Android App Black Box

Shiff

I am having an issue with the 1Password Android application turning black when it is launched on an external monitor connected to the Pixelbook. The application UI is just a black box. I can move the app, minimize the app, maximize the app, etc. It is not locked up as I can move it around. I do not believe this is only a problem with 1Password as some other Android apps do it as well. It is also not all Android applications as some work fine. Google Android apps also work just fine so far. I am not sure if this is an issue with Chrome OS itself or some type of scaling issue of some Android apps.

This only occurs if I launch 1Password on the external display. It is running at a resolution of 2560 x 1440. However, it happens at any resolution on the external display. If I launch the application on the Pixelbook itself, the application runs fine. In fact, the new 1Password update I installed today runs even better on the Pixelbook.

I can workaround the issue by simply opening the application on the Pixelbook screen instead of the external monitor. It works fine as long as it is not opened on the external monitor.

Just pointing it out in case anyone else has the issue.

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1Password Version: Not Provided
Extension Version: Not Provided
OS Version: Not Provided
Sync Type: Not Provided

peri

Hi @Shiff. Thanks for reporting this issue to us. Can you let me know what version of 1Password you're currently using? Also, would you be willing to install the beta version and let me know if you see the same problem there?

Shiff

@peri

Sure, I will sign up and install the beta.

The version of 1Password for Android that I have installed is 6.8.

Shiff

@peri

I installed the beta 7.0 BETA-7 and notice the same behavior. The application launches and runs fine on the Pixelbook screen. It launches black on the external monitor. In fact, I can launch it on the Pixelbook screen and as soon as I drag any piece of it to the external screen, that piece turns black.

mverde

Hey @Shiff, I'd be happy to jump in and help you out here. I'll start with the how...

It is possible to work around the issue by enabling screenshots in 1Password:

1. Launch and unlock 1Password
2. Tap on Settings and then tap on Advanced
3. Tap on Allow screenshots and then tap exit when prompted

After following those steps, you should be able to now use 1Password on the external monitor.

Now for the why... We set a special flag to ensure that what is displayed on screen in 1Password is not visible to any other apps on your device. When this flag is enabled, Android hides the contents of the 1Password in the recent apps list and blocks any attempts at screen capture or recording. It appears that the Android environment on Chrome OS is also extending this to include external displays.

Given that Chrome OS is currently running Android Nougat, and that Oreo added extended support for multiple displays, I think that we can expect external display support for Android apps to continue to evolve on Chrome OS. I hope that helps to explain what you're seeing and give you enough information to decide whether you want to use the work around above. Let me know if you have any questions!

Shiff

Thank you @mverde . That solved my issue.

Due to this being a Chromebook that I am managing with Chrome Enterprise inside my personal GSuite account, I am fine with the slight risk enabling this poses. I appreciate there being an option so I can keep it disabled on devices that I, personally, do not control.

AGAlumB

Thanks! Glad to hear that helped. Looking forward to seeing where Google takes Android and Chrome OS in the future. :chuffed:

hedlund

Hi,
I have a variation of this problem. I am running the latest version (7.0.2) of the Android app on my Asus Chromebox 3 (69.0.3497.35). As this is a Chromebox, not a laptop, it has no built in screen, and I only get a black box on the only external screen available. The same version of 1Password works just fine on my Chromebook Flip.

As I can not open the app on any internal screen, I cannot access the settings and change the screenshots settings. Is there any other way of working around this problem?

Best regards,
Henrik

peri

Hi @hedlund. Does your device have a way to enable an accessibility service like TalkBack? If so, can you use that to navigate to 1Password's settings and turn on screenshots?

hedlund

Hi @peri.
That was actually an interesting, and good, suggestion. I was able to enable all kinds of accessibility features, and get text to speech working. After trying to navigate the menus for a while I gave up and fetched my Chromebook Flip (on which 1Password works).

By navigating the menus of the visible window on the Flip, I could mimic the same navigation in the black box of the 1Password window on the Chromebox. That way I finally managed to enable the screenshot feature and make 1Password usuable. So thank you very much for the suggestion! :-)

In the process I learned a couple of other things:

1. This wasn't something the average Joe might be able to do (if I hadn't had a second device I would never be able to do it), so the Agile Bits dev team might actually want to rethink the behaviour of 1Password for this particular scenario.
2. Accessibility for Android apps on Chrome OS is severely broken (at least the navigation and text to speech for 1Password did not work at all). I imagine it's completely unusable for the visually impaired (however, they would be more adapt at using the tools than me).
3. 1Password (and/or the Android subsystem) is completely broken on the latest dev and beta releases of Chrome OS for the Chromebook Flip. Simply clicking on items in 1Password causes Chrome OS to crash.

Best regards,
Henrik

peri

Thanks for the update, @hedlund. Rather than text to speech, I was referring to using TalkBack to navigate. Text to speech will listen to you and interpret your language, but TalkBack will read the page that you're on out loud. So for instance, if you're on the 1Password settings page and can't see it, you can enable TalkBack, and it will read each asset as you tap it, so that you know what you are tapping. 1Password has labeled elements so that these should read out properly using TalkBack or a similar accessibility service, but it doesn't respond to commands that you might give with text to speech. I hope that clarifies things a bit!

At any rate, i'm glad you were able to get things sorted out with the black screen. As to the crash, I'd be happy to look into it. Are you seeing the option to send a crash report and if so, are you sending it in? What version of 1Password for Android do you have installed on this device?

drsamoore

I have a new Chromebox. I've been using 1Password for years on my Macs, iPads, and Android phones. I just got a CTL Chromebox (with monitor connected via HDMI). I just installed 1Password this morning on it, and all I can get is a black screen. I cannot log in, thus, I cannot change any settings. Every other app is working correctly.

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1Password Version: Not Provided
Extension Version: Not Provided
OS Version: 70.0.3538.76
Sync Type: Not Provided

AGAlumB

@drsamoore: I've merged your post with the existing discussion on this odd issue. If your display setup is unable to render with screenshots disabled, you can still change that setting by navigating the app, either with voice assist or using a visual reference elsewhere.