Just started using /e/os, bit of a learning curve coming from iOS, but so far so good.
The Files app, is that a standard Android app (as it works with Android File Transfer), or is it an e.foundation version? How secure is data held there, and how secure is the Android File Transfer app for Mac?
Do you recommend me getting another file app, and if so, which one can I use to transfer files from my Mac by USB?
It’s the standard Android version, not forked by /e/ or Lineage OS
The data isn’t “held” anywhere: it’s lists of files that exist in certain directories/ folders on your phone. The Files app, or any other file manager app you might install, just reads those lists, and performs certain operations (copy, move, delete, rename, share) on the listed files
No. Files works well and there is no point (in my opinion) in adding another app.
The fact that files cannot easily be transferred from Android device is a problem with Mac OS - which doesn’t correctly implement the MTP protocol used by Android to copy files between devices - not with Android. The way round it is to install other software on your Mac. Android File Transfer is one solution, but it is not very good in my experience. Other alternatives are
OpenMTP - an Open Source Mac app which performs much better than AFT
HyperIntegrate’s MTP for Mac - a kernel filesystem driver which allows you to access files on your device using Finder. I’ve been using this for a couple of weeks now, and it seems to work OK. Sadly it’s not Open Source but it is free at the moment.
I assume you’re using the default Bliss Launcher, which I’ve replaced with a different one, but if I recall, you just long-press the app icon (which is also just a shortcut, by the way), and drag it to the screen or position of your choice.
One way to see what connections are being made from the phone in the background is to install and run the TrackerControl app. It can show you whether any other installed app or service talks to the internet, who it talks to, and whether it has any known trackers.
For your computer, I can think of two ways to monitor the background connections:
Log in to your router admin page and examine the IP addresses in the connection log while you’re using a program. Copy each IP address, open a terminal, and type the command whois followed by the IP address. (This is on Linux; hopefully you can do something similar on a Mac.) It will show you the company that owns the IP address. (You may need to install the whois application first.)
Install Pi-Hole on your home network. https://pi-hole.net/
That will show you every connection made by any device using your wifi network, and in real time. Having a tracker-blocking list loaded will prevent those trackers from connecting. You can also blacklist any that aren’t being blocked automatically.
Those options assume that you don’t have a VPN service actively running at the same time. That would prevent you from seeing the trackers or IP connections, as only the VPN servers would be visible to you. (Also, TrackerControl can’t run on the phone at the same time as a VPN service.)
Just so I understand, what are you calling the “home” page on your phone? Are you referring to the main app grid when you first power up the display:
…or the dock at the bottom of that screen? If this, then you’ll have to remove one of those 4 by long-pressing it and dragging it away. Then you should be able to add the Files shortcut by dragging it in.
…or are you referring to the widgets screen to the left of that?
Edit: You can also try installing a different launcher, such as OpenLauncher, which provides a lot of options and provides more customization.
No. Think of a launcher as simply a way to display what’s already there on the drive. Different launchers display the same things, but differently, without changing any settings or installed apps. In fact, you can switch back and forth between any launchers you have installed.
When you added that work folder, did you create it first, add your apps, then move it to the dock? You might have to repeat that process in your main app list, move the Files app into it with all the others, then move the entire folder to the dock again.
Maybe I’m not following you… Are you saying you want to create a link to, for instance, Documents (a sub-directory inside Files), as opposed to just a link to Files itself?
OK, I’m not sure that’s possible with this Files app.
I’m using Simple File Manager (installed from F-Droid) and I see it has a setting for “Favorites,” so maybe that could help you go directly to the sub-folder when you open the app.
