Can I download an apk of an app I have payed for? So my dilemma is that I paid for Minecraft PE some years ago, but then I deleted my Google Play Store account, and got a new one.

What I'm wondering is if it is okay to download the apk because I'm not paying for it again, and I think it would because technically an apk file is kind of like a rom backup of a cartridge game and those are legal to download if you own a legal version of the game
My issue is that I'm downloading the apk of the newer update then I bought, so is it legal? Since the version of game is different from what I have purchased

Since you have changed the account from the one from which you purchased the app and are now using a different account , you cannot" use the app purchased. Purchases are tied to the account

Use of a product purchased in one account in a different account

Add Google Play Apps from Other Google Account?

As You can see in the discussion, you cannot. Google play purchases are tied to the account from which you have purchased and can't be transferred

Google product forums says the same

Second part of your question is not relevant because you can't use the app purchased under a different account


Play Store can't update apps I have a Xiaomi Redmi 5A with mi-globe MIUI 11 ROM, with Magisk 20.0 root. Yesterday, Play Store updates suddenly stopped working. I checked the logcat and it appears it's trying to link /data/app/com.google.android.apps.photos-Q_Pb6hixcLrelRKL6ammsw==//oat/arm64/base.odex to /data/app/vmdl1427524294.tmp//oat/arm64/base.odex. The "//" directory does not exist of course, but I don't know why is it trying to link. Here is the full logcat:

10-27 15:49:49.350   761  2417 E installd: Failed to link from /data/app/com.google.android.apps.photos-Q_Pb6hixcLrelRKL6ammsw==//oat/arm64/base.odex to /data/app/vmdl1427524294.tmp//oat/arm64/base.odex: No such file or directory
10-27 15:49:49.354  1552  1619 E PackageInstaller: Commit of session 1427524294 failed: Failed to inherit existing install: failed linkOrCreateDir(/oat/arm64/base.odex, /data/app/com.google.android.apps.photos-Q_Pb6hixcLrelRKL6ammsw==, /data/app/vmdl1427524294.tmp): android.os.ServiceSpecificException: Failed to link from /data/app/com.google.android.apps.photos-Q_Pb6hixcLrelRKL6ammsw==//oat/arm64/base.odex to /data/app/vmdl1427524294.tmp//oat/arm64/base.odex (code 2)
10-27 15:49:49.360   761  2417 E         : Couldn't opendir /data/app/vmdl1427524294.tmp: No such file or directory
10-27 15:49:49.360   761  2417 E installd: Failed to delete /data/app/vmdl1427524294.tmp: No such file or directory
10-27 15:49:49.365  3533  3533 E Finsky  : [2] qgv.onReceive(19): Error -506 while installing com.google.android.apps.photos: INSTALL_FAILED_INSUFFICIENT_STORAGE: Failed to inherit existing install: failed linkOrCreateDir(/oat/arm64/base.odex, /data/app/com.google.android.apps.photos-Q_Pb6hixcLrelRKL6ammsw==, /data/app/vmdl1427524294.tmp): android.os.ServiceSpecificException: Failed to link from /data/app/com.google.android.apps.photos-Q_Pb6hixcLrelRKL6ammsw==//oat/arm64/base.odex to /data/app/vmdl1427524294.tmp//oat/arm64/base.odex (code 2)

Backing up the apps' data in data/data then uninstalling and reinstalling them solved my problem, also the next updates worked, but can you help me figuring out why did this happen?


How can I switch on my laptop's camera from my android device? I is there an app wherein I can switch on my laptop camera from my andorid phone, and view the camera output on my phone. I am running windows 7 on my laptop.

Use a chat program like Skype and set it to auto answer when a particular account is the caller.


Simplenote shortcut to open a new note I would like a home screen shortcut that opens a new note in Simplenote. I know I can easily set up a shortcut that opens up to the list of saved notes where I can open a new note by pressing the pen icon in the lower right hand corner.

I want to launch into a fresh new note each time I press on the shortcut.

I have already verified that is not available from the list of activities for standard shortcuts.
I have also searched unsuccessfully for a widget that does this.
In my extremely limited knowledge, I have tried code my own shortcut with a tool called Manual Intent Shortcuts. It seems doable but requires parameters I'm not familiar with. I tried to locate them but don't know where to find (I have tried further apps: Intent Analyser and Clip Intent, and I have decompiled the apk).

But I am still unable to solve my original problem: How to put a shortcut on the home screen that will open a new note in Simplenote?

Thanks in advance to anyone who might have helpful suggestions or a solution.

What this answer would achieve?

A solution for How to put a shortcut on the home screen that will open a new note in Simplenote?
Three more solutions for something much better than Simplenote but meeting the criteria of the question.

Notes

Solutions tested on device with Android 4.2.1 but would work on all Android 4+ and 5+ devices.
Only Method #1 requires root access.

Simplenote has this AndroidManifest.xml and the relevant activity which opens the editor in the app is:

<activity android:name="com.automattic.simplenote.NoteEditorActivity" android:configChanges="1184" android:windowSoftInputMode="2"/>

It is easy to launch an activity using am start <params> but their seems to be no intent registered with this activity, neither it has any export parameter. It's precisely the reason why you ended up writing:

  I have already verified that is not available from the list of activities for standard shortcuts.
  I have also searched unsuccessfully for a widget that does this.

Running this activity on ADB with normal privileges with following command results in permission denial error.

am start -n com.automattic.simplenote/.NoteEditorActivity

Launching it with root privileges simply crashes the app without throwing any error. I couldn't understand any reasoning behind crashing in logcat's output.

Method #1

However, there is an indirect way to launch into Simplenote's editor by using Tasker. Note again that this method will require ROOT access.

See this answer to become familiar with Tasker's normal usage. (The default way of saving things in Tasker is to press back key once you're done with something.)

We'll be creating a task with two actions involving launching Simplenote and executing automatic touch input on the pen icon.

Instructions

Go to Settings → Developer options(see how to enable it) → check Pointer location.

You'll start to see some lines when touching anything on screen, and numbers on the top. Don't panic since it's the feature we just enabled.
Launch Simplenote → touch and hold the pen icon and note down (visible over Notification bar) X:xxx and Y:yyy coordinates.

E.g. In the following image the coordinates are X:457.0 and Y:55.9:

(Click on the image to see larger variant.)

You can now disable the Pointer location.
Install and launch Tasker → tap Menu key → Enable.
Create a task under Task and an action under it through + → App → Launch App → Simplenote and leave the rest fields untouched.
Create an another action in the same task through + → Code →Run Shell. Enter following details and leave the rest fields untouched.

Command: input touchscreen tap xxx yyy -- fill xxx and yyy from what you noted down.
Check Use Root.

Try executing these actions by tapping play icon (at bottom).
Go to your Home Launcher → App drawer → Widgets. Otherwise, go to similar "add widget" option available in your launcher/device.
Choose the widget Task Shortcut → select your task → tap the the square icon (made of 3x3 small boxes) at the bottom → choose an icon, and a shortcut will be created on your home screen with the name of the task. You may have to follow +- few steps to get this done in your launcher.

Tap the shortcut and you will see the editor of Simplenote. :)

Note: On my device executing the shortcut first time only launched SimpleNote since auto-input executed before the pen icon was visible on the screen, and Time-out parameter in Tasker seems to have no effect. However, once SimpleNote shows up in recent list the solution works flawlessly. It is also possible that my device being old is slow in executing Simplenote swiftly.

Method #2

I found an alternative to Simplenote named Notes which has similar features and interface. It also easily allows to create the desired shortcut.

Solution 2.1

Notes app has a widget available to get the job done. We'll use it here.

Instructions

Go to your Home Launcher → App drawer → Widgets. Otherwise, go to similar "add widget" option available in your launcher/device.
Choose the widget New note and a shortcut would be created on your home screen with the name of the task. You may have to follow +- few steps to get this done in your launcher.

Here we go, simple and easy new shortcut to open a new note every time it is executed.

Solution 2.2

We'll be using a very handy shortcut creator app for launching editor of Notes.

Note that there may already be an icon of the Notes app on your Home Screen if you have default settings in Play Store. It is optional but better to delete that shortcut before proceeding for any step in this solution to avoid confusion with the new shortcut having the same name and icon.

Instructions

Install and launch QuickShortcutMaker.
Under Activities scroll to Notes → tap it and select the entry listing:

Notes
Edit note
nl.jacobras.notes/
nl.jacobras.notes.activities.EditNoteActivity

You may tweak it such as changing the icon if you ignored Note before these instructions, then select Create at the bottom. You'll be taken back to home screen which would be having a new shortcut with name Notes and icon of the same app.

Now every time you launch this shortcut you'll find the editor window for a new note. Good work!

Solution 2.3

If QuickShortcutMaker doesn't work on your device as intended (not updated since 2014) then we'll use the Tasker.

See this answer to become familiar with Tasker's normal usage. (The default way of saving things in Tasker is to press back key once you're done with something.)

The goal is to create a shortcut through a task which will be launched by a shortcut available as a Tasker Widget.

Instructions

Install and launch Tasker → tap Menu key → Enable.
Create a task under Task and an action under it through + → System → Send intent. Edit only the following fields only (taken from its AndroidManifest.xml):

Cat: None
Mime Type: text/plain
Package: nl.jacobras.notes
Target: Activity

Try executing the action by tapping play icon (at bottom).
Go to your Home Launcher → App drawer → Widgets. Otherwise, go to similar "add widget" option available in your launcher/device.
Choose the widget Task Shortcut → select your task → tap the the square icon (made of 3x3 small boxes) at the bottom → choose an icon, press back key and a shortcut would be created on your home screen with the name of the task. You may have to follow +- few steps to get this done in your launcher.

Now every time you launch this shortcut you'll find the editor window for a new note. Happy editing!

Status: Objective Completed!


Support for Ultra High Speed MicroSD cards I am going to buy a new MicroSD card for my Motorola Milestone. The phone has Cyanogenmod 7. The upper limit as told by the manufacturer is 32GB, and because they got cheaper now, I'm going to buy the maximum possible. However, there are those new types of cards called “Ultra High Speed” which, I believe, weren't available when the phone came out.

Questions: Will those cards work with my device? Do they need any special support from the OS? Will I benefit from extra speed?

Will those cards work with my device?

Yes, I believe SDHC UHS-I (Ultra High Speed) cards are backwards compatible and will "work" in an SDHC only device (that the Motorola Milestone appears to be).

  Do they need any special support from the OS?

Yes, in order to operate at the advertised higher speeds. "Use of UHS requires that the host device command the card to drop from 3.3-volt to 1.8-volt operation and select the 4-bit transfer mode." Wikipedia - Secure Digital

  Will I benefit from extra speed?

No, it will work like an ordinary SDHC Class 10 card.


Wi-Fi turned off but battery usage shows shows huge drain from it I have a problem with my Galaxy S3 4G. It's currently all stock and running Android 4.4.4.

It seems the Wi-Fi will not turn off i.e. I can turn it "off" in the settings or notification bar, and this will stop Wi-Fi from being connected and device uses my mobile data instead, however in the battery menu the Wi-Fi is still being shown as on, even when it's turned off.

As you can see in the attached image, it's draining my battery really fast, and will only turn off when the device is in flight mode. I've checked and cannot see any rogue apps causing this, but after searching online and checking all option menus I seem unable to fix this problem.

Is there any way to stop this, save for a factory reset? Is this a KitKat wide problem, or just on my phone?

(Click image to enlarge)

This is a common misconception with Android. When you turn off Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi does not actually turn off. There is an advanced settings menu where you will find an option that either says Wi-Fi scanning or Wi-Fi always on. Google uses Wi-Fi points to determine the device's location without activating the GPS.

Turn Wi-Fi scanning off to fix this. You might want to turn off Wi-Fi while asleep while your at it. It's in the same menu.

(Click image to enlarge)

Edit: In Android 6.0 (Marshmallow), this option has been moved. It is now located in Location > (Overflow menu) > Scanning (Thanks, nanny)


Why LG GT540 after boot it disconnects with ADB Why when my phone LG GT540 is running and seen by ADB after bootup it disconnects (not from PC just from ADB, as PC still can see it it Device Manager) after few seconds after bootup sequence?

The problem is occuring only with GT540, tested other device - HTC - works fine.

The key could be USB drivers, but tried many of them official and handmade.

Also I've tried running phone in "Recovery" or "Safe" Mode - when LG firmware updated my phone via USB with no major problems with connection, hovewer I cant use ADB over this "Safe" mode, can't I?

Some people have had their device turn on the mass storage mode by itself.

Verify that you haven't enabled Mass storage only mode in Settings -> SD Card & storage -> Mass storage only, then reconnect & restart adb daemon.


Impact of removing the launcher from Android device I have two Samsung rooted devices and I'm thinking of removing the TouchWiz. What would be the implications of leaving the device without a Launcher? If I install a new app that acts as Home/Launcher aplication will it be set automatically as the default Launcher?

Thanks for the answers and comments,

Touchwiz is not just the launcher, it is an entire framework they have built into Android. It controls the notifications, the settings, the whole OS is basically Touchwiz throughout.
Samsung do not provide the stock launcher with the device (Like old HTC devices used to) so if you remove it you will just have no launcher, no way to open apps etc. You could just install Apex, Nova, Google Now or whatever launcher before doing this, and freeze the launcher rather than completely delete it to ensure there is no unexpected outcome(s). Generally it will either default to whatever launcher is installed, or it will give you the 'Choose your launcher' screen where you can accept whatever one you want and click "Once only" or "Always" as you do with other apps.
As Touchwiz is the framework, you would need to remove the whole ROM from the device and install a Non-Touchwiz ROM like AOSP, CyaongenMod, Google Play Edition (if your device has one) and so on.

Note: any changing of frameworks in Android can completely brick your device, so proceed with caution and make nandroid backups! You can never have too many backups!
Note 2: you could remove all of Touchwiz and rebuild the ROM, but that would be way outside the remit of this site. It would probably be reinventing the wheel anyway and there are plenty of AOSP ROMs about.


What is "Detach from Market"? What does it do? What is "Detach from Market" in Titanium Backup? What does it do?

As Titanium Backup Technical FAQ states: This option tells the Market that you do not want to update a specific app.

This option is especially useful if you need to unlink wrongly linked Android apps from Play Store, as this article explains.


How to export bookmark list from stock android(ICS) browser to pc I have been using the stock browser which came with the phone for awhile and it has been really useful. Currently I have a large number of articles I have bookmarked that I would somehow like to get on my PC. I tried to use the "share" functionality but it allows you to share only one link at a time, and I have over 50 articles. Is there any way to export the entire list?

Using  "Bookmarks Sort and Backup"
you can copy your bookmarks from the default Android Browser to your SD Card Directory ( /mnt/sdcard/BookmarkSB/ ).   The filename will include a datetimestamp so you can easily tell which file you just created.  They  are regular bookmarks.html  formatted  Netscape bookmarks files that can be imported into any browser or viewed in any browser.

You can view the file with any File Explorer app by opening the folder  BookmarkSB  (/mnt/sdcard/BookmarkSB/) then open the file you just created with Browser or any other browser.

One way to copy the created file to your PC:
You can use an app such as "3CX Droid Desktop"
Download the file from your tablet to your PC.

Invoke 3CX Droid on tablet,
open the url in a browser on your PC   i.e.  http://192.168.0.xxx:8080
then in File Explorer within 3CX Droid viewed on your PC, open the folder on the tablet select your file,
then use 'download' on the 3CS Droid File Explorer menu  which will save your file on the downloads folder used by your browser,  the shortcut to view your downloaded files is probably "Ctrl+J" on your PC.
Open the HTML bookmarks file

FWIW  if you were to import into another Android browser that cannot sort bookmarks you would want to sort bookmarks in your default browser in reverse order before you export.  Rearranging bookmarks one bookmark  at a time would be very tedious.   This is assuming that import inserts them  one at a time at the top of your bookmarks instead of at the bottom.


How to find out which file system is used by my device? How do I find out which file system is used by my device's /system, /data and other partitions?

DiskInfo displays this information (among other things) when you select a partition to view its details. Works with the internal partitions on my Nexus 5, but should also support external SD cards and the like:


Deleting Auto complete email addresses gmail app I have a common contact with an old email address that keeps popping up on autocomplete when I send an email with my Gmail application. The contact for this person does not contain this email address and I have searched the desktop version of the contact as well and it's not there. How do I delete this old outdated email address from autocomplete on my Gmail application for my Android?

Thanks

Gmail autocompletes email addresses based both on previous communication and Google Contacts.

You should edit the contact in question to remove the old email address from their contact entry on Google Contacts, or in the Contacts app of your device, and if that doesn't work go into Settings - Apps and find Gmail and Clear Data on the app. Be aware that that this will erase all emails and data for Gmail that are stored locally on your device, it will not delete Gmail on the server, and it will be resynced to the device after you open the app again, but if you use Gmail for POP3 email access those emails may not be stored on the server and should be backed up first.


Nova launcher sometimes doesn't start I installed the free version of the Nova Launcher about a week ago and it worked like a charm. But sometime later, after I close an app, the default TouchWiz UI appears instead of Nova. I usually open an app and close it again so that I get the Nova Launcher. I am using a Galaxy S4

Try going under apps in the settings. Find the touchwiz launcher in the list. There should be an option to clear defaults. This should fix your problem. If the problem persists, try reinstalling Nova.


Change Screen Timeout to Never Is it possible that I can change my screen timeout to never? I am using Nexus S. Currently, the maximum value I can set for screen timeout through settings is 30 minutes.

You can set it to stay on as long as it's plugged in.  To do that go to Menu -> Settings -> Applications -> Development and choose Stay Awake.


How do I rid my Xperia phone from grey right leaning bell like shape in chats on WhatsApp This symbol keeps two names at the top of my chats list on WhatsApp.

This feature is called 'Pin Chat'. It pins your chat to the top most and the grey pin icon implies that 'that' chat is pinned. To unpin the chat from top , simply press and hold the chat in the CHATS screen. Now an option bar will show up on the title bar. Select the first icon to unpin the chat from top. Hope it helps.


Reducing notification frequency I would like to find a way to reduce the global number of notification sounds my phone (4.0) plays, setting a maximum number of plays per minute to avoid multiple applications sending a bunch of noisy messages.

Is there a way to do this?

Not really, no. It's generally up to each individual app to control how often it checks for updates and raises notifications. Not all apps allow you to control that (except, of course, for turning off notifications for that app altogether.)


What Android version promises changes with regards to fast security patches? I've heard that an upcoming, or recent version of Android has separated the OS from the hardware specific parts, promising much faster security and minor updates for the user.

What version is this?  And are the changes so significant that a buyer should consider waiting until that version is available in phones?

From what you described you probably meant Project Treble.

  The Android 8.0 release includes Project Treble, a major re-architect of the Android OS framework designed to make it easier, faster, and less costly for manufacturers to update devices to a new version of Android. Treble is for all new devices launching with Android 8.0 and beyond.

Per the above quote, any device shipping with Android 8.0 or above (Oreo) must support Treble. However, devices shipping with a lower Android version and subsequently updated to Oreo are not mandated to support Treble.

As the launch of Android P draws near, almost all newly released devices ship with Oreo, so you don't have to take the factor into consideration; however, if you're eyeing older devices, then be sure to research whether it ships with Oreo, and if not, whether it supports Treble after updating to Oreo.

As for how significant Treble is, personally I'd say not so much. Just because it's easier to do doesn't mean that manufacturers are inclined to do it, especially for lower-end devices that don't bring forth good margin. Also, manufacturers still have to take care of their own skins and additions; carriers still take their time to review updates (and add bloat?) before pushing them out.


How is the internal storage of the Galaxy S III allocated? I've noticed that Verizon offers 2 versions of the Galaxy S3: 16 GB and 32 GB. I'm trying to determine if it would be worthwhile to get the larger storage.

Is the device storage an extension of the primary device memory, or is it treated as a separate memory area that can only be used for data storage (similar to an SD card) but not for running programs?

Some site disassembling the Galaxy S III states a 16GB flash, seems to be the 16GB version. If that's true, I would imagine the 32GB version has a 32GB flash, that's an internal storage.

The tech is MoviNAND that's just work like an MMC card, but it is mounted as the internal storage for Samsung's devices.


How to flash ROM on Moto E2 XT1524 How would I flash this ROM:

XT1524_RETEUALL_MOTOE2(4G-LTE)_5.0.2_LXI22.50-13_cid7_subsidy-DEFAULT_CFC.xml.zip

From

https://firmware.center/firmware/Motorola/Moto%20E%20%282nd%20gen-2015%29/Stock/XT1524/XT1524_RETEUALL_MOTOE2%284G-LTE%29_5.0.2_LXI22.50-13_cid7_subsidy-DEFAULT_CFC.xml.zip

On A Moto E2 XT1524

Moto factory firmware images are flashed with fastboot, not recovery, so you need to do some homework/setup first. Be aware that downgrading a Moto device, while sometimes possible, is NOT supported and can result in a bricked device. You must use a factory image that is the same or newer version than you have installed already.

** BACKUP ANY IMPORTANT DATA - EVERYTHING WILL BE LOST **
** Enable OEM Unlocking in Developer Settings PRIOR to starting **

Backup is self explanatory. By enabling OEM Unlocking you are giving yourself an out, if something goes really wrong you have the option of unlocking the bootloader to correct it which is not possible if this switch is not set prior to starting.

If you are using Windows, you will need to install the proper drivers (Google can help you with this, I use Linux so drivers for Android devices are not relevant). Then you will need fastboot on your computer, you can get it from Google as part of the Android Studio package, Minimal ADB and Fastboot package, or if using Linux it is part of most distrobution's repositories.

Next extract the ZIP you linked above to your fastboot directory and shut down your phone. Startup your phone while holding the VOL DOWN button, you should get to the bootloader screen (if not, try again), then connect the USB cable and open a terminal or command window and enter the command:

fastboot devices

If you get a response similar to "List of devices: SomeLongString fastboot" you are ready to begin the flashing process. Enter each command individually ONE AT A TIME and verify each step results in a result of "Okay", if any step fails repeat it up to 2 additional times (modems frequently do not take the first time)

fastboot oem fb_mode_set
fastboot flash partition gpt.bin
fastboot flash logo logo.bin
fastboot flash boot boot.img
fastboot flash recovery recovery.img
fastboot flash system system.img_sparsechunk.0
fastboot flash system system.img_sparsechunk.1
fastboot flash system system.img_sparsechunk.2
fastboot flash system system.img_sparsechunk.3
fastboot flash system system.img_sparsechunk.4
fastboot flash system system.img_sparsechunk.5
fastboot flash modem NON-HLOS.bin
fastboot erase modemst1
fastboot erase modemst2
fastboot flash fsg fsg.mbn
fastboot erase carrier
fastboot erase cache
fastboot erase userdata
fastboot oem fb_mode_clear
fastboot reboot

(Every recent Moto Android device uses this same process, it is derived from the contents of flashfile.xml that is contained within the factory firmware image itself and used by Moto's factory flashing tool)

The first boot may take a significant amount of time, 10-20 minutes even, just let it work and do not interrupt it.

Be aware that there additional resources for this on XDA in their Moto E 2015 General Discussion area, including threads specifically for firmware images and flashing instructions.


Does Google Nexus 7 LTE has the integrated Portable Wi-Fi hotspot? The unlocked Google Nexus phones famously have the Portable Wi-Fi hotspot feature integrated right within the phone, and available for anyone's use, per my understanding, regardless of carrier support.

What about the tablets?  Would the 2013 Nexus 7 LTE tablet have a similar feature, similarly not being tied up to any carrier?

Disclaimer: I do not own a Nexus. So the answer does come from internet sources (XDA).
As per this thread these are some of the responses from the owners which indicates that the Portable Wi-Fi Hotspot settings is indeed present in the settings.

The option for hotspot tether is there both before and after the system update.
Nexus 7 FHD LTE with T-Mobile sim has Tethering & Hotspot available but not with newly activated AT&T data plan sim. The Tethering feature disappeared in setting. When I re-insert T-Mobile sim that comes with the tablet, the mobile hotspot is available again in the settings.

So, it is safe to assume, only if your carrier allows tethering or you have a tethering plan the option will appear in the settings menu.


Check if app uses in-app purchase What is the easiest way to check whether an app uses in-app purchase? Is there a mark in the Play store or a permission to look for after I installed the app?

There is a special permission for Google Billing (technical name: com.android.vending.BILLING), which is required if the app wants to use Google's billing system. So if this permission is requested by an app, it most likely uses some in-app-payment (why else should it request this permission).

However: the absence of this permission does not necessarily mean there is no in-app-payment used with an app, as there are other means of accomplishing the like (e.g. premium SMS, or calls to some premium numbers). But if an app requests neither to send SMS, make calls, access the Internet, nor Google Billing, I know of no way it could accomplish in-app-billing without the user really actively doing something, like buying a gift-card and entering the code.


Android "loses" a game I installed this game via APK on my Chinese tablet "Infotmic M799CA", created a desktop shortcut for it and noticed that after a (very frequent) device hang with consequent reboot, the game gets lost.

Tapping on the desktop icon says "Application not installed". I have to reinstall it again to make it work.

I found this happening only with this software. Any ideas about how to prevent it?

This most likely a problem with the program itself. Try sending in your issue to the actual developer team. Also most likely you can say force stop on the application instead of deleting and reinstalling.


Disable all blackground apps when using some apps (possibly with Tasker) Is there a way to disable all background apps (gmail, google notifications, messaging apps, etc...) when a certain/any app is running? I would like to do this because I play a certain game (Sine Line) which requires you to press the screen for short periods of time, in a very controlled manner, and any lag kills me.

I assume this could be useful for other resource-intensive apps, such as maps/gps, or image editing.

Either disabling/killing background apps when a certain or any app is running are acceptable solutions. Tasker is also acceptable, however Tasker itself is quite resource-intensive so avoiding it would be best.

Thanks

You can do so by forcing the system to limite background processes. Open the Settings > Developers Options > Limite background processes and select No background process.

If Developers Options is not enabled (on Android 4.4.2 and above), enable it at Settings > About phone > Tape 7 times on Build number > Go back to Settings, the option should be on.


Soft Bricked Nexus 6P Back in 2015, I rooted my HTC One M7. It was an adventure; I messed up along the way, soft-bricking my phone. Eventually, though, I managed to get it working again. That was five years ago. So, I might as well have never tried to root a phone, because I've now soft bricked my Nexus 6P—and I don't know how to bring it back to working order. I seem to only ever know just enough to be dangerous.
On the Nexus 6P, the problem is that the phone hangs on the Google logo screen. However, I can boot into the bootloader and get into recovery. I've got TWRP 3.4.0.0 already flashed.
ADB does not recognize the device in the bootloader. It only recognizes the device when it is in TWRP. I am using PowerShell in Windows 10 as my terminal.
Everything went bad when tried to flash SuperSU-v2.82-201705271822. While I had done a factory reset before attempting this, the phone only reset to Android 8.1.0, the earliest build of which was 12-2018. Since the SuperSU I attempted to flash looks to have been from 05-2017 ... well ... my bad. Clearly. Rookie mistake.
This seems fixable, though. I just don't know how to fix it.
My error appears to have blitzed my OS entirely. In TWRP, if I look at the 'sdcard' partition, the only directory is TWRP. None of the Android file folders are there (Downloads, Pictures, etc.). Yet, at the level where 'sdcard' is listed, all the system directories seem to be intact.
Further, if I run 'adb shell su' in PowerShell, I get "su: not found", so my root attempt obviously failed.
In sum:

I have an unlocked bootloader
Device unrecognized by ADB except in TWRP recovery
I am not root
I seem to have no OS (but the directory structure above the 'sdcard' level seems intact)

I tried sideloading a factory *.zip from Google, but I can't do it from PowerShell with the phone unrecognized by ADB. I then tried using the TWRP ADB sideload option, but was told that my *.zip was invalid when I tried it (should I not have tried flashing the whole angler-[etc].zip?).
On XDA, I'm finding a lot of information, but it's not been helpful to me. This seems like a simple issue with a simple solution, but it's one of those "clear only if learned" scenarios, and I haven't learned.
As such, I just need some hand-holding for how to get back to a working OS. It seems that, for things being bad, they're not really that bad. If I just knew what to do and how to do it, I could get out of this pickle. If someone could teach me how to get out of this mess, I'd appreciate it.
Thanks.

I don't have a full answer for you Ican only help with the issue of your device not being recognized. But since I can't comment I will answer instead.
For your problem with your PC not recognizing your device. When your device is in fastboot mode, and connected to your PC. Goto device manager, there should be an item that matches your device that has a yellow mark showing it needs attention. Update the driver for that item and select the adb driver this should make your PC recognize your device.
This assumes you have the adb drivers installed on tour PC.


my phone won't reboot from fastboot mode it keeps coming back to fastboot mode I wanted to flash recovery.img in my phone but I accidentally flashed boot.img and now my phone is stuck in fastboot mode.

Download stock boot.img for your phone and flash it using same command


How to get rid of Sprint's notifications for ad-supported voicemail On my Galaxy S4 (Sprint), I regularly get a voicemail icon in my notification bar with the message:

  With this update, you will be able to enjoy premium Ad-supported features such as inline playback and auto forward to email.

I have no interest in "enjoying" these features, and I cannot figure out how to make it go away.

"Allow automatic updating" is not not checked.
I have no messages that haven't been listened to.
I do not want to disable all notifications from the voicemail application, as I would  like to be notified when I have messages.
Clearing the notification makes it go away for anywhere from 5 minutes to a day, but it always comes back.

Is there any way that I can disable this specific message?

Accept the update, it doesn't charge you unless you subscribe to the premium package. Aside from that, you could decompile the apk and remove the push notification for updates.


How to display the on screen keyboard when Bluetooth keyboard is connected I use a Bluetooth keyboard with a variety of Android devices. Most versions of Android (below 4.2.2) when the external keyboard is connected the on-screen keyboard is still available.

When I pair the Bluetooth keyboard to a Nexus 7 running Android 4.2.2 the on screen keyboard is disabled. I cannot find a way to enable the on-screen keyboard from the tablet.

Some Bluetooth keyboards include an 'eject' button which toggles the on-screen keyboard. I'm concerned about the times that I'm far enough from the Bluetooth keyboard that I can't reach it but still within Bluetooth range and I can't type on the screen.

Is there a way on an Android 4.2.2 (or higher) device to enable the on-screen keyboard while a Bluetooth keyboard is connected?

I was testing ways to toggle the on-screen keyboard. In Android 4.2.2 on a Nexus 7 I had to go through the following steps to toggle the on-screen keyboard from the tablet while a Bluetooth keyboard is connected:

To activate the "Choose Input Method" notification you need to have multiple keyboards available. On a stock Nexus 7 you can go into Settings then "Language and Input". Under "Keyboard & Input Methods" check the box next to another keyboard like the "iWnn IME Emoji input" or "Google Pinyin Input".
(Optional) If you don't have any other keyboards available you can install a 3rd party keyboard from the Play Store like the NullKeyboard or AnySoftKeyboard. Back in the Language and Input Settings check the checkbox next to the 3rd party keyboard you installed. Read the warning message and click OK if you agree.
Go to any text input box
A new notification appears in your notification bar (top left) labeled "Choose Input Method", tap the notification (not Select Keyboard Layout)
The first item in the "Choose Input Method" popup is "Hardware" with an on/off slider, choose "Off"
Use the radio buttons below to choose your software keyboard (I chose the Google Keyboard)
Tap the back button and the on-screen keyboard appears.
The Bluetooth keyboard is still functional.


export multiple WhatsApp conversations to .txt or .csv format I need to export a lot of different conversations, they are not very old, maximum 1200 messages. However, the WhatsApp export tool only allows me to do it one by one, is there any way to do it faster?

regards

The manual way of doing that is

> To email your chat history, follow these steps:
> 1. Open the chat you want to send by email.
> 2. Touch More options.
> 3. Touch More.
> 4. Tap Export chat.
> 5. Choose NO FILES or INCLUDE FILES.
> 6. Select the onedrive application and load. The email will be sent as a text. When the history is sent with attachments, only the most
> recent 10,000 messages are sent. Without files, you can send up to
> 40,000 most recent messages. These restrictions are due to the maximum
> size of the email.


Deleting a contact in Phonebook While trying to delete a contact from my Samsung Galaxy phonebook, it tells me that it can't delete it since it as 'This contact contains info from multiple accounts. Information from read-only accounts will be hidden in your contacts list, not deleted'

What are they talking about and why can my decision to delete the contact not override this stupid message?

Is it only that contact that shows that problem? If yes I suggest you call your network provider and ask them of the details of the number. If it proves abortive then you have to backup your contacts and hard reset the phone.


I deleted/disabled my calendar on Galaxy S3 I used the CleanMaster app on my Galaxy S3 to disable apps I do not use.
I then accidently deleted my calendar.
When I want to add an event, I get a noticification: 'You must at least have one calenar activated under My Calendars. Do you want to open the calendar list?'
When I hit OK, I just get the blank calendar list.
I have now also downloaded the 'Business Calendar' app - but this also notifies me that I have no calendars selected.
How do I reinstall or reactive my calendar then?

I had the same problem. It's easy to fix:

Go to settings/more/application manager
swipe left to get to "disabled"
Click on "calendar storage"
click "enable"

All your calendar entries should now re-appear.


should you be on a tablet when its charging? is it OK for the battery if you keep using the tablet while it's charging? And should you stop charging when it's fully charged.

Yes, you can use a tablet while it is charging. But, if you do something cpu intense (like 3d game) it can become a little hot.

No, you don't need to stop charging when fully charged. The tablet will make sure you don't overcharge.


WPS Server on Android Would it be possible to emulate a Wi-Fi Protected Setup Server protocol on an Android device?

This way when using the device as a portable Hotspot, I could use a strong password and allow clients to connect using the WPS push button feature.

Needs to add the string (wps_state, eap_server) in the following files

system/netd/server/SoftapController.cpp

int SoftapController::setSoftap(int argc, char *argv[])
{
int hidden = 0;
int channel = AP_CHANNEL_DEFAULT;

int wps_state = 2;

if (argc < 5) {
ALOGE("Softap set is missing arguments. Please use:");
ALOGE("softap <wlan iface> <SSID> <hidden/broadcast> <channel> <wpa2?-psk|open> <passphrase>");
return ResponseCode::CommandSyntaxError;
}

if (!strcasecmp(argv[4], "hidden"))
hidden = 1;

if (argc >= 5) {
channel = atoi(argv[5]);
if (channel <= 0)
channel = AP_CHANNEL_DEFAULT;
}

std::string wbuf(StringPrintf("interface=%s\n"
"driver=nl80211\n"
"ctrl_interface=/data/misc/wifi/hostapd\n"
"ssid=%s\n"
"channel=%d\n"
"ieee80211n=1\n"
"hw_mode=%c\n"
"ignore_broadcast_ssid=%d, **eap_server = 1, wps_state = %d**\n",
argv[2], argv[3], channel, (channel <= 14) ? 'g' : 'a', hidden,**wps_state**));

std::string fbuf;
if (argc > 7) {
char psk_str[2*SHA256_DIGEST_LENGTH+1];
if (!strcmp(argv[6], "wpa-psk")) {
if (!generatePsk(argv[3], argv[7], psk_str)) {
return ResponseCode::OperationFailed;
}
fbuf = StringPrintf("%swpa=3\nwpa_pairwise=TKIP CCMP\nwpa_psk=%s\n", wbuf.c_str(), psk_str);
} else if (!strcmp(argv[6], "wpa2-psk")) {
if (!generatePsk(argv[3], argv[7], psk_str)) {
return ResponseCode::OperationFailed;
}
fbuf = StringPrintf("%swpa=2\nrsn_pairwise=CCMP\nwpa_psk=%s\n", wbuf.c_str(), psk_str);
} else if (!strcmp(argv[6], "open")) {

fbuf = wbuf;
}
} else if (argc > 6) {
if (!strcmp(argv[6], "open")) {
fbuf = wbuf;
}
} else {
fbuf = wbuf;
}

if (!WriteStringToFile(fbuf, HOSTAPD_CONF_FILE, 0660, AID_SYSTEM, AID_WIFI)) {
ALOGE("Cannot write to \"%s\": %s", HOSTAPD_CONF_FILE, strerror(errno));
return ResponseCode::OperationFailed;
}
return ResponseCode::SoftapStatusResult;
}

Testing

hostapd_cli  wps_pbc


Samsung Galaxy S3 WiFi Connectivity Problems with SOME Wireless Networks I have a new Samsung Galaxy S3 that plays well with my wireless network at home and elsewhere but has major connectivity issues with the wireless network in my office. Nobody else has problems and I never had problems when I used to have an iPhone. I don't want to get into the technical details of the network setup, I just want to know what things I can try to fix this. It acts like it has a strong connection and the up and down green arrows seem to blink when they are supposed to, but apps seem to have intermittent connectivity at best. I've tried changing all the advanced settings under "Advanced Wi-Fi" and even tried going into service mode and disabling Wi-Fi power saving. Anything else I can try?

I have my own Galaxy S3 and I found that this solution worked great for me:

  Go to your GS3’s dialer and dial *#0011#
  Now you have to hit the left menu button when you see the “service mode” screen
  Choose WiFi
  Turn off the “WiFi power save mode” button if its on
  Now exit this menu. Turn off and turn on your WiFi. Re-enter the network info if you have already entered it before.


How do I root my Azpen A727 tablet? How do I root my Azpen A727 tablet?

I learned how to do this from here

I did this from a Linux PC with ADB installed.  It may be possible from a Windows PC with ADB installed but I could never get the tablet to connect as an installer over USB on Windows.

  Turns out it was dead simple, really, it came rooted. Here’s how I
  installed Superuser on it so I can use apps that use root.

  Download superuser.zip
  Unzip superuser.zip
  adb root (to run adb as root user on the tablet)
  adb remount
  adb push Superuser.apk /system/app/
  adb push armeabi/su /system/xbin/su
  adb shell chmod 6755 /system/xbin/su
  adb shell ln -s /system/xbin/su /system/bin/su
  wget https://github.com/koush/Superuser/raw/master/init.superuser.rc
  adb push init.superuser.rc /


Can I use arrow keys? I've got a Samsung Galaxy Tab GT-I9100 running Android 2.3.5.

I love the "Swype" keyboard except I really want arrow keys. Is there please a way to add them or switch them on?

(Background)
I know I can tap the text entry box and a little pointer appears, but that's just not usable. Often, the vertical bar is always several characters off from where I drag the pointer to. If I want to insert text somewhere outside the visible area, its near impossible to get it to scroll to the right point.

The version of Swype pre-loaded on most Gingerbread Galaxy S's does have arrow keys built in.

Swipe your finger across from the Swype button in the bottom left corner of the keyboard to the SYM button alongside it, and you should see the cursor control screen instead.

Just tap the ABC button to get back to the normal keyboard.

(the other useful extra keyboard you can get is a proper num pad by swiping from the Swype key to the F key in middle of the keyboard).


Nexus 5 not appearing in Windows 7 Device Manager At one point I had my Nexus 5 showing up in Device Manager on Windows 7 but now it will not show up at all.

Background:

I have Android SDK Level 22 installed
I have run SDK Manager and downloaded the latest Google USB driver
I recently go the Android 4.4.3 update.  I am not clear if this was right before I started to have problems or right after so I am not sure if it is related or not
I have even installed the LG Universal driver
I have my phone in MTP storage mode, but have tried camera mode as well
I have tried turning on Developer Mode/USB debugging as well
I have tried 3 different cables
Windows never seems to even recognize that the device has been connected via USB - I get nothing, not even 'Unrecognized device' or 'Driver not installed'.  No entry in Device Manager either

I've followed the many suggestions on SE and the web

make sure MTP storage is enabled (check)
try camera mode (check)
try Developer Mode/USB Debugging (check)
change cables (check)
Update the driver for the phone in Device Manager (The device does not show up in DM)
Remove old stale "hidden" android devices in Device Manager (check)

I'm out of ammo.  Anyone have any ideas?

Thanks to @DanHulme in the comments.  He asked me if the phone registered a connection in the notification bar and it did not.  I wiggled the cable then pushed it all the way to the left and the phone was detected by Windows.  Must be a dirty or failing micro-USB port.  If cleaning it does not work I will be returning the phone under warranty.


My HTC Desire HD has been stolen. What data can still be accessed by the thief? I have contacted the network and had the phone barred, I had applied a screen lock.  I am concerned however if the thief can still access all my numbers, texts, saved passwords and most importantly the pictures/videos of my daughter which were stored to the handset?  It terrifies me to think that some horror could access these for all kinds of use.

If the data was not encrypted: everything.

The data on the removable SD-card can be easily accessed, just like a lost USB-Memory-Stick. The internal flash storage can also be read out via some, admittedly sophisticated but practical possible, approaches.
AFAIK no Data that you sync with the Google cloud is encrypted.

It's always wise to install some remote wipe tool, like pyko said. Even if they are not foolproof and can not provide a "secure delete" functionality, they provide some security and raise the bar to read out your data.

Hint: The AN.SX security tag provides some further related information for such cases.


How do I enter proxy server details? My work WiFi routes traffic through a proxy server. Is there a way to enter proxy server settings so that my Android can successfully make web requests?
My previous phone was a WinMo 6.0 and this was easy to do (part of the setup wizard).

I have a Milestone on Android 2.1

You can get to the hidden http proxy settings via the 'Proxy Settings' app.

This should work for http sites and services but Android doesn't currently allow https via proxy!?! (so no Gmail or app downloads).


Use Galaxy S3 as universal bluetooth audio receiver I have an old GS3 and would like to use it as a receiver to connect other bluetooth devices such as iPhones, laptops, and other Android phones to my home stereo via the 3.5 mm jack.  Does anyone know if there's an app that will allow this? If there's no way to do it via bluetooth, it may also be acceptable to use WiFi as the transmission medium.

I found an app that works over WiFi using AirPlay--it's called AirBubble.  Still would like to know if there's a way to do this using bluetooth though.


Can't access photo stored in SD Card from computer I have Android 4.4.2, and when i plug my phone in my pc, and try to access to my picture (i changed the settings to make it save the picture to my SD Card) from the folder: Galaxy\Card\DCIM, i dont see a thing, although when i go (in my phone) to "My files", and select "images", i can see all the images, and when i see the details, the path of the picture is /storage/extSdCard/DCIM/Camera/2015....jpg, but i cant even see the "Camera" folder in the pc.

UPDATE:
Even if browse to the /storage/extSdCard/DCIM/ folder with the file manager app it's empty!

Most modern devices don't give you direct access to the sdcard from your computer. The "sdcard" is just an emulated storage area which can not be separately unmounted and provided to your computer via USB.
They explained this sometime ago when it was introduced with 4.0? 4.1?

What you see on your computer is what the Android Media-Content-Provider knows.

In your case it's not up to date with the current content. To get it syncronized you will have to trigger a media scan.

See this question for how: How do I refresh/rescan the SD memory in Android 4.4 KitKat

If a normal media scan does not bring it into a consistent state:

There is a system app called similar to "Media storage" (packagename com.android.providers.media on a Nexus5), you can clear it's data and then do a media scan to start from a clean state.


Just enabled 2-factor authentication for gmail, now on my Android phone I get "Sign-in error" to my google account Possible Duplicate:
  Google's 2-step verification

As per today's Stackexchange Podcast I took Jeff's advice and enabled 2-factor authentication for my gmail account. However now when my android phone is complaining with a notification in the top bar saying:

  Sign in error for XXXX@gmail.com

I assume this is a failure in my phone trying to sync my account.

Of course I try to enter in my password (unchanged after enabling 2-factor auth) and it fails. Is there something I need to do to get 2-factor authentication to work correctly with my android device? I looked through the gmail app settings and didn't see anything obvious.

Apparently I needed to generate an application-specific password for my Android phone. When logged into google on a web browser, go under "Account Settings". Then Select "Authorizing application & sites". Once there create a new application specific password under "Generate new application-specific password". The password will be displayed once. Enter it into the Android phone's password prompt, and you should be successfully authenticated. You don't need to remember this password, its only intended to be typed in once and "remembered" locally on your phone. Note you can go to the same screen to revoke the credentials you just gave your android phone.

This is covered by this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=zMabEyrtPRg


Webpage objects extend beyond visibility Usually, when I see mobile webpage issues, I chalk it up to the site's developer not making the page universally mobile-friendly. Sometimes it's videos that extend beyond the bounds of the screen and I'm unable to zoom out, sometimes it's text.

However, I came across this page which is Google's own page. Why is it that on Google's Nexus 6P (with Google's Android) using Google's Chrome browser, the page ends up looking like this:

I can't even watch that video correcty, let alone pause it, without blowing it up to full screen.

If Google can't even keep issues like this from cropping up, part of be thinks it must be pretty difficult from a development standpoint. I don't know if there is any user-end methods to avoid this, so I guess my question is: Is there some way I can force Chrome to always display objects like this in a usable fashion?

Note: I have force zoom enabled, but unfortunately that only guarantees the ability to zoom in and doesn't allow the option to zoom out far enough to enclose all content on the pages I'm referencing.

It isn’t browser’s fault, the video container has hardcoded width of 560px, that’s about 1960px on Nexus’s screen, which itself has width of 1440px. That’s webmaster’s fault, as it’s possible to make the container smaller on smaller screen.

As the browser simply does its job, there aren’t many solutions, but here’s what I can suggest:

rotate the screen (in landscape mode you have 2560px, that should be enough);
set “Request desktop site” in Chrome’s menu. Again, the website won’t be much more usable in portrait mode, but you’ll be able to see the whole video;
watch it fullscreen.


Crash report: Enter key makes newline. How to send input? i'm trying to send feedback on an app that crashes. I run the app, when it crashes i get a popup asking if i want to report it, which sends me to a Feedback form with:

email to use
Write your feedback text field
Include system logs checkbox

After feedback text is typed Enter key just adds a newline. There's no Send button to click on, so it seems there's no way to proceed...

I've tried different keyboard apps, no luck with google keyboard, swiftkey or even keyboard pro which has a setting to force enter key to validate on some apps.

Using playstore 6.0.5, android 4.2.2

Ah, found it at last:
Turns out the "send" button is the hardly visible white triangle in the top right...


Can't Factory Reset HTC Desire C I tried unlocking the bootloader (which I apparently succeeded at.)  I then tried rooting it, which I failed at.  I just want to reset the phone back to factory settings but when I try to do a factory reset it will reboot into the (and I don't know if this is the right name for it or not) bootloader screen, where it says my phone is relocked and gives me the options "bootloader", "reboot", "reboot bootloader" and "power down"

What do I do?  If I reboot the phone will restart but nothing has been erased.

I would probably just flash it with a stock ROM, also you should always backup any device before you screw with the operating system (this goes for computers and phones!)

Make sure that the ROM you flash your phone with matches the phone EXACTLY. If you get a ROM that is for your phone, but for a different carrier, it will brick your phone and you will be out of luck.

Good luck!


USB OTG support on Samsung Galaxy Chat B5330 I have Samsung Galaxy Chat B5330 and I was wondering if there is a way to get USB-OTG support on this.

sorry for my bad English.

Based on the testing of other users on Chainfire's USB Host Diagnostics site, there's NO USB OTG support for GT-B5330.

See also: How can I determine if my device has USB Host Mode (OTG) support?


No notification from my apps I have a strange behaviour on a HTC Desire Android 2.2 phone:

Some applications offer notifications that should appear in the notification bar and should make a sound - for example Seesmic (Twitter client) and Huddle (from Google+).

On one phone I have here for comparison that happens. Whenever I get a message on twitter or when I receive a huddle, the phone beeps and shows a little icon.

On the other identical phone, which to me seems to be identically configured neither of those applications give me a sound - although sounds are enabled in the applications.

Any suggestions where else I could have another look?

Since there is no sound from any of those apps, it seems to be a "global" problem, but I don't see where...

You could try:

Settings->Sound->Notification Ringtone

It has a Silent option which might be set.


How do I hide or disable the Clear Defaults dialog or notification? Everytime I am asked to associate and select a default app to open something with,
I always get this Clear defaults message:

Screenshot; click image for larger variant

Selecting Always (after selecting a default app) and clicking the OK button
will stop this message from appearing for that kind of association.
BUT, it will still appear for other types of associations.

Is there any way I can stop this notification from showing up?
(given that I already know how to Clear defaults)

You can stop this notification from showing up, but you will need root and Xposed framework installed. So this solution is only for experienced Android user.

http://repo.xposed.info/module/com.mohammadag.disablecleardefaultsdialog


How can I root my General Mobile e-Tab 7b tablet? How can I root the General Mobile e-Tab 7b tablet? It's currently running Android 4.1.1, kernel version 3.0.8.

If you want easy root access and Developer support, It would be a good idea to get a well known android device from the likes of Samsung/HTC/Sony, etc.

I don't think there is good support for niche and low volume tablets.

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.

EDIT:
You can do something like this:

Look up the ODM of your Tablet. It probably is some Chinese no-label company.
See other tablets which are based on it and check if you could root them.


Securing power off menu options when phone screen is locked or customizing power-off menu options? I am using Google Nexus 5 with stock 4.4 KitKat.

When the phone is in locked state (locked with a standard PIN code, password or pattern) and we long press power button, we get the power-off menu with options like Power-Off, Flight mode and Sound options (Mute, Vibrate and Sound)

I was wondering that whether we could secure/disable the power-off and flight mode option if the phone is locked state or is there any way to customize these menu options?

I looked in one of such question but didn't get the answer:
Disable power-off menu when screen is locked

Use this app. It does exactly what you want : https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.nezdroid.lockscreenprotector


Resetting Nexus 6 requires previous account Same wifi
previous person registered on the phone left
I reset the phone
after language selection (and wifi selection), I get the problem

Device says

This device was reset. To continue, sign in with a Google Account that was previously synced on this device.

Does anyone know how I might fix this problem? It's an important test phone for me.

Again it’s the same wifi as previously.

I looked How to bypass "Verify your account" (Factory Reset Protection) but Nexus 6 does not have such a home button.

This is an anti-theft policy put in place by Google. There is not supposed to be any way to use the phone unless you have access to a prior account used on the device. See the Nexus documentation.

The user with access to a prior account should remove that user to allow future access:

  To turn off device protection, remove your Google account from your device. If you have Developer options enabled on your device, you can also go to Settings Settings > Developer options and check "OEM Unlocking."


How android ROMS based on TouchWiz work if TouchWiz source code is not available as opensource? Source code of samsung-touchwiz is not available to public to download and use. But there are custom roms which have touchwiz UI available .How do touch-wiz based roms like Salman rom work  without having samsung touch-wiz code?

Samsung allegedly releases the kernel sources, allowing a developer to customize and compile a kernel. Since they can also download the binary ROM (or copy it from their device), they can use their kernel as a drop-in replacement in the TouchWiz ROM--providing their changes didn't break the communication with the drivers. They normally don't touch the drivers or the userland apps, just the kernel.

Alternatively a user can tweak the default ROM by adding apps and/or themes ('kitchen work'). This has little real value to consumers and is not considered original development.


Lost root when upgrading from CM11to CM12.1 I recently upgraded my encrypted Nexus5 CM11 to CM12.1 and now i need to reinstall Google Apps.

unfortunately it seems to have lost root access which is needed to to install a zip in recovery mode. i am using TWRP recovery, which does support encrypted storage.

also since i can only get root back via recovery mode, i am now in a deadlock, right?

anything i can do?

Open the development menu in your main settings(to enable it go to About menu and keep pressing the build info until is enabled) and check there that Apps have administrative privileges.


SMS notifications and ringtone stopped working on my Sony Xperia M4 Aqua On an Android Lollipop powered Sony Xperia M4 Aqua, no notifications are being shown for new SMS arrivals in the notification bar nor the ringtone that was set is being played.

Note: Applicable for any Android app which doesn't work in the way it should...

Probably Show notifications (in app manager) for Messaging app might have been disabled. To enable it again just navigate to Settings>Apps>All apps>Messaging and enable Show notifications. If the problem still persists try ---

Clear data and Clear cache on the same page.
Disable & enable the app or Force stop & restart the mobile.

These are the basic steps to troubleshoot the apps which misbehave in any Android phone. If the problem still persists try trusted third-party apps like Textra SMS, GoPro SMS etc. as a temporary solution.

P.S: Factory formatting the phone solves all the problems but resetting is recommended only when it is extremely necessary.


Is there an app which will force reconnects on remembered in-range wifi networks? I'm having some difficulties with my San Francisco handset, running 2.1

It seems to keep dropping Wifi connection randomly. I've got the wireless router sat next to me, and its connected OK, but if I walk downstairs (still within range) it will drop connection.

At the moment I manually have to go to settings > wireless and force it to reconnect, this is quite annoying

Is there any app which will periodically check for in-range remembered networks, and force reconnects if possible?

Auto WiFi Toggle has been getting quite a lot of traction this past week and it looks like it may be what you're looking for.

It will search for WiFi networks in your range every interval (set by user) and then connect to them.

Auto WiFi Toggle:


Nexus 7 with AOSP, what is missing from stock? I would like to install AOSP version of Android OS on the Nexus 7. However, I am wondering what would I miss by doing so.

I know that by compiling the AOSP android-4.2.2_r1, I should get Android 4.2.2 that is pretty close to what is coming as the stock firmware images.

I know that I can get drivers for all the hardware Google. There even seem to be DRM drivers!

I know that I can transfer all the proprietary Google application packages from the stock firmware over to the AOSP firmware.

But, if I have done all this, am I still somehow short compared to the stock firmware that Google provides on the Nexus 7? I guess I do not get OTA updates to the firmware, but that is not a problem. I guess I should get normal updates to the proprietary Google application packages from Google Play. Are there some applications on Google Play that will not install on my phone if I am using AOSP? Is there something else that I have not thought of?

The Nexus 7, like most of the previous Nexus devices Google has released or been involved with manufacturing, runs the same AOSP source code that you propose to compile and install yourself, with only the addition of Google proprietary apps and hardware device driver binaries (though these are often available separately or in the source tree).

There are basically two reasons to do this:

You are a developer working on modifying the Android platform itself.
A fix for a bug that seriously impacts you is available in a slightly newer version of the source and it's so serious that you can't wait for the fix to be released normally.

If neither of these applies to you, then you probably shouldn't bother.


Tab 2 Guest user problem Hacker installed malware in Galaxy Tab (6 6.0.1) and disabled switching into Guest user. How do I remove this. I have run every kind of removal tool I can think of and every scan comes up clean.

Note: I am not a tech savy user

If you have already installed some Antivirus on your phone and they didn't work, try to do a reset of your phone and if it doesn't work try a hardreset. I hope I helped you, let me know if it worked


Power button fails to work consistently on Motorola Droid. Workarounds? When I press the power button on my Motorola Droid, nothing happens (usually). Just to get my phone to turn on after being shutdown, I have to plug it in to the charger cable. Once booted, however, I still have no convenient way to turn the screen on and off, or to shutdown the phone gracefully. Is there anything I can do to make the phone usable?

Note that a similar question has already been asked, however that question is specifically for non-rooted Droids, whereas my phone is rooted.

As long as your phone is rooted, you can use the excellent Button Remapper app by appelflap as a convenient workaround. What the app will let you do is remap the camera button to work as the power button.

After installing the app, find the entry for "(Camera)" and set its Action to "Power" and its State to "WAKE_DROPPED". (WAKE tells the key to register even when the screen is off; WAKE_DROPPED does the same but drops the key before it is sent to the running application.) Optionally, remap the "(Power)" button to something innocuous like "Home" and set its state to "NONE" — that way, in case the real power button becomes active in a jammed state, the button input shouldn't mess up anything you are trying to do on the phone. After you are satisfied with your changes, click "Apply" to reboot the phone for the changes to take effect. In case you messed up, there will be a notification from Button Remapper in the status bar, which will let you reset any changes you have made.

Note that even when using Button Remapper to remap the hardware buttons, the remapping will not take effect when the phone is off (or you are booted into recovery mode). If your power button doesn't work, you will still have to use a workaround like plugging your phone into a charger in order to get the phone to power on from a shutdown state.

Seeing as how the power button design on the Motorola Droid appears to be partially defective (I know of at least a handful of Droid owners who have had the power button fail), on my replacement Droid I made the point of remapping the Camera button pre-emptively, in an attempt to minimize wear and tear on the power button. It's something to consider.


Huawei Ascend P7: "Log In WiFi Network", but WiFi works well, and a very strange issue I have a problem with my Huawei Ascend P7

The cell phone connects perfectly to WiFi but I have several problems related to this:

Repeatedly asks me to "Log in WiFi network".
Certainly, it connects to the internet, but only for a few moments, the speed
of the connection goes down until it is constantly lost (for long periods of
time).

  EDIT: Well, I tried connecting in my cousin's WiFi and worked, now I
  know that the issue happens only in my WiFi

Important data:

This problem does not happen when I connect to a HotSpot, or a public network
(which asks me to login)
My router works perfectly.
Update the ROM (officially) to Lollipop 5.1.1

"Strange" things that happen in this case

The notification of "start session in wifi network" appears for a few seconds, and then disappears.

  Once I was able to open the notification, I could even "log in" to my Wi-Fi
       network with Google Sites, but nothing happened

The problem suddenly appeared, I do not know when it happened.

I tried:

Change to static IP.
Check the "Wireless" section of my router
Reset my phone.
Wipe data

I hope to find help to solve this problem, this is the only phone that I will have for a long time (that's why I updated it)

Of course, thank you.

Check to see if wifi service is actually an app called tispy ..
It hides under the name wifi service


Is it possible to stream a tablet screen to desktop via bluetooth to a PC? This way you could give a presentation (and make annotations), show movies on your tablet and stream it to your PC/laptop which is connected with bluetooth (in e.g. a classroom) with no need to go to the PC.

Has anybody used this setup?

As a teacher it would make a smartboard out of my tablet (which i would buy for this purpose, amongst few others) and a simple bluetooth dongle which I could plug in the school PC.

Looks simple to me, but probably isn't as simple as I imagine?

I'm even prepared to pay a fee for an app if this is available.

I do not know of a way to display your tablet screen other than some sort of display adapter. Things like this with the receiver would allow you to do it wirelessly, but they get mighty expensive.

Additionally, I do not believe bluetooth is designed as a "Display out" port, so to say, and I am hard pressed to believe it would be easy to do this, beside the fact that you may need to write that yourself.

I would recommend something like Splashtop Remote. This does not display your tablet screen on the PC  but allows you to see and control your PC screen from your tablet. So you could not share your tablet screen, but you could still walk around the classroom with your tablet and control what is being projected to the screen.

Also, and I don't know if this works over bluetooth, but you could try the Android Screencast Project. Maybe it has what you need!

I know it's not the solution you're looking for, but hopefully it helps!


Is there a way to speed up games with an accelerator? Title + what i'm looking for is like the cheat engine "speed hack" equivalent, or for another example, on the iOS jailbroken app, xmodgames there is an accelerator feature. Is there something like this for android?

Note: I am not looking for something to speed up my phone, I just want the game to be sped up so things move faster in-game.

Try use GameGuardian. It perfect works on all Android versions include Lollipop and Marshmallow.

It have speedhack worked on arm and x86 devices, include x86 emulators like Bluestacks, Droid4X, Andy and others.


How to limit charging to a user defined limit? My UleFone Armor 2 has a 4700mAh battery and I would like to limit the charging to 60% to reduce battery aging. The batteries in most of the phones are not user-replaceable and I am worried that a factory/service battery replacement might affect water resistance negatively.

How can I limit the charging to 60%? (But not limiting charging speed. I love fast charging.)

Lenovo ThinkPads have a built-in feature that does this, called “battery preservation mode”.

There now is a hardware+app solution for that, it's called Chargie. https://chargie.org

Basically, Chargie is a Bluetooth switch that is linked to an app on your phone. You set the desired level of charging, the app runs in the background and stops the charge at the percentage you set.

*disclosure: I am the CEO of Lighty Electronics, we have developed this solution and this isn't meant to be a spammy post with a link, but rather a very relevant solution to this issue. As far as I know, there are no other manufacturers of such devices.


Clockwork Mod Can't find backups Yesterday I performed a Nandroid Backup on my phone, because right after I knew I was going to wipe the phone and cache and remount Cyanogenmod on my Galaxy Nexus to hopefully solve another issue I had.

However, I guess when you do a new fresh mount CM recreates the 0 (profile) directory on the internal memory. So I ended up having to move the folders that contained the backup up one directory level.

The problem I have now is that with the latest backup I am running dangerously low on storage space, so I can't restore all my apps and data and therefore I need to delete an old backup (I have 3 but need only 2). I can't delete the folder using Astro or file manager even when giving them root access, and I thought if moving it to the same location as before CWM would be able to see it and delete, but it just says can't find any backups.

Is there a way to fix it so CWM can see it and I can delete?

The files are currently in the path /storage/emulated/0/clockworkmod/backup

ClockworkMod needs to be updated to properly understand Android 4.2's new filesystem structure so it can see its previous backups.

Technically, everything stored on the sdcard is actually stored under /data/media, however Android uses bind to essentially make a really fancy shortcut to various other places. This includes /storage/emulated/ and /sdcard.

As for deleting, without knowing the errors you were running into, it limits my options on recommendations. But you can use adb to delete files (with the code below, replace "old-backup" with the folder name containing the backup you want to remove).

adb shell
su
rm -rf /data/media/0/clockworkmod/backup/old-backup


Connecting android phone to a local web server Scenario.
We have a product controlling some sort of household thing. Since its 2015, it also runs a small webserver so that people in the house can control the product using their phones. Everything is using wifi network and the product has local name, say, productx.local. In this scenario, people in the household does not know anything about DNS, IP, router configurations, etc, etc. They buy the stuff, connect it and it should work.

As far as I understand, with an android phone I can't access the product with the local name, but have to use it's IP-address?! This seems strange. Does it mean that services provided by the product must expose their API to an external server so that an Android user must connect to the external service in order to communicate with local device?

Edit:

Here is a similar question which is unresolved. And another post here. In the second link (from 2011) its stated that Android devices have to rely on the DHCP configuration, whereas Windows and Macs provide alternative name resolutions. Is it still true that Android (4.4) fully relies on DHCP for resolution? Have tested both Chrome and Firefox, and both return that the requested page was not found. (...and even more similar unresolved questions)

Edit:

Have noticed that it's now working with Chrome 52.0.2743.98 and Android 4.4.2. For exampel: I have a local mopidy server running on a raspberry pi named mopidy2. Now I can give Chrome the address "mopidy2:6680" and it will find the service(s)" Interestingly, Chrome on a pc will also accept "mopidy2.local:6680", whereas Chrome on Androind will return ERR_NAME_NOT_RESOLVED.

Of course it would work without the convoluted process you described. What makes you think Android phones aren't capable of a simple DNS lookup?

If your product sets a hostname in its initial DHCP request, most consumer routers will serve it out to other clients over DNS, including Android phones. The process you described should only be used as a fallback mechanism when the user's router isn't configured that way.


How to install Vim text editor in Android? How do I install Vim text editor in Android?

DroidVim is a Vim clone text editor ported for Android. Vim 8 (huge version, multi language), grep, diff and ctags are ready to use.


Show which program / task uses the camera (in background) On my Samsung Galaxy S2 I9100 with CM11, I always hear a very subtle click of the autofocus whenever the camera app is loaded. Since some weeks, I heard that sound randomly, especially after every restart and reconnect with WiFi. This somehow scares me and looks a bit like my phone is supervised.
Is there a possibility on android (with / without root access) to find out which task uses the camera?

Install the Permissions app, and look the the apps under take pictures and videos.


Error [DF-SA-01] when downloading application from the play store Can anybody help me how can I solve this problem. I have tried options of clearing cache data, force stop google paly store/service, removing google account from accounts and reboting device but it didn't work for me.

Apparently this can be fixed by resetting app preferences:

Go to Settings> Apps
Open the menu (usually 3 dots in the top right but may vary depending on your device)
Select Reset app preferences.

Source


Getting a list of applications with SMS permission I installed many applications, and some of them have specific permissions. How do I get a list of all applications with a specific permission? I'm interested in SMS permissions. I do not want to write an app for that yet :-)

My problem is that the Galaxy Nexus 4.2.1 Messaging app takes up too much CPU - over 20%. So, I need to see which of my installed apps may be misbehaving.

There is a FREE app called Permission Explorer. Check the MESSAGES category in that app.


Dual Sim but one outgoing number I have a dual sim phone and am starting to do a bit of extra free lancing work on top of my regular job.

I have my own personal SIM which I have a contract that gives me unlimited calls. What I would like to do is get another SIM as a work number to give to clients. To keep this SIM active I just want to pay the minimum amount (I think it is 10 Euro every 6 months or something like that) so that clients phone my work SIM and not have my personal number.

With having unlimited calls on my personal SIM I'd like to phone my clients back using my personal SIM as it costs me nothing extra but make it look like I'm phoning from my work SIM.

Is it possible to do this? Is there an app that can control this?

I could always just phone my clients using my personal SIM and withhold my number so my number doesn't show but that's not really what I'm after.

Does anyone know is this possible?

Thank you

For this I recommend using Skype Out. you can authorize skype to give your actual cell number as caller id when making a Skype Out call. I do this when travelling overseas, my outgoing calls say they are my US number. I let incoming calls just go to voice mail of my real cell phone number so I don't have to pay international fees, and immediately call people back using skype out. My clients never have to know I'm out of the country.


enabling developer mode in xiaomi redmi hm 1s To enable the hidden Developer Options, I followed the following steps below :

On your Redmi phone, find and launch the Settings app.
Tap General settings.
Tap About phone.
Tap Android version for 7 times.
Once you reached the 7th times, it displays "K" after pressing K for some time it displays a screen showing in red color showing Android written at center and version written at bottom Android 4.4.4.
After pressing for some time it displays this screen with some animated gifs:

But as prescribed by Xiaomi offical documents step 5 and 6 doesn't come up
instead it should be this

display a message "You have enabled developer option" on your device.Now you have successfully enabled Developer option tab.
Now you need to go back to main settings and then launch Additional Settings.From their tap in developer options and enable it.and After that enable USB debugging .

But after the animated image display nothing happens as described .Even the option for Developer Option doesn't not show up....

So how to enable developer mode on this phone please help.??? Thanks in advance.

Well ,I got it just ..need to Tap on MIUI version instead of Android version..


Image a phone and browse on computer emulator? I have a galaxy nexus (stock OS). During its use I have used WeChat and WhatsApp, and would like to save my chat and voice histories within these programs.

Does a way exist to image my current phone as it is, so I can load it onto some PC emulator and browse these apps on my PC? This would allow me to save everything as it is, but also start fresh on my phone with a format. I do not want to format my phone then load back on WeChat for instance, yet I still want to be able to browse my old WeChat chats and voice clips (using a PC).

Thanks

You can make an adb backup of only the desired apps, then adb restore it to an emulator. As far as I know, this should preserve all the apps' data. Also, backups of user apps should be compatible between different versions and architectures of Android - but there's a chance of failure, so try it before you wipe anything!


Check OpenSSL version in Android with Java runtime or shell command I have a problem with checking OpenSSL version in Android device. I've tried to grep OpenSSL from system/lib/libssl.so with java runtime.exec, but it doesn't work?

Anyone can help me, how to make a command to check OpenSSL version in Android?

grep doesn't really like binary files, but you can extract the strings from the binary and grep those using strings. This binary is not available on most stock ROMs, but you can use Busybox or a similar tool to use it on most devices.

On my device the following command lists the correct OpenSSL version used by libssl.so:

strings /system/lib/libssl.so | grep -i openssl

This gives me the following output:

OpenSSLDie
OPENSSL_cleanse
OPENSSL_DIR_read
OPENSSL_DIR_end
external/openssl/ssl/bio_ssl.c
external/openssl/ssl/d1_both.c
external/openssl/ssl/d1_enc.c
external/openssl/ssl/d1_lib.c
external/openssl/ssl/d1_pkt.c
external/openssl/ssl/d1_srtp.c
external/openssl/ssl/s23_clnt.c
external/openssl/ssl/s23_lib.c
external/openssl/ssl/s23_srvr.c
external/openssl/ssl/s2_clnt.c
external/openssl/ssl/s2_enc.c
external/openssl/ssl/s2_lib.c
external/openssl/ssl/s2_pkt.c
external/openssl/ssl/s2_srvr.c
external/openssl/ssl/s3_both.c
external/openssl/ssl/s3_cbc.c
external/openssl/ssl/s3_clnt.c
external/openssl/ssl/s3_enc.c
external/openssl/ssl/s3_lib.c
external/openssl/ssl/s3_pkt.c
external/openssl/ssl/s3_srvr.c
external/openssl/ssl/ssl_asn1.c
external/openssl/ssl/ssl_cert.c
OPENSSL_DIR_read(&ctx, '
external/openssl/ssl/ssl_ciph.c
OPENSSL_malloc Error
OpenSSL 1.0.1j 15 Oct 2014
external/openssl/ssl/ssl_lib.c
external/openssl/ssl/ssl_rsa.c
external/openssl/ssl/ssl_sess.c
external/openssl/ssl/ssl_txt.c
external/openssl/ssl/t1_enc.c
external/openssl/ssl/t1_lib.c
external/openssl/ssl/t1_reneg.c
external/openssl/ssl/tls_srp.c
DTLSv1 part of OpenSSL 1.0.1j 15 Oct 2014
SSLv2 part of OpenSSL 1.0.1j 15 Oct 2014
SSLv3 part of OpenSSL 1.0.1j 15 Oct 2014
TLSv1 part of OpenSSL 1.0.1j 15 Oct 2014

I can't confirm that this works for every device, but I see no reason why this would fail.


Bootloader Unlock Question: Motorola I have a Motorola G7 Power; carrier is Metro PCS. It is my understanding that in order to unlock the bootloader I need to get an unlock code from Motorola. Is this true? Does this mean that my device cannot be rooted unless I have this unlock code?

First check whether you phone can be unlocked: https://support.motorola.com/us/en/solution/MS87215

If yes then you need an unlock code, to get this code and unlock the boot loader follow the instructions at https://motorola-global-portal.custhelp.com/app/standalone/bootloader/unlock-your-device-a

It is not possible to root your mobile without unlocking it.


How to edit the "ME" contact? On my Galaxy Nexus running (stock, non-rooted) ICS, there is a contact entry for "ME".

This is different from the contact entry farther down the list with my actual name on it.
And the contact for "ME" actually contains some incorrect information. Some non-existent email addresses, etc. I don't even know where these came from, as they aren't anywhere in my contacts lists nor in my G+ profile.

When I try to edit "ME", it does not give me the option to modify the email addresses.
And it also doesn't let me Join this contact with the other instance of myself.

How can I edit this "ME" contact to show correct information?
Or can I somehow delete it and choose a different contact to represent ME?

I also had the same problem and it took me 2 days to fix this

Try going to contacts.google.com.

Find your profile (should have your gmail on email address)

Re-add the faulty data (it was an old phone number in my case), save, and force your nexus to sync contacts

Now delete the faulty data, sava, and force sync again.

If that didnt work, do the same but with your google+ profile: re-add faulty data, save, and force sync, then delete it.

I did both of the above, so I'm not exactly sure which method worked

Edit: just remembered there was one other thing i did after all of the above:

Go to google plus app on your nexus

Click "settings" and uncheck the contacts syncing.

The old phone number was removed at this point. And turning sync back on did not make it reappear

Hope that helped!


zoom on an android tv? I have a TV that runs android 2.2. It can take a USB mouse and keyboard, and I'm running the dolphin web browser on an auto-refreshed page for digital signage. Only thing is, I can't get it to zoom in or out - there is no touch (so multitouch doesn't work), and there are no +/- buttons as tehre are on some stock browsers. The stock browser doesn't work on the site in questions, and firefox won't load onto the device (it has a MIPS processor, so any app using the native SDK won't work). Any ideas?

Purchase a mouse which supports multitouch gestures (using which you zoom in or out). e.g. PadKite

If you don't want to purchase anything, just go to Dolphin's Settings, tap Lab and turn ON pinch-Zoom Button. Then, you'll find +/- clickable buttons to zoom in or out.


how do you properly root galaxy s3 i9300 on mac? I am trying to root my Galaxy S3 i9300 on a Apple Mac.

I followed the instructions here

But instead of my phone starting up ClockWorkMod recovery, my phone keeps booting up on android recovery.

Any tips on how to go from here?

Try flashing again, while you do tick off the auto reboot. Then take the battery out when it’s done flashing.  Then enter ClockworkMod Recovery right away.

PS: Just try if you are ready to experiment. I don't give any guarantee.


What doesn't data usage show? I was recently helping someone try to figure out were the data usage was coming from since recently it has sky rocketed from under 8GB to well over 30GB. Anyway, they went to the data usage under setting (I believe the phone was a Galaxy S 3 or 4) the total data usage essentially agreed with the carriers usage but the apps below did not add up anywhere close to what was said. This was over the phone so maybe I missed something.

Anyway, is there anything that is not shown by the data usage that comes with the Galaxy S III (or any android devices)?

Is there a way to get that info, maybe with a different app?

Usually it won't happen that the total data usage is inconsistent with each app's data usage. However, you may try installing some of the data usage monitor apps on PlayStore:

My Data Usage
Data Usage
Onvao Count


Keyboard stucks in lock screen on my Galaxy S5 If I use the keyboard in a texting app or somewhere and the screen locked automatically, keyboard stucks at the lockscreen and it looks really weird.

This is a screenshot of what is happening on my phone. Does anyone know the reason for this? My Device is Samsung Galaxy S5 with Lollipop update.

My buddy had the same problem and the only thing we could do to fix it was to install another keyboard like SwiftKey, Google keyboard, and etc. It seems that its a known issue and will have to wait for Samsung to fix it.

Edit, I know this isn't a -fix- but at least its a workaround to get you through the day, Short of having to reboot the phone.


How frequently is it okay to let the battery discharge fully or as low as possible? I know that atleast once or twice a month a full battery drain and then a 100% charge helps increase the battery life and also gives more accurate battery readings.

I was wondering, how frequently is it okay to let it drain as low as possible or to zero?

Like is it okay even if done most of the times(or all the times) or it should not be done more than like say max 5-6 times a month or so??

Thankyou!

once or twice a month a full battery drain and then a 100% charge helps increase the battery life

That is incorrect, a full discharge is never beneficial to LiON battery capacity. The battery life of a LiON battery is dependant mostly on temperature, discharge rate, and age. In fact, low charge state actually is harmful to LiON battery capacity; although modern batteries have circuits that tells the system to shutdown before it became really harmful to the battery, it is best for LiON battery to be plugged in as often as is convenient.

  also gives more accurate battery readings.

As for calibrating battery meter by full discharge-recharge, that is partially true. Modern smart battery comes with a microchip to keep track of the state of charge. The following is a quote from HP regarding Smart Battery System in their laptops:

  Repeated short discharges and recharges cause increasing inaccuracy between the state-of-charge of the battery and the Power Meter readings. Periodically, the battery needs to be calibrated to "relearn" its usable capacity so it can synchronize its charge status with the Power Meter. ... The user simply has to periodically discharge the battery until the 5% capacity alarm is received. The need to perform this procedure will vary with individual use. In general, a Li-Ion battery should be calibrated a minimum of once every 3 months. A battery that is seldom discharged completely should be calibrated about once a month.

and the following is from Battery University:

  How often does a battery need calibrating? The answer depends on the application. For practical purposes, a calibration should be done once every three months or after 40 partial cycles. If the portable device applies a periodic deep discharge on its own, no additional calibration will be needed.

The need for calibration comes from the mismatch between the battery's chemistry and the microchip that estimates the battery's state of charge. This mismatch develops over numerous partial discharge, although unlike the memory effect in NiCad battery, it does not affect the battery's actual chemical capacity and is reversible by letting the battery relearn its bottom and top charge state. Do not do calibration too often since deep discharge does permanently harm LiON's actual capacity.


android contacts sync with google+ facebook I'm using Pixel (XL), Phone by Google (1st generation) with Android 8.0.0, when I tap on Contacts app, some of my contains has photo and some do not(.

How does one sync my existing contacts against Google+ and/or Facebook to get photos? I don't want to sync entire Facebook against my phone...

Please advise.

first of all do these things ..

Run App permission management in your phone .(Some device has its own inbuilt app , or lots of apps available on play store.)
You can go to your setting  > security > permission > deny all contact permission
go to setting > Account > Google > Your Account > untick contact no sync with google.


Remove "Folder Open" "Folder closed" announcements without disabling Accessiblity I have a Galaxy S3 4G.  I also have a Pebble watch.

The Pebble watch uses the Accessibility service in order to project messages etc to your wrist.  Unfortunately, this means certain other "features" apparently get enabled - like a voice announcement every time I open or close a folder.  Which is less than helpful.  And really annoying.

Is there any way to disable these particular advisories?  I'm leery of disabling all voice apps entirely, since I still occasionally want access to things like turn instructions from Google Maps.

Found a solution that worked for me.  From this page:

Go to Settings> Application Manager> All> Google Text To Speech Engine
Instead of disabling it entirely, hit "Clear Data"

Note: This solution may or may not be permanent (I have a feeling when I next actually use a feature with Voice, it will re-enable), but it's easily repeatable at need.  It's mostly viable for me because I don't use such features terribly often.  If you use Maps every day or whatever you might need to find a different answer.


Chrome - swipe to dismiss articles on home page missing As in title

With the latest version 80.0.3987.132, I noticed you can't swipe to dismiss articles. Instead you need to tap 3 dots menu next to each article and "hide story". Articles also take up much more space then before.

How to fix this?

After trying various flags, this worked - enter in address bar
chrome://flags/#interest-feed-content-suggestions and in options disable and relaunch chrome
Also see Chrome - how to swipe to dismiss articles on home page for a fix for version 84.0.4147.89


Google account remove So I found a phone and I can't use it because I don't have or know the Google account that us linked in with the phone. How do I go about removing the account. I've factory reset it and everything. Any solutions???

Go into your Gmail app. Top left has 3 dots for menu, brings up folders and such. By the current login name there is an arrow which will open up an accounts option. Open it up, click on existing account, press the menu dots for it and click "remove account"


Keyboard has disappeared from galaxy tab e Unable to unlock screen as keyboard has disappeared so unable to enter password.

You may try below solutions in descending order if any of them do not work for you. I have added them in descending order of efforts required.

Restart the device.
Hard/force restart your device by holding down the Power button and the Volume-down button at the same time for more than 7 seconds.
It may be the case that there is no/very less space for keyboard app to load. If you think you were low on internal storage, try freeing up internal storage and making more space. You may try these by migrating your data from internal storage to your external storage or a PC/Laptop.
Enter Safe Mode and disable the password. You may also remove junk data and make more space available in internal storage. To enter safe mode, Power off the device, press and hold the Power key for one or two seconds to turn on the device.  When the Samsung logo "samsung" displays, press and hold the Volume down key until the lock screen displays. When the Lock screen is displayed, 'Safe mode' will be displayed on the lower-left corner of the screen.
As suggested by  @esQmo_ flash a stock firmware using Odin. Flashing with Odin does not remove the user data.


How to set signal strength threshold for switching WiFi on and off? When the WiFi signal strength is low, the phone switches to a 4G
network.
When the WiFi signal strength is high, the phone switches to that WiFi
network.

This is normal behavior for any Android device and all too familiar to Android users, or to users of any WiFi enabled device in fact. But the problem I often run into is that the WiFi signal is too low to be usable, and too high to switch to 4G automatically.

WiFi signal strength 0 < x < 0.5 marks (bars), the phone switches to
a 4G network.
WiFi signal strength x > 0.5 marks, the phone switches to that
WiFi network.

These values are not real measurements. They are merely my own perceived points at which the phone switches between the two.

TL;DR:
Is there a way for me to optimize the auto-switching between WiFi and 4G to my own liking? Is it possible to set that threshold point manually? What I would like is to switch over to 4G as soon as the WiFi signal is below the 2 mark point.

What I am often forced to do, in order to get (usable) Internet access, is to enter the Settings menu on the phone and disable WiFi altogether in order to force my "smart" phone to switch over to 4G!

Would it not be better if the user could control the threshold at which the phone switches between WiFi and 4G? I think the default threshold is too conservative. It's set up to conserve 4G bandwidth by free-riding on available WiFi networks for as long as possible and whenever possible (available).

Devices are optimize to make use of WiFi as much as possible, due to associated data costs on 4G networks. But this is a nuisance! My Internet access is almost completely crippled for many of the WiFi networks I have access to, whenever the signal strength is below the 2 mark point. On the other hand, I have over 4 GB unused bandwidth on my carrier network, for which I have a much stronger signal, but I have to disable WiFi first in order to connect to 4G. That's not convenient when you're on the move a lot.

I have recently started using the 4G network almost exclusively. I have stopped using WiFi because I have had enough with enabling and disabling it back and forth, and having to remember to do it when I'm on the move. So I am looking for a more permanent solution to this.

This would be messy for a comment, so consider it a partial answer.

The following task can stop or disconnect a WiFi if the signal level is below your preferred level.

Create a task named "Wifi" and create following actions in it:

Code → Run Shell:

Command → echo "%WIFII" | awk '/Sig: [0-9]/ {print $2}'
Store Output In → %Signal

Alternatively, since awk requires installation of Busybox, for non-rooted devices use the action Variable → Variable Search  to search the integer next to Sig: in the variable %WIFII and save it in %Signal.
Task → If:

%Signal Maths: Less Than INT

Replace INT with the signal value (0-9) at which Wi-Fi should disconnect
Net → WiFi → Off | Net → WiFi Net  → Disconnect

It is up to you how you want to use this Task.

Note: Tasker has a profile option "WiFi near" under "State" where you can select SSID and/or Signal level of WiFi in proximity.

Hint: You may try running that task with a bit more modification under an infinite loop.


Galaxy Mini hangs at boot - how can I fix it? My Galaxy Mini powers on, but then hangs on the "Samsung Galaxy Mini" splash screen.

How can I re-install Android, or get it booting again?

Just found that solution and it worked for me! http://howtorootmobile.com/stuck-in-android-boot-loop-tips-to-fix-recover-from-boot-loop/

FYI my phone is not rooted, so I followed the first solution.