update – Point Mobile Europe GmbH

Updating a device via FOTA

FOTA or Firmware Over The Air describes the process of installing operation system updates of a mobile device wirelessly. Updates can include new functions, extensions or services, but also bugfixes and patches to ensure device security. Depending on the filze size and connection speed, updates can take up to 10 minutes. In this blog post, we will take a look at how to perform updates on Android-based Point Mobile devices.

FOTA client on Android-based Point Mobile computer — FOTA client application on Point Mobile device with Android

How do I receive my update wirelessly?

First, make sure you have a stable cellular or Wi-Fi connection on your mobile device. When you are updating using your phone provider’s network, keep in mind that depending on your data plan, there might be extra charges on your next bill when downloading larger file sizes. The system update menu can be found in the Android settings: Navigate to System, tap Advanced, and choose System Update in the collapsed menu to open the app for OS updates. From there choose FOTA on the right side to check if there is any update available. If so, a message appears informing you about the latest version, including release notes which further describe the changes. The same screen also shows the download size of the file on the bottom left, which is useful to know if you have to save data traffic. Once you are sure you want to install the update, simply tap Download on the bottom right, and the download will start.

By the way: The little info button (the blue i) will lead you to the product page on our website where you’ll find additional information.

After completing the download, a restart is required. The device will ask you if you wish to proceed, and after you tap Yes, the device will reboot and the update will be applied.

What if my download got stuck or I have bad connection?

From time to time, it’s possible that the connection gets lost, and the download cannot be completed. In rare cases, the update process has to be restarted, however the device might think there is already a firmware file download. When this happens, go to the settings menu in the system update menu. Choose Delete all the PFU files, which will erase all downloaded update files in the internal storage. After that, the OS update can be initiated again as described above.

If an update gets stuck, you can delete the existing PFU downloads from the internal memory

That’s about it in terms of updating a Point Mobile device via FOTA. If you have any questions about it, let us know in the comments.

Gesture navigation on Android 11

Deactivate buttons, activate gestures

In the settings menu, go to System and then tap on Gestures. Under System navigation, you can now choose Gesture navigation to activate the new function. It’s possible though that this menu is somewhere else on your phone, so you might have to look around a bit to find it. Once you toggled the switch, the bottom part of the screen where the navigation buttons are normally located will disappear, and a thin line will appear instead. You can always go back to the traditional 3-way button layout, in case you do not like the new feature.

Go back with a swipe

The best feature is that you can now move back by simply swiping from the left or ride side of the screen. When you do so, a little arrow will appear as a visual support, so you know the gesture was registered. Android also gives you a dedicated settings menu to adjust the sensitivity when navigating back. You can do so from either the left or right side of the screen, which in some cases might interfere with another app. To avoid this, you can select the sensitivity each side.

Swipe up from the bottom and you’ll see all open apps. Also, you can take a screenshot from here
In the gestures menu, you can activate or deactivate traditional navigation
Android lets you set the sensitivity for both the left and the right side of the scren

Swipe up to see all open apps

Super intuitive is the gesture for showing all open apps: Swipe up from the bottom of any screen, and your open apps appear. This is especially helpful for quickly switching between apps or closing them. From that menu, you can now also directly take screenshots. For closing the window, simply swipe down again, and the open apps menu is gone.

That about wraps it up for the gesture navigation on Android 11. Have a look at it yourself and let us know what you think in the comments below.