Anyone use Galaxy S2 with Mobilexpression?

itm2

I'm trying to install the MobileXpression app on a newly-acquired Galaxy S2 (GT-I9100). The Mobilexpression website indicates that this phone is compatible with their app, but when I try to download it I get a message saying that it "appears that your phone type does not currently support our software".
Has anyone else managed to get the app running on a Galaxy S2?

PHK

Having had a brief look. I don't think the S2 would work. The app needs v5.0 or higher of Android, but the S2 will run v4.1 maximum due to its age. There might be a custom ROM for the S2 that will allow a newer version of Android, but I couldn't say definitely.

itm2

PHK wrote: »

Having had a brief look. I don't think the S2 would work. The app needs v5.0 or higher of Android, but the S2 will run v4.1 maximum due to its age. There might be a custom ROM for the S2 that will allow a newer version of Android, but I couldn't say definitely.

Hmmm...that would make sense. It sounds like Mobilexpression need to update their website.
Thanks for that

esuhl

PHK wrote: »

Having had a brief look. I don't think the S2 would work. The app needs v5.0 or higher of Android, but the S2 will run v4.1 maximum due to its age. There might be a custom ROM for the S2 that will allow a newer version of Android, but I couldn't say definitely.

Yes -- you can install Lineage OS, which uses Android v7.1.2. I have it running on my Galaxy S2.
https://lineageos.org/

It was a little tricky to get installed, though. This might help if you're interested:

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.php?p=73748656&postcount=16

glennevis

Like esuhl, I have successfully installed Android 7.1.2 on an i9100. Very stable and the processor is powerful enough so no loss of speed. A lot of developers have dropped support for Android 4.x as they assume everyone will go out and buy a new phone. So I went out and picked up a spare i9100 for £18 on ebay to run the latest apps.

itm2

esuhl wrote: »

Yes -- you can install Lineage OS, which uses Android v7.1.2. I have it running on my Galaxy S2.
https://lineageos.org/

It was a little tricky to get installed, though. This might help if you're interested:

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.php?p=73748656&postcount=16

That could be a good solution. I don't want to root the phone as I run a couple of apps which won't run on rooted phones, but it appears that this ROM can be installed without rooting, which I didn't expect.

When you say it was tricky to install, do you mean you had problems with the install process?

glennevis

Lineage OS on i9100 is not rooted by default.

esuhl

itm2 wrote: »

That could be a good solution. I don't want to root the phone as I run a couple of apps which won't run on rooted phones, but it appears that this ROM can be installed without rooting, which I didn't expect.

The "old" method of rooting phones meant that you'd run everything as root instead of as a limited user. That's a security risk, and stops apps that require unrooted phones from running.

You can enable root in Lineage OS, but everything will still run as a normal/limited user UNLESS the app specifically requests root permissions, and you allow them.

My NatWest banking app works fine, but I've heard that some apps don't work (possibly because they can tell you're running Lineage instead of stock Android).

itm2 wrote: »

When you say it was tricky to install, do you mean you had problems with the install process?

Actually, if you follow the instructions in my old post that I linked to, you shouldn't have any problems.

I just didn't find them until I'd spent a long time blindly "experimenting" by myself. There's a quirk with the S2 bootloader, a limited system partition, and several different methods to connect the phone to a PC using Linux or Windows that required a bit of playing around.

But, you should be able to avoid that hassle with those instructions.


Give us a shout if you have any problems/questions.

esuhl

Lineage OS doesn't have a built-in FM radio. As far as I know, the only radio app that works on the S2 is Spirit2:

https://forum.xda-developers.com/apps/spirit-fm/app-spirit2-free-source-real-fm-radio-t2951455

itm2

Before I take the plunge... Do you happen to know if MobilExpression will run on lineage os?

(EDIT: Also, which of the various versions of Gapps would you recommend - the x86_64 Android 7.1 package looks like the obvious one, but it's pretty big!)

itm2

Hmmm....so I got a little stuck....here's the process that I followed:
1. Install Samsung_USB_Drivers_for_Mobile_Phones - OK
2. Run Odin3 v3.09.exe and update the phone with the PIT and TAR files - OK/Pass
3. Disconnect the phone from the PC it restarted in recovery mode
4. mounts and storage -> format / storage / sdcard0 -> default
5.wipe data / factory reset
6.mounts and storage -> format / system

I then realised that I hadn't copied the TWRP-3.1.0-0-recovery-the.gangster-IsoRec-i9100.zip to the SD card, so rebooted the phone and pulled the battery to remove the SD card

Now when I try to boot to recovery mode I can't get past the yellow triangle screen. Any ideas?

I've tried repeating steps 2-6 but it hasn't helped
???