Catastrophic bugs after latest update

Technical Support
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So, I’m using the Mudita Kompact and for the most part the experience has been great. I’m very much on board with the ethos of the device. I love having a distraction-free device in the hills, with no temptation to sit and scroll in downtime (you’re all here, so you know the benefits). The ability to sideload selected apps is appreciated – I have WhatsApp and Organic Maps, and am using the excellent InkOS launcher. Otherwise it’s pretty much a stock installation. Other than disabling the built-in launcher in order to use InkOS, I have done no modifications.

So far so good. I updated to MuditaOS K 1.2.0 and all was fine. After a few days I noticed a crash when I launched the built-in Maps app, but I thought nothing of it as I usually use Organic Maps. Then I noticed a crash when I launched the camera app.

I’m a regular reader of these forums (just signed up today in order to post this) and was familiar with some of the small bugs other users have reported since the latest update, including the camera bug, so I knew to re-enable it in developer settings. However, this is where things get squiffy.

I’m a hillwalker/mountaineer and rely on my device for safety in the mountains. This weekend, I was embarking on a trip in the Cairngorms. I arrived in Braemar and decided to text my wife with a picture of a squirrel on a shop sign (she’s obsessed with squirrels). I opened WhatsApp, pressed the camera function… and was greeted with the ‘SystemUI crash’ notification again. After this, the device locked itself, and would not respond.

I managed to successfully reboot the device by pressing and holding the side button. When it rebooted, I was unable to access any built-in apps, including settings. Every single stock app I tried to launch just showed a fully black screen. No interaction was possible with the app itself, although I was able to press the home button to get back to the home screen.

I rebooted again. This time, when the device started up, the entire screen seemed extremely grainy and blurry – heavy e-ink ghosting, I think, but far worse than I’d ever seen before, to the extent that text was difficult to read. I was still unable to access settings or any other system app, although weirdly WhatsApp was still working (except the camera part – I did try doing this again but it froze up the system again, requiring another reboot).

At this point I was out of options. I sent my wife a WhatsApp to let her know that my phone was playing up, and asked her not to worry if she didn’t hear from me until I completed my mountain route and got home. Bear in mind this was an overnighter in the Cairngorms including a high wild camp, so I knew she would be worried – I do this all the time and it was not a risky trip, but I do consider a functioning phone a basic essential in this scenario. Far more so than in town or everyday life.

Anyway, I decided to turn the phone off and leave it in my rucksack until the end of the route. It was a nice opportunity to fully unplug, if I’m honest.

When I got back to Braemar this evening, I turned the phone on again and the heavy ghosting had disappeared. I am now able to access all the usual apps again, including the camera – even in WhatsApp! However, I’ve noticed that the phone appears much slower than usual.

Now that I’m home, I’m going to do a factory reset and see what happens. But my faith in the device has been destroyed. I require 100% reliability with no random mysterious failures. I understand that the manufacturers don’t warranty any sideloading app use, but let’s face it, 90% of us are sideloading. WhatsApp is a basic requirement in many countries. If you’re telling me I can’t use WhatsApp then the device is unfortunately no good for me, much as I enjoy it when it works. Had this happened in a more serious situation – for example navigating public transport in a foreign country – I would have been screwed. I’m glad the failure happened on a relatively non-serious trip close to home.

Sorry for the essay. I think the device’s concept is great and it’s so close to being fantastic. Before yesterday morning I was so happy with it, and was looking forward to a big trip in the Alps later in the month with nothing but the Mudita Kompact. But obviously that isn’t an option now, which makes me sad. I really hope the devs are able to take on feedback and prioritise bug fixes from now on, because I honestly believe that 100% reliability is far more essential than adding more features.

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First of all your experience sounds more like that there might an hardware issue with your device. Maybe it overheated or something like that. In any case instead of writing such a long story into the forums I would’ve contacted customer support directly in your case.

Next and that is why I’ve quoted the part you mentioned above: No, you’re absolutely wrong with your argument “Lets face it we all use sideloaded apps” at least in terms of how the device is advertised. Mudita Kompakt first and foremost is intended to be used as is. Any sideloaded apps can and will cause issues. The Kompakt uses a heavily modified Android 12 which itself isn’t supported by Google anymore and is also missing any Google services and apps. Those points alone should signify that one simply can’t expect that any APK works just fine.

If you are that much rely on WhatsApp you shouldn’t have bought the Kompakt in the first place. That is just the plain and simple truth. I’ve abandoned WhatsApp altogether and am perfectly fine in contact with the most important people in my life first and foremost via phone and then via SMS.

No offense so please don’t get me wrong, but I’m yet again baffled that so many people coming into this forum and posting how disappointed they are yet they’re using the Kompakt as a e-ink substitute for their smartphone just because sideloading is possible, but clearly not supported.

Mudita makes it very clear in the product descriptions, their ads and on their blog how this device is intended to be used and It seems that a lot of people just don’t get it.

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Come on, they even spent time developing a feature to allow side loading via Mudita center. OP has practically not side loaded anything other than WhatsApp and a more usable maps application.

There are tons of bugs with this phone, including with native apps like SMS and the camera. Pretending otherwise is not helpful to anyone.

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I experienced a similar problem with my native camera app and got stuck in a crash loop. Made me put away my Kompakt and await further updates to make the device more reliable.

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The bugs with the native / built-in apps are a whole another thing and it is perfectly fine to account Mudita for them, but any issues regarding sideloaded apps are simply on your own risk and it doesn’t matter if you use just one sideloaded app or a whole bunch of them. Any sideloaded app can cause unforeseen issues. That is simply a fact and people should simply accept that this isn’t supported by Mudita.

Once again there is a heavily customized, de-googled and outdated Android fork running on the device which they call Mudita OS K. Modern Android apps are built with the requirement of a fully fledged Android running underneath and nothing else. Especially not such a heavily customized fork like Mudita OS K.

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First of all your experience sounds more like that there might an hardware issue with your device. Maybe it overheated or something like that. In any case instead of writing such a long story into the forums I would’ve contacted customer support directly in your case.

Thanks for your reply and for your welcome to the forum. I have also contacted customer support directly, but as this is a technical support forum I thought it was entirely appropriate to also post here. Many other people have posted regarding their issues and received help.

Next and that is why I’ve quoted the part you mentioned above: No, you’re absolutely wrong with your argument “Lets face it we all use sideloaded apps” at least in terms of how the device is advertised. Mudita Kompakt first and foremost is intended to be used as is. Any sideloaded apps can and will cause issues. The Kompakt uses a heavily modified Android 12 which itself isn’t supported by Google anymore and is also missing any Google services and apps. Those points alone should signify that one simply can’t expect that any APK works just fine.

I fully understand what the device is and isn’t, thanks. I have a background in computer science and worked as a phone salesman at Carphone Warehouse for several years. I would describe myself as an expert user. In fact, this is why I kept my Kompact fairly stock. I understand that sideloaded APKs may or may not work. But the fact is that these issues first cropped up with the stock maps and camera apps.

If you are that much rely on WhatsApp you shouldn’t have bought the Kompakt in the first place. That is just the plain and simple truth. I’ve abandoned WhatsApp altogether and am perfectly fine in contact with the most important people in my life first and foremost via phone and then via SMS.

That’s great for you but it isn’t possible for me, or for countless others. Mudita now implicitly support sideloading (via the new Mudita Centre capabilities) and discussion of sideloading is widespread on this community. If they didn’t want people to sideload under any circumstances, why support it? And I don’t like this element of gatekeeping in this community. The device has certain capabilities, some of which are fully supported, some of which are undocumented and you’re on your own if things go wrong. I get that. But the market for this device is already niche. Are we really going to turn away valid users because their use case for the device isn’t ‘pure’ enough?

No offense so please don’t get me wrong, but I’m yet again baffled that so many people coming into this forum and posting how disappointed they are yet they’re using the Kompakt as a e-ink substitute for their smartphone just because sideloading is possible, but clearly not supported.
Mudita makes it very clear in the product descriptions, their ads and on their blog how this device is intended to be used and It seems that a lot of people just don’t get it.

I’d argue that the true problem here is a mismatch between what most customers actually want and what the device officially provides.

In any case, it’s clear this device isn’t for me. Which is a shame, because it is so close. And in many respects I would seem to be the perfect target audience for a device like this.

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I should also mention that, given my knowledge of Android, I am aware of no possible way in which a failure in a sideloaded third-party app such as WhatsApp could cause catastrophic issues with the stock settings app. I’m fairly confident these failures had nothing to do with anything I’d sideloaded. Of course, I’d welcome evidence to the contrary and we shall see what customer support say.

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Thanks for your response. There is nothing wrong in posting into this forum, of course. Especially thanks to @urszula doing such a tremendous job, but in cases like yours she is just forwarding it to the devs. Thus my recommendation to directly create a support issue with Mudita via support@mudita.com with issues like you describe.

The issues with Bluetooth or the Camera are absolutely on Mudita’s side since those are stock apps and built-in functions. That is a whole another level of discussion compared to sideloaded apps. What people in my opinion have to understand is that the mere process of sideloading is supported by Mudita, but not what happens after sideloading any app and any possible issues in conjunction with them. An employee of Mudita is welcome to correct me on this occasion, but that is my takeaway from what Mudita officially says so far.

Maybe Mudita might correct their stance on this or the general direction of how they handle Mudita Kompakt, but yet I’m still confused by people complaining in here especially about issues in conjunction with sideloaded apps. The device clearly is advertised and officially supported only in regards with the built-in apps (and criticism regarding apps like Camera is therefore absolutely fine). If you read the product page or watch the videos the Kompakt is simply meant to fully get you rid of any digital distractions and only provide the basic functionality of a phone. Therefore it is called a minimalist phone. It is designed to be a companion for digital detox and staying in contact with people for which phone and SMS are perfectly fine. Other than that it is meant to stay out of sight or calm you down wherever possible with reading a book, playing a round of chess, meditating or listening to music via the built-in apps. That is just how I use the device and so far this works perfectly for me. Haven’t been more focused, calm and de-stressed like it with the Mudita Kompakt in comparison to all the years prior when I used a smartphone and had it in my hands every 15-30 mins with all its bells & whistles. I think that is ultimately what the Kompakt was built for. That is how understand Muditas whole pitch.

So in this context it is fine if some of you guys wanted a hybrid of a smartphone and a dumbphone, but this never was what the Kompakt has been advertised for. That makes me all the more confused and baffled in terms of all the criticism. You guys basically complain why the Kompakt isn’t a e-ink smartphone. That is like complaining why a VW Golf isn’t like a Mercedes-Benz S class. That doesn’t make any sense.

Anyways I hope Mudita can help you with your issue and if not then I wish you all the best in finding a device which better suits your needs.

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Thanks for your reply, but again I do fully understand what the device is marketed for – and what it actually is. These are two separate things. Whether we like it or not, it is a smartphone. It runs apps and connects to the internet, therefore it’s a smartphone. Personally I think it’s rather patronising for a technology company to tell me I ‘should’ be using their device to relax, destress and read a book, rather than (say) as a distraction-free phone with certain vital capabilities that I take into the mountains, but don’t want all the bells and whistles of social media and doomscrolling. Imagine if smartphone manufacturers were this prescriptive over how their devices ‘should’ be used.

The fact is that this is a multi-purpose computing tool, however it’s marketed. And again, I FULLY understand Mudita’s stance on what they do and don’t support. But I must again draw your attention to the fact that the issues I experienced first cropped up with stock apps… and I know of no way in which an issue with a sideloaded app could possibly cause such failures.

I’ve been writing about digital detox, distraction, and escaping from the attention economy for more than ten years and have even written a book on the subject. I really don’t think the marketing for this device matches up with the true needs of most people in the real world. Technology should empower people without enslaving them. Instagram, TickTock and bottomless content feeds are the problem, not basic utilities such as a functional messaging app (or, dare I say it, access to public transport ticketing or other standard utilities in the 21st century). Rather than patronising users and artificially limiting them, why not give them a device that empowers them on their own terms? Isn’t that the whole point of tech in the first place?

I know this discussion goes well beyond the failures I’ve experienced. But I think Mudita should be thinking carefully about these issues. And I think forum members should understand that not everyone’s use case for their device should be identical to their own.

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I don’t agree on the stance that Mudita may patronising or telling anyone how to use the Kompakt. You can’t deny the fact though what their intention of usage for the phone is. They are more than clear about it. One doesn’t buy a toaster and starts complaining why it doesn’t make coffee :wink:

Anyway I do get your intention and views on this even though I obviously don’t agree with all of them. At this point I think Mudita is more than well aware about yours and others feedback regarding all of this. Let’s see what they’ll make out of it with future updates.

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People are starting threads with certain issues that they want report to other users and to Mudita, looking for a solution (one of the main purposes of this forum). You specifically have a habit of going to these threads to write a novel blaming the users for not getting the “ethos” of the phone, or for using WhatsApp, or whatever else.

My point is- it’s not helpful for anyone, and is rather a pointless diversion from the actual topic. Then following up with some explanation that the phone works well for you and that you personally don’t need WhatsApp or other apps - great for you, but not helpful in this context once again for solving a problem.

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Thank you – that’s exactly what I mean.

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@brendxn @alexroddie As I already said I do get your point even though I don’t agree with everything you say. In the sense of a healthy conversation I hope that you treat my point of views with the same respect even if you don’t agree with what I say.

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@alexroddie
Thank you for taking the time to share such detailed feedback and for explaining the circumstances in which these issues occurred. We truly appreciate your support for the Mudita Kompakt and your understanding of its ethos.

Our team is currently reviewing your report, along with the specific scenarios you’ve described, so we can better understand what happened. Your input is invaluable in helping us improve the overall experience and reliability of our devices.

We’re grateful that you’ve shared your perspective and hope you continue to stay connected with the Mudita community.

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Thanks @urszula, I appreciate it! Happy to provide any further feedback if necessary. I’ve now factory reset the device and will continue experimenting – we’ll see if any further errors appear.

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Related to your issue, perhaps - my SD cards register on installing (after formatting). But as soon as I hit download maps (or I assume when Mudita uses the card) it crashes - showing nothing on the card (i.e. 0mb). I am not tech-savvy so sideloading a few apps took me ages. Mudita initially helped but now all has gone quite - I feel ghosted. Basically my phone has sat in drawer since the last update. I am also not sure if the phone has corrupted 4 SD cards (they are not inexpensive!) - any action on returns is not a quick as expected - the warranty form just seems to have slipped into an unknown void. I am not best pleased to be sure. Below is their take on the fault - I wonder if your issue is the same.

"Based on what you’ve described, particularly the SD card showing as 0MB capacity after being used for map downloads and the long black screen on restart, we have been able to identify the root cause of the problem.

What happened is that the core issue stems from how the microSD card was configured. The Mudita Kompakt is designed to use microSD cards as Portable storage for files like music, photos, and offline maps. However, it seems that the SD card in your device was configured as Adoptable (or Internal) storage. This is an unsupported feature, likely enabled by a sideloaded application prompting to do that, which treats the SD card as an extension of the phone’s internal memory.

During the recent OS update or the factory reset you performed, the phone’s initialization process attempted to re-partition the SD card. Because the card was in this unsupported “adoptable” state, the process corrupted its partition table. This is why the card suddenly appeared to have 0MB capacity and its contents became inaccessible, which in turn caused the maps application to fail. Your desktop computer can still see the card because it uses a more robust file system reader that can make sense of the corrupted structure, but the phone no longer can.

We understand this is a deeply technical explanation, but we wanted to be transparent about what occurred. The data loss is a deeply regrettable outcome, and we sincerely apologize for the distress this has caused"
I might add that my SD card worked perfectly up to the exact point of update. And that this issues and other bugs appeared immediately after.
I followed their fixing guide but as I say I am not tech-savvy - it simply did not work. I don’t want to spend a day, or any more time than I have to, sat in frustration in front of a screen - which is why I got the phone. I would be interested to know your take on this.
It would be nice to edit this post into something more positive and less dispirited - fingers crossed.

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@darren1576 I’ve asked our team about this & are waiting for a reply.

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@darren1576 Here’s the reply from our team:

Based on the symptoms you’ve described, we have identified the root cause of this issue.
During an OS update or a factory reset, the Mudita Kompakt’s initialization process can corrupt the partition table of an SD card if that card has been configured as “internal” or “adoptable” storage, a feature sometimes enabled by sideloaded applications.This action of adding a new partition at the beginning of the drive is what “breaks” the original file structure, making the data inaccessible and causing the system to no longer recognize the card’s contents correctly. This also explains why the navigation app, no longer seeing its files on the SD card, reverted to using the internal phone storage.The Mudita Kompakt is designed to use microSD cards exclusively as Portable storage—for files like photos, music, and offline maps.It does not support the Adoptable storage feature, where the card is encrypted and treated as an extension of the phone’s internal memory.It’s likely that one of the sideloaded applications asked you to do that, which led to the issue during the update.How to Fix the microSD Card
Unfortunately, as the card’s partition table has been altered, the data on it is not easily recoverable.
However, it is possible to restore the card itself to a usable state so you can use it in your Kompakt again. That requires a technical skills and Windows or Linux machine.We have successfully fixed a card with the same issue by using the Disk Management tool in Windows to delete the incorrect partitions and create a single, new volume.Here is the official guide from Microsoft on how to use this tool: Microsoft Support: Disk Management in WindowsThe goal is to delete the two partitions on the card and then format the entire unallocated space as a single exFAT partition. After this, the card should be recognized correctly by the Kompakt as portable storage.We sincerely apologize for this situation. This is not intended behavior, and the data loss is a deeply regrettable outcome.How to Fix the Mudita Kompakt
Currently your phone is deeply affected and in incorrect state.We are working on a fix for that so it will not happen again.In case of your Mudita Kompakt - Hard factory reset would be required now:

  • Backup all the data
  • Power off the phone
  • Hold Power and + Volume Up buttons together until you see the “Select Boot Mode” screen
  • Use the Volume Up button to scroll to “Recovery Mode”, then click the Volume Down button to press “OK”
  • Once the screen shows a broken robot icon, press and hold the Power button, then click the Volume Up button once to open the Recovery menu
  • Use the Volume Up/Down buttons to scroll to “Wipe data/factory reset” and click the Power button to confirm
  • Wait for the factory reset to complete

We also recommend to eject SD Card before the update for now. We must also emphasize that using an SD card as internal/adoptable storage is an unsupported feature on the Kompakt. The risks associated with sideloading, especially during system updates, are a clear example of the potential instabilities that can arise from sideloading applications that modify core system settings.
We hope this explanation and the provided solution help you restore your microSD card to a working state.

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