dilink-auto-android

Setup Guide

Prerequisites

No internet connection is required — DiLink-Auto streams over your phone’s WiFi hotspot (the car connects directly to the phone). An internet connection is only needed for the apps running on your phone (e.g., maps, music), not for DiLink-Auto itself.

Phone Setup (One-Time)

  1. Install DiLink Auto Client: adb install app-client-debug.apk
  2. Open the app — the onboarding screen will guide you through each permission:
    • All Files Access — deploys the virtual display server to storage
    • Battery Optimization — keeps streaming alive when screen is off
    • Accessibility Service — enables car touchscreen control
    • Notification Access — forwards phone notifications to car display
  3. Each step opens the relevant system settings. Grant the permission, then press Back to continue.
  4. You can skip any step and configure it later from the main screen.

That’s it. No Wireless Debugging, no pairing codes, no special WiFi configuration.

Optional: Shizuku (ADB-Free Connection)

Shizuku provides elevated shell privileges to normal apps, allowing DiLink-Auto to deploy the Virtual Display server without needing a USB ADB connection from the car. This is an alternative to the USB ADB track — the car only needs WiFi connectivity.

  1. Install Shizuku from GitHub Releases or Google Play
  2. Start Shizuku once via ADB (adb shell sh /sdcard/Android/data/moe.shizuku.privileged.api/start.sh) or via root
  3. Open DiLink Auto → Settings → Shizuku card → tap to open the Shizuku app and authorize DiLink Auto
  4. When Shizuku is active, the phone deploys the VD server directly. No need for USB ADB or Wireless Debugging.

With Shizuku active, the car only needs to connect over WiFi — the USB cable is not required for streaming.

Car Setup

No internet connection required. The car APK is embedded inside the phone APK — the phone pushes it to the car over local WiFi. No internet connection is needed at any point during setup or streaming.

No manual car installation needed. On first connection (or version mismatch), the phone sends UPDATING_CAR to the car (which shows “Updating…” status), then auto-installs via dadb (WiFi ADB).

Alternatively, use the “Install on Car” button in the phone app to manually push the car APK.

If installing manually: adb install app-server-debug.apk (requires ADB access to the car).

Daily Use

  1. Plug phone into car USB — car app auto-launches (or connect via WiFi on same network)
  2. Car and phone connect automatically via parallel WiFi + USB tracks
  3. Phone deploys VD server and streaming begins at 60fps
  4. Use the car touchscreen to interact with phone apps

Building

# Build phone APK (triggers server build + embed automatically)
./gradlew :app-client:assembleDebug

# APK location:
# app-client/build/outputs/apk/debug/app-client-debug.apk  (phone -- includes embedded car APK)

The build system automatically builds app-server and embeds it into app-client, so only one APK needs to be installed manually.

How It Works

When the phone is connected to the car:

  1. Car starts parallel tracks — WiFi discovery and USB detection run simultaneously
  2. Track A (WiFi): gateway IP + mDNS discovery → NIO connect to phone control port (9637)
  3. Track B (USB): scan devices → USB ADB connect → launch phone app via am start
  4. Handshake: car sends viewport + DPI + appVersionCode + targetFps; phone sends device info + vdServerJarPath
  5. Version check: phone compares appVersionCode — if mismatch, sends UPDATING_CAR message to car, then auto-updates via dadb
  6. 3-connection setup: car opens video (9638) + input (9639) connections after handshake
  7. Phone deploys VD server — extracts vd-server.jar to /sdcard/DiLinkAuto/, starts app_process as shell UID with FPS arg
  8. VD server reverse-connects to phone on localhost:19637 (NIO non-blocking)
  9. VD server creates VirtualDisplay at phone’s native DPI (480dpi) with GPU downscale and periodic re-draw
  10. Video streams over WiFi TCP (video connection 9638) — H.264, Main profile, 8Mbps CBR, configurable up to 60fps

Troubleshooting

ADB auth dialog appears every time (FIXED in v0.13.1)

Fixed — the issue was double-hashing the AUTH_TOKEN. ADB sends a raw 20-byte token that must be treated as a pre-hashed SHA-1 digest. The old code used SHA1withRSA which hashed it again. Now uses NONEwithRSA with SHA-1 DigestInfo prefix (prehashed), matching AOSP’s RSA_sign(NID_sha1). The phone accepts AUTH_SIGNATURE on reconnect and “Always allow” persists correctly.

If the dialog still appears on the first connection after updating, check “Always allow” — it should not appear again on subsequent connections. If it persists, check the phone’s Developer Options for “Disable ADB authorization timeout” (Android 11+).

Phone app does not launch

All Files Access permission denied

Video not streaming / black screen

Connection drops

Car app not updating

Logs

Apps appear letterboxed or don’t fill the screen

This is normal. DiLink-Auto mirrors apps onto a landscape virtual display that matches the car’s screen. Some apps (especially those designed primarily for phones) only support portrait orientation. These apps will appear letterboxed, narrow, or may not use the full screen width.

This is a limitation of the apps themselves, not DiLink-Auto. The phone is simply mirroring whatever the app draws on the virtual display — if an app doesn’t support landscape, nothing DiLink-Auto can do will force it to fill the screen. Contact the app developer to request landscape support.

HyperOS (Xiaomi) Tips

For reliable operation on HyperOS:

  1. Settings -> Apps -> DiLink Auto -> Autostart -> Enable
  2. Settings -> Battery -> DiLink Auto -> No Restrictions
  3. Lock the app in Recent Apps (long-press the card -> Lock)

Samsung One UI Tips

Samsung devices running One UI 5+ (Android 13+) have additional security and power-saving features that can block DiLink-Auto from working correctly. This applies to Galaxy A, M, S, Z, and Tab series.

Disable Auto Blocker (Critical for USB ADB)

Auto Blocker blocks USB commands and can prevent the car from connecting to your phone via USB ADB. This is the most common Samsung-specific issue.

  1. Settings → Security and privacy → Auto Blocker → Off
  2. If you prefer to keep Auto Blocker on, at minimum disable the “Block commands over USB cable” option

Allow All Files Access

Samsung’s Permission Manager may auto-revoke permissions from apps you haven’t opened recently:

  1. Settings → Apps → DiLink Auto → Permissions → Files and media → Allow management of all files
  2. Toggle “Allow management of all files” ON
  3. Verify it stays ON after closing settings (Samsung may show a confirmation popup)

Disable Battery Optimization

Samsung’s battery management is more aggressive than stock Android:

  1. Settings → Apps → DiLink Auto → Battery → Unrestricted
  2. Settings → Battery → Background usage limits → Never sleeping apps → Add DiLink Auto
  3. Settings → Battery → Background usage limits → Deep sleeping apps → Remove DiLink Auto if listed

Lock App in Recents

Samsung One UI may kill background apps to free memory:

  1. Open Recent Apps (swipe up from bottom with 3-button nav, or gesture nav)
  2. Tap the DiLink Auto icon at the top of its card
  3. Select “Keep open”

Disable Samsung Device Care Auto-Optimization

Samsung’s Device Care can automatically stop background services:

  1. Settings → Battery and device care → Automation → Auto optimize daily → Off
  2. Settings → Battery and device care → Automation → Auto restart → Off

If You See a “DeX” Permission Popup

Some Samsung devices show a popup about “Samsung DeX” or “external display” permissions when an app tries to create a virtual display. Even though Galaxy A/M series don’t support DeX, the dialog may still appear. Simply tap “Allow” or “Start now”. If the dialog keeps reappearing, go to Settings → Connected devices → Samsung DeX and disable “Auto start when HDMI is connected.”

Knox Security Considerations

Samsung Knox may show a security notification when DiLink-Auto accesses:

These are expected behaviors. Tap “Allow” or “OK” on any Knox-related prompts. If prompts persist, you can temporarily lower Knox protection to “Medium” under Settings → Security and privacy → Samsung Knox.

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