MyPhoneExplorer without Google

[sesame]

Hello,

I am trying to backup my FP2 data on my computer (Windows 8) with MyPhoneExplorer using an USB connection (in order to avoid Google Play).
Sadly MPE doesn’t seem to recognize the FP.
On their website MPE doesn’t specifically list FP among the supported devices, but browsing through this forum I get the impression many people use it successfully.

Following the MPE instructions (https://www.fjsoft.at/forum/viewtopic.php?t=11455) I have

• installed MPE
• installed an ADB driver
• connected the FP via USB (tried different ports)
• enabled USB debugging
• tried different ways of connecting (charge only, MTP, PTP)
• launched MPE, which gives me this error message every time: “Connection to phone could not be established. No device attached to USB”. While the FP shows up fine in Windows explorer.

Does anybody have any suggestions? Thanks in advance!

[Ingo]

@sesame

While the FP shows up fine in Windows explorer.

Can you actually transfer files in that case? I had some cable/computer combinations where the FP2 got listed but then the actual transfer failed.

[sesame]

Yes, I can transfer photos using MTP.

[sesame]

I mean, without MPE.
But I haven’t figured out how to backup sms and contacts; I thought MPE might do the trick.

[sesame]

Here is the MPE log:

[Stanzi]

You can just export them to the internal storage, there are a couple of apps that can to this (for SMS e.g. “SMS backup + restore”, for contacts I think even the default app can do this, so you don’t need MyPhoneExplorer at all (unless there’s something you didn’t mention of course)

[sesame]

SMS: Can I get “SMS backup + restore” without Google Play?

Contacts: they (or most of them) seem to be on the SD card, but I can’t access them from the computer using MTP I don’t think.

[Stanzi]

Let me answer this with a meme:

You can download it through Yalp Store (an F-Droid app) without a G00gle-account, but Yalp gets the apk from the Play Store, so… You have to decide if that’s ok for you.

You maybe mean SIM-card. You can import them to the contacts app and then export to your internal storage.

[AnotherElk]

@sesame

launched MPE, which gives me this error message every time: “Connection to phone could not be established. No device attached to USB”. While the FP shows up fine in Windows explorer.

Did you install and start the MyPhoneExplorer Client App on the phone?
Apart from the Play Store you can find the APK in the PC install EXE … just open the EXE file with e.g. 7Zip and extract mpeclient.apk out of it.

[sesame]

Thanks for all your ideas.

I found the mpeclient.apk file.
What would be a good way to transfer it to the phone? I have never managed to transfer anything but photos so far …

[AnotherElk]

@sesame

I found the mpeclient.apk file.
What would be a good way to transfer it to the phone? I have never managed to transfer anything but photos so far …

According to …

@sesame

Yes, I can transfer photos using MTP.

… you could just copy it to the phone with the file explorer on the PC and then try to install it with a file explorer on the phone … which might need enabling Apps from unknown sources depending on your phone’s setup.
(Or did you mean PTP, which would be for photos only?)

Else, after …

@sesame

• installed an ADB driver
• connected the FP via USB (tried different ports)
• enabled USB debugging

… you could use the command line to install the APK with
adb install mpeclient.apk
assuming adb.exe is available from the path in which you operate the command line, and mpeclient.apk resides in the path in which you operate the command line, else you would have to give the full paths instead, e.g.
c:\wherever_adb.exe_is\adb install c:\wherever_mpeclient.apk_is\mpeclient.apk

See also here: Install APK via ADB Commands on Android Devices | DroidViews

[sesame]

Fantastic, thank you very much!!
My first FP backup!
After 3 years of procrastination …
The droidviews-link was very helpful.
And yes, I had meant PTP