Experiments with old Android tablets

[oldaolgeezer]

After pulling some of my old Android tablets out of a desk drawer (and
charging them up), I found that they could not browse the web !
Their old original version of their web browser (named browser),
did not let any websites display !

A google search with my Puppy PC, told me my old tablets had the issue of
expired security certificates.

More searching told me that it is difficult or very difficult to update
or replace expired security certificates on older versions of Android.
(Some tablets would need a root password or, on less old Android versions,
require a special way to update security certificates.)

https://www.zdnet.com/article/older-and ... s-in-2021/

A less technical method is to use an old Firefox browser that will run on
your old version of Android. (This works because the Firefox APK has builtin
valid security certificates.)

This is an experiment: Don't do this on your own old Android tablets or old Android smart phones:
It only deals with the Firefox browser. It may expose other vulnerabilities
with your own device's hardware or your own device's software !
Do only at your own risk.

On my Android tablet, by choosing: Settings => ...More => About device,
I saw that my old Android tablets (made in about 2012) were running
Android version 4.0.4. (The latest android version is Android 12.)

(The website: https://androidpicks.com/download-firef ... sions-apk/
shows a list of old Firefox versions and their intended old Android versions.
(Older low cost Android tablets, like mine, usually have only small amounts of memory,
which may force using still older and thus smaller Firefox versions.)
For example, Firefox version 47 is the last version to also run on
Android 2.3.x (Gingerbread)
The Android version 4.1.x at minimum since has required Firefox version 56.0)

So I downloaded the old Firefox browser version via my Puppy PC,
https://androidpicks.com/download-firefox-apk-47/
and transfered that file to the my Android tablet.

Then, on my old TRIO tablet, I clicked on Install, accept and opened it.

The TRIO Stealth G2 is a 7 inch Tablet with 1 GB RAM, running Android version 4.0.4,
the version of Firefox 47.0 worked (because it had internal unexpired
certificate files):

Firefox 47.0 APK Download
App Name: Firefox
Package Name: org.mozilla.firefox
Developer: Mozilla
App Version: 47.0
APK Size: 37.9 MB
Supported OS: Android 4.0 and above
Compatible Devices: Phones and Tablets
MD5: 32B2DF36A5EA8FA2C37A4055BA88BDFB

Download APK from: https://androidpicks.com/download-firef ... sions-apk/

(My other old tablet is a Trio Stealth Pro 7c Tablet with 512 MB RAM, and is running
Android version 4.0.4)
By further experimenting, I found that both my TRIO's could be upgraded
to Firefox 52.0.1 (it is about the same size as Firefox 47.0).

Although being old and slow with tiny amounts of RAM, these tablets did provide an interesting experiment.

[wiak]

By further experimenting, I found that both my TRIO's could be upgraded
to Firefox 52.0.1 (it is about the same size as Firefox 47.0).

Although being old and slow with tiny amounts of RAM, these tablets did provide an interesting experiment.

I have some old Android tablets too, which I'm not using but don't like the waste...

Another idea I have for them would be to simply use them as thin clients to any one of my family's normal laptops they often have running. Most useful would simply be as vncviewers and all I will need to do is have vncserver instance running on the various laptops. Then you can easily browse the Internet with whatever browser the various laptops provide... good thing is the relatively large screen of the tablet makes it quite a convenient device to use and can often also work with bluetooth keyboard.

[rockedge]

Consider using old Android tablets as LAN IP camera's. I wonder how far back in Android OS versions will Droidcam work?

If it's possible to run Droidcam then using the tablet's builtin camera as a network camera could be an option for a productive second life.

Zoneminder can work well with Droidcam streams............