com.android.providers.telephony.auto_generated_characteristics_rro Copy

An automatically build-generated Runtime Resource Overlay (RRO) that targets the telephony provider (com.android.providers.telephony, the store behind SMS, MMS and APN data). RROs change a target package's resource values at runtime without changing its code. The "characteristics" in the name comes from the Android build (Soong): when a target app enables product-characteristics RRO generation, the build emits a package named "<target>__<characteristics>__auto_generated_characteristics_rro" that contains only the target's resources carrying a PRODUCT_CHARACTERISTICS qualifier, selected by the device's product-characteristics value. In other words it is a build artefact that splits out the characteristics-qualified slice of the telephony provider's resources into their own overlay. On this site it is seen signed by Google and by a wide range of OEMs (Samsung, Xiaomi, Nothing, Fairphone, TCL, Zebra and others), since each build generates its own. It has no user interface and is applied by the overlay manager, not launched. The exact contents depend on the build's product characteristics, so this note describes its role rather than any one build's specifics. For Android Enterprise, EMM and kiosk use it has no enrolment or management role. Because it carries the characteristics-selected slice of the telephony provider's resources, disabling it could revert those resource values to the provider's built-in defaults; treat it as caution and test on a single device first. Its presence and contents differ by OEM, build and Android release.

• 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) →
• Package provenance for com.android.providers.telephony.auto_generated_characteristics_rro - Android System App Database →

• Re-signed by each device maker with its own platform key - 15 different certificates appear across 9 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.