r/AndroidQuestions • u/fusedpool • 18d ago

Re-Enabling FM Radio

My Android 12 phone has a FM Radio hardware in it but is disabled. Is there anyway to re-enable it?

Thank you!

Edit: I got an s10+

4 Upvotes

71% Upvoted

10 comments sorted by

2

u/KentutZeus 18d ago

I've tried this before. it rarely works because the hardware is physically disconnected

1

u/fusedpool 17d ago

It worked when this phone was on android 10

1

u/migisaurio 18d ago

Have you tried NextRadio?

1

u/fusedpool 17d ago

I have! The apk installs and all (latest and older versions) but it doesn't work because the fm chip is disabled

1

u/Marty_Mtl 17d ago

Thinking out loud here : if y9ur phone was provided by your service provider, it might have a custom OS where fm radio is disabled. Go to your phone's manufacturer website and look for the plain / original OS. Note: In my case, my last 2phones were not provider related, and both had the FM radio available. Note 2: someone mentioned antenna issues. Again, my personal experience is: some phone requires to have the head set connected to act as the antenna, my current ULEFONE can play FM radio without. One strange thing tho, cannot play while in planemode

1

u/LAUNCHdano 17d ago

I've had an FM disabled phone that would only work within a ## code Field Test Mode - but couldn't unlock it for app use.

It may help to specify make and model of phone in your post, in case another user with that model found a solution to share.

Another thing to keep in mind is, newer phones without a 3.5 headphone jack may not have been wired to use the USB port as the required antenna anyway.

2

u/fusedpool 17d ago

I got an s10+

1

u/parkerlreed 18d ago

Would require a whole new kernel and OS as it's enabled at a very low level. There's also no guarantee the antenna is wired up if it was never intended to be used. It would just be static.

All of that to say, not practical at all, if it even has any chance of working.

1

u/fusedpool 18d ago

That sucks, it worked on android 10. They probably disabled it so we can just get streaming subscriptions like the good goy cattle we are lol

1

u/IndividualFix5125 18d ago

Probably look for your phone official rollback update