SlidePilot

Control your PowerPoint slides from your phone over Bluetooth.
No laptop software needed.

Offline Bluetooth presentation remote for Windows PowerPoint. Java + native XML, API 28–36, no laptop companion, accounts or analytics. Always test your phone with your laptop before presenting in class.

Install

1. Tap Download above and open the latest release.
2. Download the .apk file under Assets on your phone.
3. Open it and allow Install unknown apps if Android asks.
4. Open SlidePilot and follow the pairing steps below.

Features

• Next / Previous slide
• Start from beginning / Start from current slide
• Black screen toggle and End show
• Volume keys as Next / Previous
• Built-in presentation timer
• Local-only diagnostics, no internet permission, no data collection
• Stays connected in the background; a notification shows Connecting / Connected with a Disconnect button
• Confirmation dialogs before Disconnect and End show
• Help screen does not drop the connection

Build configuration:

Item	Version / choice
Language / layouts	Java 17 / native Android XML
Minimum SDK	28 (Android 9)
Compile / target SDK	36 / 36 (Android 16)
Android Gradle Plugin	8.13.2
Gradle wrapper	8.13
SDK Build Tools	AGP default 35.0.0
Runtime dependencies	Android framework only
UI	Framework Material theme, custom rounded ripple resources, day/night palettes

Minimum SDK controls which Android versions can install the app. It does not establish a device-compatibility percentage or guarantee HID firmware support. The compile SDK supplies APIs to the compiler; the target SDK opts into that Android version's behavior rules.

Pair with Windows, then connect HID

1. Turn Bluetooth on on both devices.
2. Open SlidePilot, finish onboarding, allow Nearby Devices, and wait for HID Ready or Not Paired.
3. Tap Pair a new laptop → Make discoverable (the phone stays visible for 2 minutes). Keep SlidePilot open. Do not pair from Android's Bluetooth settings first: on some phones (e.g. TECNO Spark 40) the laptop then remembers the phone without the keyboard service and cannot connect.
4. Windows 11: Settings → Bluetooth & devices → Add device → Bluetooth. Windows 10: Settings → Devices → Bluetooth & other devices → Add Bluetooth or other device → Bluetooth.
5. Select the phone; Windows display the phone's Bluetooth name. Confirm matching codes on both devices. SlidePilot does not intercept or bypass Android's pairing dialog.
6. Return to SlidePilot, tap Choose paired laptop, select your Windows machine, then Connect. The chooser shows all paired devices because device-class labels are not a reliable way to identify Windows. Select the laptop, not a headset.
7. Wait for Connected. Being paired in Android or Windows is not enough.
8. Focus PowerPoint on the laptop. Try Start, Next, Previous, Black Screen, and End before presenting.

If the phone is already paired, skip discoverability and select the laptop directly. An incoming connection from the selected paired laptop can also be accepted. With no selected laptop, the first bonded incoming host can be accepted; no commands are sent until the user presses a control. Once a host is selected, incoming connections from other hosts are rejected.

For classmates: one presenter at a time. Disconnect the previous phone before connecting the next. Everyone can install the same APK and pair their phone, but firmware and Windows adapter support must be checked individually. No presentation file is sent to the phone.

Controls and behavior

Control	Keyboard report
Next	Page Down, usage 0x4E
Previous	Page Up, usage 0x4B
Start	F5, usage 0x3E
From current	Left Shift (0x02) + F5
End, with confirmation	Escape, usage 0x29
Black screen toggle	B, usage 0x05
Volume up / down	Next / Previous, when enabled and the app has focus

Background behavior

The connection stays alive when you press Home or the screen locks, and the notification shows its state. Volume keys work only while SlidePilot is on screen. Tap the notification to return to the app.

The timer is a separate offline stopwatch based on monotonic elapsed time. It continues through temporary backgrounding, preserves state across Activity recreation, and is independent of slide commands. Fresh launches without restored Activity state start at zero. It is not synchronized with PowerPoint.

PowerPoint must have keyboard focus. Shortcut behavior can vary with keyboard layout, PowerPoint mode, or custom shortcuts. Black-screen uses the B key; select an English keyboard layout on Windows if a different layout remaps it. Physical volume routing and haptic feedback can be overridden or disabled by the phone firmware or user settings.

Permissions and privacy

• API 28–30: normal BLUETOOTH and BLUETOOTH_ADMIN permissions, capped at API 30.
• API 31+: runtime BLUETOOTH_CONNECT for paired devices and HID. BLUETOOTH_ADVERTISE only when making the phone discoverable.
• API 33+: POST_NOTIFICATIONS for the connection notification (optional). FOREGROUND_SERVICE and FOREGROUND_SERVICE_CONNECTED_DEVICE keep the connection alive while connecting or connected.
• INTERNET: used only to check for app updates. No presentation data is ever sent.
• No scanning, location, storage, microphone, accessibility-service, or account permissions.
• Preferences store onboarding, the volume-key choice, and the selected host's Bluetooth address only in app-private storage. Backup is disabled. Bluetooth names/addresses are shown locally in the chooser, not logged or uploaded.
• Diagnostics holds up to 120 events in memory and writes the same events to local Android Logcat. Copy is explicitly initiated by you, and includes the phone model/OS version. It does not contain laptop names/addresses or presentation content.

Architecture

• MainActivity.java: XML UI, permissions, paired-device selection, insets, physical keys, timer, and visible lifecycle.
• HidController.java: one session that stays alive while connecting or connected
• KeyboardReport.java: pure Java keyboard descriptor and command mapping.
• Diagnostics.java: bounded local diagnostic events.
• app/src/main/res: all layouts, day/night colors, styles, strings, icons, and ripple backgrounds.
• tools/KeyboardReportTest.java: executable wire-contract test without third-party dependencies.
• SlideService.java: foreground service and status notification while connecting/connected.
• AppUpdateChecker.java: update check.
• HelpActivity.java: help screen.

Troubleshooting

Symptom	Check / action
Bluetooth Off	Use Turn on Bluetooth and accept Android's prompt. No silent adapter toggle is attempted.
Permission required	Allow Nearby Devices. If permanently denied, use App settings → Permissions. Retry after returning.
Unsupported / unavailable	No adapter, proxy request rejected, or HID service timeout. Restart Bluetooth, reboot once, check official firmware updates. A timeout is suggestive, not proof of permanent lack of support.
Registration rejected	Close other Bluetooth keyboard/gamepad/remote apps. Android permits only one registered HID app. Keep SlidePilot open, then retry.
Registration timeout/lost	Check that the screen is visible, unlocked, and not covered by another app. OEM lifecycle restrictions can interfere. Retry; copy diagnostics if repeatable.
Paired but cannot connect	Check Windows Bluetooth is on, disconnect other phone remotes, verify the selected host, retry. If stale HID discovery is suspected, remove the phone/laptop on both ends and pair again with SlidePilot registered.
Connect request rejected or timeout	Check Windows Bluetooth adapter drivers via the laptop manufacturer's official support, restart both radios, and retry. The attempt ends after 20 seconds; wait for the short countdown and press Connect again.
Connected but no slide changes	Click into PowerPoint; verify keyboard shortcuts using the physical laptop keyboard. Try B in an empty Notepad file: one tap should enter one b and stop. Do not test against unsaved important content.
Key seems held	Disconnect SlidePilot or turn off Bluetooth on the phone; use the laptop keyboard to clear the relevant modifier/key, then reconnect. Gather diagnostics. Radio-level delivery cannot be guaranteed.
Volume keys change audio	Enable the toggle, focus SlidePilot, verify Connected. The firmware may reserve volume events; use on-screen buttons. Locked-phone operation is not implemented.
Another classmate cannot connect	Disconnect the prior phone first. Use one active phone remote per laptop.

There is no verified model-specific compatibility list in this delivery. Tested on TECNO Spark 20 and TECNO Spark 40 (Android 15) with Windows. Even identical marketing names can have different chipsets/firmware. No app using only official APIs can enable an OEM-disabled HID Device implementation. A compatible phone or a physical presentation clicker is necessary in that case; this project does not silently switch to a companion application.

Official references

• BluetoothHidDevice API
• HID callbacks
• Bluetooth permissions
• AGP 8.13 compatibility and patch versions

The bundled Gradle wrapper is from the official Gradle v8.13.0 repository. Its license is included in gradle/GRADLE-LICENSE.txt.