Help with Emulator/USB Connection

MIT App Inventor Help
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1

I’m relatively new to MIT App Inventor, so I apologize if this is covered elsewhere.

I’ve read in the FAQs that if one wants to use the “Emulator” to test MIT App Inventor apps, that you cannot have both the Emulator and a USB Phone attached at the same time. It may confuse things. It suggests I unplug the USB phone in order to make it work.

The problem is, I’m using the phone as a tether to my laptop for its Internet access. If I disconnected the phone, I would not have Internet to run the website. No, I do not have Wifi at all, but that’s a long story. If I can only use the USB connection to my phone then for testing, I’ll need help in configuring it because the instructions for doing so don’t work. My version of Android does not have the options under “Settings” for going into USB Debug mode. It’s a GS23, Android Vs 16. There’s no option I can see for changing the USB Debug mode.

Alternatively, if I could develop the app on the developer and then port it to the phone via something like the “Signal” app (or other file transfer process) and then run it there, that might work if it were possible.

Any/All help is greatly appreciated.

Thanks much.

2

One simple way which we find easier is to open https://web.whatsapp.com on computer browser, build apk and send on own phone.

3

Thanks! I’ll check that out.

1 Like
4

You can build your App for the App Inventor Companion (App) on your phone. This is the best way when you are testing your app during the course of developing it. Trigger the sending of the App from Computer to phone by simply scanning a QR code. Some smartphones, especially older ones, need to be in developer mode for this to happen. How a phone is set to developer mode differs between makes - but you can simply Goggle it to find out how to set yours.

So, from the menu bar in App Inventor, Connect, AI Companion, Scan the QR code with AI Companion on your phone.

5

I have tried everything (including Googling) to learn how to put my phone (a GS23 running Android 16) into “developer mode.” No such luck, None of the instructions for doing so work. It’s like the phone just won’t go into developer mode. If you can find the right instructions for doing that, I’ll definitely try them.

Thanks.

6

I think you have a few options:

  1. install an android emulator on your pc ( for example mumu as @ABG suggests here, it works great ), on which you install the companion apk. You develop your app in the browser and test it in the emulator, all on your pc

  2. use the browser on the pc to develop your app, compile it and download/test the apk on your phone ( with your phone scan the qr code generated )

  3. use only your phone: install the companion apk on your phone, and develop your app in the browser on your phone ( if I understand correctly this is the “standard” way in several countries )

7

To enable developer mode on a Samsung device, open your Settings app, tap "About phone," go to "Software information," and tap "Build number" seven times in a row.

This is a similar routine to many other smartphones, the main difference being the number of taps.

8

The QR Code method worked, even with the phone tethered to my laptop! Thanks!

Only issue there is that Google security tries to stop me from installing it since it doesn’t recognize the source of the app. But it does give me the option to “Install anyway…” which does work. Is this because I’ve not put the phone in “Developer Mode?” I think I can live with it this way and just keep pressing “Install anyway.”

Thanks again,