Android has a very flexible and dynamic software model but it has one critical flaw.
It is very very common for app updates to break applications and once an app is broken by an update there is no recourse. It has happened to me at least 6 times in the last 2 years.
Here is a typical scenario:
1) You have a great app that works perfectly
2) You get a notification that there is an update to this app ..... you install it
3) The app is now broken after the update either it crashes or it fails to do what it supposed to do.
4) At this point you have absolutely no recourse except email the developer or look for an apk
5) Live without the app you bought sometimes for months
This is not an acceptable situation. The Play Store and developer rules need to be changed so that users can revert to the previous version for at least one month after an update. This is a major flaw and why many people are very afraid to update any app.
The worst example is with HTC phones and Google Navigation. Many HTC One S phones have been unable to run Google Navigation after the 4.1.1 update. This problem has been unresolved for almost 8 months .... that's 8 months without the Navigation app and that's a major function of the phone. If you can revert to a version that works this is not a big issue, but that isn't possible. In the end it was easier to get a new phone than address this issue.
I currently have an S20 Ultra that I am very close to returning while I still can (Exynos and camera) I have wanted the P40 pro (or Mate 30 pro) ever since they were announced but just wrote them off due to the lack of Google.
The thing is though I'd be totally ok with a lot about life without Google, I use a 3rd party email app, I could easily switch my contacts and calendar back to iCloud and rarely watch netflix on my phone. So then it just comes down to the no google pay and the potential faff to work around not having Google Photos.
My question is for those that have it how are finding it day to day? Are the limitations a frustration too far or does it work for you?
arsenal74 said:
I currently have an S20 Ultra that I am very close to returning while I still can (Exynos and camera) I have wanted the P40 pro (or Mate 30 pro) ever since they were announced but just wrote them off due to the lack of Google.
The thing is though I'd be totally ok with a lot about life without Google, I use a 3rd party email app, I could easily switch my contacts and calendar back to iCloud and rarely watch netflix on my phone. So then it just comes down to the no google pay and the potential faff to work around not having Google Photos.
My question is for those that have it how are finding it day to day? Are the limitations a frustration too far or does it work for you?
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Click to collapse
If you can live with some compromises, then it's an amazing phone. The Camera is phenomenal, the battery life is great, and apps and games run super smooth.
Getting GMS up and working is a straight forward process, but be prepared to do it a few times to get it right (it took me about 6 attempts to get it fully working with no notifications and app errors etc) and follow the steps precisely. Obviously, it's still not going to be as smooth a Googley and app experience as your Samsung, missing G-Pay, G-Music and a few others may or may not be crucial to you. Plus many apps won’t give notifications - but I don't mind this so much it's quite nice not having random notifications all day and only getting them when i open the app and actually want to see - I predominantly use Whatsapp and notifications work fine here.
I did try a few days without Google services, but the App Gallery really is terrible. It might have 45000 apps, but 44950 are awful. Downloading apps from elsewhere works, but many apps crash with a 'No google services' type error. So, for me the compromise of having some stuff work with GMS is the better option and the rest of the phone makes it worthwhile.
Thanks, how would you feel if sideloading GPS was not possible? Strikes me that that would have to be my assumption going in as whatever loophole allows it could get closed at any time.
arsenal74 said:
Thanks, how would you feel if sideloading GPS was not possible? Strikes me that that would have to be my assumption going in as whatever loophole allows it could get closed at any time.
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Click to collapse
Personally I only installed GMS out of the "urge" to tinker with my phone. I love that stuff. But honestly, I wouldn't mind not having Google services on my phone, there are enough alternatives on the Huawei App Gallery. For me, at least. Everyone is different. Check out some of the posts on here or reddit where people list some good Google apps alternatives. Like
Gmail = Bluemail or Aquamail.
Google Maps = Here WeGo or Maps.me
etc.
And you're right about the loophole possibly getting closed. That's why I wouldn't recommend this phone to people who are heavily dependent on Gapps. But if you can live without them, then just buy it! It's a great phone and I'm very satisfied with it, so far.
arsenal74 said:
Thanks, how would you feel if sideloading GPS was not possible? Strikes me that that would have to be my assumption going in as whatever loophole allows it could get closed at any time.
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Click to collapse
I think that it would still be a great phone, I'm sure i could cope with downloading APKs using ApkPure etc, but it would be less attractive. Really hoping the workarounds still work when the Pro+ version arrives!
On a side note, i said on the above post that it took many attempts to get GMS fully working with no errors. Yesterday evening I had a meltdown and accidentally removed my Google account and it was not possible to re-add it, so i backed up my stuff and reset the phone. I followed the steps from Swag Sell's 7th May video on YouTube (using the same files as always) and it worked first time with no errors and took about 20 minutes, I think as people refine the processes and steps it gets more accurate.
On the google side it is only really google photos that would bug me as I use that, I could live without google pay. Email would not be a problem, other than that it would just be not getting notifications for other apps. I actually think there are some plus points of being google free!
I am really tempted as the camera on the S20 Ultra is just a let-down (the hardware is there but I have no confidence Samsung will get the software right) I really liked the P30 pro and am actually considering getting another but the P40 pro just looks like a really good device.
I like my P40 Pro a lot but I'm waiting for improvements in the camera department.
The phone is fast, stable, looks great, feels great and has good battery life.
I don't really trust my privacy in the hands of big US tech companies, so it's nice to break free from Google. The only Google apps I sideloaded are YouTube Vanced and Google Maps. I tried other GPS applications but unfortunately none really lived up to GMaps, even Waze. So I'm using GMaps without GMS which means no saved/starred places etc, but that's ok with me. As an alternative, I'm saving my search history locally on the device and I created home screen shortcuts (GMap widget) for addresses that I want to "save".
H-Emmanuel said:
I like my P40 Pro a lot but I'm waiting for improvements in the camera department.
".
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Click to collapse
Really? Camera would be the main driver for me getting this phone.
I assume banking apps are a no no too?
I think I am going to give the P40 Pro a try, Amazon have a pretty good deal including the watch, do have one final question..
For those who have managed to install GPS how safe do you feel? i.e. if you were able to get your banking apps working or PayPal would you be happy using them? Only ask as the method obviously involves installing stuff from unknown sources.
I am on the fence of accepting I will not get my banking apps or google photos and going the app clone, app gallery route and finding a workaround for photos.
arsenal74 said:
Really? Camera would be the main driver for me getting this phone.
I assume banking apps are a no no too?
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Click to collapse
The current camera app doesn't unleash the camera's full potential.
Some banking apps work, others don't, there's no hard rule.
Bit disappointed so far ... I have not installed any GMS mods .. just cloned some apps and installed from apkpure, amazon app store, etc.
1. call earspeaker volume is low
2. call speaker volume is low
3. no AOD weather & music controls
4. notifications missing for most side-loaded apps (whatsapp ok, skype + others are a fail)
5. notifications disappear after unlocking (usual huawei thing)
6. amazon photos app crashes
7. gestural nav quick app switcher is supported with an option but doesnt seem to work.
That's about it for now.
(4) is critical .. the others I can probably overlook for a while.
Ok I pulled the trigger and it arrived today. So far I have just used phone clone, app gallery and Amazon/APKPure, early days but so far it feels quite seamless.
Not had a chance to form an opinion on how good the phone is overall other than it feels really nice in the hand but my experience/observations in terms of what is working and not so far are as follows:
- All of my non-google apps transfered over just fine other than Uber and eBay
- Installed eBay from apkpure but it does not work.
- Lastpass works fine with none of the errors or pop-ups I have seen mentioned elsewhere
- My First Direct Banking app also works fine and appears so far as normal as does PayPal
- Newton Mail, gives a GPS error but does work ok, no notifications though. May have to go back to Nine or try another app
- Nova Launcher works ok and Nova Prime app also transfered over. Nova Google companion does not seem to work though
Early days and some of the above could change and go wrong but so far I am not feeling the temptation to install GPS.
Google Photos yuo can use in browser. Full functionality with Google account. Also almost all other things are usable in browser or you can download app via Apk Pure... for example. The camera with the latest update ... . 121 is super. And I had for a few days Note 10 and also S20 but battery life was terrible. And the camera here is simply the best, and so so smooth and fast user experience.
Update Amazon photos crashes constantly, not a fan of the browser route as it feels quite clunky so am going to try piktures.
Surely the lack of notifications is an issue for you?
WhatsApp notifications work just fine as does obviously SMS.
Still looking for email, outlook seems hit and miss but notifications are coming through on it. I have used nine before but obviously no way of carrying through my purchase.
I think the key is identifying apps that do not reply on GPS to work.
I am going to persevere a bit before trying to install GPS, only because it looks a faff and is also not a one-of job. I’ll see how I feel after a few days. WhatsApp, email and sms are the must haves, the others can follow hopefully.
The camera is very very good, tested it briefly against my ultra and indoors it is just no contest. I’m sure outside in good light it is a personal preference thing but in mid to low light so far it seems streets ahead.
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
arsenal74 said:
I’ll see how I feel after a few days. WhatsApp, email and sms are the must haves, the others can follow hopefully.
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Click to collapse
yes .. it's close to being acceptable for me with whatsapp working ... really just skype is the problem for my must haves .. the others are not so critical ... i can use calendars etc from HAG.
such a hassle to go back to google services just for skype.
Can you continue to use your game progress saved with Google Play? I refuse to use Facebook to save my progress, so Play is the only way I can keep my progress.
Hello All!
My Samsung phone was not receiving RCS on the google messages app, despite google confirming rollout in most of the world. I suspect that my cell provider Lucky Mobile might have something to do with it, as it is one of the few carriers in Canada that does not provide RCS services. In an effort to activate it on my phone, I found a trick that I believe has not been posted yet. I tested this out on an unrooted Samsung Galaxy S10 running android 10 One UI 2.5, an unrooted Samsung Galaxy A50 running Android 10 One UI 2, and an Unrooted Samsung Galaxy S10 Lite running Android 11 One UI 3. These are all Samsung devices, so it may not work on other phones, but I have no way of testing that. The steps I took are below
On the Google Play Store, install Carrier Services from Google
Still on the Play Store, Install Google Messages
Open Google Messages and set it as the default messaging app
In the Messages app, open settings and check to see if chat features are available, they were not for me, but it is a good idea to check
Keep the Messages app open in the background but switch back to the Play Store and uninstall Carrier Services
Re-open the Messages App, then exit and close it from the Recents menu, and then open it again
You should now get a pop-up saying that you can use chat features, if not, then it should be available in the chat features section in settings
That’s it! I’m not sure how useful this will be to others, considering that my issue is something most people wont have, but I thought that someone might be looking for a way of activating RCS on their phone, with similar results that I had until now. I would also appreciate if people with phones from different companies (e.g. Google, Xiaomi, OnePlus) could try it out to see if it only works with Samsung phones or other companies’ phones as well.
Edit: You can join the Messages Beta program if you want after the steps are complete, as it keeps RCS enabled. Not sure why but I am not complaining
(P.S. This is my first post on XDA so I'm not sure if this is best format to post this, or the right place to post this in)
No luck for pixel 4 xl on Android 12
I had the P40 pro last year, really liked the hardware but ultimately grew tired of the faff to keep things working and notifications never really were 100%
Are things any different now or is it still as much hassle to get and keep working? I am kind of tempted again
Great phone, same issues to install GSM, but when you get it everything seems to work fine without errors. Even my bank applications are running now.
wonderful phone with great camaras display and battery, waiting for harmony os
I was totally ok with getting my apps elsewhere before and have no problem tinkering, it was notifications and google photos that bugged me in the end last time.
As you can see in my thread, I can't install a banking app. Other than that, with phone clone and the aurora app store, everything else is working (apart from uber, but you can make web shortcuts, which solves that problem).
Quality phone overall would recommend you to check if your banking apps work, or if you need a mobile version of them. Apart from that super satisfied.
My two complaints are apps from sites have fonts too small for me to read and how to get photos from phone to laptop quickly for editing.
Just bought this phone, it's very cheap compare to the early date it launched. I simply use gspace to enable some gms required apps. I found this very useful and gspace seems to work flawlessly. Now I ditch yg Vivo X50pro to use Huawei P40pro.
Hi i love my p40 pro the camera is excellent much better than i even thought it would be .but for me the problem has always been google .is there no way of getting it on my phone easily???
Just bought this phone last month, loves the Camera & Battery Life, only missing is Goolge (no way to downgrade though) using my 3+ years old oneplus5 as primary & p40pro as secondary device
Hi,
First sorry for this vague post. I am on Android since 2012. During 2012-2014 I used to try out lots of custom ROMs as I was in college and I had mobile like Samsung Galaxy S3 and then later Nexus and the OEM abandoned the updates after a while. After that I started working and since then have been on multiple Google line of devices, first Nexus and now my latest is Pixel3. I am generally happy with the phone. However, my Pixel3 stopped receiving updates I started thinking why I should dump this and buy a new one when it's perfectly working fine for my need.
I just came to this site after like ages to see what is the current status of custom ROMs. It seems overwhelmingly new now. I remember back then we had some sharp edges and something or other didn't work. Since then I am more into google ecosystem now. I use google Fi for phone. I like and use most of the google feature. So just wondering what will I lose by moving to custom ROM and am I ready to live without those features or should I just accept that I will not have any updates and if I need the updates I will have to buy a new phone.
I am not much interested into rooting and gaining advanced controls or doing anything extra nerdy. I will be perfectly happy with just getting the security patches and whatever feature is there if they keep working.
1. what are some good custom ROMs popular these days?
2. What are the things I'd lose moving to custom ROM?
3. Does all hardware for ex: Finger print, NFC work?
4. What about google apps, I mostly like all google app like camera, google pay, phone, play store
5. I like the google specific features like call screening and google assistance, google feed. I guess I will lose those.
6. I also use google Fi, can I still use that seamlessly or is there any gotchas I need to be aware of?
7. Is there any other way to keep my phone Googlized and receive security updates. It is totally acceptable if I can get security patches after some delay and not via OTP but have to sideload manually.
r0b0 said:
Hi,
First sorry for this vague post. I am on Android since 2012. During 2012-2014 I used to try out lots of custom ROMs as I was in college and I had mobile like Samsung Galaxy S3 and then later Nexus and the OEM abandoned the updates after a while. After that I started working and since then have been on multiple Google line of devices, first Nexus and now my latest is Pixel3. I am generally happy with the phone. However, my Pixel3 stopped receiving updates I started thinking why I should dump this and buy a new one when it's perfectly working fine for my need.
I just came to this site after like ages to see what is the current status of custom ROMs. It seems overwhelmingly new now. I remember back then we had some sharp edges and something or other didn't work. Since then I am more into google ecosystem now. I use google Fi for phone. I like and use most of the google feature. So just wondering what will I lose by moving to custom ROM and am I ready to live without those features or should I just accept that I will not have any updates and if I need the updates I will have to buy a new phone.
I am not much interested into rooting and gaining advanced controls or doing anything extra nerdy. I will be perfectly happy with just getting the security patches and whatever feature is there if they keep working.
1. what are some good custom ROMs popular these days?
2. What are the things I'd lose moving to custom ROM?
3. Does all hardware for ex: Finger print, NFC work?
4. What about google apps, I mostly like all google app like camera, google pay, phone, play store
5. I like the google specific features like call screening and google assistance, google feed. I guess I will lose those.
6. I also use google Fi, can I still use that seamlessly or is there any gotchas I need to be aware of?
7. Is there any other way to keep my phone Googlized and receive security updates. It is totally acceptable if I can get security patches after some delay and not via OTP but have to sideload manually.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. LineageOS
2. I have not found anything lost.
3. Yes
4. You can download the Google Camera app from the play store. Probably the phone app also, but I have not tried it. Google Pay will require rooting and Universal SafetyNet Fix module.
5. Don't know, as I don't use them.
6. I don't use Fi, but would expect it to work.
7. I'm not aware of any other way, but have not looked. Lineage does everything I need.