Is Android Unicode Yet?


Fontforge showing the version is from 2013.

Google's Android platform has dreadful support for Unicode. Even the most recent Android versions are missing out on languages, characters, and symbols which were added to Unicode in the last decade. Back in 2013, Google created the "Noto" project. Its aim? To include "all the world's languages". They wanted to banish "tofu" - the little […]

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Disable JavaScript on Specific Sites using Firefox for Android and uBlock Origin


The my rules sub-page.

Sometimes, you want to stop scripts running only on specific domains. The best way to do that, I think, is with uBlock Origin - a free and fast ad-blocker. On the desktop version, it's simple to block scripts. Click the plugin icon, then click the disable scripts button. But on mobile it's a little more […]

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Software I Miss from Earlier Versions of Android


Android logo.

My love of Android waxes and wanes according to how much the software feels like it is fighting me. On a good day, I can flash the OS and install whatever apps I want. On a bad day, I can't remove bloatware and I'm forbidden from changing the internals. I started using the latest Google […]

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Hardware I miss from my old Android phones


The HTC Dream G1 - it has a pop up screen which reveals a keyboard, a trackball, and several physical buttons.

I've been using Android since before it was released in the UK. When I was working at Vodafone, I got a pre-release HTC device with an early version of Android on it. I've been pretty much in the Android ecosystem ever since. Recently, I treated myself to an upgrade - a Pixel 8 Pro. The […]

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Inconsistency is a feature, not a bug


Homescreen filled with multicoloured icons of various shapes.

Some of my best friends are designers. But I think we can all agree that - however well-meaning - they can be a little obsessive. Whether it is fretting over tiny details, or trying to align to a grid which doesn't exist, or spending time removing useful affordances in the name of æsthetics - they […]

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Solved! "Access Point Name settings are not available for this user"


Access Point Name settings are not available for this user.

Android's user-hostile interface never fails to disappoint! I was struggling to get a new eSIM working. I could make and receive calls / texts, but data just wasn't connecting. I tried rebooting, flipping to aeroplane mode, changing bearer, manually selecting the network. Nothing! Then, I remembered my ancient GSM knowledge. All mobile networks need an […]

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Notes on installing GrapheneOS on a Pixel 8 Pro - some bugs & oddities


Pop up saying it was unable to fetch a list of apps.

These are notes to myself - and anyone else who finds them useful. Before starting, I booted the Google OS to install the latest firmware and an eSIM. After a few days of enduring Google's naggy software, I was ready to commit to installing something better. I tried using the Web Installer. It managed to […]

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TfL are blocking rooted devices from accessing maps - how to fix


Error. TfL Go is only supported on unmodified version of Android.

TfL Go is a handy app. It gives you real-time access to the timetables and delays of London's tube and bus network. That's all you can do with it. You can't buy tickets, store a photocard, or anything like that. Which was why I was annoyed when this popped up in-app one day: I emailed […]

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Should Android's Dark Mode Invert Contact Photos?


Monochrome photo of Marylin Monroe. The colours have been inverted and it looks rubbish.

I don't know if this is a bug, or just the way the world works now. Several of the people who live in my phone use artistic black and white headshots. They look very cool. But my Android phone shows their image with inverted colours - so they look like pure shite. Here's what my […]

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How to Find the Meaning of Lineage Android's Status Bar Icons


Zoomed in icons, they're still a bit indistinct.

It's always a bit concerning when a new icon suddenly appears at the top of your phone's screen. Without any warning, my ageing OnePlus 5T - which now runs LineageOS - started showing this: I know that, from right to left, it is showing me my battery percentage, WiFi strength, and that I'm using work […]

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