Recipe Transfer on Android — More Information
Yesterday I released the new App-to-Camera Recipe Transfer feature on Android. It’s been available on Apple for almost two weeks, but now it’s for Android users, too. If you open the Fuji X Weekly App and the camera-with-arrow icon isn’t seen at the top, be sure to visit the Apple App Store or Google Play Store and manually update it now.
The challenge with developing Android apps is that there is so much device diversity. With Apple, the hardware and implementation of the software is very consistent, which reduces a lot of the variables, and makes the process much easier. Worldwide, for every one iPhone model, there have been about 400 different Android models. That variety creates inconsistencies that can be difficult for developing apps, and that’s why it took longer for this feature to be released on Android than Apple.
For the App-to-Camera Recipe Transfer feature to work, the Android device must support USB host mode (USB OTG), which might need to be toggled on manually; to enable USB OTG, go to Settings → System/Connected Devices/Additional Settings (depending on your phone) → USB OTG/OTG Connection (depending on your phone). Most modern Android phones support USB host mode, and most will enable it automatically, but definitely not all of them. If your Android phone isn’t connecting to the camera, this could be the reason. I got one report that the process to resolve it was much more involved. Specifically, on his Nothing Phone 1, he had to select Developer Options, enable USB Debug, then select Default USB Configuration, and finally choose File Transfer. The exact method to resolve this issue can vary greatly from model-to-model-to-model (etc., etc., etc.), and there is no way to test it out on all (or even most) possible Android phones or create a comprehensive list of the exact process to resolve this problem should it occur. Thankfully, this shouldn’t be an issue for most people.
One last thing that I’d like to address is that a few people have accused me (flatly or insinuated) of being a hypocrite for sounding the alarm back in June that connecting your camera to any unofficial, unlicensed, unsupported program will void your camera’s warranty, yet I released a feature that voids the warranty. Essentially, the sentiment was, “Why is it not ok for them but it’s ok for you?” The difference is that most other app developers with a similar feature did not disclose this to their audience, or—if they did—it was almost always in the fine print of the Terms of Service, where it was unlikely to be seen. Thousands of Fujifilm photographers, maybe tens of thousands, inadvertently and unknowingly voided their camera’s warranty. Those app developers were (or at least should have been) well aware of this, but they chose not to make their users aware (presumably because they didn’t want to risk lower revenues), which is unethical in my opinion. I have been upfront and transparent so that people can make an informed decision of whether or not to use this feature. In other words, the issue isn’t in the feature itself, but in the disclosure of the risks. Nobody should have their camera’s warranty unknowingly voided; if one chooses to do so, it should only be after being well informed. I hope that clears it up.
And I guess, finally, it should be noted that the exact details of your camera’s warranty and warranty laws vary from place-to-place. Some people are more protected than others. You should dig into what applies to you specifically. Also, just because you technically void your warranty, Fujifilm could still honor it, or perhaps not even realize that the warranty has been voided. My recommendation is to play it safe, and not use the App-to-Camera Recipe Transfer feature if your camera is still under warranty; however, if you’ve done the research and feel comfortable with the risk, that’s up to you if you want to use it now instead of waiting. I just want you to be well informed, so that you can feel good about your choice. And I’ve done more than anyone (as noted by DPReview) to inform you of the risks.
