Android Question Is it Ok to use Phone.GetSettings("android_id")

[Alex_197]

Hi all.

Is it safe to use a code like this to get unique phone id? It works on my Android 10 phone today. But what about tomorrow? Or Advertising ID is a only safe way?

Sub GenerateID() As String
   
    Try
        Dim P As Phone
        Dim IDAndroid As String=P.GetSettings("android_id")
        Log("IDAndroid=" & IDAndroid)
        Return IDAndroid
   
    Catch
        Log("GenerateID " & LastException)      
        Return "Error"
    End Try
   
End Sub

Thanks.

 

[JohnC]

Erel suggests to use the advertising ID or generate a random number when the app starts for the first time:

Android Device Unique ID - Alternative to PhoneId

This is an old tutorial. It will not work on new versions of Android. You should either generate a random value when the app starts for the first time or use the advertising id: https://www.b4x.com/android/forum/threads/advertising-id.101050/#content This tutorial is based on the following blog...

www.b4x.com

 

[Erel]

It can actually be useful in some cases. Read more here: https://android-developers.googleblog.com/2017/04/changes-to-device-identifiers-in.html
(I wasn't aware to this in the past)

It is not a device / global id but it can be used in your app and it isn't reset when the app is uninstalled and later installed again.

 

[Alex_197]

It can actually be useful in some cases. Read more here: https://android-developers.googleblog.com/2017/04/changes-to-device-identifiers-in.html
(I wasn't aware to this in the past)

It is not a device / global id but it can be used in your app and it isn't reset when the app is uninstalled and later installed again.

Thank you, Erel.

So if the user just updates his app with new version (let say developer has made a few changes) via Google Play AdvertisingID won't change? Am I correct?

 

[Erel]

Both ids will not change in this case.

 

[Pendrush]

Inside settings in your device you can reset/change your AdvertisingID.

 

[Bladimir Silva Toro]

You can use Phone.GetSettings ("android_id") but note that this ID changes when a hardware or factory reset is performed to the device

 

[AscySoft]

Is there an adb command that return same result as Phone.GetSettings ("android_id")?
"adb shell settings get secure android_id" is different that previouse code result.
"adb shell getprop ro.serialno" is also something else.