How do you snap a screenshot on Android 9 given a delay time in seconds?

[Arlen Holder]

How do you snap a screenshot on Android 9 given a delay time in seconds?

So I want to see if a delayed snapshot tool can snapshot in, oh, say, 10
seconds after I initiate the screenshot tool.

Do you ever take delayed screenshots (e.g., in 10 seconds time)?
o How?
--
Usenet is so much more valuable and pleasant, when people act like adults.

[Arlen Holder]

On Tue, 10 Mar 2020 23:47:47 -0000 (UTC), Arlen Holder wrote:
> How do you snap a screenshot on Android 9 given a delay time in seconds?

SOLVED!

Almost never do we fail on the Android ng to do whatever we need to do!
<https://i.postimg.cc/7YNyvfSn/screenshot01.jpg>

Today I tested screen shot apps to solve the autosave screenshot problem:
o *Is there any way to set up 'autosave' for screenshots in Android Pie*
<https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/comp.mobile.android/Vj67Y3mjr50>
<https://i.postimg.cc/nrRY7461/screenshot05.jpg>

One by one, I tested a variety of free ad-free screenshotters, e.g.,
o Screenshot Assistant, by Waskysoft (adds an app icon plus "Home" button)
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=pl.waskysoft.screenshotassistant>
... and ...
o Screenshot Assistant, by beatbrot (adds only the "Home" longpress button)
<https://f-droid.org/en/packages/de.beatbrot.screenshotassistant/>
<https://github.com/beatbrot/ScreenshotAssistant>
etc.

Either of these apps above can turn the Android Pie (middle lower round
bottom) "Home" button into a screenshotter when it's pressed and held for
about a second:
<https://i.postimg.cc/DZQxWbvC/screenshot03.jpg>
Where you have to 1st set "Screenshot Assistant" as the "Google Assistant":
Settings > Apps & notifications > Advanced > Default apps >
> Assist & voice input > Assist app = Screenshot Assistant
As screenshotted in six detailed steps shown below:
<https://i.postimg.cc/P5ys1Hn0/screenshot07.jpg>

Unfortunately, neither of those apps seems to add a time-delay countdown.

Then I found this "time delay" countdown & "instant screenshot" app!
o Screenshot Tile [No root], by cuzi-a...@openmail.cc
o <https://github.com/ipcjs/ScreenshotTile>
o <https://f-droid.org/en/packages/com.github.cvzi.screenshottile/>
o <https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.github.cvzi.screenshottile>

This "Screenshot Tile [No root]" free ad-free app is a keeper!
1. Screenshot Tile can be used as a simple application icon
<https://i.postimg.cc/YCpMj1tP/screenshot00.jpg>
2. Screenshot Tile can be placed in the "notifications area"
<https://i.postimg.cc/L5TQWgGq/screenshot02.jpg>
3. Screenshot Tile can replace the "native screenshot method"
<https://i.postimg.cc/fbmKF09w/screenshot04.jpg>

But what I like best about "Screenshot Tile [No root]" no-ad freeware is
that it instantly solves this problem I've had for months of not being able
to snap a screenshot after a given settable time delay.

In summary, given they do different things, I'd recommend installing all
three apps, which gives you four different ways to screenshot Android Pie!
<https://i.postimg.cc/FRPJn9Dr/screenshot06.jpg>

That is, in addition to the native hardware button screenshot method...
a. Longpressing the power switch

By adding this, you can add the Home-button-longpress screenshot method:
b. Screenshot Assistant, by beatbrot

And, by adding this, you can add an app-icon-tap snapshot method:
c. Screenshot Assistant, by Waskysoft

And, by adding this, you add a notification-area-pulldown snapshot method:
d. Screenshot Tile [No root], by cuzi

Since I document the hell out of Android, I snap a lot of screenshots!
A. We can now snap screenshots by at least four different methods
(hardware buttons, notifications area, long press Home key, & app icon)
B. We can set up an autosave for maximum single-press efficiency
<https://i.postimg.cc/nrRY7461/screenshot05.jpg>
C. And best of all, we can now set the delay to up to five seconds!
<https://i.postimg.cc/7YNyvfSn/screenshot01.jpg>
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Only 2 kinds of people are on Usenet: Those adding value & those who can't.

[Arlen Holder]

On Wed, 11 Mar 2020 05:02:21 -0000 (UTC), Arlen Holder wrote:

> o Screenshot Assistant, by beatbrot (adds only the "Home" longpress button)
> <https://f-droid.org/en/packages/de.beatbrot.screenshotassistant/>
> <https://github.com/beatbrot/ScreenshotAssistant>

UPDATE:

I always try to update my very many tutorial and solution threads so that
lurkers following these steps don't waste their time as I learn more subtle
details of finesse through constant testing of all installed APKs, all of
which is designed to help myself & others be tremendously organized &
efficient on Android (more so than almost anyone you know).

To that end, after further testing, I deleted the Beatbrot F-Droid
screenshot assistant in favor of the Waskysoft screenshot assistant simply
because in further testing I found that _neither_ would work any other way
than as a longpress on the (round, middle, bottom) Android "Home" button.

So they were redundant.

Given both were essentially the same functionality, I opted for the only
very slightly more functional screenshot assistant.
o Waskysoft Screenshot Assistant {free, no ads, GSF independent}
o beatbrot Screenshot Assistant {free, no ads, ? GSF dependency ?}

At this point, this is my APK recommendation for perfect screenshotting on
an Android phone (mine is the Moto G7 on Android Pie) whose native
screenshot mechanism doesn't have either a timed or instant screenshot
feature.
1. Native screenshot mechanism
2. Screenshot Assistant
3. Screenshot Tile [No root]
<https://i.postimg.cc/FRPJn9Dr/screenshot06.jpg>

Native:
For my Android Pie Moto G7 (said to be "almost stock" Android 9), the
native screenshot longpress on the power button brings up a nice tool with
o A multipress screenshot mechanism;
o Whose best feature is it can scroll to the end of the "page";
o And who can crop and "edit", share, and then manually save the shot;
o But which can't work as an app icon or as a quick-access icon;
o And whose worst attribute is it requires too many button presses.

Screenshot Assistant:
o Whose best feature is it doesn't need the hardware button;
o In favor of adding a software longpress on the Android "Home" button;
o And who can crop and share and then manually save the shot;
o But which can't work as an app icon or as a quick-access icon;
o And whose worst attribute is it requires too many button presses.
<https://i.postimg.cc/DZQxWbvC/screenshot03.jpg>

Note that the setup for Screenshot Assistant isn't exactly intuitive:
<https://i.postimg.cc/P5ys1Hn0/screenshot07.jpg>

Screenshot Tile [No root]:
o Whose best feature is it allows for instant & delayed snapshots;
o Meaning it's the only single-press mechanism that I know of that works;
o And it can replace the native screenshotter (if that's what you want);
o Where it can be placed in the pulldown menu set of common tasks;
o And it has the best set of settings of all mechanisms;
o Such as saving to PNG or WEBP or JPEG (at various qualities);
o And it can set a secret passwd for other apps to snap screenshots;
o And it works either as an app icon or as a quick-access icon, or both;
o And it can instantly store the screenshots anywhere you want them to go.
<https://i.postimg.cc/nrRY7461/screenshot05.jpg>

*Screenshot Assistant, by Waskysoft (free, ad free, GSF independent)
o <https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=pl.waskysoft.screenshotassistant>

*Screenshot Tile [No root]*, by cuzi (free, ad free, ?GSF dependency?)

o <https://github.com/ipcjs/ScreenshotTile>
o <https://f-droid.org/en/packages/com.github.cvzi.screenshottile/>
o <https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.github.cvzi.screenshottile>

In summary, the key advantages of combining all three methods is (IMHO):
1. Native screenshot mechanism === scrolls to take long screenshots;
2. Screenshot Assistant = adds a software longpress to the "Home" button;
3. Screenshot Tile [No root] === adds truly instant & timed screenshots.
--
Usenet allows purposefully helpful adults to share solutions with others.

[kelown]

> At this point, this is my APK recommendation for perfect screenshotting on
> an Android phone (mine is the Moto G7 on Android Pie) whose native
> screenshot mechanism doesn't have either a timed or instant screenshot
> feature.

My Moto G5S+ XT1806 and my brother's Moto G7 Play XT1952-3 both allow
taking instant screenshots by simultaneously pressing your 3 middle
fingers to the screen. Works reliably and saves to
sdcard/pictures/screenshots directory.

BTW, I suggest you try the Audio Screenshot Android app. It instantly
and reliably takes screenshots simply by shouting something into phone
that's louder than ambient noise.
http://bit.ly/2W9bjun
or
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=audioscreenshot.awesomeapps.com.audioscreenshot

[Arlen Holder]

On Fri, 13 Mar 2020 11:43:27 -0500, kelown wrote:

> My Moto G5S+ XT1806 and my brother's Moto G7 Play XT1952-3 both allow
> taking instant screenshots by simultaneously pressing your 3 middle
> fingers to the screen. Works reliably and saves to
> sdcard/pictures/screenshots directory.

Hi kelown,
I very much appreciate your purposefully helpful kind adult advice, where I
just tested the "three middle fingers" on my new Android Pie Moto G7.

It is a _nice_ feature that I did not know about!
o Thank you for suggesting that "three fingered" salute!

However ...

It still doesn't do anything that the longpress on power didn't do.
a. It pops up the screenshot GUI... and ... and ... and ... and ..and
b. And ... and ... and ... and ... and ... and ... and ...
c. Nothing happens no matter how _long_ I wait.

The point is that these two features are missing on _my_ Moto G7:
1. It doesn't do an instant save on my Moto G7,
2. Nor does it do a timed-delay snapshot on my Moto G7.

I think others claim it can do an instant save on their Android 9 phones.
o So maybe it's just a Moto G7 quirk that there's no instant save?

> BTW, I suggest you try the Audio Screenshot Android app. It instantly
> and reliably takes screenshots simply by shouting something into phone
> that's louder than ambient noise.
> http://bit.ly/2W9bjun
> or
> https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=audioscreenshot.awesomeapps.com.audioscreenshot

Thank you kelown for that kind & purposefully helpful adult suggestion,
where I don't use Google Play but I looked for that app on the Aurora Store
where my default search filter is for GSF independent ad-free free apps.

I do appreciate that you're one of the few people who provide the link to
the Google App, which is what enabled me to find it easily, after changing
a few of the default switches in Aurora Store (Google Play isn't for me).

At first, the suggested app wasn't found on the Google Play store by
Aurora, so I loosened the filters and added the unique name which you
kindly provided (very few people do that - so I want to thank you for
saving me time).

Aurora finally found it under the category of "has ads, GSF dependent", and
where I installed version 1.01 and then pressed the "Activate audio
screenshot" slider, keeping the sound level at the 50dBm default, and the
image format at the PNG default, and changed the deactivation period to 1
minute (because it was snapping screenshots as I typed this!) and I raised
the sound power level to 75 decibels because it was still snapping
screenshots just based on my typing sounds (I type hard & fast).

My quick one-minute assessment?
o It's a nice app because it snaps a screenshot & saves it without
_any_ button presses whatsoever!
o It's a bit difficult to get it to not snap too many screenshots,
but I suspect over time I can hone the settings to prevent
spurious screenshots!

I did _not_ see any ads at first, but they sometimes creep up on us as they
did in my detailed assessment of SMS apps, where weeks later, the ads
became obnoxious, so time will tell how obnoxious the ads are as I strive
for ad free apps for the general purpose solutions.

In summary, I thank you for pitching in to add value to our tribal
knowledge on c.m.a, where we all learn more together than any one of us can
learn alone.
<https://i.postimg.cc/CK8XgsHb/screenshot08.jpg>

While I didn't see any delay options, for instant screenshots, this Audio
Screenshot by Awesome Apps is a good candidate to test for hands-free
instant screenshotting (if the ads don't become obnoxious over time):
o Audio Screenshot - capture screenshots using voice, by Awesome Apps!
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=audioscreenshot.awesomeapps.com.audioscreenshot>

Drat. As I was testing & documenting it, a darn full-page ad showed up.
<https://i.postimg.cc/K8MJkvk2/screenshot09.jpg>

Also, note, it puts the screenshots into its own personal directory:
/storage/emulated/0/Audio Screenshot/Screensot#.png

In short, if we can deal with the ads and if we can get a choke-hold on the
spurious screenshots, it could become a keeper, albeit a finicky one, since
it's the _only_ app suggested so far that's completely hands free!
--
Together we can learn far more than any one of us can by learning alone.

[Arlen Holder]

On Fri, 13 Mar 2020 18:39:44 -0000 (UTC), Arlen Holder wrote:

> In short, if we can deal with the ads and if we can get a choke-hold on the
> spurious screenshots, it could become a keeper, albeit a finicky one, since
> it's the _only_ app suggested so far that's completely hands free!

See also the methods defined in this related rec.photo.digitla tutorial:
o Tutorial to add over a dozen useful tweaks to Android screenshot
capabilities & four methods for screenshotting snapshots
<https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/rec.photo.digital/myHx83MFV-U>

The four methods (actually five) of screenshotting I added are:
1. Voice activated
2. Quicklaunch icon
3. homescreen shortcut
4. Homebutton longpress (software)
5. Powerbutton longpress (hardware)

Any others?

Note: I write a _lot_ of tutorials and I document well my responses such
that a modern basic screenshot capability is important to me to help others
and to learn from others to help myself be more efficient on Android.

[kelown]

>> In short, if we can deal with the ads and if we can get a choke-hold on the
>> spurious screenshots, it could become a keeper, albeit a finicky one, since
>> it's the _only_ app suggested so far that's completely hands free!

tbh, I use an ad blocker on my Android phone so I've never had the
problems with the Audio Screenshot app that you had.

[Arlen Holder]

On Tue, 17 Mar 2020 21:26:26 -0500, kelown wrote:

> tbh, I use an ad blocker on my Android phone so I've never had the
> problems with the Audio Screenshot app that you had.

Hi kelown,

This is useful information if your phone is not rooted and if it still
blocks those horrid full-screen ads that the app popped up.

Is your phone rooted?

If the phone is rooted, then, of course, the hosts file and other methods
will work to block those full-screen ads, but if your phone is not rooted,
then it would be interesting to ask what you use to block the ads.

BTW, I almost never, if ever, see those horrid full screen ads simply
because I choose the best freeware out there, where my rule is to use only
free, ad free, gsf-independent apps, unless none exist for the purpose.

My Moto G7 on Android Pie is not rooted, but I've been able to disable
Google Services Framework and Carrier Services, and literally almost
_every_ app that had Google in the unique name. Even I'm shocked that I was
able to do that given the phone is not rooted, where there must be
something very special I disabled that killed them as they don't even show
up in some of the typical app drawer apps anymore.

Anyway, two questions for you if we may ask to further our knowledge:
a. Is your phone rooted?
b. If not, pray tell, what ad blocker do you use! :)
--
Usenet enables purposefully helpful adults around the world to share ideas!

[kelown]

>> tbh, I use an ad blocker on my Android phone so I've never had the
>> problems with the Audio Screenshot app that you had.

> This is useful information if your phone is not rooted and if it still
> blocks those horrid full-screen ads that the app popped up.

> a. Is your phone rooted?

No, my Moto XT1806 Oreo 8.1 is not rooted.

> b. If not, pray tell, what ad blocker do you use! :)

AdClear VPN firewall/ad-blocker
https://www.seven.com

* blocks ads system-wide
* allows one to block Internet access to apps that don't need it
* optionally blocks apps from accessing Internet data in the background

Note that Google Play Store doesn't allow apps that block ads
system-wide, only those that block ads within its own app.

[Arlen Holder]

On Wed, 18 Mar 2020 20:32:19 -0500, kelown wrote:

> AdClear VPN firewall/ad-blocker
> https://www.seven.com

Hi kelown,

Thank you for that suggestion of using AdClear on unrooted Android!

Given Usenet is infested with worthless pieces of shit who can only post
drivel, I especially appreciate that you are posting useful adult
information, where we all greatly benefit from the courteous adult
fact-filled information exchange.

Even though I have over four hundred apps installed on my $100 64GB Moto
G7, that full page ad encountered while testing audioscreenshot
<https://i.postimg.cc/CK8XgsHb/screenshot08.jpg>
was the _first_ full-page ad I've seen on Android 9, I think,
since I set devuce up way back on Black Friday when I bought it:
<https://i.postimg.cc/K8MJkvk2/screenshot09.jpg>

Even though you said to get it from "seven.com", I generally prefer F-Droid
so I first went there, but as you already knew, the "seven.com" "adclear"
wasn't there. :)

I didn't (at first) fully understand your "google play store warning, so I
went there next (via the Aurora methodology as I don't even have Google
Play running on my unrooted Android 9 Moto G7).

But at Google, the warnings you mentioned began to quickly sink in!
o AdClear Content Blocker, no ads, GSF dependent, by SEVEN Networks
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.seven.adclear.fsb>
"AdClear Content Blocker only works with Samsung Internet
and Yandex Browser, which has content blocking feature implemented.
AdClear Content Blocker will block annoying ads when surfing the web.
Android users: this app is the solution for your ad block problems.
You can learn more about AdClear at our website
<https://www.seven.com/android-adblocker-download>
As a bonus, AdClear Content Blocker will save battery, bandwidth,
and loading time for users, and keep users safe from malware-infected
ads.
Frequently Asked Questions:
* Does AdClear block all ads in all my apps?
This version of AdClear only blocks ads on websites you visit in
Samsung Internet and Yandex Browser."

Now I get why you kindly proactively warned us about Google Play!
:)

Going to that URL above (with or without slash) erred as "404 not found":
o <https://www.seven.com/android-adblocker-download>
So it looks like they don't even bother to update the Google page anyway.

So I went back to your helpful instructions, instead of going at it the way
I normally would (F-Droid first, Aurora second, the developer's domain
third).

> Note that Google Play Store doesn't allow apps that block ads
> system-wide, only those that block ads within its own app.

Not surprisingly, the domain you originally supplied worked just fine:
o <https://www.seven.com/>

At that Seven.com home page, they mostly seem to advertise "Open Channel":
o <https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.seven.oc>

But they do respond to Google Play Protect flagging AdClear:
o <https://blog.seven.com/2017/10/20/our-response-to-google-play-protect-flagging-adclear/>
"What information we do collect is technical, used to make improvements
to AdClear's stability across the range of different Android devices
that are available."

They also respond to Google Play Protect blocking AdClear:
o <https://blog.seven.com/2017/10/20/google-play-protect-is-blocking-adclear/>
"All aggregated and anonymized information AdClear currently collects
is currently used for debugging and improving our application."

At this point, I wrote up a tutorial so others could follow easier!
o Tutorial: How to install & set up free ad-free GSF dependent AdClear
on unrooted Android to block ads by application and skip YouTube ads
<https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/comp.mobile.android/GouWPiwXuaw>

Where there are a few questions for you & others in that tutorial thread:
<https://i.postimg.cc/C5whgdtD/adclear01.jpg>
<https://i.postimg.cc/s2wxgYYm/adclear02.jpg>

[Arlen Holder]

UPDATE:
o Five new features Android 11 borrows from the iPhone
<https://www.theverge.com/21280682/android-11-vs-ios-features-beta-iphone-google-apple>
Namely:
o OS-LEVEL SMART HOME CONTROL (as in Apple's Home Kit)
o ONE-TIME PERMISSION (where Android will also auto-reset the permissions)
o EASY MEDIA SWITCHING CONTROLS (a in the Apple Air Play icon)
o SCREENSHOT INTERFACE (bottom left corner screenshot preview)
o NATIVE SCREEN RECORDING (the difference is the "native" part)
--
This has been solved but this is an Android 11 screenshot update.