[Android] Security check failed

stella.frank
I'm trying to log in on an old ereader I'd like to keep using, running Android 8 (Boyue Likebook, un-updatable). I have installed the apk from zotero website.
I've tried logging in with the app and also in the brower (the boyue native browser). Each time I get "Security check failed. Please try refreshing or using a different browser."

I've just logged in with the same username/password here on my laptop, so the credentials should be good. Can you see what's going on? Is using zotero just not possible on this device?
  • wys-iwyg
    I have the same issue on the same device. I have installed Zotero through Aurora. I have also tried to log in with the EinkBro Browser. EinkBro has Java Script enabled.

    The Likebook (Ares) has a setting to disable Google Frame. Enabling Google Frame doesn't change the outcome.

    Testwise I installed Firefox. Here Cloudflare works, but the verification process needs a moment (~30s-1min). But I can log in.

    Is there a difference how Firefox and the app handle the login process? It is an eInk device running Android 8.0, so it is definetly slower. Does the app not allow for such a long load time?
  • fschober
    Did anybody manage to fix this yet? Quite frustrating to get this app finally installed on an e-ink device, just to fail with login...
  • fschober
    So I digged into this issue and found that the problem is actually Cloudflare's Turnstile. They do not support browsers that are more than five years old. In case of the Zotero App Login Page, it uses the Webview Component that happens to be integrated in the operating system. On up to date smartphones, this would be no problem. But in case of e-ink devices with a somewhat frozen vendor adroid version without playstore, the webview component is also fozen with shipping date - most likely more than five years since.

    The only way this could work is for the Zotero Team to give us an alternative way to log in - e.g. passwordless login via email, which would be a safe, modern way.
    Or you try to replace the stock-webview component of your device. But I don't want to do that.

    @Zotero-Support, can you help us here in any way?

    Reference: https://developers.cloudflare.com/cloudflare-challenges/reference/supported-browsers/
  • dstillman Zotero Team
    edited yesterday at 7:09pm
    The only way this could work is for the Zotero Team to give us an alternative way to log in - e.g. passwordless login via email, which would be a safe, modern way.
    Turnstile isn't for authentication. It's for preventing abuse. A bot could still verify an email address.

    But we can look into providing an option to open the login page in an external browser, so as long as you were still able to install a more modern browser than your system's webview was based on, you could complete the login.

    (Also, "Zotero-Support" isn't a username. We read every post — you don't need to tag a made-up name to get our attention.)
  • fschober
    Thank you for your swift answer and yes, thank you, that would be really great!
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