com.android.phone.auto_generated_characteristics_rro Copy

A build-generated Runtime Resource Overlay (RRO) targeting the telephony app (com.android.phone), but produced by a different build mechanism to the "_product__" overlays described elsewhere on this site. When a target app enables product-characteristics RRO generation, the Soong build creates an RRO package that contains only those of the target's resources carrying a PRODUCT_CHARACTERISTICS qualifier, and installs that overlay to the product partition. The overlay's manifest is written by a small build tool that names the package "<target package>.auto_generated_characteristics_rro" and marks the overlay static (android:isStatic="true") with a priority of 0, which is exactly the shape of the name seen here. In other words it splits the characteristics-selected slice of the phone app's resources into its own overlay. On this site it is seen signed by Google and by a wide range of OEMs including Samsung, Motorola, Xiaomi, Nothing, Fairphone, Crosscall, TCL and Zebra Technologies, since each build generates its own. It has no user interface and is applied by the overlay manager, not launched. Its exact contents depend on the build's product characteristics, so this note describes its role rather than any one build's specifics. Version note: this is a build artefact whose presence depends on the build opting in to characteristics RRO generation, so it varies by OEM, build and Android release. No specific Android release that changed this overlay's role could be sourced. For Android Enterprise, EMM and kiosk use it has no enrolment or management role. Because it carries the characteristics-selected slice of the phone app's resources, disabling it would leave those resources resolving to the values in the phone app itself; which values those are is build-specific and could not be sourced, so treat it as caution and test on a single device first.

• Change the value of an app's resources at runtime (RROs) - Android Open Source Project →
• Soong app.go - auto_generated_characteristics_rro generation from PRODUCT_CHARACTERISTICS (AOSP build source) →
• characteristics_rro_generator.py - emits the <target>.auto_generated_characteristics_rro manifest package (AOSP build/make source) →
• Package provenance for com.android.phone.auto_generated_characteristics_rro - Android System App Database →

• Re-signed by each device maker with its own platform key - 14 different certificates appear across 8 device makers in our sample. That is the signature of a stock AOSP/system package every OEM builds and signs itself, not a single maker's or a third party's preinstall.
• Never reported as user-facing, so it runs as a background or system component rather than an app the user opens.