Diabetes
The deafening problem with the FreeStyle Libre 3 app for Android
People with diabetes use the app to monitor glucose levels and trigger alerts when it goes critical. Unfortunately, it raises the volume to uncomfortable levels.
Android
Note-taking
Sync issues finally drove me away from the Joplin note-taking app
Joplin for Android stopped supporting local file syncing and Syncthing. I tried cloud-storage alternatives, but the other sync methods are slow and unreliable.
Mobile Apps
A Sony Headphones app feature kills your phone’s battery life
Adaptive Sound Control auto-adjusts your noise-canceling and ambient-awareness levels based on detected activities and location. At a significant battery cost.
CSS
Samsung devices incorrectly handle CSS @media hover queries
The CSS @media hover query detects hover-capable input devices. Samsung touchscreens on Android gives unexpected results by pretending to be a computer touchpad.
Android
Buggy Samsung–Grammarly keyboard update puts profit before typing
One UI 4 (Android 12) introduced Grammarly partnership in Keyboard app on some Samsung devices. The update breaks the keyboard app compatibility with many apps.
Privacy
How to limit Samsung Customization Service data collection
Android Customization Service provides some extra features in exchange for your personal information. However, you can minimize the data it shares with Samsung.
Android
Overriding Bedtime mode with priority alerts
Is Bedtime mode on Android using Do Not Disturb mode to silence alerts and notifications? That’s unclear, if you’ve got the Samsung Digital Wellbeing app.
Authentication and Passwords
Be wary of file sync conflicts with KeePass apps on Android
An investigation and comparison into how KeePass-compatible password manager apps for Android handle external changes to an unlocked password vault database.
Web Browsers
Review of Firefox “Daylight” for Android
The new Firefox version for Android comes with big changes under the hood, but also drops support for thousands of extensions, and is less configurable.
Web Browsers
Everything you need to know about Night mode in Samsung Internet
Night mode in Samsung browser explained. How it breaks page contrast and accessibility, pastelify SVG colors, and why web developers can’t do anything about it.
VPN
What is Samsung Secure Wi-Fi for Android?
Secure Wi-Fi is a paid VPN network service from Samsung and McAfee. What it does and how to stop its adverts and remove it from your Android phone.
Mobile Apps
Unobtrusive sleep tracking app for Android
Sleep Debt Tracker is a simple Google Fit-compatible Android app that assumes you’re sleeping in the hours when you don’t use your phone at night.