NOTE: This review was written when the app used to be called 'MTK Control'. So any references in the text to 'MTK Control' now refer to the app's new name of 'Dual Sim Control'.
I have been using chinese dual SIM phones for quite some years now and love the facilities they provide. I can have both my work SIM and my personal SIM in one device rather than having to carry two phones around with me as I used to. Also using the dual SIM solution allows both SIM's to be connected to the hands free system in my car so that I can make and receive calls on either SIM through the car system.
However, there has always been a downside and that is the SIM management facilities built in to Android. When making a call or text, when you press the send button a box will pop up asking which SIM you want to use to make the call/text which you have to select before the call is made. There is a facility whereby you can assign each contact in your address book to a particular SIM but even this does not automatically make the call using the assigned SIM. All that happens is that when you make a call/text the same box will pop up asking which SIM to use and the only difference is that now there will be an indicator next to one of the SIM's recommending it based on the SIM assignment but you still have to manually select it. Now I don't find this a particular problem when using the phone normally but it is a major problem when using the phone via the hands free system in my car because when I make a call through the car system the box still pops up on the phone asking which SIM to use which is a big drawback and means that the phone has to be accessible and visible while in the car.
However, I have now found a great solution that I have been using for about a month now and is working great. It is an APP called 'MTK Control' which is available through the Google Play Store and is available as a free version and a premium version. I would suggest testing it with the free version first to make sure it will work with your phone but if it does work ok then I would wholeheartedly recommend purchasing the premium version which is only 79p (around $1) and adds additional functionality like homescreen widgets etc.
So, what does 'MTK Control' do that the built in SIM management does not. Well, everything to be honest. Firstly it gives you toggle actions to turn each SIM on/off or to toggle calls between the two SIM's and also to toggle the data connection between the two SIM's.
All of these functions can be added as widgets to the homescreens in the premium version as shown below.
However the best part comes with the ability to create rules to assign contacts and numbers to a particular SIM and have that SIM used automatically with no user intervention required. This is done in the following screen.....
….where you can input a single number, a group of numbers using wildcards, an individual contact or a group of contacts and then select which SIM you want to assign this rule to. So the following screen shows that the contact groups 'Family', 'Friends' and 'Services/Shops Personal' are asigned to SIM 1 (personal SIM) and the groups 'Coworkers', 'Customers' and 'Services/Shops Work' are asigned to SIM 2 (work SIM).
There is also an auto learn function that can be activated so that the first time you dial a new number or contact it will ask you which SIM to use but it will then automatically create a rule for this number so that in the future it will be automatically chosen.
The best part about this is that it works seamlessly with the hands free system in the car. When I initiate a call from the car system the phone will automatically select the SIM to use based on the rules that have been setup. This means that I don't need to physically access the phone at all and it can stay in my pocket.
In my view this app does what the built in SIM management should have done from the start. The developer of the app is constantly updating it with new features and is very approachable and takes on board feature requests.
One word of note, as the title of this thread suggests, the app will only work with Mediatek based mobile phones and will not work with phones like the Samsung Duos range etc. I personally have tested it with the following phones:
UMI X1S (MTK6589)
Jiayu G3 (MTK6577)
Jiayu G4 (MTK6589)
Jiayu G4S (MTK6592)
I haven't used the text or data functionality so can't comment on that specifically but the call related functions and the calling rules I use all the time and have worked flawlessly.
NOTE: This app is now called 'Dual Sim Control' and is now compatible with Samsung Duos phones as well as MTK based phones.
I have no connection whatsoever with the developer of this app. I am just a very happy user of it.
Update: Edited top post to reflect this additional information.
I have now tested and can confirm that 'MTK Control' also works on the Jiayu G4S phone which uses the MTK6592 Octa-core SOC.
Hi,
Thanks Russell for the review.
I'm the developer of this app, and if you have any doubts regarding the app, suggestions, or problems with any function please contact me directly using the contacts available at the Google Play app page or (as long as Russell doesn't mind having his thread slightly hijacked) ask here.
Thanks
MTK on G4S
Russell_S said:
Update: Edited top post to reflect this additional information.
I have now tested and can confirm that 'MTK Control' also works on the Jiayu G4S phone which uses the MTK6592 Octa-core SOC.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi Russell,
I have a G4s but don't seem able to get it to work right, can you confirm that you are using the kitkat rom with this?
I have bound numbers with the app and with the system but still asks me for a sim when dialling via Bluetooth.
Any help greatly appreciated!
Thanks
Hi,
Can you post the configuration you have on MTK Control, and on Android Settings.
Do you have any contact SIM preference defined?
Thanks for sharing.
joaormf said:
Hi,
Can you post the configuration you have on MTK Control, and on Android Settings.
Do you have any contact SIM preference defined?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi,
what info do you need?
I have some numbers as preferred in contacts (they show a little symbol and the sim card name next to them in the phone book) and added some rules also in mtk control, and slid the enable button on and it said always validate, but still get the box pop up saying which sim.
Let me know if you need anything else, and thanks for looking at it.
Bomberfrog said:
Hi,
what info do you need?
I have some numbers as preferred in contacts (they show a little symbol and the sim card name next to them in the phone book) and added some rules also in mtk control, and slid the enable button on and it said always validate, but still get the box pop up saying which sim.
Let me know if you need anything else, and thanks for looking at it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi,
try to remove all the preferred contacts in Android settings, and then set on of the SIMs as the preferred one. This way I think that the Android popup to select SIM should not be shown.
Then you use MTK Control entirely to select the SIM used to dial.
Please tell me if this helped.
is confirmed working on kitkat ?, I have huawei honor 3c. thank you
I confirmed that it works off sims, but not to create rules, always asked to choose sim, its free version. my phone huawei honor 3c
elmajor said:
is confirmed working on kitkat ?, I have huawei honor 3c. thank you
I confirmed that it works off sims, but not to create rules, always asked to choose sim, its free version. my phone huawei honor 3c
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi,
I've made an upgrade last week to improve KitKat compatibility.
However, the best is to try the free version like you did. There is also a grace period on the payed version (not in-app purchase, only on the full version) so you can always try all the functions and cancel the order to get refunded.
Regarding your problem when you say that you are always asked to choose sim, you're talking about a MTK Control popup or the stock Android popup? If it's the latest, look my previous post where I explain how to get the best experience with the Call Rules.
Regards
joaormf said:
Hi,
try to remove all the preferred contacts in Android settings, and then set on of the SIMs as the preferred one. This way I think that the Android popup to select SIM should not be shown.
Then you use MTK Control entirely to select the SIM used to dial.
Please tell me if this helped.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi
Sorry for delay, did a full reset of phone to make sure no other apps messing with it.
No sim associations are set in android.
voice calls set to always use one sim
Rules created in MTK control to use second sim.
Phone will dial via Bluetooth speech recognition and appears to choose the sim but call ends without ever connecting. No box pops up asking for sim choice, interestlingly if the screen lock is off the calling screen doesn't show either.
I can hand dial a number and it appears to choose the sim and show calling screen but uses Bluetooth for voice.
Any other ideas?
Thanks
Bomberfrog said:
Hi
Sorry for delay, did a full reset of phone to make sure no other apps messing with it.
No sim associations are set in android.
voice calls set to always use one sim
Rules created in MTK control to use second sim.
Phone will dial via Bluetooth speech recognition and appears to choose the sim but call ends without ever connecting. No box pops up asking for sim choice, interestlingly if the screen lock is off the calling screen doesn't show either.
I can hand dial a number and it appears to choose the sim and show calling screen but uses Bluetooth for voice.
Any other ideas?
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So if you dial using Bluetooth the call is never made... but if you dial from phone with the Bluetooth connected it works as expected?
Can you send me the application debug information after replicating the first situation?
Thanks
joaormf said:
So if you dial using Bluetooth the call is never made... but if you dial from phone with the Bluetooth connected it works as expected?
Can you send me the application debug information after replicating the first situation?
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi,
Have sent as private message the debug log.
Thanks
Bomberfrog said:
Hi,
Have sent as private message the debug log.
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi,
can you please try to increase the time before the call is made using MTK Control settings?
Try it with 0 ms delay or with a delay like 500 ms.
Tell me how it goes...
joaormf said:
Hi,
can you please try to increase the time before the call is made using MTK Control settings?
Try it with 0 ms delay or with a delay like 500 ms.
Tell me how it goes...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Changed the delay to 500ms and this has fixed it, now dials via Bluetooth speech recognition and call connects.
Many thanks for the advice and help.
Steps for anyone else having an issue.
1.remove associations in android
2.set sim association in MTK control
3. set a sim as default for voice in android
4. set time delay to 500ms in MTK
Thanks again
as remove associations in android?. thx
elmajor said:
as remove associations in android?. thx
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi,
In Android settings you can define one of the SIMs as the prefered one for a given contact.
This associations induce, in my opinion, a not very user friendly behaviour even .when not using my app.
You should remove them to make sure that my app can work it's magic without interferences.
xperia c
does it work on xperia c
kcube said:
does it work on xperia c
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi,
I believe that it doesn't work, but you can try it with the free version. I'm however preparing a new MTK Control version that will bring support to Android One and Samsung phones.
Join the Google+ community since I will announce there when it's released.
Thanks
This APP looks great but you clearly state it will not work on other phones, like my LG G3 so I was wondering if you know of any other APP like this that will work on a normal LG G3 dual SIM phone ?
Thanks mate
Hello all,
I have 2 SIM cards, one for work and one personal. I think to buy a dual SIM phone.
I have some questions about dual SIM features:
1) Can I define an Account\Gmail Contacts\Groups that will be assigned to the different Sim card (for example: I want to define that to all my work contacts will dial\send SMS from work SIM card and to my private contacts will be dial\send SMS from my personal SIM card without the need to choose every call which SIM card to use)?
2) If the answer to the first question is YES, do I need to go to every contact and assign it to default SIM or it can be defined by Contact group\Gmail contact account?
3) If I get a call from number that not in my contact list, If I will redial it will the call go from the SIM that got this call or I will need to choose which sim should I use ?
4) Can I define a different sound profile schedule for each SIM card ?
If those features are not built in Android system, is there any App that can do this or is it possible to develop an app with those features?
Thanks
Eli
I own a dual SIM phone. I don't know some of the questions but I tell how I use it:
- Every time I dial or I select a contact to phone, a dialog appears where I can select which SIM to use, and shows which was the SIM used for the last time. It means 1 click more than a standar phone to make a call, but I find it more practical than preconfiguring the SIM for every contact. First because I have lots of contacts, second, often I phone the same contact from different SIM...
- When I receive a call or SMS the phone indicates which SIM is being used. I suppose I could configure different tone for each SIM, but I don't care about it, I just care about who is calling.
- An app I haven't been able to make it work correctly is Whatsapp. I don't know how to tell it I have dual SIM so it should manage two accounts... finally I use only 1 account with this app.
In general I am really happy with dual SIM and I am clear that my next phone will be dual SIM again.
Thanks for your reply.
But the behavior that you describe is the one that I prefer to avoid.
I don't want to think which SIM use with which contact I want to define it advance.
lion_fish said:
Hello all,
I have 2 SIM cards, one for work and one personal. I think to buy a dual SIM phone.
I have some questions about dual SIM features:
1) Can I define an Account\Gmail Contacts\Groups that will be assigned to the different Sim card (for example: I want to define that to all my work contacts will dial\send SMS from work SIM card and to my private contacts will be dial\send SMS from my personal SIM card without the need to choose every call which SIM card to use)?
2) If the answer to the first question is YES, do I need to go to every contact and assign it to default SIM or it can be defined by Contact group\Gmail contact account?
3) If I get a call from number that not in my contact list, If I will redial it will the call go from the SIM that got this call or I will need to choose which sim should I use ?
4) Can I define a different sound profile schedule for each SIM card ?
If those features are not built in Android system, is there any App that can do this or is it possible to develop an app with those features?
Thanks
Eli
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. You store contacts you want to call from SIM1 on SIM1, the contacts you want call from SIM2 you save to SIM2.
2. You need to do it manually.
3. When you are calling someone/SMSing you have Call/Send buttons for every SIM and you press the button depending from what SIM you want to do the action.
4. I'm not too sure. But I don't think so.
The anwsers were given under the assumption that apps for the features don't exist (which may not be true, I didn't check).
Is there a way to assign a SIM card to a contact, either built-in or third-party application? I use dual sims and would always like to use a particular SIM for certain contacts, without the phone always asking which SIM to use. On other dual-sim phones, such as S10, the phone will remember the sim lasts used for a contact and will automatically use it again.
darkoroje said:
Is there a way to assign a SIM card to a contact, either built-in or third-party application? I use dual sims and would always like to use a particular SIM for certain contacts, without the phone always asking which SIM to use. On other dual-sim phones, such as S10, the phone will remember the sim lasts used for a contact and will automatically use it again.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Go to settings, wifi and internet, sim and network. On the bottom of the page is "smart callback", which chooses the sim card to use based on previous calls with the contact. That's the only setting I'm aware of
Harry Pothead said:
Go to settings, wifi and internet, sim and network. On the bottom of the page is "smart callback", which chooses the sim card to use based on previous calls with the contact. That's the only setting I'm aware of
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you, but that only works for calls from call log and not from contacts or Bluetooth dialling, which makes the phone unusable in a car.
Try this
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.hb.dialer.free
Hello
I have a dual sim Samsung S20 5G with 2 sim. Since the upgrade to Android 11 and UI 3.0 , I see only one call icon when I click a contact. The only option to choose from which sim to call is to set the phone to ask before, but is very annoying.
Also if I go on keypad, there is only one call icon.
Is any new setting moved somewhere else ?
ME DOnt Support 5G
Tekodrink said:
ME DOnt Support 5G
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
hello
could you please give more details? What do you mean by “me do not support 5g” in relation with dual sim problem?
I have this problem too after update to android 11.
Any one know solution to fix that?
I have the same issue and I hope someone helps soon. I was ok with the setting of asking which sim to use before every call, but it doesn't work with android auto as it needs a default sim, so I can't make calls while driving.
The only solution that I've found by this moment is to manually open each contact and under the name you will find a button with 3 options: Ask everytime, SIM 1 and SIM 2. Selecting one or another will only use that SiM when calling (still frustrating if u want to use both SIMs to call one person)
I have two SIMs and it seems the audio system of my Ford does not support dual SIMs: when calling via Bluetooth the SIM choice happens only on the phone and not on screen. Is there a way to assign in bulk a SIM to a list of contact (I know how to do this one by one).
Also, even fir contacts with only one number, when calling from car I am prompted with two equal numbers, and this happens only for those on whatsapp as well.
thegios said:
I have two SIMs and it seems the audio system of my Ford does not support dual SIMs: when calling via Bluetooth the SIM choice happens only on the phone and not on screen. Is there a way to assign in bulk a SIM to a list of contact (I know how to do this one by one).
Also, even fir contacts with only one number, when calling from car I am prompted with two equal numbers, and this happens only for those on whatsapp as well.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Try this app ... Dual Sim / Multi Sim Selector
As far as I can tell from the reviews you can bulk group contacts into say Work and Friends, then use the app to assign a default sim to each group. I might be wrong but hope not, had a brief read of the reviews as there's not much description about the app. Can't try it though as I don't use multi-sim. Hope it helps
reg66 said:
Try this app ... Dual Sim / Multi Sim Selector
As far as I can tell from the reviews you can bulk group contacts into say Work and Friends, then use the app to assign a default sim to each group. I might be wrong but hope not, had a brief read of the reviews as there's not much description about the app. Can't try it though as I don't use multi-sim. Hope it helps
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I used this app in the past, but it's annoying for several reasons...
To be honest, mist of the times I use Android Auto that always asks me which SIM to use, but my Ford's system dies not Stupid Ford developers
thegios said:
I used this app in the past, but it's annoying for several reasons...
To be honest, mist of the times I use Android Auto that always asks me which SIM to use, but my Ford's system dies not Stupid Ford developers
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Time to root your car?
wangdaning said:
Time to root your car?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's a company car...
Time to root your company