Android TV Compatibility

[thekiefs]

When I try to side load the app on Android TV, I get the error "this app isn't compatible with your TV".

Could we add Android TV functionality - I'm hoping it's straight forward as enabling the existing UI for larger screen setups.

Trying this on:
Google TV Streamer
Android TV OS 14, 5.15.180-android14-11, Security level August 1, 2025

[chenxiaolong]

Hmm, RSAF does not have any <uses-feature> configuration, which is normally how apps limit to specific hardware. I don't know why it wouldn't just work on Android TV. I unfortunately do not have an Android TV device to test.

Looking up some details about the Google TV Streamer, it appears it's running a 32-bit version of Android despite the hardware being capable of 64-bit. Are you installing the 32-bit armeabi-v7a version of RSAF?

[thekiefs]

You're right! I used armeabi-v7a-release.apk and it works now. There's one basic improvement. App can't be opened from the main screen (it doesn't show up on the app carousel).

[chenxiaolong]

Hmm, yeah, I can add the icon, but before doing that, could you check that DocumentsUI (the system file manager) actually exists? You can test with the "Open remote" option for a remote or with "Import configuration"/"Export configuration".

In Google's Android TV emulator, DocumentsUI does not exist. Without it, RSAF is basically unusable because there's no way to give other apps access to rclone remotes.

[thekiefs]

I'm using a third-party app, CX File Explorer, which works great. Without it I think you're right; see here. Wonder if there's a way to push users that don't have it installed to that?

[chenxiaolong]

Could you walk me through how you're looking at RSAF remotes through CX File Explorer? On regular Android devices, DocumentsUI is required for any third party app to access RSAF's remotes, but maybe things are different in Android TV?

This is what I see in CX File Explorer in the emulator. I'm not seeing an obvious way to browse RSAF's remotes.

[thekiefs]

Thanks. Great point, it seems Google forced SAF but then doesn't implement DocumentsUI on AndroidTV (see here, and here, refusing to fix: https://issuetracker.google.com/issues/217573432, presumably because they don't view file management as necessary for a TV). Terrible.

Workarounds here are an absolute mess & quite cumbersome:

1. Install atvTools
2. Install Xplore
3. Install shizuku. Currently not working on AndroidTV, need Add Start Shizuku menu option RikkaApps/Shizuku#1479

I'll continue to work thru this and see what I can find.

I read also the Nvidia Shield has fixed this by providing their own DocumentsUI, but don't have a Shield handy to validate.

In any case, having the RSAF icon on Shield will help save some time in debugging this 🤔

[chenxiaolong]

Thanks. Great point, it seems Google forced SAF but then doesn't implement DocumentsUI on AndroidTV (see here, and here, refusing to fix: https://issuetracker.google.com/issues/217573432, presumably because they don't view file management as necessary for a TV). Terrible.

That's pretty infuriating.

I read also the Nvidia Shield has fixed this by providing their own DocumentsUI, but don't have a Shield handy to validate.

Oh, cool. I do have an old Shield around. I'll see if I can play around with that little bit and test the basic functionality. Most likely everything just works when DocumentsUI is available, albeit with a clunky UI. I might need to hide the app lock and battery optimization options since those would never work for these streamer devices.

In any case, having the RSAF icon on Shield will help save some time in debugging this 🤔

Sure! Here's version 3.21 with a couple extra lines in the app manifest to make it show up in the Android TV launcher:

• https://files.pub.chiller3.com/issues/RSAF/issue195/RSAF-3.21.r1.g17e2ff6-arm64-v8a-release.apk
• https://files.pub.chiller3.com/issues/RSAF/issue195/RSAF-3.21.r1.g17e2ff6-armeabi-v7a-release.apk
• https://files.pub.chiller3.com/issues/RSAF/issue195/RSAF-3.21.r1.g17e2ff6-x86_64-release.apk
• https://files.pub.chiller3.com/issues/RSAF/issue195/RSAF-3.21.r1.g17e2ff6-x86-release.apk