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Network Type Indicator (Android App)

Android 2.2 or higher, with phone functionality.
Not extensively tested in different phones.

Network Type Indicator is a status bar icon indicator of the type of mobile network in use (i.e. 2G, 2G+, 3G, …).

This app is meant for devices that don't include this information in the status bar by default (e.g. Xperias).

  • Will you add support for new network type X?
    Maybe. I'll add support for every network type that can be detected/differentiated by standard means. As of Android Lollipop, all detectable types are supported.
  • Will you add support for Dual SIM phones?
    Eventually, but those types of phones are only officially supported in recent versions of Android. Older versions would require non-standard implementations, and I don't intend to support them.
  • Can the icon be displayed on the right side, along the phone's builtin icons?
    No. Standard apps cannot display icons on the system side of the status bar.
  • Can I disable the notification and keep the status bar icon?
    No. Android doesn't allow such a function. Apps that display an icon in the status bar must also display a notification.
  • Can the notification be removed from the lockscreen?
    Probably not. Android Lollipop and up force permanent notifications to appear on the lockscreen.
  • Will you add more icon designs?
    Maybe. I aim to keep the app as simple as possible but I'm aware the current designs don't fit all phones, so I will study such possibility.
  • Will you support loading of custom icon designs?
    No. Although I always expected to add support for this feature, Android doesn't allow apps to load notification icons other than the ones inside the app.

Source code is not public for now.

Cyanogenmod and DC-HSPA
Dual carrier HSPA can't be detected with the standard Android API, however it can on Cyanogenmod. The current version of Network Type Indicator doesn't understand the value used on CM, so it is reported as "unknown". Support for it will be added in an upcoming update.

I'm studying other issues.

If you have a contribution (new ideas, fixes, translations…) to make, please contact me.

Newer changes are listed on the Play Store page.

  • Disable action buttons in notification by default
  • Added support for additional Cyanogenmod-only network types (GSM, TD-SCDMA and IWLAN) [#282] (Backported from trunk)
  • Added option to allow disabling buttons in notification [#276]
  • Changed from CheckBoxPreference to SwitchPreference in settings [#281]
  • Added detection for Cyanogenmod-only network type DC-HSPA+ [#238]
  • BUGFIX: Handle the case of a SecurityException being raised when accessing system settings [#279]
  • BUGFIX: Correction for forced closures on some Gingerbread devices [#259] (also seen in newer versions)
  • BUGFIX: (Possibly) Avoid force-closing in some devices running Android 2.2 and 2.3.3-2.3.7 [#257] (also seen in newer versions)
  • INTERNAL: Version 1.4.2 skipped to reflect being in sync with older droids' branch
  • BUGFIX: (Regression) Keep icon and app in sync [#256]
  • Experimental workaround for missing events: [#255]
    • Always monitor signal changes
    • Update the network type on signal changes
  • Jelly Bean and up: Added button to close notification from the notification itself
  • Jelly Bean and up: Added button to access the system's network settings
  • Added easier toggling of notification
  • INTERNAL: Move listeners into onResume/onPause instead of onStart/onStop (should free up some unnecessary resources)
  • Removed the “dismiss” and “exit” menu options. Dismissing is to be done in standard Android fashion, while exiting is accomplished by disabling the notification and dismissing the main window.
  • Rewording of data connection status
  • Added option to display signal strength in dBm [#251]
  • Display signal strength in main app
  • BUGFIX: Update network status in main app when it changes
  • Split development for older versions of Android (bugfixes only) and newer versions (bugfixes and new features) [#254]
  • Added setting to open the system's mobile network settings when the notification is tapped onto.
  • Minor rewording in settings.
  • Fix opening network settings in older Android versions
  • Workaround for layout getting cropped on shorter devices
  • New launcher icon
  • Localizations: Spanish and Catalan
  • Internal cleanups
  • Bumped target SDK to API 18 (4.3)
  • Refined hardware requirements for tablet support
  • Added separate icon for HSPA+ (previously was using the 4G icon)
  • Added network settings shortcut to menu
  • Apply themes instantly in Honeycomb and above
  • Image re-loading fix for some devices
  • Fix launch permissions
  • Correct handling of visibility
  • Fix main app display in smaller screens
  • Added GPRS to legend (previously missing)
  • Allow choosing a light theme and light-friendly icons
  • Internal code cleanups
  • Lower minimum Android version to 2.1 (Eclair)
  • Fix settings in older Android versions
  • UI fixes
  • First public release

© 2012-2016 Toni Corvera < outlyer at gmail dot com >

All dates/times in this page are UTC.
  • nettype.1502151251.txt.gz
  • Last modified: 2017/08/08 00:14
  • by Toni Corvera