Android: App not responding to touch events

[Marmo]

Actual behaviour

• no (not even any visual) reaction on tapping buttons/list items/input fields

(If the focus is already on an input field (for example after fresh install the field for the server url), the keyboard pops up and text input is accepted (as expected).)

Expected behaviour

• appropriate reaction on the input
  

  Steps to reproduce

1. install and enable Lux (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.vito.lux). This app uses some screen overlay to make the screen darker than the lowest backlight setting would allow. I guess there are other apps, that use the same technique and thus might cause the same issue. the combination of Lux and Owncloud worked before the 2.1.1 update.
2. open Owncloud app
3. tap any button/list item/input field
4. nothing happens (not even any visual reaction on the tap)
5. disable Lux (tap the off-icon in its notification)
6. Owncloud app works as expected

Can this problem be reproduced with the official owncloud server?(url: https://demo.owncloud.org, user: test, password: test)

Not tested, as it seems not related to the server (happens even without any server configured)

Environment data

Android version:
5.0

Device model:
BQ Aquaris E 4.5

Stock or customized system:
Stock

ownCloud app version:
2.1.1

ownCloud server version:
(9.1)

[AndyScherzinger]

@davivel only thing that comes to my mind without further research is https://github.com/owncloud/android/commit/2f4fdb20f66b9d908f37b1c5978f9f142dbb98f6

[davivel]

Sure it's that.

I don't know if we will be able to fix this soon. That change has been added as a security measure to protect the app against tap-jacking. I guess we could make it optional, but can't compromise any time to release it.

@Marmo, could you tell us something about your reasons to use Lux? Why is this app so important for you? Thanks in advance.

[Marmo]

My reasons to use Lux:

• in lowlight conditions (mainly at night) the screen is too bright for me, the (black-transparent) overlay reduces the brightness further
• i can create sensor-reading/screen-brightness pairs and control the auto-brightness this way

I understand the tap-jacking concerns. For me I found a solution now (actually I found two ...):

1. In the Lux app there is an option to use an "alternative overlay", which does not cause the unresponsiveness in the Owncloud-app. I dont know, if that alternative overlay works for me like the standard one, but I will see. (Alternative overlay causes the same issue)
2. The Lux app has a list of apps, that cause the overlay to be deactivated while one of these apps is in the foreground (this list contains the android package installer per default, which seems to have a similar tap-jacking protection). So I added the Owncloud app to that list.

[PVince81]

Same issue here, I'm using a different app called Twilight: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.urbandroid.lux&hl=en
It's similar to the desktop app "redshift" for Linux (which I also use).
Basically it makes the screen more red on evenings and more blue in the mornings to make it easy on the eyes.

The app also uses a screen overlay, so since the last update of the Android client for ownCloud, I can't use it any more.

@davivel would it be possible to make a switch to disable this protection ?
I think ideally the clickjacking protection needs to be only done on specific sensistive parts of the UI.

I noticed for example that Android also prevents clicking on the "Install" button through an overlay when installing third party apk files.

[vals-productions]

I have the same issue - Android 5.0, Samsung Galaxy Note 3. Owncloud App is not responding to any touch events.

If I reboot the device and start owncloud app first thing it might respond for a couple of touches, but then again its dead frozen.

P.S. Appears I have LUX installed as well. Disabling it fixed the issue for me.

[davivel]

We didn't preview this side effect. Seems there's enough interest in it, and the security fix was not considered of high sensibility, so we could roll it back until we are able to do it optional.

[PVince81]

@davivel are there any specific dialogs that would need such security ? I'd suggest to restrict this security feature to a small subset of sensitive UI components.

[davivel]

Reference: https://github.com/owncloud/android/pull/1107

[davivel]

Proposal from @LukasReschke was protect all the UI. Specially sensible are login and passcode views.

[huettenhain]

I have the same problem with Lux installed.

[xeros]

I have the same issue with all ownCloud Android client 2.1.x versions (except 2.1.0, which works fine).
I didn't even suspect that the issue is with combination of ownCloud + Lux (I haven't found any other app than ownCloud that has problems with Lux).
And I need to use Lux for exactly the same reasons as Marmo, who listed them above.
Additionally, my phone screen is draining much battery with screen brightness at higher levels, that's why I limit it with Lux in low-light conditions.

[davivel]

@croisez , your issues are different than what's described here. Please, open two new separate issues for them.

[michaelstingl]

An user also reported an issue with the app "BlueLight filter".

@davivel Could this check be configurable in the settings?

[alongwor]

Same issue using Twilight.

[davivel]

@davivel Could this check be configurable in the settings?

Yes, it could be. And it should be. And it should be easy.

[maxim-kukushkin]

Any chance that this bug is fixed? To me it happened even without installing any programs like Lux. It just accidentally stop working (i.e. responding to any taps).

Android Nougat. Moto G5 Plus

[arjenlentz]

I've seen this issue on a Samsung S4 in the past, with Twilight active.
Now same on Nokia 6 (Nougat 7.1.1) again with Twilight active.
Since Twilight was mentioned by someone, I told my Twilight to pause and behold, everything works!
So that's definitely the trigger - as to the cause, I do not know. Most (not all) other apps work fine with Twilight active.
Now that I know, I can work around it by pausing Twilight when I need to use or configure OwnCloud - it's just a nuisance and obviously creates problems for less savvy users. It should "just work".
Anyhow, hopefully this input will assist in tracking down the root cause and find a possible solution!
thanks

[RalphBike]

Same here. Not working with Android 7.1.x and Twilight, working fine with disabled Twilight.

[aurorasmiles]

Same issue here, using a pixel-filter app or anything else that overlays the ownCloud app

[harshitbansal05]

@davivel @davigonz is the issue still open? I found it interesting but could'nt get exactly what is preferred? Could you please help me?

[michaelstingl]

@harshitbansal05 please install a tool like Lux or Twilight and try to use the ownCloud app to check the behavior. ownCloud app has a security feature that protects your data from other apps that add an additional layer to your screen. A config option is needed so users could disable this security feature.

[RalphBike]

I still have the same effect with the latest lineage, with Twilight and without.

I tried excluding the client from Twilight and also uninstalled Twilight. For me this is a blocker and makes the client completely unusable, which is basically the only reason why I still have to use Dropbox and can not switch to Owncloud.

[Polfo]

I have the same issue with EyeFilter installed: when EyeFilter is active, ownCloud does not react to touch events.

[theScrabi]

@RalphBike Let me guess, since you are trying to setup owncloud you want to login before using the app.

Well the reason it might not be working is because we secured the login screen, so it is not possible to take screenshots of it, or use an overlay with it.
Please make sure not to use any overlay if you want to log in. Also it might be helping if you could give us more details.

[davigonz]

@michaelstingl the switch to enable/disable light filtering from other apps is already in https://github.com/owncloud/android/pull/2429 and will be disabled by default in PlayStore release, but what about including a new option in the app so that end users can also enable/disable it under their own responsibility, after accepting a warning dialog?

[PVince81]

side note: Android 9 has built in night mode and doesn't seem to affect the app any more, I'm using that now.

[michaelstingl]

but what about including a new option in the app so that end users can also enable/disable it under their own responsibility, after accepting a warning dialog?

👍

[michaelstingl]

2.10 with config option to allow this got released in the Play Store:
https://central.owncloud.org/t/owncloud-2-10-for-android-released/18900