• General

  • Opening an app with a deep link

Whilst trying to get an old smartwatch working I need to open the relevant app by sending a link to it. As shown in the logs:

10-23 16:40:59.545 1426 1487 I ActivityTaskManager: START u0 {act=android.intent.action.VIEW cat=[android.intent.category.BROWSABLE] dat=pebble://custom-boot-config-url/... flg=0x14000000 cmp=com.getpebble.android.basalt/com.getpebble.android.main.activity.MainActivity (has extras)} from uid 10098

The custom URL is never recognised by the app, no matter how I send it (e.g. from a browser, another app, ADB etc. etc). I wondered if this is related to Android 13 but I have seen reference to someone using a Pixel 7 getting this to work. For me, the app always opens without ever recognising the custom URL.

Is there any reason why GrapheneOS in particular might prevent this?

    knirirr com.getpebble.android.basalt

    Looks like that's the package name. I can't find it on Google Play, but was able to find it on other shady apk downloader websites. I'm guessing that app was discontinued.

        unwat It is indeed the package name. You are correct in that it was discontinued; the company making the devices was bought out by Fitbit, before they in turn were acquired by Google. I wouldn't call the site where I got the apk shady, though.
        The purpose of the custom-boot-config-url is to get that old app to start up with a configuration allowing it to connect to a new endpoint, so I that I can continue to use this still-working device with its full capabilities.

            knirirr
            Oh my mistake. I didn't read closely enough to see you already have the correct app.

            The only thing I know about people getting this kind of device to work with GrapheneOS is they have to grant Google Play Services access to nearby devices. Maybe if the Pebble app has access to nearby devices it might work? Not sure if this app uses GMS, so maybe Google Play Services needs access to nearby devices too. And I'm assuming you have bluetooth on already.

            If none of those things work then I have no clue. Good luck!

              It turns out that in all my fiddling about with the application it had lost network permission; granting that again fixed the problem; I spotted this when looking at nearby device permissions. Thanks for answering.