Eddie Android edition 3.0 available

[Staff 9973]

Hello!
 
We're very glad and proud to inform you that Eddie Android edition 3.0 has been released, a breakthrough from version 2.5.

The new release achieves full compatibility with Android 13 and maintains it down to Android 5.1. Various app sections have been extensively rewritten. Now Eddie Android supports WireGuard with swift integration with AirVPN infrastructure. A dark theme has been added for additional comfort together with new, improved connection logic and management.

A sharp WireGuard networking management has been implemented: no more "forever dead wg client" haunting users running the Android WireGuard client in mobility. Profile generation have been improved: external export option has been added, and WireGuard profiles can be generated too according to the user selection. Profile generation now provides for a quick alternative to the web site Configuration Generator.
 

Eddie Android edition is free and open source software released under GPLv3. We invite you to check from independent 3rd parties lack of trackers code signatures, for example here: https://reports.exodus-privacy.eu.org/en/reports/search/org.airvpn.eddie

You can download Eddie Android 3.0 APK directly from our repository: or from the Google Play Store, please see here:

https://airvpn.org/android/eddie/

Soon it will be available on the Amazon Appstore too.

Source code (and of course changelog) is available in GitLab:
https://gitlab.com/AirVPN/EddieAndroid/

Direct link to the changelog:
https://gitlab.com/AirVPN/EddieAndroid/-/blob/master/ChangeLog.txt

What's new

• Complete WireGuard support with full integration with AirVPN infrastructure
• WireGuard networking management to allow quick re-connections even when WireGuard would remain stuck after a failure. No more "forever stuck wg client" haunting users running the Android WireGuard client.
• Linked against the new OpenVPN-AirVPN 3.8.2 library
• Dark theme support and option to switch to dark, light or system default theme
• Improved VPN profile management
• Full compatibility with Android 5.1 up to 13
• Extensive architectural revision and improvements
• VPN profile export both to internal database and external file or app
• Get faster support and more easily: send the app log and the device logcat to AirVPN support team with a tap and provide the team with just the link the app will give you back. No more adb or any other external tool and device connection required to generate the logcat.
• IMPORTANT: due to Google policy the local data encryption cipher has been changed from AES-256-CBC into AES-256-GCM. Therefore, before upgrading, we strongly recommend that you decrypt local data first if you had them encrypted by a Master Password. To do so simply disable the Master Password and then upgrade, so you will not lose your local data (not a big deal, but even so...). (*)

(*) We could not even implement a failover AES-CBC recovery because the "smart" (???) automated Google review rejects the app as soon as it sees AES-CBC somewhere for local storage.

Main features:

• The only official AirVPN Android client designed, developed and programmed by AirVPN team
• Full WireGuard support and integration with AirVPN
• Linked against "OpenVPN 3.8.2 AirVPN" (free and open source software library by AirVPN)
• ChaCha20-Poly1305, AES-CBC and AES-GCM support on both OpenVPN Control and Data channel
• Battery-conscious application
• Low RAM footprint
• Ergonomic and friendly interface
• Ability to start and connect the application at device boot
• Option to define which apps must have traffic inside or outside the VPN tunnel through white and black list
• Localization in simplified and traditional Chinese, Danish, English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Turkish
• Full integration with AirVPN
• Enhanced security thanks to locally stored encrypted data through optional master password
• Quick one-tap connection and smart, fully automated server selection
• Smart server selection with custom settings
• Manual server selection
• Ability to start and connect during device startup according to a priority list which includes automatic choice, your defined country and your defined AirVPN server
• Smart attempts to bypass OpenVPN blocks featuring protocol and server fail-over
• Full Android TV compatibility including D-Pad support. Mouse emulation is not required.
• Enhancements aimed at increasing accessibility and comfort to visually impaired persons
• AirVPN servers sorting options
• Customizable "Default", "Favorite" and "Forbidden" servers and countries
• OpenVPN mimetype support to import profiles from external applications
• Multiple OpenVPN profile support. The app now imports and manages multiple OpenVPN profiles
• Support for custom bootstrap servers
• Support for favorite and forbidden countries
• AirVPN broadcast messages support
• User's subscription expiration date is shown in login/connection information
• The app is aware of concurrent VPN use. In case another app is granted VPN access,
• Eddie acts accordingly and releases VPN resources
• Optional local networks access. In such case, local network devices are exempted from the VPN and can be accessed within the local devices
• Localization override. User can choose the default language and localization from one of the available ones
• Favorite and forbidden lists can be emptied with a single tap
• Ability to directly select an AirVPN area (country, continent, planet) to connect to
• VPN re connection in case of unexpected OpenVPN disconnection. (It requires VPN Lock to be disabled)
• VPN concurrency management
• Full integration with VPN traffic leaks prevention by system in Android 7 or higher version
• Full compatibility with Android versions from 5.1 up to 13.
• User can generate or save an OpenVPN profile for any AirVPN server or country and save it in the internal OpenVPN profile manager or export it
• On the fly language change allowing to switch language without re-starting application
• Exclusive optional VPN lock in case the device cannot take advantage of Android's VPN direct management (Android 5 and 6)
•  Server scoring algorithm implementing the latest AirVPN balancing factors in order to determine the best server for quick connection
• Network name and extra information are shown along with network type Device network status management
• Fully compatible with Android TV 5.1 and higher versions

Complete changelog: https://gitlab.com/AirVPN/EddieAndroid/-/blob/master/ChangeLog.txt

Kind regards & datalove
AirVPN Staff

[zsam288 36]

Very good, maybe a feature suggestion to have a quick panel quick connection button would be nice (similar to the wireguard app)

[Staff 9973]

2 hours ago, zsam288 said:

Very good, maybe a feature suggestion to have a quick panel quick connection button would be nice (similar to the wireguard app)

Hello! Thanks.

Isn't the big central button on the "Quick connection" view already what you want? You can always reach it with a single tap from any app section except "Settings" which requires two taps.

Kind regards
 

[zsam288 36]

Just now, Staff said:

Hello! Thanks.

Isn't the big central button on the "Quick connection" view already what you want? You cam always reach it with a single tap from any app section except "Settings" which requires two taps.

Kind regards
 

hi, no its something like the attached from the pull down quick settings menu
allot of apps have it (wireguard, bitwarden, openvpn...)

for wire-guard just tapping it connects, which is very useful as it doesn't require opening the app

[Staff 9973]

@zsam288

Understood now, thanks!

Kind regards
 

[zsam288 36]

It's not showing on the android TV playstore? Only manual install possible?
for example wireguard shows in the android tv playstore

[yuracbd 0]

The notification sounds does not work when changing from network or disconnecting. I did change it in the notification settings to default and sound is active.

[Staff 9973]

1 hour ago, zsam288 said:

It's not showing on the android TV playstore? Only manual install possible?
for example wireguard shows in the android tv playstore

Hello!

Correct, you will need to side load as Google doesn't want it for Android TV (new investigation on the reasons will start for the nth time very soon).. Amazon Appstore doesn't have such a problem. Download the APK from our web site, enable in your device external installation, and install the APK through any good file manager.

Kind regards
 

[Staff 9973]

54 minutes ago, yuracbd said:

The notification sounds does not work when changing from network or disconnecting. I did change it in the notification settings to default and sound is active.

Hello!

You describe some actions which do not give birth to a system notification. No system notification implies no sound. If you see an Android notification without a sound in spite of your settings please warn us.

Kind regards
 

[iwih2gk 93]

This app is rocking on my wifi 6 Firestick max's!!  I am just now getting ready to start tweaking for my personal needs.  I love reading about the option to define which apps will use traffic inside and which apps will use my normal Fiber IP ---- sounds like exactly what I need to do.  Whitelist and blacklist are not new to me.

Lets say I am connected but I ONLY want "SmartYouTube" and "Tubi-TVmod-apk" to use Airvpn.  All other Firestick apps will use my Fiber IP in this simple example.  Currently I have to log into AirVpn every time I want to watch the two aforementiond apps. Why?  Prime, Netflix, etc...... at times "middle fingers" VPNs, and these are my legit accounts on my legit IP.

Advise for this simple config so I can observe if this will go like I imagine.

Next, I also notice Wireguard is natively and fully supported on this release.  Going to try it out soon.  For now I stuck with OpenVpn because; why would an old dog want to learn a new trick, LOL!!  Is Wireguard reliably safe not to throw me under the bus by exposing my native IP on apps where it would be less than optimal to have a failure.  Not dodging three letter agencies just want some privacy watching apps such as mentioned above.

Booting at device start, picking exact servers, etc.... all sound excellent.


If any other members are using Firesticks let me tell you this app rocks!!  Easy upload to Firestick via MiXplorer on LAN.  Child's play!

[Staff 9973]

13 hours ago, iwih2gk said:

Lets say I am connected but I ONLY want "SmartYouTube" and "Tubi-TVmod-apk" to use Airvpn.  All other Firestick apps will use my Fiber IP in this simple example. 
Advise for this simple config so I can observe if this will go like I imagine.
 

Hello!

This is a job for Eddie's white list of apps. Enter the apps you mention in the white list and then connect to the VPN. When a white list is defined, Eddie (through the VPNService Android API) will tunnel the traffic only of apps included in the white list. Any other traffic, including system service traffic, will flow outside the tunnel.

We're very glad to know that the app rocks, thank you very much for your feedback!

Kind regards
 

[iwih2gk 93]

On 12/21/2022 at 1:50 PM, Staff said:

Hello!

This is a job for Eddie's white list of apps. Enter the apps you mention in the white list and then connect to the VPN. When a white list is defined, Eddie (through the VPNService Android API) will tunnel the traffic only of apps included in the white list. Any other traffic, including system service traffic, will flow outside the tunnel.

We're very glad to know that the app rocks, thank you very much for your feedback!

Kind regards
 

Yep, I did a few tweaks/settings for my config and its doing exactly what I needed.  I love knowing that apps I select will all go through the VPN for privacy, while not having to worry about any VPN detection on the apps where I pay for service. 
Love the device startup client this 3.0 version uses.  Jury is still out for me on Wireguard but I am playing with it on one Firestick.

AirVpn team  ------------------------- > great job here!!

[masterpnj 0]

When are you going to put it on F-Droid?

Edited ... by masterpnj

[Staff 9973]

2 hours ago, masterpnj said:

When are you going to put it on F-Droid?

Hello!

Not planned, we might re-consider in the next year. In the meantime you can download the APK from our web site, no need for F-Droid or any other repository.

Kind regards
 

[Staff 9973]

11 hours ago, Holden said:

Eddie 3.0 is dropping the connection and logging out several times a day since download. Is there something I should tweak? Android 10

Hello!

Does it happen both with OpenVPN and WireGuard? Can you send us a report showing the issue? In order to do so open the "Log" view and tap the paper plane icon on the top. Eddie will send to us log and logcat and give you back a link to them. Copy the link and send it to us (even in a ticket in private, if you prefer so).

Kind regards
 

[zsam288 36]

Travelling to China soon, is the bootstrap and app working there?

[Staff 9973]

@zsam288

Hello!

Yes, but on most residential lines you must switch to OpenVPN and also force TCP; WireGuard is blocked on every line (as far as we know), while UDP is sometimes blocked, sometimes heavily shaped. Our Eddie Android app recognizes problems and switches modes in an attempt to bypass blocks, but only when it works with OpenVPN (WireGuard has only one possible working mode...) so you need to manually switch to OpenVPN. Also, you may save time by directly forcing TCP and port 443, otherwise the app might not find the correct connection mode. For example, if UDP is heavily shaped but not blocked, the app will never switch to TCP by itself, because an UDP connection is finalized successfully.

[In Eddie Desktop edition you can change connection mode in the "Preferences" > "Protocols" window.]

Have a nice journey and a nice stay!

Kind regards

P.S. To stay on the safe side, and since Tor might be blocked on some lines, bring with you a small list of Tor obfuscated bridges IP addresses that you can configure in Tor Browser + Orbot (Android apps) in case of emergency.


 

[zsam288 36]

Is Eddie for android still under development?
Last update is 1yr ago.

Compared to competitors some useful features are missing.
Such as:
Quick panel connect button (pull down menu)
Auto connect on untrusted networks
Etc.

[Staff 9973]

@zsam288

Hello!

Yes, it is being developed. Thanks for your feedback and suggestions!

Kind regards
 

[Alexei Sator 1]

Another nice addition would be a Material You UI to make the app more modern looking imo

[Alexei Sator 1]

Any update on the android app? It's already 2024 and the last update was on November 30, 2022

[Staff 9973]

3 hours ago, Alexei Sator said:

Any update on the android app? It's already 2024 and the last update was on November 30, 2022

Hello!

A new release is planned during April 2024. Stay tuned!

Kind regards
 

[Alexei Sator 1]

Ok ok thanks for the info I will be using WG tunnel until the update arrives

[~ SK 0]

Is it possible to block all and not tunnel the connections coming from specific apps?
For example.. I need ApplicationA to use direct connection (wifi/mobile data), then ApplicationB to use VPN, then the rest of the apps are blocked/disconnected.

[Staff 9973]

3 hours ago, ~ SK said:

For example.. I need ApplicationA to use direct connection (wifi/mobile data), then ApplicationB to use VPN, then the rest of the apps are blocked/disconnected.

Hello!

It is not possible to force Eddie to block specific apps traffic. It is possible to configure Eddie to have specific apps traffic inside or outside the VPN tunnel (traffic splitting on an application basis).

If it is not possible to kill or uninstall the apps which you want to block, you could consider removing network access permission, through Android settings, from those apps which must be blocked (Android 10 or higher version required). However, please consider that this is a setting which has been eradicated from Android by some Android device manufacturers (presumably to aid and abet profiling and data harvesting). Quick guide:
https://www.digitalcitizen.life/how-block-internet-access-specific-apps-android/

Kind regards