Android applications

Sector11 · 2026-04-27 03:34:54

Colonel Panic wrote:

{snip} What I could do with is an easy way to turn the Oppo off. {snip}

Found this: How to Switch off OPPO Phone Without Power Button
Hope that helps.

johnraff · 2026-04-27 09:25:43

Sector11 wrote:

I have no idea if this is a "Samsung" thing or common to other Android phones.
Find it: > Settings > (search) assistant menu

Maybe it is Samsung - I couldn't find the assistant menu on my moto g24, but it offered a "digital assistant" which I didn't like the sound of.

Default action poweroff for me was similar to what the Colonel had - simultaneously press the power button and volume-up, which didn't always work anyway...

Colonel Panic wrote:

What I could do with is an easy way to turn the Oppo off; although it does turn off (contrary to what I first thought), you have to hold down the "power" button (on one side of the case) and the "volume up" one (on the other side) hard, and and at the same time, for at least ten seconds. It is wearying to have to do it that way every time.

After resetting power menu to a long press on the power button it's much more tolerable.

Sector11 wrote:

johnraff wrote:
{snip} set it to "Access power menu"
I'm guessing you still have to push a button though? It that similar to what I'm showing?

Yes, still have to press the power button, but it's only one button.

Colonel Panic · 2026-04-27 10:24:13

Sector11 wrote:

Colonel Panic wrote:
{snip} What I could do with is an easy way to turn the Oppo off. {snip}
Found this: How to Switch off OPPO Phone Without Power Button
Hope that helps.

Thanks! (and John's response too).

Sector11 · 2026-04-27 12:25:35

johnraff wrote:

{snip snip}
Yes, still have to press the power button, but it's only one button.

What abourt this, from 0:22 → 0:28, that was the second way then he continues with changing the function of the power button.

Sector11 · 2026-04-27 12:28:04

Colonel Panic wrote:

Sector11 wrote:
Colonel Panic wrote:
{snip} What I could do with is an easy way to turn the Oppo off. {snip}
Found this: How to Switch off OPPO Phone Without Power Button
Hope that helps.
Thanks! (and John's response too).

But did it work?

Sector11 · 2026-04-27 12:40:44

In all this for the people that use Google Play Store, as I mentioned to unklar.

Check out: Cx File Explorer, I've been using 'forever' it seems.

glittersloth · 2026-04-27 13:14:16

Sector11 wrote:

glittersloth wrote:
Rethink is probably the best firewall I’ve used on Android, but it’s not exactly the most user-friendly. https://rethinkdns.com/app
Hard to set up then?

Let’s just say it’s convoluted, with many interconnected settings spread out over various sub-menus/sections. Quite powerful once you figure everything out.

Project page: https://github.com/celzero/rethink-app

Aside from the usual firewall features like blocking internet connectivity to apps, you can segregate specific apps to wifi or cellular data only, specify different DNS resolvers to different apps (you don’t have to use their own DNS service for this), block selected tracking domains for some apps and not others, or even split-tunnel WireGuard VPN tunnels on a per-app basis.

That last feature is, afaik, unique to Rethink. Most clients only allow split tunnelling from an on/off basis — some apps are tunnelled through your selected VPN server, and others are excluded and have to connect bareback — but with Rethink you can route different apps through different servers/locations. So, provided you have enough available “slots” on your VPN provider (and said provider has servers in your desired locations), you could, for example, have local apps tunnelling through an Argentine server, make fun of Milei’s hair via Tor onion routing, troll Neymar via your social media apps connected to a Brazil server, watch Youtube ad-free via having the Youtube app connected to Albania, and have Firefox on a SOCKS5 proxy to avoid captchas, all at the same time.

This is just scratching the surface. You also have powerful proxifiers for censorship circumvention and whatnot. Do you need any of these? Probably not, at least today. But you never know what kind of billionaire backed AI powered enshittified multiverse you’ll wake up to tomorrow.

Sector11 · 2026-04-27 21:11:04

glittersloth wrote:

Sector11 wrote:
glittersloth wrote:
Rethink is probably the best firewall I’ve used on Android, but it’s not exactly the most user-friendly. https://rethinkdns.com/app
Hard to set up then?
Let’s just say it’s convoluted, with many interconnected settings spread out over various sub-menus/sections. Quite powerful once you figure everything out.
{snip}
This is just scratching the surface. You also have powerful proxifiers for censorship circumvention and whatnot. Do you need any of these? Probably not, at least today. But you never know what kind of billionaire backed AI powered enshittified multiverse you’ll wake up to tomorrow.

OMG! What a read and probably way beyond my pay grade.
But will research.

johnraff · 2026-04-28 00:31:43

Sector11 wrote:

johnraff wrote:
{snip snip}
Yes, still have to press the power button, but it's only one button.
What abourt this, from 0:22 → 0:28, that was the second way then he continues with changing the function of the power button.

Yes that's what I described above. Personally, pressing the power button feels like the intuitive way to switch off, even if you then have to go through the power menu that comes up.

But the colonel will be able to tell us if that's vanilla android or moto specific.

Martin · 2026-04-28 15:14:39

Two more apps I use:

* Tracker Control
* UntrackMe

I hope they keep me off at least some 'radar screens'.

Tacker Control may 'break' some applications. In the past I fixed this by allowing selected things in Tracker Control for the app that failed to work properly.

Today I got a load of updates, both from Google and from F-droid. This included Tracker Control (from F-droid as the version available from Google's app store has limited capabilities to comply with Google's rules).

Now Tracker Control basically blocks all internet traffic unless I enable "Exclude from VPN" for each blocked app. This is new to me. Any experts who can explain?

/Martin

glittersloth · 2026-04-28 16:30:51

Martin wrote:

Now Tracker Control basically blocks all internet traffic unless I enable "Exclude from VPN" for each blocked app. This is new to me. Any experts who can explain?
/Martin

I don’t use this app, but from what I understand (since TrackerControl is similar to NetGuard and Rethink Firewall) it creates a local VPN in order to “sinkhole” queries you want blocked. I skimmed the website, and the Standard and Strict modes do not auto-exclude* known incompatible apps like it does in Minimal mode. Perhaps you changing to a stricter mode caused this?

*basically relies on Android’s VPN split-tunnelling capabilities.

Last edited by glittersloth (2026-04-28 16:31:22)

Martin · 2026-04-28 18:16:32

glittersloth wrote:

Martin wrote:
Now Tracker Control basically blocks all internet traffic unless I enable "Exclude from VPN" for each blocked app. This is new to me. Any experts who can explain?
/Martin
I don’t use this app, but from what I understand (since TrackerControl is similar to NetGuard and Rethink Firewall) it creates a local VPN in order to “sinkhole” queries you want blocked. I skimmed the website, and the Standard and Strict modes do not auto-exclude* known incompatible apps like it does in Minimal mode. Perhaps you changing to a stricter mode caused this?
*basically relies on Android’s VPN split-tunnelling capabilities.

Maybe correct. Today I was asked which mode I wanted to use and I picked Standard. I don't know what I used before or if there even were options.

/Martin

Colonel Panic · 2026-04-28 22:19:56

Sector11 wrote:

Colonel Panic wrote:
Sector11 wrote:
Found this: How to Switch off OPPO Phone Without Power Button
Hope that helps.
Thanks! (and John's response too).
But did it work?

Yes it did! Thanks for the advice.

Sector11 · 2026-04-29 11:18:46

@ Colonel Panic - Perfect. That's what I was hoping for.

Colonel Panic · 2026-05-10 06:56:36

For fans of RPN calculators, there's a good app called Touch RPN, which not only uses Reverse Polish notation but looks very much like a classic HP calculator. It also comes with a variety of different skins called "flavours" so that you can customise it for what you use it for most - scientific, financial and so on.

Like HiPER, it's free to download and use but you pay a small sum to get rid of the ads. Payment also allows you to use some more advanced flavours (it's even got a Black-Scholes one), though I haven't so far found that I've needed any of these.

I can easily see it becoming my main calculator for routine tasks.

Last edited by Colonel Panic (2026-05-11 05:46:50)

Colonel Panic · 2026-05-11 11:19:07

One thing I'm finding difficult at the moment is getting hold of a good pdf reader for my 'phone.

There don't seem to be any programs which offer the features and ease of use of the best desktop Linux pdf readers, or of Sumatra (my favourite pdf reader for Windows). All I really need are an easily accessible zoom function and an equally accessible word finder, but none of the applications I've seen have both.

Last edited by Colonel Panic (2026-05-12 20:27:56)

Sector11 · 2026-05-11 16:17:26

Colonel Panic wrote:

{snip}All I really need are an easily accessible zoom function and an equally accessible word finder{snip}

Check out Mj PDF reader, I originally downloaded it from PlayStore but something about a GUGL policy change and it was removed. The creator is trying to get it back.
I use Cx File Explorer to find files it's MUCH easier and then open them with MJ PDF. I installed MU PDF mini just to show selection process.

Normal, Zoomed in and Search for 'aysa' - click on the "aysa" you want and it will show the page with "aysa" in red (in my case).

Sector11 · 2026-05-11 17:02:41

Colonel Panic wrote:

I can easily see it becoming my main calculator for routine tasks.

I'm retired rarely need a calculator anymore but I do do the odd calcualtions in the terminal:

 2026·05·11 @ 13:42:27 ~
   $ c 15*(85-67.6)
261.0
 
 2026·05·11 @ 13:42:38 ~
   $

#!/bin/bash
#
bc -l << END
scale=3
$1
END

and on my phone: Calculator MobiCalc Because it's FREE as in BEER!
And I REARLY use it. Read that "What's New" The PRO version adds stuff and costs $4.50

Colonel Panic · 2026-05-12 20:25:54

Sector11 wrote:

Colonel Panic wrote:
I can easily see it becoming my main calculator for routine tasks.
I'm retired rarely need a calculator anymore but I do do the odd calcualtions in the terminal:
 2026·05·11 @ 13:42:27 ~
   $ c 15*(85-67.6)
261.0
 
 2026·05·11 @ 13:42:38 ~
   $ 
#!/bin/bash
#
bc -l << END
scale=3
$1
END
and on my phone: Calculator MobiCalc Because it's FREE as in BEER!
And I REARLY use it. Read that "What's New" The PRO version adds stuff and costs $4.50

Thanks for the tip, I'll have a look at that one. I'm just nerdy really - I've never owned an HP RPN calculator in real life and I wanted to get the next best thing (and that one is a good implementation of the functions and interface - I think it's modelled on the 12c).

https://stendec.io/ctb/touchfin/

Last edited by Colonel Panic (2026-05-12 20:29:03)

Colonel Panic · 2026-05-12 20:27:33

Sector11 wrote:

Colonel Panic wrote:
{snip}All I really need are an easily accessible zoom function and an equally accessible word finder{snip}
Check out Mj PDF reader, I originally downloaded it from PlayStore but something about a GUGL policy change and it was removed. The creator is trying to get it back.
I use Cx File Explorer to find files it's MUCH easier and then open them with MJ PDF. I installed MU PDF mini just to show selection process.
Normal, Zoomed in and Search for 'aysa' - click on the "aysa" you want and it will show the page with "aysa" in red (in my case).

Thanks for the tip, I'll have a look at that one too. It seems that it could be what I need - I don't need a full suite of functions such as you get with Adobe Acrobat.

Last edited by Colonel Panic (2026-05-12 20:46:49)

#21 2026-04-27 03:34:54

Re: Android applications

#22 2026-04-27 09:25:43

Re: Android applications

#23 2026-04-27 10:24:13

Re: Android applications

#24 2026-04-27 12:25:35

Re: Android applications

#25 2026-04-27 12:28:04

Re: Android applications

#26 2026-04-27 12:40:44

Re: Android applications

#27 2026-04-27 13:14:16

Re: Android applications

#28 2026-04-27 21:11:04

Re: Android applications

#29 2026-04-28 00:31:43

Re: Android applications

#30 2026-04-28 15:14:39

Re: Android applications

#31 2026-04-28 16:30:51

Re: Android applications

#32 2026-04-28 18:16:32

Re: Android applications

#33 2026-04-28 22:19:56

Re: Android applications

#34 2026-04-29 11:18:46

Re: Android applications

#35 2026-05-10 06:56:36

Re: Android applications

#36 2026-05-11 11:19:07

Re: Android applications

#37 2026-05-11 16:17:26

Re: Android applications

#38 2026-05-11 17:02:41

Re: Android applications

#39 2026-05-12 20:25:54

Re: Android applications

#40 2026-05-12 20:27:33

Re: Android applications

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