yashsingh1/xdaforums huggingface dataset:
[Fire HD 8 and HD 10 Android Development] PhilipF8_2010:
Have you tried installing the APK file?

It's here for example: https://apkpure.com/google-sheets/com.google.android.apps.docs.editors.sheets
[Fire HD 8 and HD 10 Android Development] Jumbo100:
You're experiencing "intergenerational software" clash/incompatibility.

Google has been recently upgrading their "Google Suite" software to run only on newer versions of Android OS.

For example, current Google Sheets app now requires Android 8 (or later). Same for Google Docs.

Gen 7 (2017) Fire 7/HD8/HD10 tablets run FireOS 5.x (based on Android 5.1, API level 22). Latest FireOS version is f/wv 5.3.7.3.

You'll need to sideload an older version of the software from a reliable APK repository, compatible with FireOS 5.x , although some earlier app versions may be backward compatible. YMMV.

Make sure to diable auto-updating of software in Play Store to maintain older software versions, both universally and app specific.

Alternatively, you can access Sheets from the web app @ sheets.google.com (in desktop mode), or from Google Drive.
[Fire HD 8 and HD 10 Android Development] Fireball3:
No ideas?
[Fire HD 8 and HD 10 Android Development] german_psycho:
I just got a Fire HD 10 (2023) that I ordered yesterday.

When I ordered it, I did not uncheck the "Link the device to your Amazon account".

So far, I have not turned it on. Would it be a problem if it updates to latest FireOS?

Wouldn't I be able to still use the Toolbox??

If updating is a big deal, I guess I would just have to turn off my Wifi at home, turn the tablet on and factory reset it. This way it should forget my home wifi, shouldn't it?
[Fire HD 8 and HD 10 Android Development] DB126:
It's fine if your tablet registers w/Amazon. As for updates, it really depends where your interests/passions lie. Blocking updates will give you more control over the device but an inferior experience with some apps, especially those linked to the Google ecosystem. Allowing updates will resolve most app issues but limit device customization. It's important to understand there is no going back once your device updates.

More recent Amazon devices (2022 and beyond) running FireOS 8 fare poorly with Google apps if not brought to at least FireOS 8.3.2.x. Once at that level there's little benefit to continued blocking.

If you value control and enjoy endlessly fiddling with your device then follow advise posted earlier in this thread to keep the Amazon boogeyman at bay. If you bought your device with the intention of using a variety of contemporary Google apps then allowing your device to behave naturally will yield the fewest hassles.
[Fire HD 8 and HD 10 Android Development] DB126:
Widgets are an ongoing headache on FireOS regardless of launcher. Posts earlier in this thread describe some sucesses with Nova on earlier builds of FireOS and older hardware. I don't have recent experience in this area (despite running Nova on other devices) so will not attempt to guide you into the deep/dark tweakers forrest where few emerge unscathed from the experience.
[Fire HD 8 and HD 10 Android Development] Jumbo100:
FYI

Amazon has released Fire OS 8.3.2.3 for OTA update.

FireOS 8.3.2.3 - Amazon Customer Service
[Fire HD 8 and HD 10 Android Development] DB126:
FWIW. Each of the incrementals in the 8.3.2.x branch have taken several months to reach my devices. The HD10s seem to get it first followed by Max 11s a few weeks later. Each of the events have been largely transparent aside from overnight reboot and post install notification.

I did experience Google Play Services stability issues after the 8.3.2.1 update on a Max 11 but that was my own fault due side loading the 'wrong' version of the GPS libraries.
[Fire HD 8 and HD 10 Android Development] tchall08:
Anyone having issues installing the Google app?
[Fire HD 8 and HD 10 Android Development] Fireball3:
Thanks for your reply.

Prior to reading this, I tried other launchers from the Toolbox but with no success.

Then I updated the nova launcher and was able to place one widget, namely from the "AF weather widget" (Fdroid).

It is still not working properly, but that may be another issue.

Next widget would be the email preview from "K9 mail", but this is not available in the widgets at all. :oops:

I would also need a gallery widget but that has no priority.

That's all I would need to have functioning properly.

Although OTA updates are off, the Tab got automatically updated to 7.3.2.8 on 21st of March 2024.

It says there is an update available for manual install to 7.3.2.8 (PSN7328.3443N/3443)
[Fire HD 8 and HD 10 Android Development] Jumbo100:
A couple of random thoughts which may help.

Generally, widgets (ans shortcuts) are not natively supported on FireOS or Fire Launcher ; widgets that can be installed from an alternative app launcher (like Nova Launcher) may still be unstable/incompatible. YMMV.

Apps/widgets may install on Nova Launcher but still may not run, if not enough permissions are granted. Grant all necessary permissions from the App Info Permissions Settings; may also need to grant some additional hidden "All Permissions" settings, if required. Use with discretion to avoid unnecessary security/privacy exposure. Also clear user data and caches from Storage to reset app properties/permissions.

If an app does not have a specific pre-made widget, try using an app like Shortcut Maker (on Play Store, free, no adware ) to DYI build your own widget. If the app has a subsidiary/secondary function/activity then a DYI widget can be made. In your situation, if K-9 Email has has a "preview" function, then you can make your own preview widget.

FTB processes to block OTA Updates are not totally reliable in all cases. A more robust solution is to use a software firewall/DNS blocking app like RethinkDNS to stop all unwanted Amazon server traffic.. FTB Community approved.

Manual install of current FireOS versions can be downloaded from Amazon Customer Service site. Note that Amazon does not archive previous FireOS versions, although they may be "unofficially" posted on some third-party app/driver repositories.
[Fire HD 8 and HD 10 Android Development] Fireball3:
Thanks for the insights. I will try this evening.

I want to add, that I already had the same Tab set up two years ago or so and back then adding widgets was no problem.

Most likely an update of the FireOS broke this because on this device, modifications on the still running widget also seem impossible now.

When changing settings (AF weather widget), pressing "apply" will lead to the Fire Launcher instead of Nova. This is what happens when I'm trying to add the widget on the other Tab as well.

I also installed the DNS66 along with some links to block Amazon from getting ads and stuff but it didn't prevent it from updating. Although set to start at boot, I noticed DNS66 didn't do that reliably.

I might switch that against Rethink as you suggested.

Given the fact that there are so many issues with the FireOS, I would even consider opening the device to get it rooted and flashed to an alternative OS but there seems no active development going on in that direction at the moment.

It's really a pity, as this device is just enough for my kids.
[Fire HD 8 and HD 10 Android Development] DB126:
No root possibe on contemporary Amazon devices as bootloader remains locked. Last successful exploit was against 3rd/4th gen HDX devices 10+ yrs ago. Amazon has neglected to lock bootloader on a few subsequent generations (d'uh) but that situation is usually remedied when the fault is exposed.

Widgets likely worked in the past is it was possible to depreciate/disable Amazon's native launcher. That too has now been disabled.

Keep in mind the low cost of Fire tablets assumes the intended use as a portal into Amazon's smothering ecosystem (buy baby buy!). FireOS works fine for that purpose. You don't see much competitive pressure in this hardware space as the economics do not support it. I'd happy pay 50-100% more for a fully unlocked device. No money in that model aside from cheap junk with multiple shortcomings.
[Fire HD 8 and HD 10 Android Development] Fireball3:
I can't tell why, as I have no knowledge about the workings of widgets and launchers, but since the widget that was placed under the previous FireOS is still there and working, the problem seems only related to the "placement" of the widget in the right launcher screen.

I don't know how this works in the background, but could it be worked around by editing some config file maybe?

In the meantime I tried to find another Tab for my dad, that allows wireless charging and guess what: Apart from the Fire Tab, some Huawei Mate Pads going for ~600€ offer this functionality. :oops:

This means, getting the FireTab working is definitely a priority since his old Samsung Galaxy Tab is more and more excluded from app support.
[Fire HD 8 and HD 10 Android Development] Jumbo100:
@Fireball3

You may have a more fundamental problem with FireOS; it's much more than just widgets not working !

If you previously modded you older Fire HD10 prior to f/w 7.3.2.2 (November, 2021) , those mods may no longer work with f/w 7.3.2.8 .

If you haven't followed FTB recently, you may be unaware of some major issues with f/w 7.3.2.2 and later. Refer to OP #1 for details of problems.

Specifically, Fire Launcher became "system protected" and can no longer be be disabled with ADB commands. With your recent f/w OTA update, Fire Launcher was re-enabled as the default app launcher; Nova Launcher is still in place and functional but cannot be "called" because Fire Launcher has been reactivated.

This situation caused major confusion when f/w 7.3.2.2 was OTA released; fortunately, you were isolated from all the mayhem and chaos ... until now.

If this is the case, you will need to apply one of the FTB "workarounds" to get Nova Launcher working again.

Suggest that you investigate the related FTB "workarounds" as a solution to your situation. See FTB OP#1 for details as a starting point.

(Sorry for the prolonged "troubleshooting" , but you weren't specific enough about your situation in your initial post. Your situation is well known and relatively easy to resolve but will require some work. )
[Fire HD 8 and HD 10 Android Development] Fireball3:
Indeed, I noticed that the launcher didn't work any more on the older Tab and ran the current FTB again to reenable the Nova launcher. It was obvious that the update broke the launcher.

Are you referring to the widgets issues in you last paragraph? :D

Unfortunately I had no time for tinkering yesterday evening.
[Fire HD 8 and HD 10 Android Development] hdwrp:
Was getting this error while using Fire Toolbox:

The connection to Amazon Fire Max 11 has been lost.

The fix was to kill Native Instruments Background process in the Windows Task Manager.
[Fire HD 8 and HD 10 Android Development] dbdude58:
I've noticed that the normal Android "Media Scanner" service doesn't seem to be working on my Fire HD 8 plus (running latest FireOS version). In any music app, the Album Art isn't showing. I'm wondering if others have noticed this? I've tried VLC, Muzio, and Musicolet. Forcing a rescan doesn't make any difference. Wondering if Amazon just doesn't include this service, or it somehow got disabled when I used the Fire Toolbox to remove Amazon bloatware? Would love to get album art working on the tablet. BTW those same music folders show album art great on my Samsung phone.
[Fire HD 8 and HD 10 Android Development] Nachtwind_:
So... in finally got my Fire HD 10 (13th Gen, 2023) running 8.3.2.1...

As far as i can tell the tools run smoothly in Linux and i was able to install Nova Launcher as well as the play services although the store wasnt installed by the tool (i guess it was a problem with the case sensitivity in linux as the playstore apk was in the expected folder and installable through thumb drive).

Anyhow.. I wonder if someone can tell me if it is ok to completely debloat the tablet or if i should use the recommended option. As for me i have no ties to amazon and rarely use the shop.. so i dont see why i should have an amazon account on the tablet just to not use their few remaining apps. Then again the toolbox warns about instability etc which is also something i dont want.. therefore the question: What are your experiences with completely debloating using the tool? For once.. i want to get rid of the child safety BS that blocks the picture galery from working as well as other ties to amazon i simply dont want/need.

Also... how do i rename the tablet? Havent found a way yet :/
[Fire HD 8 and HD 10 Android Development] kai-wun:
Hi all, I have a Fire HD 10 2021 and 2019 and I ran this Fire Toolbox which de-bloated and disabled OTA which is awesome.

I have a few issues which I can't figure out how to solve (having difficulty searching)

1. Time is wrong. When I try to manually change the time, it kicks me out. I have internet access and I selected "Automatic time zone". I tried de-selecting Automatic time zone and when I try to manually select the time zone, it just kicks me out.

2. Calendar doesn't work. It tells me I have Calendar Storage disabled but I don't know how to enable it. I tried to use the Fire Toolbox's Manage Amazon Apps to restore Calendar but still no luck.

3. When I try to install Netflix or Disney+ using "Hybrid Apps" I get Installation Failure: adb: failed to install: C:\users\blahblahblah: failed to parse

Any ideas would be appreciated, thank you !
[Fire HD 8 and HD 10 Android Development] Yamyamyammers:
Good morning.

When using the fire took kit, on my amazon fire 11 max tablet, I can not see to get the google calendar sync service to work.

I install the google calendar app from the play store, then select install calendar sync from the took it, and then it goes through the motions of downloading but after it has tried to install, I get an error message that says an error occurred whilst installing google calendar sync, asks me to reboot tablet. I have tried multiple times and just can’t get google calendar to work.

Any suggestions
[Fire HD 8 and HD 10 Android Development] blaacksheep:
I'm glad you were able to install the Playstore manually with the downloaded .apk file. The Linux version of Toolbox is beta software, so there are still some hiccups.

I would suggest you proceed with caution in debloating your tablet. Many of the problems people have with the Toolbox are a result of them just running the "standard debloat" script, and then wondering why certain functions no longer work. FireOS is NOT Android. It is a custom OS based on Android with certain API's removed and replaced by custom Amazon API's that work differently. That's why most Android apps work fine on Fire tablets, and others only partially work or don't work at all. The debloat scripts should only be run after you've gotten your tablet to the customizations you want and you've verified everything works as you need. Even then, I would suggest making a backup of the apps and their states with the backup tool before you run a debloat script. If something stops functioning, you can restore the backup to return the states of the apps to a known state.

Instead of running a debloat script, I suggest most people just use the Manage Amazon apps > Manual tab > Simple (Recommended) button. There you can disable (or re-enable) each app individually in a color-coded list. The description box will tell you about known problems with disabling certain apps. Check off the apps you aren't planning on using and disable them, replacing things like the keyboard app before you disable the built-in keyboard. I find this much better than running a script that was set up for someone else's use. They might not need the same things that you do.

The question of child safety makes me believe you are setting up a child account on your tablet. Since Amazon has set up Parental Control as the main user, it has control over children's accounts and you are forced to use Amazon's child safety settings to control a child account. It cannot be removed, but only hidden (somewhat) with the Parental Controls Hide tool.

I've tried renaming my tablet several ways before, all of which were unsuccessful. I think you have to do it through Amazon in your account settings by renaming your Amazon account, but IDK for sure. I never tried that. It wasn't that important for me to change it so I didn't spend much time investigating.

Hope that helps a little. :)
[Fire HD 8 and HD 10 Android Development] blaacksheep:
Hi, and welcome to XDA!

The time setting issue is probably due to disabling the "Device Setup" app either with a debloat script or manually. You will need to re-enable it in Manage Amazon Apps > Manual tab > Simple (Recommended) > Restore Apps tab.

As to issue 2 & 3, it really sounds like you've run a debloat script on your tablet and disabled certain needed apps. As I said in the post above this, I don't recommend running those scripts before you've backed up your tablet's state while it's in a working condition. You can do this in the System Backup tool. As for fixing things, you can try re-enabling ALL Amazon apps in Manage Amazon Apps > Manual tab > Simple (Recommended) > Restore Apps tab > Select All. If that fixes your problems, backup the tablet before you begin debloating again, and maybe do it manually. :)
[Fire HD 8 and HD 10 Android Development] dbdude58:
Simple ask: can someone just verify if album art works for you with mp3's? Per this recent thread I'm guessing the debloat process i used likely broke the media scanning service. But maybe Amazon just left it out of FireOS?
[Fire HD 8 and HD 10 Android Development] blaacksheep:
I use a paid music player in my Fire tablets and Android devices (neutron media player) that shows album art fine. I've also run some of the other players and never had a problem displaying album art. I think you probably disabled something you need for it to work. 🤷
[Fire HD 8 and HD 10 Android Development] dbdude58:
Thanks Blaacksheep. So I can see the Android Media Scanning service in the Toolbox; it is called

com.android.providers.media

The tookbox shows me that the App size is 0, Data Size 0, Cache size 0, Total size 0

So it seems that even though the service is not disabled, it isn't working at all.

would you mind taking a quick look in the Toolbox under Advanced and see if yours has built up a bit of a database of media info?

It's supposed to run on reboot of the device, but it seems i've broken something where it's not working. I'll continue to investiage.
[Fire HD 8 and HD 10 Android Development] Jumbo100:
Standalone media players seem to work well on stock Fire tablets with normal Google Play infrasttucure installed.

I've used VLC and MX Player without much problem. Note that these apps were installed from Amazon AppStore to ensure comparability with FireOS, but Play Store installs should probably work just as well.

You're probably right that that fully deblaoting your tablet is causing problems. Unfortunately there is no single point of failure . I think that disabling Amazon Shop, Amazon Music and Amazon Prime Video are the main culprits, as they are directly related to media playback. But there may be other disabled processes involved.

As @blaacksheep has suggested in recent posts, re-enable everything that you de-bloated and try again.
[Fire HD 8 and HD 10 Android Development] blaacksheep:
It took me a while to hunt that down in toolbox because of the way the list is ordered and their being no search tool, but I found it. It's called Media Storage (com.android.providers.media). In Manage Amazon Apps > Manual tab > Advanced, the tool for app info always crashed the Linux version of Toolbox (which I'm running) so I can't get that info there. On the tablet under App info, the media Storage app shows

33.14 MB used in internal storage. (I have a LOT of media on my tablet.)

no data usage

7.8 MB avg memory used in last 3 hours

I'm not sure of this apps job, but it can't be disabled and is obviously running on my tablet.

Did you run a debloat script on your tablet or use automatic debloating? If so, you probably disabled something needed for album art on your tablet. 🤷
[Fire HD 8 and HD 10 Android Development] dbdude58:
Thanks for the help. Yeah I jus used the automatic debloating, so guessing this is the issue. I also have all my music on a MicroSD card that's attached as a 2nd drive. So perhaps that is messing things up. Tomorrow I'll try moving some music over onto main storage, and see if that makes any difference.
[Fire HD 8 and HD 10 Android Development] Nachtwind_:
Thank you for your information.

Interestering enough is that i am the main user and the parental controls still kick in no matter what. That being said.. i dont have it connected to any amazon account though. i guess i have to open a dummy just for the tablet then.

But thank you for your answer :)
[Fire HD 8 and HD 10 Android Development] Yamyamyammers:
Good morning.

When using the fire took kit, on my amazon fire 11 max tablet, I can not seem to get the google calendar sync service to work.

I install the google calendar app from the play store, then select install calendar sync from the tool it, and then it goes through the motions of downloading but after it has tried to install, I get an error message that says an error occurred whilst installing google calendar sync, asks me to reboot tablet. I have tried multiple times and just can’t get google calendar to work.

Any suggestions

I have tried it the other way round removing the calendar app then installing the sync service and then the calendar app. I can get google calendar to open but when i select got it , it just closes down.
[Fire HD 8 and HD 10 Android Development] DB126:
Google calendar is one of the more problematic apps. Never got it to work well on contemporary FireOS (although didn't try hard) and simply opt for the web app for personal use. Outlook handles my professional calendar and also works well with Google accounts. Especially on Amazon devices. Just some info and options to consider; good luck!
[Fire HD 8 and HD 10 Android Development] blaacksheep:
I also have a lot (>10,000) of songs stored on an SD card mounted as a 2nd drive. It's a 512 GB card. I don't think that's the issue, but I DO use a non-standard player. (y)
[Fire HD 8 and HD 10 Android Development] blaacksheep:
The way Amazon sets things up, Parental Controls is really the main user and you are just a secondary user from what I'm told, giving Parental Controls complete irrevocable control over things. Have you tried running the Parental Control Hide tool? It will install Automate and a flow to control some things that Parental Controls does.

I've always used PCH and to be honest, have never been bothered by Parental Controls. I'll have to NOT run it next time I reset a tablet just to see what annoyances it's covering. ;)
[Fire HD 8 and HD 10 Android Development] Nachtwind_:
Oh. THere is a second page on the toolbox :D

Thanks :)
[Fire HD 8 and HD 10 Android Development] Fireball3:
Today another FireOS update was pushed.

Now it is 7.3.2.9 and besides braking the launchbar again, out of a sudden I can add widgets to the Nova launcher.

Unfortunately there are still widgets missing in the widget list, but that may work with the shortcut maker.

I mentioned previously, that the weather widget is not getting data for some reason. I have a connection, browsing works, other devices' widgets in my network can get data and to double check that it is not my pihole blocking, I set up a VPN connection but there is still no data incoming.

Any idea what this could be about?
[Fire HD 8 and HD 10 Android Development] blaacksheep:
Out of curiosity, what weather widget are you using? I'd like to give it a try to see if it's app-specific. I use Weawow, and that works fine. :)
[Fire HD 8 and HD 10 Android Development] Fireball3:
That would be very welcome, in fact.

AF Weather Widget | F-Droid - Free and Open Source Android App Repository

Graph weather widget for Android

f-droid.org