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Getting started
- An AYN Thor on its normal (stock) system.
- The Thor setting "Force SELinux" must be off. It is off out of the box, so you normally have nothing to do.
- That's all: no root, no computer, no Shizuku. Wayfinder uses the Thor's own system service (the same one AYN's "Run script as root" uses).
Root and Shizuku are only used as a backup if you already have them. On a rooted Thor your root manager may ask once, and if Shizuku is running it asks for its permission. Saying no is fine to both.
- On the Thor, open the latest release page.
- Download the file called
wayfinder-<version>.apk(it's free). - Open the downloaded file to install it. Android may ask you to allow installs from the app you used to open it (your browser or file manager).
- Open Wayfinder from your app list.
Updating: install the new APK the same way, over the one you have — your settings stay. When a new version is out, a small Update available pill with an orange dot appears next to Ready on Wayfinder's main page; press it to open the release page.
After an update, the Hub asks you once if you want to make Wayfinder simpler (see Features & simple setup). Keep it as it is changes nothing.
Did you use the old beta? The beta was called "Thor Wayfinder". Uninstall it first. Wayfinder 1.0 and later is a new app, and the beta's settings don't carry over.
Every release lists the APK's SHA-256 and the signing certificate's SHA-256. If you want to be sure the file is the real one, compare them on a computer:
certutil -hashfile wayfinder-<version>.apk SHA256 (Windows)
sha256sum wayfinder-<version>.apk (Linux / macOS)
apksigner verify --print-certs wayfinder-<version>.apk (the certificate)
The first time you open Wayfinder, a short tour starts by itself. It sets everything up and teaches you the combos by doing them.
- A = next, B = back. Everything works with the controller.
- You can press Skip the tour on the first page.
- You can replay it any time: More → Help & status → Take the tour.
The tour has these steps:
- Welcome to Wayfinder — what it does.
- What do you want Wayfinder for? — Just switching screens or Everything. See Features & simple setup. You can change it later in More → Features.
- What Wayfinder uses — what access it needs and why (see Privacy & permissions). The next step turns these on — pressing its buttons means you agree.
- Quick setup — a list of checks. Anything that needs a press has a button.
- Hold Home: your combos — hold Home and the list of combos appears.
- Move apps between the screens — try moving an app.
- The controller follows you — send the controller to the bottom screen and back to the top.
- The quick panel — press the AYN button. (This step is skipped if you chose Just switching screens: the AYN button then opens AYN's own drawer.)
- More when you need it — Game controls, Keyboard & mouse, Screenshot (the ones you kept), and where to find the rest.
Practice mode: while you are in the tour, the combos you try are only ticked — nothing really moves. The tour says: "While you practise here, Wayfinder only ticks it — nothing moves."
Each line shows a ✓ when it's fine, or a button when it needs one press:
| When it's fine | When it needs you | Button |
|---|---|---|
| Wayfinder's service is on | Wayfinder's service is off — it does all the work | Turn on |
| Its status notification is on | Its status notification is off — a silent notification that keeps Wayfinder running | Allow |
| Android won't put it to sleep | Android may stop it in the background | Allow |
| Home combos work | AYN's "press Home twice" blocks the Home combos | Turn it off |
| Wayfinder Keyboard is ready | Wayfinder Keyboard isn't the active keyboard | Set up |
| Wayfinder can use the Thor's system service | Wayfinder can't reach the Thor's system service yet | Check again |
| Game controls are on (the input layer) | The input layer is off / starting | Turn on |
With the input layer set to Only games I set up (the default for a new install), the last line counts as fine: the layer starts by itself in the games you set up. Turn on starts the layer and keeps your choice. If it was set to Nowhere, it goes back to where it ran before it was turned off (Everywhere if there's nothing to go back to).
- Accessibility service — required. It lets Wayfinder see which app is on each screen and read the controller. Without it, combos, moving apps and most features don't work.
- A status notification — a silent notification ("Wayfinder — Running — open Wayfinder for settings") that keeps Wayfinder running.
- No battery optimisation — so Android doesn't stop Wayfinder in the background.
- Wayfinder Keyboard — optional, but recommended: it lets you type with the controller, and it keeps the clipboard list (see Keyboard & mouse). Your old keyboard stays available.
When the Thor's system service works, the tour turns these on for you in one press. If it can't, Android's own settings screen opens so you can do it there.
At the top you see Wayfinder — For the AYN Thor, a status pill (and Update available when a new version is out), a Support me on Ko-fi button and Search settings & features.
Under that, a status strip shows, at a glance (until you answer the setup question, its card is there instead — see Features & simple setup):
- Controller — which screen has the controller, and how it moves.
- Battery — level and temperature. (If the input layer should be running but has a problem, this cell shows Game controls with an amber dot instead.)
- On the screens — the app on each screen.
- Brightness — the brightness, and "both on", "top only" or "bottom only".
Then seven cards:
| Card | What's inside |
|---|---|
| Screens | Brightness and the bottom screen. Colour, frame-rate counter and more are under More options. See Screens, brightness & sound. |
| Controller | Combos, the controller test, which screen gets the controller. Face buttons, button names and the input layer are under More options. See The controller. |
| Games | Settings for each game or app. See the Games page. |
| Battery | What the Thor draws now, the charging switches, sleep & standby. See Sleep & battery. |
| Quick panel | The AYN button and the panel's tiles. See Quick panel. This card only shows while the AYN button opens the quick panel. |
| Keyboard | The Wayfinder Keyboard and the Keyboard & mouse settings. See Keyboard & mouse. |
| More | Sound, stick lights, appearance, hints & pop-ups, features and help (list below). |
More holds:
- Sound — volume, the speaker fix, the headphones & Bluetooth EQ, the volume boost. See Screens, brightness & sound.
- Stick lights — see Stick lights. (Not shown when Stick lights is turned off in Features.)
- Appearance — see Appearance.
- Hints & pop-ups — see Appearance.
- Features — make Wayfinder simpler — see Features & simple setup.
- Help & status — the tour, setup, backup, troubleshooting. See Help, troubleshooting & FAQ.
More options: most pages show their main settings first. The others are behind one row, More options. Press it to open them, and Hide to close them again.
One short line per setting: each setting shows one short line. When there's more to read, a small ? shows the rest — touch it, or just move the controller onto the setting.
Choices with many options (four or more) are one row that shows the current choice. Press it to open the list, then pick one; the list closes again.
Tips
- B (or Back) always goes up one level, and the controller lands on the row (or card) you opened the page from. On the Hub's home, it leaves Wayfinder.
- Can't find a setting? Use Search settings & features and type a word like "screenshot", "lock" or "dark". When you open a result, its page opens with More options already open.
The pill next to the title says:
- Ready — Wayfinder's accessibility service is running and Wayfinder can reach a way to run system commands (the Thor's system service, or root or Shizuku if you have them).
- Setup needed — something is missing. Press the button that appears (for example Enable the accessibility service), or open More → Help & status.
Note: "Ready" also counts root or Shizuku. Some features need the Thor's own system service. If moving apps, brightness or sleep do nothing, see Help, troubleshooting & FAQ.
The first time you open a game, Wayfinder shows a small tip for a few seconds: "Your first game with Wayfinder" — your Game controls combo (Home + X by default) for its own buttons, turbo and gyro, and Hold Home for all your combos. It shows only once.
Home + X opens the controls of the game you are playing — even of one game inside an emulator. See Game controls.
- Only want the screen switcher? Features & simple setup
- Learn the combos: The controller
- Move apps between screens: Two screens
- Open the Quick panel with the AYN button: Quick panel
Start
Everyday
Games
Your Thor
Help
Download Wayfinder · Report a bug
This wiki is written with AI help and checked against the app.