Toyph

Toyph is an Android Glyph Toy for Nothing phones. It reads app/src/main/assets/toy-config.json and renders glyphs, scrolling text, effects, transitions, and filters on the 13x13 Glyph Matrix.

Make your first Toyph

If this is your first time here, follow this order:

1. Edit toy-config.json
2. Reuse or create glyphs
3. Reuse or create a font
4. Add effects and filters
5. Install the app on your phone

1. Edit toy-config.json

Toyph decides what to show from this file:

app/src/main/assets/toy-config.json

This is the actual toy-config.json currently checked into the repository:

{
  "version": "1.0.0",
  "defaultTransition": {
    "type": "fade",
    "durationMs": 1000,
    "frameIntervalMs": 50
  },
  "sequence": [
    { "type": "glyph", "path": "glyphs/mandalorian.json", "brightness": 0.5, "displayDurationMs": 10000 },
    { "type": "scrolling_text", "text": "This is the way", "font": "fonts/auraboo.json", "brightness": 0.5, "frameIntervalMs": 50 },
    { "type": "glyph", "path": "glyphs/rebel.json", "brightness": 0.5, "displayDurationMs": 10000 }
  ],
  "effects": [
    { "type": "TRIPLE_SCANLINE", "frameIntervalMs": 50, "trailingIntervalMs": 3000 },
    { "type": "GLITCH_TEAR", "frameIntervalMs": 80, "trailingIntervalMs": 3000 }
  ],
  "filters": [
    { "type": "pip_boy", "value": 0.8 }
  ]
}

What each part means:

• sequence = ordered list of items shown on screen. Each item has a required type and supports an optional transition override.
  • glyph item parameters:
    • type (required): must be "glyph"
    • path (required): glyph JSON path under assets, for example glyphs/rebel.json
    • brightness (optional): 0.0..1.0, default 1.0
    • displayDurationMs (optional): milliseconds to keep the glyph on screen, default 5000
    • transition (optional): same object shape as defaultTransition
  • scrolling_text item parameters:
    • type (required): must be "scrolling_text"
    • text (required): text to render
    • font (required): font JSON path under assets, for example fonts/auraboo.json
    • brightness (optional): 0.0..1.0, default 1.0
    • frameIntervalMs (optional): milliseconds per scroll frame, default 80 (lower = faster)
    • transition (optional): same object shape as defaultTransition
• defaultTransition = fallback transition for sequence item changes.
  • Parameters: type (fade or none), durationMs (default 1000), frameIntervalMs (default 50, clamped to at least 30)
• effects = optional animated overlay list.
  • Each effect uses: type (required), frameIntervalMs (required, clamped to at least 30), trailingIntervalMs (optional rest delay, default 0)
• filters = optional final visual look list.
  • Available filter parameters:
    • brightness: requires value in 0.0..1.0
    • dead_pixels: requires pixels as [[row, col], ...] (zero-based)
    • blur: no extra parameters
    • pip_boy: optional value in 0.0..1.0 (default 0.8)

If sequence, effects, or filters is missing from the file, Toyph treats that section as an empty list.

Fastest first edit: keep the bundled glyphs and font, change only the text, effects, or filters, then install the app.

2. Reuse or create glyphs

Easiest option

As it is released for before May the 4th, the vibes are with droids we are looking for.

Use one of the glyph JSON files already in the repo, for example:

• glyphs/mandalorian.json
• glyphs/rebel.json

Make your own glyph

1. Open the web editor: https://antonvidishchev.github.io/nothing-toyph-notifications/
2. Draw your 13x13 glyph
3. Export it as JSON
4. Save the file into: app/src/main/assets/glyphs/
5. Reference it in toy-config.json:

{
  "type": "glyph",
  "path": "glyphs/myglyph.json",
  "brightness": 1.0,
  "displayDurationMs": 10000
}

3. Reuse or create a font

Easiest option

Use one of the fonts already in the repo:

• fonts/auraboo.json
• fonts/default.json

The bundled Auraboo source font in tools/Auraboo.otf comes from the AurekFonts Auraboo archive. Upstream credits it to Nick Tierce, and the upstream readme.txt says: "This font is Free for All Personal and Commercial Uses."

Make your own font

1. Install Python if you do not already have it
2. Install Pillow:

python -m pip install Pillow

3. Convert a .ttf or .otf font into Toyph JSON:

python tools/font-to-glyph.py --input tools/Auraboo.otf --output app/src/main/assets/fonts/myfont.json --name myfont --char-height 11 --top-margin 1 --bottom-margin 1 --spacing 1

4. Reference the generated font in toy-config.json:

{
  "type": "scrolling_text",
  "text": "HELLO GLYPH",
  "font": "fonts/myfont.json",
  "brightness": 1.0,
  "frameIntervalMs": 80
}

Important: charHeight + topMargin + bottomMargin should add up to 13 so the text fits the 13-row display.

If you want more font-tool options, see tools/README.md.

4. Add effects and filters

You can keep these arrays empty, but the easiest nice-looking setup is to add one effect and one filter.

Available effects

Type	What it does
SCANLINE	Single bright row sweep
TRIPLE_SCANLINE	Three-row sweep
CRT_SHIMMER	Alternating CRT-like shimmer
PHOSPHOR_TRAIL	Sweeping bright trail
GLITCH_TEAR	Short horizontal glitch movement

Available filters

Type	What it does
brightness	Global brightness multiplier
dead_pixels	Turns specific pixels off
blur	Soft blur
pip_boy	Retro green-style look

Example:

"effects": [
  { "type": "TRIPLE_SCANLINE", "frameIntervalMs": 50, "trailingIntervalMs": 3000 }
],
"filters": [
  { "type": "pip_boy", "value": 0.8 }
]

5. Install Toyph on your phone

You do not need to add a real Nothing API key just to try Toyph locally. This repository already uses Nothing's documented debug value test.

1. Install Android Studio

If you do not have Android Studio yet, start here:

• Download Android Studio
• Android Studio installation guide

2. Enable developer mode and USB debugging on your phone

Use the official guide:

• Enable developer options and USB debugging

On most phones that means:

1. Open Settings
2. Open About phone
3. Tap Build number seven times
4. Go back to Developer options
5. Turn on USB debugging

3. Clone the repository

git clone https://github.com/<your-user>/toyph.git
cd toyph

4. Open the project in Android Studio

Open the toyph folder and let Android Studio finish loading and syncing.

If Android Studio asks to install SDK components or accept Gradle settings, accept those prompts.

5. Connect the phone

1. Unlock the phone
2. Connect it with a USB cable
3. Accept the Allow USB debugging prompt if it appears

6. Build and install

From the repository root, run:

# Windows
gradlew.bat installDebug

# macOS / Linux
./gradlew installDebug

7. If Glyph debug access is still blocked

Nothing's Glyph developer docs say you can enable debug access with:

adb shell settings put global nt_glyph_interface_debug_enable 1

This debug mode automatically turns off after 48 hours.

8. Turn Toyph on in phone settings

On the phone, open:

Settings -> Glyph Interface -> Flip to Glyph -> Always-on Glyph Toy

Then choose Toyph from the list.

9. Change and redeploy

After you edit toy-config.json, glyphs, fonts, or code, run installDebug again to update the app on the phone.

10. If you want several Toyphs installed at the same time

If you install Toyph again with the same app ID, Android replaces the old one. To keep multiple Toyph variants on the phone at once, each build needs:

• a different Android app ID
• a different visible toy name

Change the app ID

Edit app/build.gradle.kts and change:

applicationId = "com.toyph.app"

to something unique, for example:

applicationId = "com.toyph.app.mando"

Change the visible Toy name

Edit app/src/main/res/values/strings.xml and change:

<string name="toy_name">Toyph</string>

to something unique, for example:

<string name="toy_name">Toyph Mando</string>

You can also change toy_summary in the same file if you want the entry in the Glyph Toy list to be easier to tell apart.

Then build and install again. Repeat with a new app ID and name for each extra Toyph variant.

Detailed deployment notes

Requirement	Notes
Android Studio or JDK 17	Android Studio is the easiest setup path
Nothing Phone (4a) Pro	Current target hardware
USB cable	Needed to install from your computer
Real Nothing API key	Not required for local debug because this repo already uses test
Python 3.8+	Needed only for font generation tools
Pillow	Needed only for tools/font-to-glyph.py

Project structure

app/
  libs/
    glyph-matrix-sdk-2.0.aar
  src/main/
    AndroidManifest.xml
    assets/
      fonts/
      glyphs/
      toy-config.json
    java/com/toyph/app/
      GlyphToyService.kt
      ToyConfig.kt
      effects/
      filters/
      pipeline/
      sequence/
      transitions/
      util/
    res/
tools/
  font-to-glyph.py
  generate-test-font.py

Development notes

• Every frame is a 13 x 13 matrix flattened to IntArray(169)
• Frame intervals must stay at or above 30ms
• Emulators do not support the GlyphMatrix SDK, so visual verification requires a physical device

Contributing

See CONTRIBUTING.md for contribution guidance for effects, filters, glyph assets, docs, and pipeline changes.

License

Toyph is released under the MIT License.

• Copyright (c) 2026 Anton Vidishchev
• See LICENSE for the full license text
• The bundled Auraboo font source in tools/Auraboo.otf is attributed to Nick Tierce via the AurekFonts Auraboo archive. According to the upstream Auraboo/readme.txt, the font is "Free for All Personal and Commercial Uses."
• The bundled GlyphMatrix SDK AAR remains subject to Nothing Technology's own license terms