MacroDroid Helper APK (2024)

➤➤➤➤➤ If your device is running Android 14 (Xiaomi HyperOS counts!!!) or above make sure to read the whole post carefully.

(if you are wondering why the above text is so big with so much color, it's because some people just can't read properly apparently)

In order to toggle Wifi (and a number of other features) on devices running Android 10+ a new helper file is now required. This helper file is built against an older target SDK allowing it to still invoke the Wifi functionality. It cannot appear on the Play Store since they no longer allow apps built against older SDKs to be uploaded.

The latest version of the MacroDroid Helper APK can be downloaded from the following link:

You may need to long press and click the download link above to get the file to download

Note that you will have to allow installation of APKs from external sources in order to install this APK. You will also need to ignore any warnings about it being built against an old version (that is the whole point). On most new devices Google Play Protect will show this warning. You should click on 'More details' then 'Install anyway'.

This APK replaces all functionality in the older Settings Helper available on the Play Store (so you may also uninstall). It also supports a new option in the system settings action as this may enable some settings which cannot be changed in the main app to be modified by the helper file.

After installation please launch the helper file and grant location permission and disable battery optimization (This is vital for everything to function reliably). You should be prompted for these at app launch but you can also do it via your phone's settings app.

Android 14 specific information

Android 14 prevents installation of any application build against a target SDK less than 23. Unfortunately for all helper file functionality to work it must be built against SDK 21.

The helper file can still be installed via the ADB tool and information regarding this process can be found here:

About Xiaomi HyperOS (running Android 14)

There currently is no know way to enable/disable wifi using the helper app alone. You need to use the adb tool. Here is a guide on how to do it automatically:

Why is this needed?

In simple terms because Google is gradually crippling the functionality of Android over time. On Android 10 and above when your app is built to target Android 10 then the set wifi request simply will no longer function. Google thinks users are too dumb to cope with more permissions, so instead of providing an explicit permission for this that apps can request, they take a blanket approach of disabling features that have worked for 10 years on Android "to protect user privacy", breaking 1000s of apps in the process.

API spec is here: https://developer.android.com/reference ... d(boolean)

Bug report/request to remove this limitation is here: https://issuetracker.google.com/issues/128554616 (Please star the issue if you haven't already)

If you are confused how it used to work on Android 10 without the helper then the reason is because the app was previously built to target Android 9, so this restriction didn't apply at that stage. In order to publish updates on the Play Store now all apps must target Android 10.

I've just made the first line of the first message larger and all in bold

"If your device is running Android 14 or above make sure to read the whole post."

srilk said:

Hi, thanks for macrodriod! This issue is only on google android or does it also effect distros like grapheneos? Many thanks

Click to expand...

It will affect GrapheneOS as well, since it's based on Android. You do realize that any Android based ROM is literally based on Android, right...? So if Android 10 dropped SDK support for e.g. toggling wifi and you have roms A, B and C using anything from Android 10+, then naturally they'll be affected.

chaoscreater said:

It will affect GrapheneOS as well, since it's based on Android. You do realize that any Android based ROM is literally based on Android, right...? So if Android 10 dropped SDK support for e.g. toggling wifi and you have roms A, B and C using anything from Android 10+, then naturally they'll be affected.

Click to expand...

But i was hoping that the open source ones will undo these tyrannic practices

srilk said:

But i was hoping that the open source ones will undo these tyrannic practices

Click to expand...

That makes no sense at all.

Android IS open source. Any developer or company that wants to use Android as the OS in their ROM will obviously make use of what's already there. The majority of the work is done by Google and they just take the image and build upon it. Why would they go and waste their time and resources on adding stuff that have been removed by Google? They can add new features to make their ROM more unique, but there's barely any reason or incentive for them to go and add stuff back. That's a very time consuming task in itself and they would essentially be changing the entire ROM drastically. At that point, you might as well not use Android and just develop your own OS from scratch.

Not sure what you are on about.

You either root to get functionalities that would otherwise require a helper app, OR you install helper app and it should give you additional functionalities. It doesn't matter what Android ROM you're using, it should work unless there's some weird compatibility issue, but those cases are rare.

If you have an actual issue AFTER testing something, then report the bug. Otherwise, I'm not sure what you're trying to do here.

srilk said:

Please excuse my ignorance, are you saying that if I root my device I will have this functionality?

Click to expand...

You'll definitely have enough permissions to invoke the functionality.

MacroDroidDev said:

I've just made the first line of the first message larger and all in bold

"If your device is running Android 14 or above make sure to read the whole post."

Click to expand...

I have a S24 with Android 14, but I can't install the app. When I try to install the helper, there is an error 'The App is not compatible with your phone'. Help pls?!

Sir Michael said:

I have a S24 with Android 14, but I can't install the app. When I try to install the helper, there is an error 'The App is not compatible with your phone'. Help pls?!

Click to expand...

Which part of the "read the whole post" are you having trouble with?

srilk said:

Which part of the "read the whole post" are you having trouble with?

Click to expand...

+1

srilk said:

Which part of the "read the whole post" are you having trouble with?

Click to expand...

When I download the helper apk, I install it. But I can't because the app is incompatible with my phone.

Sir Michael said:

When I download the helper apk, I install it. But I can't because the app is incompatible with my phone.

Click to expand...

Read the Android 14 specific information in the original post.