facebook app quit responding to control UI

[tsolignani]

Good afternoon everyone.

Today I realized that a flow of mine to simple share a new post via the Facebook app quit working.

It looks like the app stopped responding to control UI.

The flow used to work up until yesterday, when the Facebook app was updated.

I made several tries, incremented sleeping times between commands, restarted the phone, no way.

I cannot even downgrade the app via sideloading, for the Facebook app on the Note 10 is a system app

I tried rebuilding the flow, maybe, I thought, some UI elements changed name, no joy, and, as a matter of fact, names are the same as before.

I tried with another cell phone of mine with Android 8, where unfortunately the FB app was updated, it doesn't work on that either.

I am including the flow.

Any hint?

Thank you.

[Desmanto]

I don't use Facebook app. Maybe the app now block accessibility by turning on the secure flag. But this mean you can't take regular screenshot anymore in the app; which will definitely cause massive outrage. So maybe not the case.

In your script, you use the click(pattern). Can you try using clickById() or click(x,y) version? Try to use touchGesture() too. It works similar to adb input x y, and should be able to works on app that block regular accessibility. But using x y coordinate is not really realiable, you have to make a lot of check or protection to the script.

[tsolignani]

I don't use Facebook app. Maybe the app now block accessibility by turning on the secure flag. But this mean you can't take regular screenshot anymore in the app; which will definitely cause massive outrage. So maybe not the case.

As regards a security flag, I have another flow, to share into fb stories (the former one, the one which stopped working, is for sharing into fb wall).

Well the second flow still works like a charm.

So the first flow stopped working, the second one keeps doing well.

This I guess there is no new security flag.

I am including the second flow just in case.

I did not understand you about screenshots, would you explain it again to me please?

[tsolignani]

In your script, you use the click(pattern). Can you try using clickById() or click(x,y) version? Try to use touchGesture() too. It works similar to adb input x y, and should be able to works on app that block regular accessibility. But using x y coordinate is not really realiable, you have to make a lot of check or protection to the script.

Thank you again. I guess I cannot refer to ID, if I try to get to the IDs of the various interface elements, I end up with many "name removed" elements.

See screenshot attached.

I can try with xy coordinates or touchgesture, I still don't know how come it does not work anymore when element are recognized.

Thank you.

Screenshot_20200120-141053.jpg (529.38 KiB) Viewed 9103 times

[Desmanto]

Hmmm, if second flow works, then it should be not blocking accessibility nor secure flag. The script is almost the same logic, only different click.

Any app that enable secure flag will block regular screenshot feature. This is usually done by banking/financial app to prevent malware screenshoting sensitive data. But in this case, FB app doesn't enable it. Because the overlay button also must have disappear once you start the app.

I remmeber ever getting similar "name removed" in other forum, but they solve it using touchGesture(). Maybe Martin can tell us why the elementId removed in some certain elements. I never encountered it yet by myself. The worse is the element doesn't show the choice for element id at all.