Samsung Standard Apps ignore EssentialPIM System Account

Discussion of EssentialPIM for Android and synchronization
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Samsung Standard Apps ignore EssentialPIM System Account

Post by Nurgotora »

EPIM Android 5.8.5
Android 11, Security Patch Level August 1st, 2021
Device: Samsung Galaxy 10e

Since the last Samsung update (couple of days ago), standard "Phone" app and standard "Messages" app just show numbers, not contact info. Trying to add a contact in Phone app offers all other System Accounts but not EssentialPIM's.

Other apps, e.g K9 e-mail, Simple Phone, or QKSMS still access contacts in EssentialPIM just as expected.

My suspicion is actually directed towards a failure in the interface between Samsung's "Contacts" app and the EssentialPIM System Account: Creating dialer shortcut widgets to EssentialPIM contacts was possible before using the "Contacts" app's widget. Now that is not possible anymore. I suspect that the standard Phone and Messages app accessed the EPIM contacts via the "Contacts" App rather than the EssentialPIM System Account directly.

Even though it is possible to work around some of the consequences of this failure by using other apps, this is still a nuisance: There are not too many good dialer apps.

I would be grateful if the developers could have a look into this. I'd gladly provide any help or additional information.
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Re: Samsung Standard Apps ignore EssentialPIM System Account

Post by admin »

Please start your contacts app (not the Phone one) and see if you're able to choose contacts from which accounts are being shown. Would appreciate if you forwarded us a screenshot with that setting. Thanks!
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Re: Samsung Standard Apps ignore EssentialPIM System Account

Post by Nurgotora »

Samsung Built in Contacts app (com.samsung.android.app.contacts), version 12.7.05.10
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Screenshot_20210907-095235_Contacts.jpg
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Re: Samsung Standard Apps ignore EssentialPIM System Account

Post by admin »

Please check this version, will it make any difference?
https://www.essentialpim.com/download/t ... elease.apk
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Re: Samsung Standard Apps ignore EssentialPIM System Account

Post by Nurgotora »

I'm sorry, but no difference:

- Updated EssentialPIM
- Unchecked "Use EPIM System Account"
- Checked if system account really gone: OK
- Checked "Use EPIM System Account", waited until "Setting up ..." has finished
- Checked if system account present again: OK

Samsung Built in Contacts app still does not list EssentialPIM

- Rebooted Phone

Samsung Built in Contacts app still does not list EssentialPIM
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Re: Samsung Standard Apps ignore EssentialPIM System Account

Post by admin »

Thanks for checking, will keep looking.
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Re: Samsung Standard Apps ignore EssentialPIM System Account

Post by Nurgotora »

Thank you for responding so quickly!
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Re: Samsung Standard Apps ignore EssentialPIM System Account

Post by admin »

Please do the following and let me know if it worked for you:
Uninstall EPIM (make sure you make a backup first). Install EPIM → go to contacts → Use system account (press Yes) → Allow EssentialPIM to access your contacts? (press Allow) → Import contacts (press No) → Google Contact Sync (press No) → add any contact → go to the system dialer → search for a newly created in EPIM contact.
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Re: Samsung Standard Apps ignore EssentialPIM System Account

Post by Nurgotora »

First run with regular 5.8.5 app from google playstore:

- Uninstalled EPIM Android
- Installed EPIM Android (the regular one from playstore)
- go to contacts
- Use system account (pressed Yes)
- Allow EssentialPIM to access your contacts? (pressed Allow)
- Import contacts ...

Before I could press "Yes" or "No", I got the warning dialog that "Essential Pim has been repeatedly closed; options info, close app, feedback ..." (translating from German here)

Tapping above that diealog box, I could continue:
- (pressed No)
- Google Contact Sync (pressed No)
- added contact TESTCONTACT
- gone to the system dialer
- searched for TESTCONTACT: nothing found

- EssentialPIM System account is present
- Other apps, e.g K9 e-mail, Simple Phone, or QKSMS find and use TESTCONTACT just as expected.
- Samsung Built in Contacts does not list EssentialPIM System account

Second run with 20210906_essentialPIM-release.apk

- Uninstalled EPIM Android
- Installed 20210906_essentialPIM-release.apk
- go to contacts
- Use system account (pressed Yes)
- Allow EssentialPIM to access your contacts? (pressed Allow)
- Import contacts ... No Warning ... (pressed No)
- Google Contact Sync (pressed No)
- added contact TESTCONTACT
- gone to the system dialer
- searched for TESTCONTACT: nothing found

- EssentialPIM System account is present
- Other apps, e.g K9 e-mail, Simple Phone, or QKSMS find and use TESTCONTACT just as expected.
- Samsung Built in Contacts does not list EssentialPIM System account
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Re: Samsung Standard Apps ignore EssentialPIM System Account

Post by admin »

Thank you for such a detailed report. This seems to be an issue directly related to the Samsung's buil-in contacts app. If you have access to another Samsung phone, please test this on it, as well. So far we weren't able to reproduce the issue with our Samsung devices running Android 11.
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Re: Samsung Standard Apps ignore EssentialPIM System Account

Post by Nurgotora »

admin wrote: Fri Sep 10, 2021 12:28 pmSo far we weren't able to reproduce the issue with our Samsung devices running Android 11.
Good - or rather bad (for me ;-) ). I will see what I can test further ...
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Re: Samsung Standard Apps ignore EssentialPIM System Account

Post by Nurgotora »

I found somebody else with a Samsung Galaxy 10e (also Android 11, Security Patch Level August 1st, 2021): Absolutely the same behaviour as mine, both with the regular app and the special version from the 4th post.

I have various other Android devices on various versions of Android (10, 9, 8; Samsung, Lineage OS, etc): On all of them it works as it should.

We're to far away from each other, otherwise I would drop in at your office (been in your beautiful town two years ago) and lend you my device. Also I am hesitant about factory resetting the device just for a test ...

This is really annoying as I cannot find a dialler app that does not rely on built in contacts to display incoming callers name. Those I can find at least read the contact's info from EssentialPIM system account for the timeline, but they all show just the incoming caller's number. And I cannot create a (phone) shortcut widget to a contact anymore: EPIM does not offer that kind of widget itself.
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Re: Samsung Standard Apps ignore EssentialPIM System Account

Post by admin »

What if you try to install Google Contacts and then Google Phone which acts as a dialer, will that be possible at all on your system? Another option would be try to update the Samsung Contacts app. Will you be able to get the latest version from the Google Play store or it gets updated only when Samsung releases a new version of their firmware?
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Re: Samsung Standard Apps ignore EssentialPIM System Account

Post by Nurgotora »

Good ideas, but no, not working, either.

Samsung Contact App: No updates available outside the regular updest pushed from Samsung itself. There was an update today (oh, I so hoped), but still 12.7.05.10 and problems persists.

Installed Google Contacts from the playstore. It does not list the contacts from EPIM either. Nor does it offer EPIM System Account as a source.

Just for fun I dectivated Samsung's Contacts app (com.samsung.android.app.contacts) with adb: The built-in phone dialler suddenly drew the contact info for the timeline from EPIM again. But unfortunately no more. The built-in messages (SMD) app still showed only numbers.

But I'll look into some other contact app, too.
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Re: Samsung Standard Apps ignore EssentialPIM System Account

Post by admin »

Thank you, meanwhile will keep on exploring this on our side, as well..
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