VLC for Android Ver 3.5.4 INSTALLATION is buggy, wants all files access to everything. Multiple other issues

[tombo]

Firstly, I appreciate that VLC for Android is free and open-source just like the PC version
However it is buggy, wants all files access to everything and multiple other issues

- VLC installation goes straight into in a loop asking “Allow VLC all file access”

VLC wants “notification permission” to access everything

VLC states “Refusing it won’t prevent VLC to work” (sic)
However, if permission is not granted then there is very limited functionality nor access to media
And a partial truncated message keeps re-appearing “RANT PERMISSION PICK A FIL”

VLC shows a list of 40 separate ON/OFFs for accessing phone software and data
As I found out the hard way, VLC won’t finish installation until it has access to everything
You need to set everything to ON to make the installation continue

Further into the installation a heading appears in bold font “All files access” and it has the following disconcertingly ominous message:

This app will be able to read, modify and delete all files on this phone or any connected storage devices.
If you allow this, the app may access files that aren’t related to the app without notifying you.” (my bolding)

Then there’s an OFF/ON list of 40 things on your Android that it can access if you allow it.
You need to set everything to ON to make the installation continue

On my phone all these Android services need to be set to ON
1 Android Auto
2 AudioMirroring
3 Automation Test
4 Bixby Voice
5 Bluetooth
6 Cameralyser
7 com.android.sharedstoreagebackup
8 Data Restore Tool
9 Download Manager
10 External Storage
11 ImsLogger
12 Link to Windows
13 Media Picker
14 MTP application
15 MTP Host
16 Multi control
17 My Files
18 Nearby Service
19 Photo Editor
20 PhotoRemaster Service
21 Portrait
22 QuickShare Agent
23 Samsung Capture
24 Samsung Cloud
25 Samsung Core Service
26 Samsung Editing Assets
27 Samsung Kids
28 Samsung Notes
29 Secure Folder
30 Send Anywhere
31 Shell
32 Single Take
33 Smart Switch
34 Storage Manager
35 System UI
36 Video Player
37 VLC
38 Wi-Fi Direct
39 Work profile


I don’t under stand why VLC needs to totally take over my phone and have access to unrelated services and why it may “modify and delete all files on this phone or any connected storage devices” and “may access files that aren’t related to the app without notifying you.”

Seriously?

Just like everyone else, my phone has security and private financial stuff.
I really don't want VLC Android app to read, modify and possibly delete files.

Moving on - I have a few thousand pictures that don't need to be displayed by VLC
Without any SKIP IT option, VLC grinds through these taking over 30 minutes all up when doing an uninstall/reinstall (there is no “update” option)

The VLC option to pick just a few folders is unintuitive and buggy
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Often VLC the screen display is garbled with multiple file names overlapping on top of each other, making it difficult to read or see what's going on
You can go to another screen then return and it’s not cleared - screen refresh is still screwed up.
The work around is Restart
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Even after doing a restart a message sometimes appears:
"No media files found, please transfer some files to your device or adjust your preferences"
<< And what/where are these preferences?
So VLC appears to be looking in the wrong folder

Summary
VLC for Windows is great and solid – thank you
May I humbly suggest starting again and writing a simpler version, similar to VLC for Windows

VLC Android tries to do a lot of things but hasn't got the basics sorted out

Other Forum users report multiple problems as well, this has been going on for months with earlier versions

My rig
- latest VLC Ver 3.5.4 downloaded from Google Play Store 2024.03.14 installed/uninstalled, rebooted multiple times
- Samsung Galaxy S22, 512GB memory, Android 12, up to date. Everything else works


Moderation edit: removed fonts large sizes

[Spike1]

Please stop shouting! a large font will not make it more likely that people read your message, but it will make it more likely that people see it as a rant rather than a bug report.

VLC does need full access to your storage devices to read media and to honor your request to delete media. It needs certain other privileges that it might or might not use, such as the ability to tell if the device is in day- or night-mode.

Your assurances that VLC will not abuse its privileges include the fact that it is open-source, the large user base and Developers willing to listen to us, plus analysis by the Play Store and F-Droid.

I have installed VLC on Android 12 and did not encounter your headaches, though I've reported that selection of media folders is buggy, especially if one SKIPs the first-use dialogue hoping to manually select individual folders. I have had to explain to posters the difference between tapping the square to enable folder and subfolders, versus tapping the name to go into the folder and enable individual subfolders; this could be clarified on-screen. But your list of 39 "on/off switches" is actually a list of all the other tasks running on the device, and I'm baffled how you got there.

Your summary is essentially: This product sucks, please start over. I strongly disagree, but hope you have gotten that out of your system.

[tombo]

Dear Spike1 - your summary of my summary is essentially incorrect: but hope you have gotten that out of your system.

Apologies for using a large font. Shouting/ranting was never my intent.
I am sight-challenged and default 10-point Trebuchet is hard to read, hence the largeness.
Other sight-challenged folk in this forum may benefit from a larger default font. Just sayin’
Anyway, moving on, could you please advise where a large font would be appropriate, if at all.

Regarding my initial issue, thanks for your helpful assistance but I figured it out by myself – surprisingly simple.

To anyone else out there who may have experienced bugs similar to mine then follow this:
(ANDROID phones only)
1) If you used Google Play Store it has VLC Ver 3.5.4 – last updated 08-Dec-2023 - uninstall it
2) Go to https://artifacts.videolan.org/vlc-andr ... tly-arm64/
It has nightly .APK updates, currently Version 3.6.0- Beta
3) Download any .APK
I installed 'VLC-Android-3.6.0-Beta-1-armv8-20240219-0118.apk'
and Voilà everything worked!! Folders are still a bit buggy
VLC for Android rocks!!