I can't connect my device with app inventor

[cetus...@gmail.com]

I can't connect my device(samsung tab 10.1 + android OS 4.0.4) via USB with app inventor. my device have just two options - MTP & PTP not USB mass storage(UMS). i tried 2 options but it doesn't work. how can i connect my device with app inventor??

[SteveJG]

I had trouble with USB with a tab II 7"".  The problem was I needed to install the correct device drivers (discussed at the very end of the troubleshooting advice posted below).  As I recall, I downloaded device drivers 

from Samsung or Google...loaded the drivers and USB worked.   I do not use USB here as WIFI and the emulator are more convenient but if you need USB, this should fix you up.

Read the advice below and it should help you use USB. (this information is linked on your browser (Use the Help icon) along with lots of other helpful information in one place about using, trouble shooting and descriptions of the tools in AI2.  

If you run into issues, please return here and ask again.  Good luck.

Regards,

Steve

Step 4: Set up your device for USB (Turn USB Debugging ON)

On your Android device, go to System Settings, Developer Options, turn them on, and be sure that "USB Debugging" is allowed.

On most devices running Android 3.2 or older, you can find this option under Settings > Applications > Development.

On Android 4.0 and newer, it's in Settings > Developer options.

Note: On Android 4.2 and newer, Developer options is hidden by default. To make it available, go to Settings > About phone and tap Build number seven times. Return to the previous screen to find Developer options, including "USB Debugging".

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Step 5: Connect your computer and device, and authenticate if necessary.

Connect your Android device to the computer using the USB cable - be sure that the device connects as a "mass storage device" (not "media device") and that it is not mounted as a drive on your computer. This may mean that you have to go to the Finder (on a Mac) or My Computer (on Windows) and disconnect any drive(s) that were mounted when you connected your Android device.

On Android 4.2.2 and newer, your device will pop up a screen with the message Allow USB Debugging? the first time you connect it to new computer. Press "OK". This authenticates the computer to the device, allowing the computer to communicate with it. You'll need to do this for each computer you want to connect to the device, but only once per computer.

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Step 6: Test the connection.

Go to this Connection Test Page (opens in a new tab in your browser) and see if you get a confirmation that your computer can detect the device. If the test fails, go to General Connection Help and look at the USB help for your computer (Windows or Mac). You won't be able to use App Inventor with the USB cable until you resolve the connection issues. Return to this page when the test suceeds.

Help with USB connection on Windows

This page contains help for when you have connected your Android device to a Windows PC with the USB cable, and the Connection Test says that the device is not detected.

In order to connect your device to a Windows PC over the USB cable, you need to install a driver on your PC. The driver is a software module that lets the PC interface to the device hardware. Unfortunately, different devices require different drivers, and Google and Microsoft have generally left it to the device manufacturers to develop and distribute the drivers. The App Inventor setup software comes with drivers for a very small number of Android devices. You might be lucky enough that these work for your device -- but probably not. In that case, you'll have to get the driver from the manufacturer, and install it on your PC yourself.

Here is Google's link to OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) Drivers(link is external). It shows where to get drivers for the devices that Google knows about, and explains how to install them on PCs.

Google also distributes drivers for the Nexus devices that it manufactures. If you have a Nexus device. Look here for the Google USB Driver(link is external). To get the driver from there, you can use the link that says Click here to download the latest Google USB Driver ZIP file. You do not have to download the entire Android SDK.

When you are done installing the driver, go back and review the steps in Connecting to a phone or tablet with a USB cable. Hopefully, the connection test will succeed this time. If it does not, the most likely place for an error is in installing the drivers, especially if you have never done this before. So try again and/or get help.

If you are still having trouble, see Google's page on Using Hardware Devices(link is external). Other than that, try searching on the web for issues about using your particular device with USB.

[BK Park]

Thank you,Steve.

I had trouble at Step 5. I went to the samsung homepage and downloaded USB driver for my device. it works!

Regards,

BK

[Mike Owen]

The Galaxy SIII models using KitKat 4.4.2, and newer, apparently no longer support "Mass Storage Mode", and require Kies. When attaching my SIII, I still get the SCH-I535 registered as a device, and can see, and access, both Phone and SD card memory. But, the device is automatically  attached as a "Media Device".

This pretty much disables any use of USB as a viable connection mode when testing, it just sits there and tries to connect forever, so if you don't have a viable wireless connection, you are out of luck.

Combine that with my constant problems getting the emulator to work reliably with Windows 7, and I had to ask myself whether continuing work with this tool was worth the aggravation. 

[SteveJG]

@ Mike      Did you download the drivers and follow  all the USB instructions?    I think you might have missed one.    I have a Galaxy tablet ...4.2.2 .    It connects as a Media device as does your toy with USB.   Beautiful feature.    However, if you download the drivers, it will work as a USB device (what MIT recommends as a last choice for most users).   It works fine, however, I do not use it because WIFI and the emulator  both work fine.

I am flagging your note as a possible KitKat 4.4.2 issue to the tech team.   ...

@MIT  Has anyone else reported issues using USB for live development on Galaxy or any other device running KitKat 4.4.2?

@Mike  ...more comments:

, I believe you may have have an issue with kitkat, however it is more likely you had issues installing the drivers required on your PC.

Constant problems with Windows 7?    I have no issues here and never had any.  The emulator works fine.  Be aware, coding errors, attempting to load large images or music etc. will give an emulator fits.

When you asked yourself the question "whether continuing work with this tool was worth the aggravation," what was the answer?    If it was 'I'll try it some more,"   then tell us more about your issues,

Thousands run Win 7, the emulator and AI2 with no issues.   You can too.   Just start a new thread about your emulator, usb or whatever and someone will help, if you take the time to work with them.

If the answer was no, then try the alternatives for Android development:   Eclipse, Android Studio (both of which use Java).  Eclipse is very flaky and difficult to use, AS is better.     Basic4Android has a nominal charge and you will have to learn a Visual Basic like programming language to work with it, otherwise you might be happy with it.   NONE of these is as easy to use as AI2.

Regards,

Steve

Regards,

Steve