Screen locks up, registers rapid ghost touches on non-AMOLED devices

[BenjaminNelan]

I didn't realise my phone's screen wasn't AMOLED when I downloaded and ran the app. When I did, my screen seized up and started rapidly registering touches all over the screen.

Based on other reviews about this on the Play store, including one from yours truly, non-AMOLED devices don't like being treated as AMOLED devices.

I know it should come down to reading the store description better, but a warning dialog in the app to save people from having their pants scared off by a possessed phone would be a nice addition.

[pelya]

This is not because of AMOLED, this is just a buggy touch panel.

The app runs fine on Nexus 7 2012, which has LCD screen.

Search for 'lcd test' images, find a pixel grid image that matches your
screen resolution, and try to open it in fullscreen, maybe you'll get
similar results.
On Feb 29, 2016 10:25 PM, "Benjamin Nelan" notifications@github.com wrote:

I didn't realise my phone's screen wasn't AMOLED when I downloaded and ran
the app. When I did, my screen seized up and started rapidly registering
touches all over the screen.

Based on other reviews about this on the Play store, including one from
yours truly, non-AMOLED devices don't like being treated as AMOLED devices.

I know it should come down to reading the store description better, but a
warning dialog in the app to save people from having their pants scared off
by a possessed phone would be a nice addition.

—
Reply to this email directly or view it on GitHub
#5.

[BenjaminNelan]

I downloaded a few different pixel grid images and couldn't get the phone to act in the same way as it did with the app.

A number of the reviews mention encountering the issue on the OnePlus One, which is the same phone I have. There's a review that mentions it happening on the LG G3 also

[pelya]

Okay, then I'll need the same phone as yours to reproduce.

Did you try the app by our competitors?
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.anrapps.pixelbatterysaver
On Feb 29, 2016 11:44 PM, "Benjamin Nelan" notifications@github.com wrote:

I downloaded a few different pixel grid images and couldn't get the phone
to act in the same way as it did with the app.

A number of the reviews mention encountering the issue on the OnePlus One,
which is the same phone I have. There's a review that mentions it happening
on the LG G3 also

—
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#5 (comment)
.

[BenjaminNelan]

I'll give that a shot and get back to you.

[BenjaminNelan]

The competitor app doesn't cause any ghost touches, at least with what's available without in-app purchases.

I installed Pixel Filter again to experiment further - it's fine until you set the grid pattern to 88%, that's when it begins registering ghost taps like crazy.

[pelya]

Here are few screenshots for you, of white background with various levels
of filtering. Open in a gallery app in fullscreen landscape mode.
On Mar 1, 2016 12:03 AM, "Benjamin Nelan" notifications@github.com wrote:

The competitor app doesn't cause any ghost touches, at least with what's
available without in-app purchases.

I installed Pixel Filter again to experiment further - it's fine until you
set the grid pattern to 88%, that's when it begins registering ghost taps
like crazy.

—
Reply to this email directly or view it on GitHub
#5 (comment)
.

[pelya]

Looks like Github trimmed my images, here's another copy:

https://imgur.com/a/9nzdY
On Mar 1, 2016 3:37 PM, "Sergii Pylypenko" x.pelya.x@gmail.com wrote:

Here are few screenshots for you, of white background with various levels
of filtering. Open in a gallery app in fullscreen landscape mode.
On Mar 1, 2016 12:03 AM, "Benjamin Nelan" notifications@github.com
wrote:

The competitor app doesn't cause any ghost touches, at least with what's
available without in-app purchases.

I installed Pixel Filter again to experiment further - it's fine until
you set the grid pattern to 88%, that's when it begins registering ghost
taps like crazy.

—
Reply to this email directly or view it on GitHub
#5 (comment)
.

[BenjaminNelan]

I've put the images on my phone and viewed them fullscreen, still not getting the ghost touches I get with the app.

[pelya]

Okay, then I'll need OnePlus One to reproduce this.

On Tue, Mar 1, 2016 at 4:10 PM, Benjamin Nelan notifications@github.com
wrote:

I've put the images on my phone and viewed them fullscreen, still not
getting the ghost touches I get with the app.

—
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#5 (comment)
.

[denilsonsa]

I just installed the app on Moto G 2nd gen with Android 6.0 and I found this exact same issue. My phone has a glass screen protector applied on top of the original screen.

The behavior is that, after enabling Pixel Filter, all touch inputs seem to stop working. I have enabled Developer options → Show touches, so I can see the touches happening (or not happening). At first I thought the phone was frozen, but then I figured out that the power button still works (to turn the screen off and on).

Then, once, while at the lock screen, I noticed lots of touches happening at random locations around my finger. Those looked like the "ghost" touches that sometimes happen on buggy touch panels, or when connecting to a low-quality AC charger. However, this happened when my phone was on battery, with Pixel Filter enabled, and playing a podcast in the background with AntennaPod.

Unfortunately, I cannot reproduce these behaviors reliably, and I could not figure out what's the cause.

I've even written a tool to test the pattern on screen (to rule out the possibility of faulty touch panel): http://denilson.sa.nom.br/pixel-filter-patterns.html

And I've recorded a video: https://youtu.be/_r1cnyKOE1U (Pixel Filter gets enabled at 0:30, phone stays "frozen" up to 0:50, then I spend the next minute failing to reproduce the bug)

So… Yeah, I hate bugs that can't be reproduced. :-(

[lilcdj]

Same issue is on Samsung galaxy A8(2016). there is ghost touch or unable to touch issue. same issue is on the other app like Pixel off from google store.

[easyaspi314]

Just got these ghost touches on my LG G3 on 50%. Here is a screen capture on that setting. Sorry about the quality, but I'd rather not upload a 50MB 4K gif.

The only touches I did were turning on the filter, doing a little bit at the beginning to get the madness started (I let go when the drawer opened), the home button to quit out YouTube (and also the courtesy back button), the Pixel Filter icon to turn it off and me swiping down to stop the screencap.

LG G3 (T-Mobile)
LG-D851
Official Android 6.0 unrooted (D85130e)
540 DPI (set with ADB)
Today's build of Pixel Filter (2.2)
Otter Box Defender

[lilcdj]

i already report this issue few month ago and they didn't fix this issue on latest update. maybe they can't fix or this issues are related on common filter apps or android.

[easyaspi314]

I know. I just wanted to show that. It also happens when viewing a screenshot of it in the Gallery, so it might be out of our control.