Why was Android hardware decoding removed?

It was removed when they were required to switch libraries

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Give this fix a try. Let Wyze know what your phone hardware / OS is in the thread below if the fix doesn’t work for you:

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Anyone have a status update? Does the new version fix anything? Wyze, can you elaborate on what this new library is? Is this a third party library, or something that is included with Android? People are indicating that you were forced to use this new library. I find this difficult to believe. Please elaborate on what library you were using before and what you are using now.

My understanding is they’re still working on improving the video performance for older and/or less powerful devices within the environment of the required “new library.” The 2.5.36 app update restores performance for some affected devices, improves it for others, and does nothing for the unlucky few.

From seven days ago:

Which suggests it is a component that could be integrated with the “new library” if demand and available resources warranted it.

This is the only direct reference to the issue I found in the 2.6 beta app thread:

Google decreed that by mid-2021, all Android apps should be 64-bits only. That means all Android apps, including Wyze, have to migrate to 64-bits by that time.

I don’t know the exact reason(s), but Wyze somehow used a replacement 64-bit library that doesn’t support hardware-assisted video decoding, hence all that commotion.

Sometime ago, they announced an app revision that they claim alleviates the problem, I don’t know about others, but I see a marked improvement on my mobile devices. Whether that app revision is or isn’t doing hardware video decoding, I don’t know, but it sure is much better than before.

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In case anyone else is running a Nexus 7 tablet, here’s where two users are at:

Hi @UserCustomerGwen, will you let us know here when these efforts are complete - ie, Wyze has done all it can and doesn’t intend to do anymore? Thanks!

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I’ll try, but I don’t know if we’ll actually hit that point since connectivity and performance are general goals.

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Thanks Gwendolyn. Sure, I get that, makes sense. Still…

Would you be willing to say at some point, “This is no longer a top priority”?

Sometimes important issues/threads die slowly here without that kind of closure.

People might hold out hope longer than they should and become frustrated waiting.

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It’s obvious that’s not their top priority. The problem is already for few months. Nothing changed. They’re hoping that all the folks with older equipment will upgrade.
I’m my case that’s disaster.
I bought six cameras, and brand new 10" tablet for preview. Obviously I choose $160 one instead of $1000 one. But still, Netflix run smoothly, all the things works. Instead of new camera software.
Now it’s unusable. Thankfully I still can use old app version and block update on store.

So I assume that WYZE should now add BIG WARNING: If you want to see your camera preview without 10 second LAG, you need to buy tablet worth at least $500. We doesn’t support cheaper ones. Even if they’re brand new.

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It actually was a very high priority when it happened and has improved quite a bit in the newer updates. I am running it on an old Nexus tablet and when hardware decoding was removed I had over 20 seconds lag and could not watch anything in group view. With the current version there is on a second or two lag that is a huge improvement in my mind.

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Unfortunately in my case nothing changed at all.

I am tired of waiting. My entire android smartphone is now forced to be in manual update mode and I have scores of apps that now require I manually upgrade them to prevent his rediculous situation from reinstalling the newest Wyze app version. IT’s PATHETIC that you all can’t simply add a 64 bit interface to your own custom library to simply toggle on some *#@! HW acceleration bits. For gawd sakes this is not rocket science. Any hack software noobie on the planet can do this kind of easy stuff. Just give us the option to turn it on or off! Should have been resolved the same day we identified all the problems it has caused.

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I’ve a total of 21 cameras, plus a new 10" Amazon Fire.
I was messaged 3 weeks ago that they didn’t plan to add back hardware decoder if 95% of the users do not have the issue, and I should try another Beta. I did, still didn’t improve it.

I could run my Amazon Fire (unsupported) Android 6 with the prior version of the app (that had the hardware decoder) side by side with the new version of the Beta app on my Samsung J3 Android 7.1.1. I put my hand in front of a V2 camera and the old version showed my hand in about a second, took 30 seconds for the new version.
Now of course this is Beta, where cutting edge means you have to be prepared to bleed.
But Wyze needs to be honest and change the Operating Systems systems requirement from “Supports iOS 9.0 and Android 5.0 or later” to a much later Android OS.
Or fix the lag.

It’s still a great camera, with a great support community and if it will work better with a new $200 device it’s almost worth it.

There is no reason to force your device to manually update because of one app.
You can block individual apps from updating.

  • Go to the Wyze app in the Google Play Store on your device.
  • Tap the ellipsis ⋮ in the upper right of the screen.
  • Remove the check mark from Enable auto-update.

Wyze%20app%20no%20update

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I wonder how Wyze is getting this figure?
If 95% of users don’t complain that doesn’t mean they don’t have the issue. It could mean the a lot of people don’t bother reporting issues because it doesn’t seem to get resolved anyway.
I am done begging Wyze to make their app accessible (readable) for people over 40.

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Or in this case most of the Beta testers tend to be nerds who run newer equipment. And they have the resources to get new equipment.
And the Beta testing seems very informal, especially for the amount of product they seem to be putting out.
In another thread somewhere (or maybe even this one) a Wyze employee mentioned they tried the app on 15 platforms before throwing it out to Beta. To me that is an extremely small sample.

I’m not hearing any other apps having issues with this “new library” situation.

I’m getting fed up as well. This should have been resolved by now.

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As an over 40, I agree. Light micro text on light background is difficult to read.

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Yes, this works if one does not totally disable all app updates from the higher menu. I did that latter since I could not risk a new download to android OS resetting it nor risk google’s “we control you” policy via their playstore monopoly being revised at any time they chose (including a new version download) resetting my settings and reinstalling my wyze apps to latest versions.

I AM SICK OF GOOGLE. Smarphone companies were INSANE to let Google come in and be the sole means to update apps and dictate technical requirements on all apps (e.g. 64 bit libraries). There should be a trusted public domain installation application for android and IOS. Google is dictating their terms of existence to the entire cyberspace and controlling social policy too based on their own radical-left big-state global ideological world view. They are now censuring every content provider on You Tube and destroying free exchange of information. They are shaping our social and world views by gaming their search results to quash content they don’t want you to see or consider. Big Tech is abusing everyone now. It’s going to come to a head soon. The next step will be to refuse credit card transactions for products and services from merchants that refuse to be part of their coalition.

End of rant.

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