I’m trying to repurpose old Android tablet (Galaxy P7310) as a display for Esphome web server V2.
It has Android 4.0.4 and I’m aware that it only supports TLS 1.0.
It has Samsung web browser and last supported Chrome, both failing to open web server.
Esphome web server doesn’t “open” at all, I just get blank page. No errors.
At the same time, Shelly local web server opens and works perfectly.
Web server doesn’t have any parameters on my yaml except ota:false.
I’m able to open web server css and js files hosted by espohome.io.
Thank you in advance.
I’ve seen this reported before in the context of the companion app. It’s the same symptoms though - a blank page instead of your intended target.
The solution has always been to upgrade android system webview, through official means or otherwise. Hopefully that’s enough of a hint to put you on the right path.
Thanks for your reply!
I have no idea what’s android system webview, is it related to OS or browser? This tablet is updated up to the end of it’s official cycle. Custom rom would be next step, but I was wondering why Shelly local web server works like a charm and Esphome not.
The vebwiev is the basic module in the Android system for accessing web pages and it is used by many apps to avoid reinventing the wheel.
How the page behave in the apps on older webview versions depends on the features they use in the webpage.
You could then say that ESPHome should not use such features, but each version of webview adds and remove features and if the every version should be supported, then it would be a useless web page that is showed. This means there will have to be made a decision to where the cut of support is done and the often used choice is to follow Google’s support life cycle.
1 Like
Is there any workaround? I only need to display one esphome web server and so far it’s the only thing doesn’t open on that tablet/browser…
Not for that web server apparently.
You could expose the entities from your ESP device to HA and control them from there but then you might face the same issue: the companion app also relies on webview.
It’s a shame that a good functioning device cannot be used anymore due to 1 module but that’s why Android 4.x can be a turning point.
It is the way evolution works.
Google can not keep developing to all older versions. It is simply not economically viable.
The rest of us just have to follow them.
1 Like
Would 4.4.4 work with web server?
I totally understand that and even agree.
I get just disappointed to find out that I can somehow open all pages, sometimes without rich content though, but web server is just blank. And Shellys graphical UI is perfect.
IF your ESPHome yaml is simple enough and IF you don’t want to get into the hassle of trying to sideload a custom Android webview with a more recent version, then I’ve seen a couple of threads here which let you essentially downgrade ESPHome.
I’m not saying it will work. This is an extremely long shot since anything before Android 5 is not compatible with anything at this point in time.
IF you have nothing else to lose because your device is headed for the trash, you might as well try to update webview or the entire Android system with a custom ROM.
(Note the multiple IFs in my statements above. I’m in no way saying that it will work, but maybe, just maybe, it might)
Thank you! Im not throwing it to trash since it’s first generation tablet from 2011 still with protective plastics, but I wouldn’t mind to use it for something. I know I can have custom ROM, but it’s not worth the hassle to make it display one page containing 8 numbers in my local network… Can that webview be updated some simple way?
Probably, but my best guess is it’s not gonna be simple and will involve a similar process to flashing a custom ROM.
Either way, I’m way out of my depth here and am simply suggesting something I seem to have read somewhere online.
Giving you a straight yes or no answer wouldn’t be right since I’m not well versed in this. As you might say: Non voglio fare il presuntuoso 
1 Like
You can try and look if there is more recent version available as an APK to sideload from one of the well-known, alternative stores.
I did this on a Android v10 tablet ([solved by installing new WebView version] Lovelace cards lost vertical spacing - #9 by Nick4)
1 Like