KidLogger for Android. Best practices with v1.6

Thanks to everyone who has sent us feedback. Your tests and opinions do help us to improve KidLogger monitoring application and fix some important issues.

Well, sometimes relying on the perfect application functioning can leave you stuck, since there are some situations when the monitoring application stops unexpectedly or data upload fails. We have noticed that some KidLogger’s features work unstably depending on Android version and mobile device type. Through our development and testing experience we came to the conclusion that each new Android release slightly differs from the previous one (in memory and task management), thus the background application life may prove to be interruptible.

Android system has a sophisticated logic responsible for releasing unused (background) applications from the memory, optimizing memory allocation and CPU usage for foreground applications to ensure the best performance.

The well-tried solution is to disable the advanced log features that you don’t use in your monitoring process:

• Log Calls - works unstably on tablets and devices without GSM phone feature.
• Record calls - works unstably on slow CPU and low budget phones (less than 756MB RAM)
• WiFi connections - may work unstably on tablets
• Phone Idle time, this is rather experimental feature for specific purposes 
• USB connections
• mobile phone Power off event,
• SD card event like removal and insertion,
• GSM state and operator name - works unstably on tablets
• Phone Airplane mode
• Clipboard monitoring - works unstably on Android 3.0/4.0

Some of the features have been disabled already by default in KidLogger 1.6 for Android.

If you have noticed that KidLogger stops for a while and user activity log is not complete, you may disable some of the features (especially calls recording) and restart KidLogger recording once again.

Calls history and Calls recording

KidLogger is able to record a call conversation into sound file and then upload it into your KidLogger.net account. Please note this feature doesn't work on Tablets and Android devices without Phone feature (Despite the Tablet may have GSM module) As we know from our experience, this feature requires a powerful mobile phone with 1GB RAM memory and 1Ghz CPU at least. Call recording works perfectly on the following devices:

• HTC Sensation
• HTC Desire (and Desire Z)
• Samsung Galaxy

Doesnt work on: LG Optimus One, Samsung GT-i5800

GPRS Traffic consume - note: Uploading sound files and photo thumbnails requires about 5 mb of Internet traffic (GPRS or WiFi) daily. By default KidLogger has daily upload limits.

About KidLogger 1.6 for Android

We work hardly to make the mobile monitoring technology as stable as possible.
KidLogger 1.6 is the latest release that includes almost all of the stability and performance improvements.
We keep this version private, in order to download it you need to Upgrade your KidLogger.net account to Std or Pro.

LLatest release: v.1.6.19 from Sept 15, 2012 (see readme.txt file inside setup file)
This release has an auto-recovery feature that keeps kidlogger service running despite the efforts of Android Memory Manager to unload it.

You will find download links in your Registration letter received after Upgrade.

"Logging started by system" log record

Depending on the features of your phone or tablet (CPU, Memory, etc), the Andorid OS periodically closes and temporarily unloads background applications and services to give topmost priority and resources to the foreground application. For example, when the user opens a Game or Web site with flash (requires more CPU and memory), most likely, KidLogger background service will be temporarily stopped by the system, and there is no way to prevent this.

A bit later KidLogger service will restart itself again and you’ll be informed about it through the “Logging started by system” notification.

Installation Issues

Please note sometimes ZIP files (kidlogger.zip installation file) cannot be opened by default on Android device. In order to open them you may need to install Freeware File Manager like ASTRO - in order to be able to open kidlogger.zip and install APK files.

• If you have a Tablet, or Android 4.0 device then you might need to install TKeyboard.apk in order to be able to open hidden KidLogger 1.6 control panel (applies only for KidLogger Pro). learn more.
• Currently there is a single way to install KidLogger: by downloading zip file from KidLogger.net

Please read readme.txt file inside kidlogger_android.zip for details.

Android 4.0 issues

The following options may work unstably on Android OS 4.*:

• You should install TKeyboard.apk in order to be able to open hidden KidLogger 1.6 control panel (applies only for KidLogger Pro). learn more.
• WiFi connections - works unstably on tablets
• Phone Idle time, this is rather experimental feature for specific purposes 
• USB connections
• SD card event like removal and insertion
• GSM state and operator name - works unstably on tablets
• Phone Airplane mode - works unstably on tablets
• Clipboard monitoring

So if KidLogger application gives "KidLogger has stopped unexpectedly" please disable all log items in the settings - and enable only "Tasks" and "Web history".  "Log Calls" and "SMS" can be enabled on phones only. If this doesn't help please send us troubleshooting report (KidLogger > click Menu > Troubleshooting).

Coordinates tracking by GPS Satellites

Improved since July 2012. New releases of KidLogger 1.5.6 / 1.6.18 now track the phone coordinates even if the phone screen is OFF.

Known issues with coordinates tracking:

• Coordinates accuracy may be low if "GPS Satelittes" option in Location is turned OFF.
• Coordinates accuracy may be low if "Google Location service (coordinates lookup using WiFi network)" option is turned ON.

So if you need more precise coordinates tracking, we recommend you enable "GPS Satellites" option in Location settings and disable "Google Location service" option there. Please note "GPS Satellites" option requires higher power consumption for the phone.  To safe power - under KidLogger Settings > Coordinates > "GPS Usage Interval" set 15-25 minutes.

End of support for Android 2.1

Please note that support and updates for Android 2.1 are closed.
You may use the latest release of KidLogger v.1.4 with SoftKeyboard PRO, it is located in KidLogger for Android Setup ZIP file.

If you have problems with this version we recommend you tuneup KidLogger and System setting to archive the best performance.