After having been removed because it had an unacceptable word in the title, the new version of our 2020 app which you don't have to pay for and which is optimized for Android 10 and up, is once again available at Google Play for you to download.
Tuesday, December 7, 2021
Saturday, November 27, 2021
Non-Pro version of 2020 app removed by Google
Recently, the version of our 2020 app that you didn't have to pay for was removed by Google because it had the four letter word starting with F and ending with REE in its title. Apparently, this is a new policy with Google banning any "promotional" words despite...
1. It not being a promotion (You didn't have to pay for it from the start) and...
2. There still are lots and lots of apps currently on Google Play with that word in the title or image of their app, including Tubi, Xumo, Redbox, LG, and more. Just search for that word at Google Play and you will see all the apps there are with that word as of 11/27/2021.
We appealed, but we were rejected. Anyone who has appealed a decision by Google or YouTube before knows how far that gets you.
We are currently in the process of updating and uploading a compliant version of the app without that awful word in the title or in any of the images, and in the meantime, if you wish to support the little guy instead of the Tubis, Xumos and Redboxes of the world who all seem to be exempt from Google rules for some reason, we encourage you to purchase Battery Notifier Pro BT 2020 at what we consider a very reasonable price. :-)
Friday, January 15, 2021
Will original Battery Notifier work on Android 10 and up?
If you install either Battery Notifier Pro BT (For Android 9 and under) or Battery Notifier BT Free (For Android 9 and under) on a device running Android 10 or higher, you may get a notice that says "This app was built for an older version of Android and may not work properly. Try checking for updates, or contact the developer".
Even though Battery Notifier Pro BT and Battery Notifier BT Free are meant for devices using Android 9 or under, it still may work on Android 10 and higher on some devices if you still want colored notifications in the status bar. After buying an Onn tablet from Walmart with Android 10, and after downloading the original Battery Notifier BT Free from Google Play, the colored battery level numbers show up just fine. The only way to know for sure if it will work on your device if you still want to see green, as well as blue, orange and red numbers as the battery level drops is to try it.
Unfortunately, mainly because a lot of devices like Samsung have their own special tweaks to Android including their own UI or overlays, some devices will either show nothing in the status bar or a white square. For these devices you need to use the 2020 version with white only notifications, either Pro or free, which is 100% compatible with Android 10 and up.
IF YOU BOUGHT BATTERY NOTIFIER PRO BT, GET THE 2020 VERSION FREE!
Because Google did not let us update our current app for Android 10 and up and keep colored numbers in the status bar, we created a new app with white only notifications and one that was 100% compatible with Android 10 and up. Since it is a new app, if you previously bought Battery Notifier Pro BT, you will be asked to purchase the 2020 version. We do not feel this is right. So if you previously bought Battery Notifier Pro BT, before buying the 2020 version, send us an email from within the app (Send feedback) so we can verify your purchase, ask for a promo code, and we will send you a link with a promo code to download Battery Notifier Pro BT 2020 for free.
Thursday, January 14, 2021
Inaccurate Battery Readings / No Full Battery Alarm
One issue we keeping getting is when someone emails us and says his or her battery level readings are way off, or the full battery alarm never goes off even when it reads 100%. Since the typical charger applies less and less charge to the device as it approaches 100% (sometimes down to a trickle) so as to not overcharge the battery, it may sometimes take a bit longer (20 minutes or more) after the battery level reads 100% until the device reads the battery as being full and the full battery alarm finally goes off. This is why it is generally safe to leave the device on the charger overnight. However, there are sometimes when the full battery alarm NEVER goes off. Or the battery level reads that you have a significant amount of charge left, right before your device turns itself off because in reality it is completely drained. I am going to address those issues in this post.
The problems mentioned above usually occur with two types of batteries. One that is either very old, in which case it can no longer reach the 100% threshold it recognizes in its current batterystats.bin file it has been saving over the years during the battery's life, or in the case of a new battery and a new device, in which case not enough information has been collected yet in the batterystats.bin file for the device to determine exactly what percentage it thinks the battery is at.
Batteries these days come in various different sizes, so without charging the battery to 100% and then completely draining the battery to zero until the device turns itself off, there is no way for the batterystats.bin file to have enough information to accurately tell you what exactly the remaining battery level percentage is. This is called calibrating the battery. This should be done at least once when getting a new device, and when you have an older battery and you suspect the information in the batterystats.bin file has been corrupted because you are getting wildly inaccurate readings.
The following link gives an excellent guide on how to recalibrate the battery in case of a new or old battery that is giving you inaccurate battery level readings, or where the full battery alarm won't go off.
https://www.nextpit.com/how-to-calibrate-the-battery-on-your-android-device#without-root
The rest of the page is also worth a read, but the link above takes you directly to the method you should use to recalibrate the battery.
The very first smartphone I ever had was a Samsung with a replaceable battery, where after a few years the battery would never reach 100%, and would get to maybe 96% or 97% at most, and the full battery alarm would never go off. The simple solution at the time was to just replace the battery. However, if this is not an option, recalibrating the battery may be a solution.
Recently, I bought a refurbished Onn Android 10 tablet from Walmart which was considerably cheaper than a new one. After charging the battery to 100%, the full battery alarm did not go off. When going into the general Android battery settings, it said "100% charging" and not "100% full" which is what it should say, and which is probably why the full battery alarm never went off. Both in the battery settings and in the Battery Notifier dashboard it should eventually say "Full" and not "Charging" when showing 100%. Even more odd, when I unplugged the charger, it said "Last full charge 0 minutes ago" so I guess the device was confused. That's what I get for buying a "refurbished" device I guess.
After carefully following the instructions for recalibrating the battery, my "refurbished" device still didn't read the battery as being full when reading 100%. Fortunately, if you are stuck with a device like mine, there is a workaround if you have the Pro version of the app, either Battery Notifier Pro BT or Battery Notifier Pro BT 2020. In the Pro version of the app there is a feature called "Custom full charge %". Simply check that box and leave it set to 100%, and you will now get the battery alarm when it reaches 100%. This is because the "Custom full charge %" option looks for the battery percentage to trigger the alarm and not to get a proper signal from the device that the battery is full.
Tips when recalibrating the battery...
If you have to drain the battery from 100% to zero multiple times, it can sometimes take forever to drain the battery to zero. Here's what I do to speed up the process...
1) Make sure you are connected to the Internet.
2) Turn the brightness on the screen up as high as it will go.
3) Play a 10 hour long video on YouTube or watch a live streaming broadcast.
Suggested if you will be away from the device: LUCASTA live 24/7 rain video or Danny Louis 10 hour long videos of rain
Another method I found which also works really well to run the battery down faster is to use a live wallpaper. One I found that is totally free and has no ads and no extra permissions is Blox Free: Live Wallpaper" by Fabmax.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=de.fabmax.blox.free
To speed up the process to drain the battery even faster, go into the settings for the Blox live wallpaper. Under "Appearance" for "Animation speed" turn it up from 2.0 to 10.0. Under "Effects" check the box for "Dynamic shadows". Under "Performance" for "Performance presets" change from "Medium quality" to "High quality".
Saturday, May 23, 2020
No alarms? Won't autostart? It's not our fault! Really.
More and more these days we are getting feedback from users who say their alarms don't work or stopped working, or that the app won't autostart, or that the battery number just disappeared from the status bar one day. I know when I used to have trouble with an app, my first thought always was it must be something wrong with the app, not that there was something wrong with my phone.
Naturally, users blame developers for their apps failing to deliver, but ultimately the manufacturer of your device has total control over the processes that run. Because smartphones are getting more and more powerful, and because battery capacity is lagging behind, manufacturers constantly try to put their own battery saving feature into the firmware with each new Android release. Many go so far that they break many apps just so they can try to squeeze a bit more juice out of the battery.
It's gotten so bad, there is a website devoted to these manufacturers and the hoops they make customers jump through just so they can find these default "battery saving" features and turn them off to get their apps to work. The site is called...
Don't Kill My App! https://dontkillmyapp.com/
If you go to this site, (which I recommend everyone do before they purchase their next phone or tablet), you will see that the worst offenders are (in order) Huawei, Samsung, OnePlus and Xiaomi. But by no means are these the only offenders.
Fortunately, the creators of this website have put together an extremely good list with pictures on how to get around these "battery saving" restrictions that manufacturers keep putting on their devices with every new Android update that comes out that cause apps to break and stop working.
So if you are having problems with the app not autostarting, or disappearing, or if the alarms don't work, check out this website to see if your manufacturer is on the list, and then follow the instructions under "Solution for users".
We test our apps on every new Android version that comes out, and when we get emails from users with problems, very often it is an issue with the extra "features" the manufacturer has added to their latest Android firmware update. Of course, we are more than happy to try to resolve any problem you might have by contacting us at the email addresses below, but the "Don't Kill My App! site is a great place to start to see if the manufacturer of your device and their new "battery saving" feature just might be the problem.
Don't Kill My App! https://dontkillmyapp.com/
bnbtfree@gmail.com
bnprobt@gmail.com
Naturally, users blame developers for their apps failing to deliver, but ultimately the manufacturer of your device has total control over the processes that run. Because smartphones are getting more and more powerful, and because battery capacity is lagging behind, manufacturers constantly try to put their own battery saving feature into the firmware with each new Android release. Many go so far that they break many apps just so they can try to squeeze a bit more juice out of the battery.
It's gotten so bad, there is a website devoted to these manufacturers and the hoops they make customers jump through just so they can find these default "battery saving" features and turn them off to get their apps to work. The site is called...
Don't Kill My App! https://dontkillmyapp.com/
If you go to this site, (which I recommend everyone do before they purchase their next phone or tablet), you will see that the worst offenders are (in order) Huawei, Samsung, OnePlus and Xiaomi. But by no means are these the only offenders.
Fortunately, the creators of this website have put together an extremely good list with pictures on how to get around these "battery saving" restrictions that manufacturers keep putting on their devices with every new Android update that comes out that cause apps to break and stop working.
So if you are having problems with the app not autostarting, or disappearing, or if the alarms don't work, check out this website to see if your manufacturer is on the list, and then follow the instructions under "Solution for users".
We test our apps on every new Android version that comes out, and when we get emails from users with problems, very often it is an issue with the extra "features" the manufacturer has added to their latest Android firmware update. Of course, we are more than happy to try to resolve any problem you might have by contacting us at the email addresses below, but the "Don't Kill My App! site is a great place to start to see if the manufacturer of your device and their new "battery saving" feature just might be the problem.
Don't Kill My App! https://dontkillmyapp.com/
bnbtfree@gmail.com
bnprobt@gmail.com
Saturday, May 9, 2020
Managing notifications in Battery Notifier Pro BT 2020
Q: How does Manage notification category work compared to the old Notification priority in Battery Notifier Pro BT?
A: This setting works similarly to how it worked before, and is mainly used if you have a lot of notifications in your status bar, or in your notification drawer, and it determines how far to the left or right the status bar icon will appear in the status bar, and how high or low the notification will be in the swipe down notification drawer.
Manage notification category takes you to the settings in your device to make the change.
The options you will find work similarly but not exactly the same as the previous Maximum, High, Default, Low and Minimum settings previously under
Notification Priority in Battery Notifier Pro BT.
Alerting (Pop on screen off) - Battery level number closest to the time - Notification in drawer at the top
This is the default setting and it works the same as Default did in Battery Notifier Pro BT.
Select Manage notification category. Show notifications should be turned on at the top.
Right beneath Show notifications, Alerting should be highlighted and selected.
When Battery Notifier Pro BT 2020 is first started, it will place the battery level icon number just to the right of the time in the upper left corner of the status bar. (In case you were wondering, the time will always be furthest left in the status bar in Android 10, and there is no way for notifications to appear to the left of the time.) It will also place the notification in the swipe down notification drawer at the top.
Normally you should just leave it on this setting. As other notifications come in, they will appear furthest left (to the left of the battery level icon number and next to the time) until you dismiss them. If you do not wish to dismiss them, but still want the Battery Notifier Pro BT 2020 battery level icon number to appear furthest left next to the time, just restart Battery Notifier Pro BT 2020 and the battery level icon number will again move furthest left next to the time in the status bar, and the notification in the swipe down notification drawer will again be at the top.
Alerting (Pop on screen on) - Battery level always closest to the time - Notification in drawer always at the top
If you have many notifications coming in constantly, and you don't want to have to keep restarting Battery Notifier Pro BT 2020 to have the battery level stay furthest left, leave Alerting selected, and turn on Pop on screen. Set this way, the battery level icon number should stay furthest left and next to the time as other notifications come in, and the notification in the swipe down notification drawer should stay at the top. If a notification still comes in to the left of the battery level icon number, you may need to go to the notification category settings for that app, and turn off Pop on screen for that app.
Silent (Minimize off) - Battery level number more to the right - Notification in drawer at the bottom
Select Silent instead of Alerting, and the battery level icon number will move to the right, and it will move the notification in the drawer to the bottom. Whether or not it moves all the way to the right in the status bar or moves the notification in the drawer all the way to the bottom also depends upon what other apps with status bar notifications you are running, and the settings in notification category for those apps.
Silent (Minimize on) - Battery level number off - Notification in drawer at the bottom and minimized
In Battery Notifier Pro BT 2020 this will make the status bar icon disappear, and minimize the notification in the drawer. It may not minimize the notification in the drawer right away, but if you touch it and bring up the dashboard, then it should. If it still doesn't minimize, then restart the app, and it should then minimize.
Show notifications off - Battery level number off - Notification in drawer off
If you want the battery level icon number turned off and also don't want a notification in the notification drawer either, then turn off Show notifications.
NOTE: Turning off Show notifications will cause the notification in the swipe down notification drawer to disappear along with the status bar number, but Battery Notifier Pro BT 2020 will still be running in the background, and the audio notifications for low and full battery will still work. Also, be aware that if you turn off Show notifications and then turn it back on, you may need to restart the app in order for the status bar icon number and notification in the drawer to appear again.
A: This setting works similarly to how it worked before, and is mainly used if you have a lot of notifications in your status bar, or in your notification drawer, and it determines how far to the left or right the status bar icon will appear in the status bar, and how high or low the notification will be in the swipe down notification drawer.
Manage notification category takes you to the settings in your device to make the change.
The options you will find work similarly but not exactly the same as the previous Maximum, High, Default, Low and Minimum settings previously under
Notification Priority in Battery Notifier Pro BT.
Alerting (Pop on screen off) - Battery level number closest to the time - Notification in drawer at the top
This is the default setting and it works the same as Default did in Battery Notifier Pro BT.
Select Manage notification category. Show notifications should be turned on at the top.
Right beneath Show notifications, Alerting should be highlighted and selected.
When Battery Notifier Pro BT 2020 is first started, it will place the battery level icon number just to the right of the time in the upper left corner of the status bar. (In case you were wondering, the time will always be furthest left in the status bar in Android 10, and there is no way for notifications to appear to the left of the time.) It will also place the notification in the swipe down notification drawer at the top.
Normally you should just leave it on this setting. As other notifications come in, they will appear furthest left (to the left of the battery level icon number and next to the time) until you dismiss them. If you do not wish to dismiss them, but still want the Battery Notifier Pro BT 2020 battery level icon number to appear furthest left next to the time, just restart Battery Notifier Pro BT 2020 and the battery level icon number will again move furthest left next to the time in the status bar, and the notification in the swipe down notification drawer will again be at the top.
Alerting (Pop on screen on) - Battery level always closest to the time - Notification in drawer always at the top
If you have many notifications coming in constantly, and you don't want to have to keep restarting Battery Notifier Pro BT 2020 to have the battery level stay furthest left, leave Alerting selected, and turn on Pop on screen. Set this way, the battery level icon number should stay furthest left and next to the time as other notifications come in, and the notification in the swipe down notification drawer should stay at the top. If a notification still comes in to the left of the battery level icon number, you may need to go to the notification category settings for that app, and turn off Pop on screen for that app.
Silent (Minimize off) - Battery level number more to the right - Notification in drawer at the bottom
Select Silent instead of Alerting, and the battery level icon number will move to the right, and it will move the notification in the drawer to the bottom. Whether or not it moves all the way to the right in the status bar or moves the notification in the drawer all the way to the bottom also depends upon what other apps with status bar notifications you are running, and the settings in notification category for those apps.
Silent (Minimize on) - Battery level number off - Notification in drawer at the bottom and minimized
In Battery Notifier Pro BT 2020 this will make the status bar icon disappear, and minimize the notification in the drawer. It may not minimize the notification in the drawer right away, but if you touch it and bring up the dashboard, then it should. If it still doesn't minimize, then restart the app, and it should then minimize.
Show notifications off - Battery level number off - Notification in drawer off
If you want the battery level icon number turned off and also don't want a notification in the notification drawer either, then turn off Show notifications.
NOTE: Turning off Show notifications will cause the notification in the swipe down notification drawer to disappear along with the status bar number, but Battery Notifier Pro BT 2020 will still be running in the background, and the audio notifications for low and full battery will still work. Also, be aware that if you turn off Show notifications and then turn it back on, you may need to restart the app in order for the status bar icon number and notification in the drawer to appear again.
Thursday, April 23, 2020
Battery Notifier 2020 apps now available at Google Play!
Battery Notifier Pro BT 2020 and Battery Notifier BT Free 2020 are now both currently available at Google Play.
Both Battery Notifier Pro BT 2020 and Battery Notifier BT Free 2020 are optimized for devices using Android 10 and up. They include white only notifications in the status bar as required by Google going forward. If you do not intend to upgrade to Android 10 or buy a device with Android 10, and only have devices with Android 9 or under, and if you still want colored notifications in the status bar, Battery Notifier Pro BT and Battery Notifier BT Free are still available for download at Google Play, and are compatible with all versions of Android 9 and under, though they will no longer be updated.
Both Battery Notifier Pro BT 2020 and Battery Notifier BT Free 2020 are optimized for devices using Android 10 and up. They include white only notifications in the status bar as required by Google going forward. If you do not intend to upgrade to Android 10 or buy a device with Android 10, and only have devices with Android 9 or under, and if you still want colored notifications in the status bar, Battery Notifier Pro BT and Battery Notifier BT Free are still available for download at Google Play, and are compatible with all versions of Android 9 and under, though they will no longer be updated.
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