon2 said:
Not sure about the boot sound but I use Automateit to silence the shutter sound. I have it set to silence the phone when opening the camera and then it returns the phone to full volume when I close it. If the phone is on silent it doesn't make the shutter sound.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, I guess I'll just use Tasker to do that. Would be nice if the Wanam option worked though.
Also you can turn off the percentage in settings-battery. It's near the top
graydragon2 said:
Also you can turn off the percentage in settings-battery. It's near the top
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks! I changed it to this:
9. Reduce icons on notification bar - I would like to remove the Bluetooth icon. There is a blank icon when I use Rotation Locker in the background to keep everything landscape while I'm in the car. It looks bad having the space between icons and I'd like to get rid of it. There is a battery icon that appears when the battery is charged. I'd like to remove that as well.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I guess I don't see XDA as a place to come and post a wish list of features I would like to have. I approach it as a place where devs share their work. I limit my questions to things like 'does anyone know if their is a ROM that does xy or z'
Since I'm an end-user by which I mean I don't code, I stay super respectful of those who do and live by the motto 'read more and post less'. While I think it has grown from its roots, it is first and foremost a forum for devs and technically knowledgeable people, and/or people with a genuine desire to become that. I'm just a guest. I'd never go to someone's party with a list of the foods I want prepared.
Anyway that's how I see it, and how I approach the site.
Though I do see now that apparently you are working on doing some themeing so take the above for whatever it is worth.
Sent from my SM-G900V using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
ezas said:
I limit my questions to things like 'does anyone know if their is a ROM that does xy or z'
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's essentially what I did. I spent time searching, reading, and learning as far as I could without help. I was able to accomplish some on my own, but I ended up with a list of things I still wanted to do. So, I put them all in one post.
If you wouldn't use the "Q&A/Help" section to post questions like I do, that's fine. I have used many forums for many years, and I know that different people use them for a variety of reasons. I'm not going to spend any more time justifying my post. I hope that you can find a better use of your time beyond complaining about other people's posts.
Dude you asked if you you had asked for too much. I replied about how 'I' view being on XDA. No on asked you to justify anything. But consider it dropped.
ergalthema said:
2. Tether without pin lock screen. FoxFi worked fine for me unrooted, except that I had to use the PIN lockscreen. The instruction on PdaNet's site (change certificate to Wi-fi, etc.) did not work. What is the most popular way to tether with S5 root?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I eventually found X Tether. Once installed, it shows up as Moto Tether. It seems to allow the native WiFi hotspot to work on its own, but I haven't used it much yet.
ergalthema said:
Verizon S5 with towelroot, Safestrap, nandroid backup, Titanium Backup, Xposed, Wanam
I've made some progress debloating and customizing, but there are some more things I'd like to do:
2. Tether without pin lock screen. [updated] FoxFi worked fine for me unrooted, except that I had to use the PIN lockscreen. The instruction on PdaNet's site (change certificate to Wi-fi, etc.) did not work. I eventually found X Tether. Once installed, it shows up as Moto Tether. It seems to allow the native WiFi hotspot to work on its own, but I haven't used it much yet. The easiest way I have found to turn it on/off, is using a widget. I haven't been able to put the widget in an app folder, which I would prefer.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was able to change the lock screen options back to all being available for selection with FoxFi in use by doing the Lock the phone from Device Manager on Google. As soon as I did the remote lock, all of my lock screen options returned even with FoxFi installed and operational. I read about doing this on another post here somewhere...
Hi Guys,
Hope someone can advise me on the below
Problem 1
Got my Note 4 on the 17th, I’ve come from a Note 3, starting to get used to the using left button to bring up recent apps however a function that I used regularly is no longer there.
On my Note 3 I could hold down the home button to bring up my recent apps, and if you long press on any of the recent apps it would show the option “show app info” which would then take you to the menu to manage that application, (the screen where you can Force Stop the app, Disable it, Clear data and Clear Cache)
I can no longer do this on my note 4, when I open recent apps menu and long press the application it just put’s the app into a pop up window, no such option to directly manage that application.
Am I missing something here? Or is it a case of just having to live with it?
Problem 2
No big deal really but when I plug in my headphones a notification will pop up saying they are plugged in, on my note 3 it would also show recent apps used with headphones and I can quickly choose the app I’d like to use, my note 4 no longer does this, it will only show a notification that they are plugged in, no option to select app.
( I know a lot of people found this annoying but it didn’t really bother me)
Thanks in Advance
martytarty said:
Hi Guys,
Hope someone can advise me on the below
Problem 1
Got my Note 4 on the 17th, I’ve come from a Note 3, starting to get used to the using left button to bring up recent apps however a function that I used regularly is no longer there.
On my Note 3 I could hold down the home button to bring up my recent apps, and if you long press on any of the recent apps it would show the option “show app info” which would then take you to the menu to manage that application, (the screen where you can Force Stop the app, Disable it, Clear data and Clear Cache)
I can no longer do this on my note 4, when I open recent apps menu and long press the application it just put’s the app into a pop up window, no such option to directly manage that application.
Am I missing something here? Or is it a case of just having to live with it?
Problem 2
No big deal really but when I plug in my headphones a notification will pop up saying they are plugged in, on my note 3 it would also show recent apps used with headphones and I can quickly choose the app I’d like to use, my note 4 no longer does this, it will only show a notification that they are plugged in, no option to select app.
( I know a lot of people found this annoying but it didn’t really bother me)
Thanks in Advance
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
all the little things like the headphone bit are missing from note 4 compared to note 3 they have the features in the hidden settings but even if you turn them on they don't work very odd indeed....
Out of interest where can I find these hidden options?
I'm rooted now if that helps
Cheers
martytarty said:
Out of interest where can I find these hidden options?
I'm rooted now if that helps
Cheers
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
you have to install nova launcher(you dont have to use it as main launcher you can still keep touchwiz as main launcher and just have nova in app draw)click on nova hold finger on screen and then chose short cuts,then click activities and scroll all the way to settings and in the settings scroll abit further and you will see air gestures,air view and keep scrolling and theres page buddy and other stuff,to activate them either just click and a gear like icon will go onto nova screen or keep your finger on the setting you want and that will bring the setting up of the option your looking at...hope it makes sense just dont expect much to work just yet as i say it all turns on but i cant get it to work...
Just bought the PH-1 and got it updated to 9. Anybody else's bottom row of icons bounce up and down on the home screen?
Got this from Essential support even though my wife's Pixel on Android 9 doesn't do it -
Thanks for reaching out. This happens when you first set up your device, or when you install new apps on your phone. It's Androids (kind of silly) way of showing you that you can swipe up from the bottom of the screen to access the apps that were just installed / updated.
Unfortunately, there's no way to disable this. Hope that answers your question.
Sincerely,
Essential
sether52 said:
Just bought the PH-1 and got it updated to 9. Anybody else's bottom row of icons bounce up and down on the home screen?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you ever resolve the bouncing icons thing? I've got a new Pixel 3 XL and I've got the same thing happening:
EDIT > poo, I don't have enough posts to submit a link. So, I'll try adding spaces to obfuscate it: https:// youtu.be/ rQ8JBw5-95U
This is day 3 with the phone and the darn things are still bouncing.
I chatted with the support people. Their attempts to fix this were:
- Clear cache and storage in Pixel Launcher under Settings > Apps & Notifications > Pixel Launcher > Storage. Reboot.
- When that didn't help, do the same for Google. Reboot.
- When that didn't help, check Safe Mode.
- When that didn't help, they wanted me to reset the phone to factory defaults.
I'm avoiding the reset since the thought of setting everything up again fills me with dread (especially re-registering all my sites in Google Authenticator).
DaveLessnau said:
Did you ever resolve the bouncing icons thing? I've got a new Pixel 3 XL and I've got the same thing happening:
EDIT > poo, I don't have enough posts to submit a link. So, I'll try adding spaces to obfuscate it: https:// youtu.be/ rQ8JBw5-95U
This is day 3 with the phone and the darn things are still bouncing.
I chatted with the support people. Their attempts to fix this were:
- Clear cache and storage in Pixel Launcher under Settings > Apps & Notifications > Pixel Launcher > Storage. Reboot.
- When that didn't help, do the same for Google. Reboot.
- When that didn't help, check Safe Mode.
- When that didn't help, they wanted me to reset the phone to factory defaults.
I'm avoiding the reset since the thought of setting everything up again fills me with dread (especially re-registering all my sites in Google Authenticator).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I switched the launcher from gestures to the usual app drawer button and that fixed things. Haven't experienced it on my Pixel 3 XL yet. *fingers crossed*
sether52 said:
I switched the launcher from gestures to the usual app drawer button and that fixed things. Haven't experienced it on my Pixel 3 XL yet. *fingers crossed*
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I did a factory reset and it didn't fix things. Since I'm also having issues keeping a Wi-Fi connection, I decided to have Google do a warranty exchange. We'll see what happens with the new phone when it gets here.
sether52 said:
Got this from Essential support even though my wife's Pixel on Android 9 doesn't do it -
Thanks for reaching out. This happens when you first set up your device, or when you install new apps on your phone. It's Androids (kind of silly) way of showing you that you can swipe up from the bottom of the screen to access the apps that were just installed / updated.
Unfortunately, there's no way to disable this. Hope that answers your question.
Sincerely,
Essential
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
u can disable it under deveolper option and turn ur animations off
Toggling "Accessibility" > "Remove Animations" seems to have done it for me.
Turning this option on removed all animations (which I didn't want) but then after turning it off again, the animations returned WITHOUT the bounce. Profit!
Dear experts,
Today I got my Mi 9T. Still trying to find my way around, but... I find it PRETTY
ASTOUNDING, that when the phone is locked, I am able to swipe down on the
LOCKSCREEN, and I see all the icons for turning on and off of VITAL functions
like ringtone, wi-fi, mobile data...
This poses a SIGNIFICANT security risk, because anybody who steals the phone,
can turn off wi-fi and mobile data and then the Find my phone feature simply
won't work.
So, what is the solution to this ? I didn't find a way to disable that menu from
being shown in the lock screen...
Or maybe the Find my phone feature works when wi-fi and mobile data are off ?!?
Many thanks for your professional comments on that!
P.S .: I think it is like that on Samsung phones as well !!! WHY ?!?
I understand your concern, the drop down menu (aka Notification shade) can be dragged down on lockscreen and it is like this on every aosp kind off ROM....
But I am very sure that the icons CANNOT BE OPERATED unless you unlock the screen.
Try to turn off wifi and it should ask for password to unlock.
Can you check it out and conform it?
Settings -> Notifications -> Lock screen notifications* -> disable "Open notification drawer on the lock screen".
* the picture/icon on the left. It's not obvious it's a submenu (nor that there's such a critical setting hidden inside) because for no apparent reason they've decided to use a totally different design language here.
Thanks. Was great to read this, however I don't have this option... I only see apps, format and open notification shade... Nothing about the drawer
Any other ideas ?
darkman088 said:
Thanks. Was great to read this, however I don't have this option... I only see apps, format and open notification shade... Nothing about the drawer
Any other ideas ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That is the one. Notifications / Lock screen notifications / Open notification shade on lock screen - set it off and you won't see it on Lock screen anymore
I found it!! Was just too slow to report here. It is called "Open notification shade on lock screen" !!
THANKS A LOT to everybody !!
darkman088 said:
Dear experts,
Today I got my Mi 9T. Still trying to find my way around, but... I find it PRETTY
ASTOUNDING, that when the phone is locked, I am able to swipe down on the
LOCKSCREEN, and I see all the icons for turning on and off of VITAL functions
like ringtone, wi-fi, mobile data...
This poses a SIGNIFICANT security risk, because anybody who steals the phone,
can turn off wi-fi and mobile data and then the Find my phone feature simply
won't work.
So, what is the solution to this ? I didn't find a way to disable that menu from
being shown in the lock screen...
Or maybe the Find my phone feature works when wi-fi and mobile data are off ?!?
Many thanks for your professional comments on that!
P.S .: I think it is like that on Samsung phones as well !!! WHY ?!?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
funny thing is to today I was looking up how to secure my phone as I still have access to a lot of things by just pulling down the drop menu so ja since when has security become so weak and its mostly on expensive androids phones that its happening I have a button type phone made by vodacom yet its security is more secure that mine it has the ability to set users on the hotspot which makes you think that you actually wasting on expensive when the main purpose is to be secure I also punched into to YouTube and I searched for secure yet all the results is lol how to unlock any android this is insane and I FEEL THAT BY ROOTING YOUR PHONE AND GIVEN AN OPTION TO CHANGE LIMITED ACCESS WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO AT LEAST HAVE MORE SECURITY ON OUR PHONES
hwandroid said:
That is the one. Notifications / Lock screen notifications / Open notification shade on lock screen - set it off and you won't see it on Lock screen anymore
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No such option seems to exist on Asus Zenfone
State of market
Do NOT buy this watch. It looks like excellent value for money, but much modern H1 / W5 series with Android 9 and full Play Store just hit the shelves on AliExpress for almost the same price.
If mine arrives I'll create separate thread about them.
Brands
My specific watch that I used to experiment with is G4P, bought straight from Chinese factory:
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
However almost everything from this thread applies to any watch running on SP9820E SoC, like G4E or G4H series.
Those watches are also often rebranded and sold as: Kinyo, Garett, Lemfo, Wonlex, Locon and many more.
Just check in spec if it is running on 9820E chip and you are good to go.
Reasons for modding
Those watches by default use very limited set of very simple applications presented in most ugly launcher and icon sets achievable by humans.
You can not install any extra applications and what you get from the box is very disappointing.
Also they are meant to be managed exclusively by corresponding phone application like SeTracker 2 (or rebrands like Garett Tracker),
which means you need to send your data to Chinese service and use WeeChat for chats/video calls, whether you like it or not.
This is true shame, because SP9820E is quite powerful hardware, here is GeekBench score.
Do not be fooled by oversimplified stock software - you can run pretty much any "real" application on it.
Luckily because those watches use Android under the hood you can transform them to something more feature-rich and more pleasant to use.
Android KitKat is NOT Android Wear
Those watches use Android 4.4, codename KitKat. Just like old phones. Please do not confuse it with Android Wear operating system and do not try to use applications built for Android Wear. Whatever you use must be Android 4.4 compatible, anything newer won't install at all. Android on this watch is heavily modified, lacks some components and you will run into many crashes or weird behaviour. Sections below will help you to navigate through those issues.
Also applications back in KitKat era were not designed with watch screens in mind, so expect bad interface scaling, not accessible buttons and huge or microscopic fonts.
How to install any application from stock Launcher?
Get application *.apk file from trusted site.
Set up Bluetooth connection between your watch (in Settings -> More -> Bluetooth) and computer / phone. Do not use macOS computer, it does not work. Android phone seems to be most compatible.
Upload *.apk file to watch using Bluetooth.
On watch go to Settings -> Tools -> File explorer and select Local -> bluetooth. Click on *.apk file and install it.
Installed application will not be visible from stock Launcher. So I really recommend installing another Launcher as first application.
Launcher
I use Nova Launcher. You need 5.5.4 version, this is the last one compatible with Android 4.4.
Once you install it using installation method described above press power button and it should prompt you which Launcher to use. Select Nova.
And enjoy freedom. It is also surprisingly fast and does not consume more battery than stock one.
If you have Nova Pro purchased you can activate it in two ways:
Use APK extractor on phone where you have Nova Prime activation installed. Dump license application to phone storage and install it the same way as launcher itself. But beware - it must be 2017 or earlier activation package. You cannot dump it from modern phone.
Search for nova_launcher_prime_v2017_full.apk and install this fake license. This is questionable way of activating it. But if you do not have old phone with old license preinstalled you have no other options. I think that if you own legal license on Play Store you will do no harm to developers this way.
Tips:
To avoid being asked for launcher when pressing power button you can disable stock launcher (requires root) through ADB shell: su, and then pm disable com.sgtc.launcher.
This firmware has very aggressive power management and you may notice lag when waking up watch after longer period of time. This is because Nova got killed by operating system and must start from scratch. To avoid it convert Nova launcher to system application (requires root). This can be done using Link2SD application. Open it, search for Nova, click on Nova, click triple dot menu menu and you will have option to convert to system. Remember to have default launcher or ADB enabled while doing this, because you will need one of those to invoke reboot.
Lock screen using button (broken, workarounds available)
If you have two Launchers power button will always prompt for Launcher when pressed on unlocked screen. You cannot change it without root, there is something modified under the hood and even Nova cannot set itself as default Launcher.
The workarounds are to lock screen using icon:
Add Nova action widget and set it to lock screen.
Add Power Toggles widget and add lock screen button to it.
Settings (partially works)
Settings are very simplified compared to stock Android 4.4. I've tried to install stock AOSP Settings APP but it fails. A lot of "hidden settings" applications allows to invoke deep buried panels like HotSpot or lock screen patterns configurations. Tedious job, lot of crashes along the way.
You can also:
Go to engineering mode by dialling *#*#83781#*#*.
Go to Developer Options by using Developer Options Shortcut application.
Status bar (broken, workaround available)
It does not work on any launcher (I tested a few beside Nova). Probably it was so heavily modified that API is no longer compatible. It cannot even be invoked by ADB service call statusbar 1.
The good replacement is Power Toggles, which allows to add widgets with battery level, fast volume profiles switching, enabling Wi-Fi, Bluetooth. Pretty much everything you used status bar for. Except cellular signal strength. I use version 6.0.4.
Tips:
Just as for launcher - aggressive power management will close it as inactive user application after short period. So because it is invoked every time screen is turned on best way to reduce screen wake up time is to convert Power Toggles to system application (requires root). This can be done using Link2SD application. Open it, search for Power Toggles, click on Power Toggles, click triple dot menu menu and you will have option to convert to system. Reboot watch.
You can set different battery colors, which makes it easier to use on small screen. I has mine set up to red (below 20%), yellow (20-80%) and green (above 80%).
You can set how frequent battery indicator is refreshed. By default it is quite laggy.
To get something looking like real status bar disable home screen margins in Nova launcher. Check my screenshot below for final effect.
Notification bar (broken)
Same deal as with Status bar - probably it was so heavily modified that API is no longer compatible with launchers.
You can open notification list service directly from Nova action. But you cannot manage it in any way (like cleaning old notifications) so it is pretty useless long list of accumulated trash.
I haven't found any good replacement.
Luckily Nova launcher notification dots work on applications icons and you can pretty much quickly figure out what just pinged you.
Clock time picker (broken)
By default you manage alarm clocks on this watch through phone application. But if you open on watch stock Android clock app you will see that you cannot set time, only set alarms on and off. Probably some Android component is missing. No fix or workaround yet. Also beware, because once you add alarm using APP on the watch there is no way to remove it - no option in app itself and SeTracker sees only first 3 of them. You will need to clean app data from ADB.
Power management (work in progress)
There are no options to keep app running in background. I'm still searching for good power management app replacement to keep things like WhatsApp or other services running.
For controlling:
screen delay (by default set to annoyingly short 10 seconds)
fine screen brightness
you can use buttons on Power Toggles widget. Once you set it to your preference widget can be removed and settings are remembered after reboot.
Screen rotation (tricky, broken)
Accelerometer is mounted 90 degrees clockwise and stock applications have this tilt compensation hardcoded into them.
This really dumb design has bad consequences:
If accelerometer rotation (auto-rotation) is enabled all "real" applications will think "up" is on the side where power button and flashlight is.
If accelerometer rotation is disabled most "real" applications will stay in fixed portrait orientation (also called user rotation) but some may still rely on accelerometer. The reason is that you can not fully disable accelerometer. Disabled only means "not taken into consideration unless explicitly asked for". And a lot of applications (mostly camera-related) still try to be user friendly and rotates screen the wrong way.
If you mess something up you can lock Screen Rotation again by adding such button on Power Toggles widget and using it.
Or if you have root:
disable accelerometer rotation: settings put system accelerometer_rotation 0
set user rotation to portrait mode: settings put system user_rotation 0
Start sound
Requires root.
First remount /custom in read-write mode: mount -o rw,remount /custom.
Then remove /custom/movies/bootsound.mp3.
Apps recommendations (please share yours)
A lot of "phone" applications work out of the box, assuming you get Android 4.4 compatible versions of them. You can install them the same way as launcher or through ADB. My set is:
Simple Keyboard is perfect for this watch. Disable symbols, set height to 150% and typing will be really comfortable and fast.
Power Toggles. Must have to compensate broken status bar and missing settings.
WhatsApp. Communication freedom. Pretty much you can stop here if you want this watch to be simple device for kid.
VLC for listening audiobooks (although interface does not scale well, looking for something better).
Wulkanowy (polish e-grade book with lessons plan, homework, etc. I assume a lot of people from Poland will come here because of Garett popularity so I'm mentioning it).
Solid Explorer. Built-in explorer is very castrated and crashes often when other apps try to use it (for example to select icon picture or file to share). Solid Explorer is stable and has a lot of built-in format viewers. Unfortunately one cannot run FTP server using it - button to start is off the screen. Bug reported, I hope it will get fixed soon.
OurGroceries. Excellent shopping/checkbox list that can be synchronized between various devices. Very useful to make list of things kid should take to school for example.
Diki. Online dictionary with simple interface that scales very well on this small screen. Translations are straightforward, without tons of magic grammar shortcuts. Allows to listen for words pronunciation.
Stock apps that are preinstalled and work OK:
Dialer
Contacts (you can even import cards from vcf file)
Flashlight
Looking for:
CalDav / CardDav sync (unfortunately there is no accounts management in API and most apps adding Dav support to Android crash).
Call blocker that will reject everything outside contacts list. To protect kid from scammers, marketers and other unwanted calls.
Known to fail:
SMSes. Can be sent but watch management API interrupts receiving to capture push control commands. Installing any other SMS application and setting it as default one breaks watch management from phone application.
WhatsApp. Camera during video calls is upside down.
Google Play Services. Instant crash.
Google Chrome 81. Crashes after few seconds of activity. For all apps that need SystemWebView component to work try Bromite replacement. However in KitKat WebView was not an application and Developer Options has no way of choosing default one. So it may fix very small amount of applications which are self-aware of different WebViews providers.
Google Calendar. Needs working Google Play Services.
F-Droid store. Crashes randomly and may require patience to install anything.
OpenSync. Cannot add any DAV account due to SSL crash.
Wikipedia. No articles can be displayed. Probably due to their latest TLS 1.2 mandatory API switch. However simply bookmarking Wikipedia in Bromite browser works just fine.
ADB and USB debugging
By default those watches are sold with charging cable only, it does not have signal pins. Your life will be a lot easier if you will be able to transfer files directly from your computer to watch and use ADB to do stuff. You can check cable dimensions here: https://allegro.pl/oferta/magnetyczny-kabel-zasilajacy-do-garett-kids-xd-10972606997 . Remember - it must have four pogo pins.
Connecting with cable is straightforward just like when connecting regular phone. Just be aware of two things:
Magnets are not strong enough to press four pins to contact pads. If you have trouble connecting try pressing magnet plug to watch firmly.
This is Android 4.4, so you need ancient knowledge. Like for example there is no "cmd" command available in ADB shell. Some command line switches are very different from what is being used today. Etc.
You can set USB to file transfer mode. Android File Transfer desktop application works perfectly and transfers are surprisingly fast. Probably it is the most convenient way to transfer applications, audiobooks and music to this watch.
Root
Based on https://github.com/eisaev/SuperSUInstaller process.
Install Developer Options Shortcut. Installation method is irrelevant. You can do it the same way as Launcher installation described above. Or if you already have more advanced stuff installed you can use an file transfer method and any file manager to do it.
Run Developer Options Shortcut and enable USB debugging.
Install SuperSU Installer. Again installation method is irrelevant.
Run SuperSU Installer. Wait for Hello World message and go back to Launcher.
In Local files on the watch there should be new SuperSU Manager APK generated. Install it but do not open.
Restart watch.
Disable WiFi and Bluetooth.
Connect USB cable.
Open dialer and enter *#*#83781#*#*. Engineering settings will open.
Go to CONNECTIVITY tab.
Click Start Service.
Click Wifi eut and confirm popup.
run adb shell on your computer
in shell enter: am start --user 0 -n ru.eisaev.supersuinstaller/.MainActivity
Wait for Hello world message on watch screen.
In shell enter: am start --user 0 -n eu.chainfire.supersu/.MainActivity
On watch screen SuperSU Manager should pop up and offer binary update. Choose Normal mode.
Restart watch.
Open SuperSU Manager. Method is irrelevant, can be clicked from Nova launcher or invoked from ADB like in 16.
Go to Settings and set Default access to Grant.
Confirm that you have root access by going to ADB shell and invoking: su
Clean up all files generated by SuperSU Installer from Local directory on the watch.
This method slightly diverges from original because users are different and because SuperSU Installer crashes when leaving to desktop using home button. Making it impossible to go from step 8 to 9 described in original method.
So for Installer and Manager to see each other at the same time you need to do this weird loop: install Installer which generates Manager which you can install prematurely to be able to later fire up both Installer and Manager at the same time from ADB without using watch home button.
Kudos for eisaev for discovering this process and building SuperSU!
My result
Home screen of Nova launcher:
Power Toggles bar on top emulates status bar. It handles battery info, fast volume and brightness settings and connectivity settings.
Two Nova action widgets added on the bottom - one for power off, second one for applications list.
Application list:
Nova allows to hide applications, so I used it to hide everything kid is not supposed to mess with. Like settings of various sort.
Many apps like Calculator or Gallery I've extracted directly from my old Android 4.4 phone.
Keyboard:
Simple Keyboard is far more usable and fast than stock keyboard. Kid has no problem with typing on it. However just as on stock keyboard you have to type blindly and occasionally minimize keyboard to verify what you've typed.
Please contribute
If you have found solution to any of mentioned problems, encountered new problem on your own or just found good app please share in comments.
bbkr said:
Brands
My specific watch that I used to experiment with is G4P, bought straight from Chinese factory:
View attachment 5407991
However almost everything from this thread applies to any watch running on SP9820E SoC, like G4E or G4H series.
Those watches are also often rebranded and sold as: Kinyo, Garett, Lemfo, Wonlex, Locon and many more.
Just check in spec if it is running on 9820E chip and you are good to go.
Reasons for modding
Those watches by default use very limited set of very simple applications presented in most ugly launcher and icon sets achievable by humans.
You can not install any extra applications and what you get from the box is very disappointing.
Also they are meant to be managed exclusively by corresponding phone application like SeTracker 2 (or rebrands like Garett Tracker),
which means you need to send your data to Chinese service and use WeeChat for chats/video calls, whether you like it or not.
This is true shame, because SP9820E is quite powerful hardware, here is GeekBench score.
Do not be fooled by oversimplified stock software - you can run pretty much any "real" application on it.
Luckily because those watches use Android under the hood you can transform them to something more feature-rich and more pleasant to use.
Android KitKat is NOT Android Wear
Those watches use Android 4.4, codename KitKat. Just like old phones. Please do not confuse it with Android Wear operating system and do not try to use applications built for Android Wear. Whatever you use must be Android 4.4 compatible, anything newer won't install at all. Android on this watch is heavily modified, lacks some components and you will run into many crashes or weird behaviour. Sections below will help you to navigate through those issues.
Also applications back in KitKat era were not designed with watch screens in mind, so expect bad interface scaling, not accessible buttons and huge or microscopic fonts.
How to install any application from stock Launcher?
Get application *.apk file from trusted site.
Set up Bluetooth connection between your watch (in Settings -> More -> Bluetooth) and computer / phone. Do not use macOS computer, it does not work. Android phone seems to be most compatible.
Upload *.apk file to watch using Bluetooth.
On watch go to Settings -> Tools -> File explorer and select Local -> bluetooth. Click on *.apk file and install it.
Installed application will not be visible from stock Launcher. So I really recommend installing another Launcher as first application.
Launcher
I use Nova Launcher. You need 5.5.4 version, this is the last one compatible with Android 4.4.
Once you install it using installation method described above press power button and it should prompt you which Launcher to use. Select Nova.
And enjoy freedom. It is also surprisingly fast and does not consume more battery than stock one.
If you have Nova Pro purchased you can activate it in two ways:
Use APK extractor on phone where you have Nova Prime activation installed. Dump license application to phone storage and install it the same way as launcher itself. But beware - it must be 2017 or earlier activation package. You cannot dump it from modern phone.
Search for nova_launcher_prime_v2017_full.apk and install this fake license. This is questionable way of activating it. But if you do not have old phone with old license preinstalled you have no other options. I think that if you own legal license on Play Store you will do no harm to developers this way.
Tips:
To avoid being asked for launcher when pressing power button you can disable stock launcher (requires root) through ADB shell: su, and then pm disable com.sgtc.launcher.
This firmware has very aggressive power management and you may notice lag when waking up watch after longer period of time. This is because Nova got killed by operating system and must start from scratch. To avoid it convert Nova launcher to system application (requires root). This can be done using Link2SD application. Open it, search for Nova, click on Nova, click triple dot menu menu and you will have option to convert to system. Remember to have default launcher or ADB enabled while doing this, because you will need one of those to invoke reboot.
Lock screen using button (broken, workarounds available)
If you have two Launchers power button will always prompt for Launcher when pressed on unlocked screen. You cannot change it without root, there is something modified under the hood and even Nova cannot set itself as default Launcher.
The workarounds are to lock screen using icon:
Add Nova action widget and set it to lock screen.
Add Power Toggles widget and add lock screen button to it.
Settings (partially works)
Settings are very simplified compared to stock Android 4.4. I've tried to install stock AOSP Settings APP but it fails. A lot of "hidden settings" applications allows to invoke deep buried panels like HotSpot or lock screen patterns configurations. Tedious job, lot of crashes along the way.
You can also:
*#*#83781#*#*.
Developer Options Shortcut application.
Status bar (broken, workaround available)
It does not work on any launcher (I tested a few beside Nova). Probably it was so heavily modified that API is no longer compatible. It cannot even be invoked by ADB service call statusbar 1.
The good replacement is Power Toggles, which allows to add widgets with battery level, fast volume profiles switching, enabling Wi-Fi, Bluetooth. Pretty much everything you used status bar for. Except cellular signal strength. I use version 6.0.4.
Tips:
Just as for launcher - aggressive power management will close it as inactive user application after short period. So because it is invoked every time screen is turned on best way to reduce screen wake up time is to convert Power Toggles to system application (requires root). This can be done using Link2SD application. Open it, search for Power Toggles, click on Power Toggles, click triple dot menu menu and you will have option to convert to system. Reboot watch.
You can set different battery colors, which makes it easier to use on small screen. I has mine set up to red (below 20%), yellow (20-80%) and green (above 80%).
You can set how frequent battery indicator is refreshed. By default it is quite laggy.
To get something looking like real status bar disable home screen margins in Nova launcher. Check my screenshot below for final effect.
Notification bar (broken)
Same deal as with Status bar - probably it was so heavily modified that API is no longer compatible with launchers.
You can open notification list service directly from Nova action. But you cannot manage it in any way (like cleaning old notifications) so it is pretty useless long list of accumulated trash.
I haven't found any good replacement.
Luckily Nova launcher notification dots work on applications icons and you can pretty much quickly figure out what just pinged you.
Clock time picker (broken)
By default you manage alarm clocks on this watch through phone application. But if you open on watch stock Android clock app you will see that you cannot set time, only set alarms on and off. Probably some Android component is missing. No fix or workaround yet. Also beware, because once you add alarm using APP on the watch there is no way to remove it - no option in app itself and SeTracker sees only first 3 of them. You will need to clean app data from ADB.
Power management (work in progress)
There are no options to keep app running in background. I'm still searching for good power management app replacement to keep things like WhatsApp or other services running.
For controlling:
screen delay (by default set to annoyingly short 10 seconds)
fine screen brightness
Power Toggles widget. Once you set it to your preference widget can be removed and settings are remembered after reboot.
Screen rotation (tricky, broken)
Accelerometer is mounted 90 degrees clockwise and stock applications have this tilt compensation hardcoded into them.
This really dumb design has bad consequences:
If accelerometer rotation (auto-rotation) is enabled all "real" applications will think "up" is on the side where power button and flashlight is.
If accelerometer rotation is disabled most "real" applications will stay in fixed portrait orientation (also called user rotation) but some may still rely on accelerometer. The reason is that you can not fully disable accelerometer. Disabled only means "not taken into consideration unless explicitly asked for". And a lot of applications (mostly camera-related) still try to be user friendly and rotates screen the wrong way.
If you mess something up you can lock Screen Rotation again by adding such button on Power Toggles widget and using it.
Or if you have root:
disable accelerometer rotation: settings put system accelerometer_rotation 0
set user rotation to portrait mode: settings put system user_rotation 0
Start sound
Requires root. Remove /custom/movies/bootsound.mp3.
Apps recommendations (please share yours)
A lot of "phone" applications work out of the box, assuming you get Android 4.4 compatible versions of them. You can install them the same way as launcher or through ADB. My set is:
Simple Keyboard is perfect for this watch. Disable symbols, set height to 150% and typing will be really comfortable and fast.
Power Toggles. Must have to compensate broken status bar and missing settings.
WhatsApp. Communication freedom. Pretty much you can stop here if you want this watch to be simple device for kid.
VLC for listening audiobooks (although interface does not scale well, looking for something better).
Wulkanowy (polish e-grade book with lessons plan, homework, etc. I assume a lot of people from Poland will come here because of Garett popularity so I'm mentioning it).
Solid Explorer. Built-in explorer is very castrated and crashes often when other apps try to use it (for example to select icon picture or file to share). Solid Explorer is stable and has a lot of built-in format viewers. Unfortunately one cannot run FTP server using it - button to start is off the screen. Bug reported, I hope it will get fixed soon.
OurGroceries. Excellent shopping/checkbox list that can be synchronized between various devices. Very useful to make list of things kid should take to school for example.
Diki. Online dictionary with simple interface that scales very well on this small screen. Translations are straightforward, without tons of magic grammar shortcuts. Allows to listen for words pronunciation.
Stock apps that are preinstalled and work OK:
Dialer
Contacts (you can even import cards from vcf file)
Flashlight
Looking for:
CalDav / CardDav sync (unfortunately there is no accounts management in API and most apps adding Dav support to Android crash).
Call blocker that will reject everything outside contacts list. To protect kid from scammers, marketers and other unwanted calls.
Known to fail:
SMSes. Can be sent but watch management API interrupts receiving to capture push control commands. Installing any other SMS application and setting it as default one breaks watch management from phone application.
WhatsApp. Camera during video calls is upside down.
Google Play Services. Instant crash.
Google Chrome 81. Crashes after few seconds of activity. For all apps that need SystemWebView component to work try Bromite replacement. However in KitKat WebView was not an application and Developer Options has no way of choosing default one. So it may fix very small amount of applications which are self-aware of different WebViews providers.
Google Calendar. Needs working Google Play Services.
F-Droid store. Crashes randomly and may require patience to install anything.
OpenSync. Cannot add any DAV account due to SSL crash.
Wikipedia. No articles can be displayed. Probably due to their latest TLS 1.2 mandatory API switch. However simply bookmarking Wikipedia in Bromite browser works just fine.
ADB and USB debugging
By default those watches are sold with charging cable only, it does not have signal pins. Your life will be a lot easier if you will be able to transfer files directly from your computer to watch and use ADB to do stuff. You can check cable dimensions here: https://allegro.pl/oferta/magnetyczny-kabel-zasilajacy-do-garett-kids-xd-10972606997 . Remember - it must have four pogo pins.
Connecting with cable is straightforward just like when connecting regular phone. Just be aware of two things:
Magnets are not strong enough to press four pins to contact pads. If you have trouble connecting try pressing magnet plug to watch firmly.
This is Android 4.4, so you need ancient knowledge. Like for example there is no "cmd" command available in ADB shell. Some command line switches are very different from what is being used today. Etc.
You can set USB to file transfer mode. Android File Transfer desktop application works perfectly and transfers are surprisingly fast. Probably it is the most convenient way to transfer applications, audiobooks and music to this watch.
Root
Based on https://github.com/eisaev/SuperSUInstaller process.
Developer Options Shortcut. Installation method is irrelevant. You can do it the same way as Launcher installation described above. Or if you already have more advanced stuff installed you can use an file transfer method and any file manager to do it.
Developer Options Shortcut and enable USB debugging.
SuperSU Installer. Again installation method is irrelevant.
SuperSU Installer. Wait for Hello World message and go back to Launcher.
In Local files on the watch there should be new SuperSU Manager APK generated. Install it but do not open.
Restart watch.
Disable WiFi and Bluetooth.
Connect USB cable.
Open dialer and enter *#*#83781#*#*. Engineering settings will open.
Go to CONNECTIVITY tab.
Start Service.
Wifi eut and confirm popup.
run adb shell on your computer
in shell enter: am start --user 0 -n ru.eisaev.supersuinstaller/.MainActivity
Wait for Hello world message on watch screen.
In shell enter: am start --user 0 -n eu.chainfire.supersu/.MainActivity
On watch screen SuperSU Manager should pop up and offer binary update. Choose Normal mode.
Restart watch.
Open SuperSU Manager. Method is irrelevant, can be clicked from Nova launcher or invoked from ADB like in 16.
Go to Settings and set Default access to Grant.
Confirm that you have root access by going to ADB shell and invoking: su
Clean up all files generated by SuperSU Installer from Local directory on the watch.
This method slightly diverges from original because users are different and because SuperSU Installer crashes when leaving to desktop using home button. Making it impossible to go from step 8 to 9 described in original method.
So for Installer and Manager to see each other at the same time you need to do this weird loop: install Installer which generates Manager which you can install prematurely to be able to later fire up both Installer and Manager at the same time from ADB without using watch home button.
Kudos for eisaev for discovering this process and building SuperSU!
My result
Home screen of Nova launcher:
View attachment 5420419
bar on top emulates status bar. It handles battery info, fast volume and brightness settings and connectivity settings.
Two Nova action widgets added on the bottom - one for power off, second one for applications list.
Application list:
View attachment 5420423
Nova allows to hide applications, so I used it to hide everything kid is not supposed to mess with. Like settings of various sort.
Many apps like Calculator or Gallery I've extracted directly from my old Android 4.4 phone.
Keyboard:
View attachment 5420427
Simple Keyboard is far more usable and fast than stock keyboard. Kid has no problem with typing on it. However just as on stock keyboard you have to type blindly and occasionally minimize keyboard to verify what you've typed.
Please contribute
If you have found solution to any of mentioned problems, encountered new problem on your own or just found good app please share in comments.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I bought this watch for my child, but when I want to use another tracking program other than the se tracker program, I cannot change the ip number. Can you help me with this? Since I couldn't find any more resources about g4h, I asked for help under this topic. The link to the watch I actually bought is below. If I can change the server of the watch with the sms sent to the watch, maybe I can switch to an application other than tracker. Engineering mode opens but I don't know how to do it.
Find my kids application server: pw,123456,ip,tcp.findmykids.org,8001#
https://tr.aliexpress.com/item/1005002878573395.html?spm=a2g0s.9042311.0.0.1cc04c4dVwpHt3
got one watch with the same chipset, but it is running at Android 8.1. any idea for root it?
already try above way to to do it. but it was failed.
rootzero7 said:
got one watch with the same chipset, but it is running at Android 8.1. any idea for root it?
already try above way to to do it. but it was failed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No model name, no build version... with amount of details you provided you won't get an answer.
afyden2018 said:
I bought this watch for my child, but when I want to use another tracking program other than the se tracker program, I cannot change the ip number. Can you help me with this? Since I couldn't find any more resources about g4h, I asked for help under this topic. The link to the watch I actually bought is below. If I can change the server of the watch with the sms sent to the watch, maybe I can switch to an application other than tracker. Engineering mode opens but I don't know how to do it.
Find my kids application server: pw,123456,ip,tcp.findmykids.org,8001#
https://tr.aliexpress.com/item/1005002878573395.html?spm=a2g0s.9042311.0.0.1cc04c4dVwpHt3
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What you want is not possible.
Findmykids.org and SE Tracker do not speak the same protocol, it is not the matter of simply changing IP.
Also findmykids.org service running on watch is for Android 5.0 and up, while this watch runs on Android 4.4.
By the way: location reporting IP is stored in /custom/config. You can remount storage it in read-write mode and change it, but as I said earlier this is pointless. What you need is Android Service running on the watch, reporting to findmykids.org in data format expected by this site.
here is some detail for this watch. it comes NO band name.
chipset,
processor : 0
model name : ARMv8 Processor
BogoMIPS : 52.00
Features : half thumb fastmult vfp edsp neon vfpv3 tls vfpv4 idiva idivt vfpd32 lpae evtstrm aes pmull sha1 sha2 crc32
CPU implementer : 0x41
CPU architecture: 8
CPU variant : 0x0
CPU part : 0xd03
CPU revision : 4
processor : 1
model name : ARMv8 Processor
BogoMIPS : 52.00
Features : half thumb fastmult vfp edsp neon vfpv3 tls vfpv4 idiva idivt vfpd32 lpae evtstrm aes pmull sha1 sha2 crc32
CPU implementer : 0x41
CPU architecture: 8
CPU variant : 0x0
CPU part : 0xd03
CPU revision : 4
Hardware : Spreadtrum SC9820e
Revision : 0000
Serial : 0000000000000000
re : Spreadtrum SC9820e
Revision : 0000
Serial : 0000000000000000
getprop | grep ver
[persist.sys.android.version]: [9.0]
[ro.build.version.release]: [8.1.0]
[ro.build.version.sdk]: [27]
[ro.build.version.security_patch]: [2019-11-05]
kernel info.
Linux localhost 4.4.83+ #1 SMP PREEMPT Fri Aug 20 17:30:34 CST 2021 armv7l
install the SuperSUInstaller apk file and launched it .
adb logcat says the connection was denied by SElinux. also there is no cmd_services running when "enable wifi eut". which "superSUinstaller" needs it to run on.
also by dig the system, it seems like the SELinux was misconfigured somehow.
does it work on android 9
because i try to root LEMFO LEMP
and got this message
DMN_C16_TFT_PIX32:/ $ am start --user 0 -n ru.eisaev.supersuinstaller/.MainActivity
Starting: Intent { cmp=ru.eisaev.supersuinstaller/.MainActivity }
DMN_C16_TFT_PIX32:/ $ am start --user 0 -n eu.chainfire.supersu/.MainActivity
Starting: Intent { cmp=eu.chainfire.supersu/.MainActivity }
Error type 3
Error: Activity class {eu.chainfire.supersu/eu.chainfire.supersu.MainActivity} does not exist.
i realy need solution for root this Sh*t devices
Great tutorial!
I bought polish Garett kids 4g and I want to play with it a little bit (it's not only for kids but also for daddies ).
1. I installed WhatsApp (KitKat version) and it works great. Surprisingly I can see it in the default launcher next to "steps" ("kroki") and "QR code". How it is possible and how to do it with other apps?
2. When I change watch faces I can see a little weather icon on the preview. But when I choose one there is no weather. Do you know what weather application is missing and how to force it to show weather on the watch face?
Thanks alot! I asked for the firmware from chinese's seller, and I had got a link:
QQ邮箱中转站文件
mail.qq.com
ivvitan said:
Thanks alot! I asked for the firmware from chinese's seller, and I had got a link:
QQ邮箱中转站文件
mail.qq.com
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hello,I have a watch of the same model, but I don't know how to brush it. I tried SPD_ Research_ Tool, the driver is also installed. I tried to insert the data cable when the watch is shutting down, but the Tool reported an error "user cancel". Can you tell me how you brush the watch?Thanks.
Is there a possibility of putting an android later than android 4.4 in these watches?
Surely there must be a dev on xda who could port a rom to this watch.. anyone ?
bbkr said:
State of market
Do NOT buy this watch. It looks like excellent value for money, but much modern H1 / W5 series with Android 9 and full Play Store just hit the shelves on AliExpress for almost the same price.
If mine arrives I'll create separate thread about them.
Brands
My specific watch that I used to experiment with is G4P, bought straight from Chinese factory:
View attachment 5407991
However almost everything from this thread applies to any watch running on SP9820E SoC, like G4E or G4H series.
Those watches are also often rebranded and sold as: Kinyo, Garett, Lemfo, Wonlex, Locon and many more.
Just check in spec if it is running on 9820E chip and you are good to go.
Reasons for modding
Those watches by default use very limited set of very simple applications presented in most ugly launcher and icon sets achievable by humans.
You can not install any extra applications and what you get from the box is very disappointing.
Also they are meant to be managed exclusively by corresponding phone application like SeTracker 2 (or rebrands like Garett Tracker),
which means you need to send your data to Chinese service and use WeeChat for chats/video calls, whether you like it or not.
This is true shame, because SP9820E is quite powerful hardware, here is GeekBench score.
Do not be fooled by oversimplified stock software - you can run pretty much any "real" application on it.
Luckily because those watches use Android under the hood you can transform them to something more feature-rich and more pleasant to use.
Android KitKat is NOT Android Wear
Those watches use Android 4.4, codename KitKat. Just like old phones. Please do not confuse it with Android Wear operating system and do not try to use applications built for Android Wear. Whatever you use must be Android 4.4 compatible, anything newer won't install at all. Android on this watch is heavily modified, lacks some components and you will run into many crashes or weird behaviour. Sections below will help you to navigate through those issues.
Also applications back in KitKat era were not designed with watch screens in mind, so expect bad interface scaling, not accessible buttons and huge or microscopic fonts.
How to install any application from stock Launcher?
Get application *.apk file from trusted site.
Set up Bluetooth connection between your watch (in Settings -> More -> Bluetooth) and computer / phone. Do not use macOS computer, it does not work. Android phone seems to be most compatible.
Upload *.apk file to watch using Bluetooth.
On watch go to Settings -> Tools -> File explorer and select Local -> bluetooth. Click on *.apk file and install it.
Installed application will not be visible from stock Launcher. So I really recommend installing another Launcher as first application.
Launcher
I use Nova Launcher. You need 5.5.4 version, this is the last one compatible with Android 4.4.
Once you install it using installation method described above press power button and it should prompt you which Launcher to use. Select Nova.
And enjoy freedom. It is also surprisingly fast and does not consume more battery than stock one.
If you have Nova Pro purchased you can activate it in two ways:
Use APK extractor on phone where you have Nova Prime activation installed. Dump license application to phone storage and install it the same way as launcher itself. But beware - it must be 2017 or earlier activation package. You cannot dump it from modern phone.
Search for nova_launcher_prime_v2017_full.apk and install this fake license. This is questionable way of activating it. But if you do not have old phone with old license preinstalled you have no other options. I think that if you own legal license on Play Store you will do no harm to developers this way.
Tips:
To avoid being asked for launcher when pressing power button you can disable stock launcher (requires root) through ADB shell: su, and then pm disable com.sgtc.launcher.
This firmware has very aggressive power management and you may notice lag when waking up watch after longer period of time. This is because Nova got killed by operating system and must start from scratch. To avoid it convert Nova launcher to system application (requires root). This can be done using Link2SD application. Open it, search for Nova, click on Nova, click triple dot menu menu and you will have option to convert to system. Remember to have default launcher or ADB enabled while doing this, because you will need one of those to invoke reboot.
Lock screen using button (broken, workarounds available)
If you have two Launchers power button will always prompt for Launcher when pressed on unlocked screen. You cannot change it without root, there is something modified under the hood and even Nova cannot set itself as default Launcher.
The workarounds are to lock screen using icon:
Add Nova action widget and set it to lock screen.
Add Power Toggles widget and add lock screen button to it.
Settings (partially works)
Settings are very simplified compared to stock Android 4.4. I've tried to install stock AOSP Settings APP but it fails. A lot of "hidden settings" applications allows to invoke deep buried panels like HotSpot or lock screen patterns configurations. Tedious job, lot of crashes along the way.
You can also:
Go to engineering mode by dialling *#*#83781#*#*.
Go to Developer Options by using Developer Options Shortcut application.
Status bar (broken, workaround available)
It does not work on any launcher (I tested a few beside Nova). Probably it was so heavily modified that API is no longer compatible. It cannot even be invoked by ADB service call statusbar 1.
The good replacement is Power Toggles, which allows to add widgets with battery level, fast volume profiles switching, enabling Wi-Fi, Bluetooth. Pretty much everything you used status bar for. Except cellular signal strength. I use version 6.0.4.
Tips:
Just as for launcher - aggressive power management will close it as inactive user application after short period. So because it is invoked every time screen is turned on best way to reduce screen wake up time is to convert Power Toggles to system application (requires root). This can be done using Link2SD application. Open it, search for Power Toggles, click on Power Toggles, click triple dot menu menu and you will have option to convert to system. Reboot watch.
You can set different battery colors, which makes it easier to use on small screen. I has mine set up to red (below 20%), yellow (20-80%) and green (above 80%).
You can set how frequent battery indicator is refreshed. By default it is quite laggy.
To get something looking like real status bar disable home screen margins in Nova launcher. Check my screenshot below for final effect.
Notification bar (broken)
Same deal as with Status bar - probably it was so heavily modified that API is no longer compatible with launchers.
You can open notification list service directly from Nova action. But you cannot manage it in any way (like cleaning old notifications) so it is pretty useless long list of accumulated trash.
I haven't found any good replacement.
Luckily Nova launcher notification dots work on applications icons and you can pretty much quickly figure out what just pinged you.
Clock time picker (broken)
By default you manage alarm clocks on this watch through phone application. But if you open on watch stock Android clock app you will see that you cannot set time, only set alarms on and off. Probably some Android component is missing. No fix or workaround yet. Also beware, because once you add alarm using APP on the watch there is no way to remove it - no option in app itself and SeTracker sees only first 3 of them. You will need to clean app data from ADB.
Power management (work in progress)
There are no options to keep app running in background. I'm still searching for good power management app replacement to keep things like WhatsApp or other services running.
For controlling:
screen delay (by default set to annoyingly short 10 seconds)
fine screen brightness
you can use buttons on Power Toggles widget. Once you set it to your preference widget can be removed and settings are remembered after reboot.
Screen rotation (tricky, broken)
Accelerometer is mounted 90 degrees clockwise and stock applications have this tilt compensation hardcoded into them.
This really dumb design has bad consequences:
If accelerometer rotation (auto-rotation) is enabled all "real" applications will think "up" is on the side where power button and flashlight is.
If accelerometer rotation is disabled most "real" applications will stay in fixed portrait orientation (also called user rotation) but some may still rely on accelerometer. The reason is that you can not fully disable accelerometer. Disabled only means "not taken into consideration unless explicitly asked for". And a lot of applications (mostly camera-related) still try to be user friendly and rotates screen the wrong way.
If you mess something up you can lock Screen Rotation again by adding such button on Power Toggles widget and using it.
Or if you have root:
disable accelerometer rotation: settings put system accelerometer_rotation 0
set user rotation to portrait mode: settings put system user_rotation 0
Start sound
Requires root.
First remount /custom in read-write mode: mount -o rw,remount /custom.
Then remove /custom/movies/bootsound.mp3.
Apps recommendations (please share yours)
A lot of "phone" applications work out of the box, assuming you get Android 4.4 compatible versions of them. You can install them the same way as launcher or through ADB. My set is:
Simple Keyboard is perfect for this watch. Disable symbols, set height to 150% and typing will be really comfortable and fast.
Power Toggles. Must have to compensate broken status bar and missing settings.
WhatsApp. Communication freedom. Pretty much you can stop here if you want this watch to be simple device for kid.
VLC for listening audiobooks (although interface does not scale well, looking for something better).
Wulkanowy (polish e-grade book with lessons plan, homework, etc. I assume a lot of people from Poland will come here because of Garett popularity so I'm mentioning it).
Solid Explorer. Built-in explorer is very castrated and crashes often when other apps try to use it (for example to select icon picture or file to share). Solid Explorer is stable and has a lot of built-in format viewers. Unfortunately one cannot run FTP server using it - button to start is off the screen. Bug reported, I hope it will get fixed soon.
OurGroceries. Excellent shopping/checkbox list that can be synchronized between various devices. Very useful to make list of things kid should take to school for example.
Diki. Online dictionary with simple interface that scales very well on this small screen. Translations are straightforward, without tons of magic grammar shortcuts. Allows to listen for words pronunciation.
Stock apps that are preinstalled and work OK:
Dialer
Contacts (you can even import cards from vcf file)
Flashlight
Looking for:
CalDav / CardDav sync (unfortunately there is no accounts management in API and most apps adding Dav support to Android crash).
Call blocker that will reject everything outside contacts list. To protect kid from scammers, marketers and other unwanted calls.
Known to fail:
SMSes. Can be sent but watch management API interrupts receiving to capture push control commands. Installing any other SMS application and setting it as default one breaks watch management from phone application.
WhatsApp. Camera during video calls is upside down.
Google Play Services. Instant crash.
Google Chrome 81. Crashes after few seconds of activity. For all apps that need SystemWebView component to work try Bromite replacement. However in KitKat WebView was not an application and Developer Options has no way of choosing default one. So it may fix very small amount of applications which are self-aware of different WebViews providers.
Google Calendar. Needs working Google Play Services.
F-Droid store. Crashes randomly and may require patience to install anything.
OpenSync. Cannot add any DAV account due to SSL crash.
Wikipedia. No articles can be displayed. Probably due to their latest TLS 1.2 mandatory API switch. However simply bookmarking Wikipedia in Bromite browser works just fine.
ADB and USB debugging
By default those watches are sold with charging cable only, it does not have signal pins. Your life will be a lot easier if you will be able to transfer files directly from your computer to watch and use ADB to do stuff. You can check cable dimensions here: https://allegro.pl/oferta/magnetyczny-kabel-zasilajacy-do-garett-kids-xd-10972606997 . Remember - it must have four pogo pins.
Connecting with cable is straightforward just like when connecting regular phone. Just be aware of two things:
Magnets are not strong enough to press four pins to contact pads. If you have trouble connecting try pressing magnet plug to watch firmly.
This is Android 4.4, so you need ancient knowledge. Like for example there is no "cmd" command available in ADB shell. Some command line switches are very different from what is being used today. Etc.
You can set USB to file transfer mode. Android File Transfer desktop application works perfectly and transfers are surprisingly fast. Probably it is the most convenient way to transfer applications, audiobooks and music to this watch.
Root
Based on https://github.com/eisaev/SuperSUInstaller process.
Install Developer Options Shortcut. Installation method is irrelevant. You can do it the same way as Launcher installation described above. Or if you already have more advanced stuff installed you can use an file transfer method and any file manager to do it.
Run Developer Options Shortcut and enable USB debugging.
Install SuperSU Installer. Again installation method is irrelevant.
Run SuperSU Installer. Wait for Hello World message and go back to Launcher.
In Local files on the watch there should be new SuperSU Manager APK generated. Install it but do not open.
Restart watch.
Disable WiFi and Bluetooth.
Connect USB cable.
Open dialer and enter *#*#83781#*#*. Engineering settings will open.
Go to CONNECTIVITY tab.
Click Start Service.
Click Wifi eut and confirm popup.
run adb shell on your computer
in shell enter: am start --user 0 -n ru.eisaev.supersuinstaller/.MainActivity
Wait for Hello world message on watch screen.
In shell enter: am start --user 0 -n eu.chainfire.supersu/.MainActivity
On watch screen SuperSU Manager should pop up and offer binary update. Choose Normal mode.
Restart watch.
Open SuperSU Manager. Method is irrelevant, can be clicked from Nova launcher or invoked from ADB like in 16.
Go to Settings and set Default access to Grant.
Confirm that you have root access by going to ADB shell and invoking: su
Clean up all files generated by SuperSU Installer from Local directory on the watch.
This method slightly diverges from original because users are different and because SuperSU Installer crashes when leaving to desktop using home button. Making it impossible to go from step 8 to 9 described in original method.
So for Installer and Manager to see each other at the same time you need to do this weird loop: install Installer which generates Manager which you can install prematurely to be able to later fire up both Installer and Manager at the same time from ADB without using watch home button.
Kudos for eisaev for discovering this process and building SuperSU!
My result
Home screen of Nova launcher:
View attachment 5420419
Power Toggles bar on top emulates status bar. It handles battery info, fast volume and brightness settings and connectivity settings.
Two Nova action widgets added on the bottom - one for power off, second one for applications list.
Application list:
View attachment 5420423
Nova allows to hide applications, so I used it to hide everything kid is not supposed to mess with. Like settings of various sort.
Many apps like Calculator or Gallery I've extracted directly from my old Android 4.4 phone.
Keyboard:
View attachment 5420427
Simple Keyboard is far more usable and fast than stock keyboard. Kid has no problem with typing on it. However just as on stock keyboard you have to type blindly and occasionally minimize keyboard to verify what you've typed.
Please contribute
If you have found solution to any of mentioned problems, encountered new problem on your own or just found good app please share in comments.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thank for this tutorial