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Android Install GuideBeta

howismywifi for Android is a direct APK download (sideload). Requires Android 14 or later.

Beta — read this first. This Android build has run on real phones, including in flight, but mostly in short captures. Expect rough edges: long unattended runs, and how aggressively each phone maker's battery management suspends the app, are the least tested. Please pass what you see back to whoever shared the build with you — that feedback is exactly what this beta is for.

1 Allow installing from unknown sources

Because this APK is sideloaded (not from the Play Store), Android asks you to permit it. On modern Android the prompt appears automatically when you open the file — tap Settings on that prompt, then enable Allow from this source for your browser (or Files app).

You can also set it ahead of time under Settings → Apps → Special app access → Install unknown apps.

2 Download the APK

On your Android phone or tablet, tap the button below to download the beta build (~39 MB), then open it to install.

Download howismywifi APK

Release-signed · SHA-256 checksum

Verify the download (optional). Confirm the file is intact before installing:

curl -fsSLO https://howismywifi.com/download/android/howismywifi-preview.apk
curl -fsSLO https://howismywifi.com/download/android/howismywifi-preview.apk.sha256
shasum -a 256 -c howismywifi-preview.apk.sha256

3 Grant permissions & start a capture

Open howismywifi (WiFi Monitor on older builds). On first launch it asks for notifications (for the capture's persistent status) and, optionally, location (Android requires it to read the Wi-Fi network name and signal). Choose a length — Lightning (stops as soon as its tests finish, about a minute), Standard, or Extended — and tap Start Capture.

Results upload automatically and appear at howismywifi.com — published publicly, by default. Turn it off in Settings; see Privacy & Data Handling.

For a long unattended run, keep the phone plugged in and, if your phone offers it, exclude howismywifi from battery optimization — aggressive OEM power management is the most likely thing to interrupt a multi-hour capture on this beta build.

Troubleshooting

"App not installed" or "There was a problem parsing the package"

The download may be incomplete, or your device is below Android 14 (the minimum for this build). Re-download and verify the checksum above, and check your Android version under Settings → About phone.

Upgrading from beta 0.1.23 or older? Those builds were signed with a different key, so uninstall the old app first, then install. Later builds tell you in the app when an update is out.

Install is blocked

Enable Allow from this source for the app you're installing from (Step 1). Some managed/work devices disable sideloading entirely via policy — there's no way around that from the app side.

The capture stops when the screen turns off

Expected on some phones for this beta — it's the top thing we're still hardening. Keep the screen on (or the phone charging) for now, and please report which phone model it happens on.

Prefer another platform?

The macOS, Windows, iOS, and command-line builds are all further along.